Different Petromax 826

The Aida brand came under Graetz control in 1928 or soon after. Aida were made in the Aida factory to Aida specs through the 1930s but after WW2 were made in Altena to Petromax specs alongside Petomax. There is a suggestion that the brand was also made in Portugal for a few years after Petromax production ceased in the 1970s. ::Neil::

 

Yes Neil,
That's about what I've read sometime back. Was it you who wrote that?

 

Now that really explains why the later Aidas look so similar to the Petromaxes of the 50s and 60s.
Always makes me wonder if they're from the same factory in Altena as well.
If there's anybody who happened to know Fritz and Erich Graetz, their former employees in Altaena or their decendents, I would centainly like to hear from them about this.

 

The AIDA story as it was.

 

Well I probably did write something like that but my information was from Anton Kaim who is perhaps the most thorough researcher into Aida. Anton gave me a copy of his book maybe 10 or more years ago not long after he first had it printed. Being an idle old git I mostly reply here from memory and sometimes I remember things a bit wrong but the link Wim posted will give you the current wisdom on Aida. ::Neil::

 

Thanks WimVe.
The Aida with the likes of Hirschorn has always kept me guessing whether the origins of the standing lanterns types, i.e. Petromax 826, 821, Aida1250, etc have their roots from the same place.

 

Thanks Neil. I've read some of your past(2011) postings regarding some of these, which you said taken partly from the PLC.

 

They are all from a couple of patents from 1928 and 1930; DE461698 and DE513988 which were jointly applied for by Graetz, Hirschhorn, Schneider and Continental Licht. So the big four German manufacturers shared the patents . These lanterns are actually design based on Aida lanterns which pre date Petromax by a couple of years. ::Neil::

 

I've been suspecting that all along. So finally, Hirschhorn's Aida was the real "origin" in the first place.
Max Graetz and Hugo Schneider must had really capitalized on that during those early years.

 

But then, I have came to know that a certain John Preston filed a patent for his famous looped vaporizer sometime in 1910 to 1912.
Which lantern would be the first to use that before the Hirschhorn/Aida?
It certainly did not appeared to be matching to a Graetz hanging lantern.

 

With respect to @MYN’s comment above re John Preston (of the Preston loop):

Preston’s 1908 Patent Application:

https://classicpressurelamps.com/th...ent-application-australia-no-12-363-08.11502/

Preston’s 1910 Patent Application:

https://classicpressurelamps.com/th...ent-application-australia-no-18-707-10.11504/

Tony

 

As far as i remember: only after E&G took over Hirschhorn the famous petromax design was put on the market. So yes Hirschhorn was the mother of the design.

The E&G/AIDA factory is the only part of the E&G factory that is still present in Berlin.
The only member of the Graetz still alive doesn't know anything of lamps at all. As far as we know only petromax lanterns where made in Altena ! Source is a former engineer.
He also didn't know where the after war donut lamps where made. After production ceased all the related stuff was thrown away.
There have been contact with former employees but you have to remember that petromax production was a side product and the main production where radios and other electronic equipment.

 

Whenever I search up sites on the Altena factory, it mostly led to radios/electronics related information.
The Petromax lantern manufacture had indeed shrunk into a very small portion of Graetz's business after WWII, throughout the 50s, 60s and till Erich sold off the company.
I'm guessing that the phasing-out of the lantern division in Germany had already taken place, at least as early as the 1950s.

 

Yes John Preston patented the loop generator in 1910 but it was re patented by Hirschhorn in 1923 and was used in an Aida do nut lamp about that year and also in a lantern a few years later. ::Neil::

 

It was some years between Preston's 1910 to Hirschhorn's 1923...
So my question would be: who was the first to use a Preston loop in their lanterns?
Had there been no one else before Hirschorn/Aida?

 

Well yes in Australian Kerona lamps but maybe not in a lantern untill Aida in the mid 1920s. ::Neil;;