Birmingham based British lamp manufacturer Howes & Burley entered into the WW1 military supply chain in 1915 with a magnificent lantern designed for use in trench dugouts (above). This very well engineered lamp was a far cry from the high-end brass coach and early automobile lamps with which they had made their name pre-war. Examples of the pre-war coach and automobile lamps are still rightly highly prized: The trench lamps were very different in character, but showed the same attention to detail. Note, for example, the very heavy gauge wire protective cage, and the provision made on the paraffin wick burner unit for a back-up candle for lighting, a nice detail: in paraffin lamp mode. in candlelight mode. It will be seen that the lamp shown above is dated 1915, their introduction being within months of the consolidation of the war into an entrenched stalemate. The quality and design of these lanterns suggests that they were very likely reserved for relatively privileged locations, officers' command posts, medical facilities and the like. Nevertheless examples of these lamps are known dated 1915, 1916, 1917 and 1918. Those from the later years showing subtle shifts to more utilitarian and simpler construction. The year 1917, however, saw Howes & Burley enter considerably more uncharted waters with the beginnings of blowlamp and primus-type stove production. This was at the same time as quite a number of other British manufacturers also began producing light duty blowlamps too. But Howes & Burley were one of only a very small number who also began to supply primus-type stoves and heavy duty (Barthell clone) blowlamps. All of this was in response to the 1917 German unrestricted U-boat campaign which temporarily cut Britain off from supplies of such products from Sweden. Examples exist of both Howes & Burley stoves and blowlamps from 1917. The stoves made by them in 1917 are fairly standard 2-pint low-spirit cup roarer burners: More details can be found here. The 1917 H&B blowlamps are of a similarly standard 1-pint pattern, with base provenance marks identical to those on the stoves: When it comes to 1918, examples are known of both identical 1-pint blowlamps to 1917, and also of Howes & Burley clones of the massive Barthell-pattern brazing lamps: For an idea of the size differential here is a 1918 H&B 1-pint blowlamp snuggling up against one of Howes & Burley's Barthell pattern monsters: At the time of writing there are no know examples of a 1918 dated H&B stoves. It seems likely, however, that they probably were made then given the speed at which Howes & Burley were able to begin offering stoves to the civilian market immediately after the war under the 'Corona' brand name.
An excellent and valuable piece bringing together what we know so far. The lantern is an impressive design, the handle assembly particularly showing the usual H&B quality. Throughout the history of candle lanterns, cylindrical seems to have been the most desired shape- horn panes allowed this originally, and all sorts of interesting designs allowed flat glass panes to be used within a round lantern, even though a simple square or trianguar design would allow more light out. Quite what advantage a cylindrical lantern gave other than appearance I cannot fathom, less likely to catch on clothes while being carried possibly? Anyway, the Howes and Burley follows this tradition, the glass and burner are square, it would be simpler for the whole lantern to follow suit, but effort has been made to make the end result cylindrical. Chris (Secret candle lanthorn/lantern fanatic)
Well an update is now needed since a 1917 example of that big beast has also now surfaced, albeit with very ropey burner internals: The 1917 Barthell pattern also has one small but intriguing point of difference to the several 1918 examples which are know in the design of its pressure relief filler cap. All of the known 1918 dated big lamps have this type of captive-screw pressure relief filler cap: But the newly found 1917 example sports this rather Heath-Robinson device: Not only does this look peculiarly make-shift, but it will be noted that the relief screw itself is marked 'LLTC'. Does this mean nothing more than that at first start-up with these devices Howes & Burley simply sourced some components from Shaw's Lamb brand stocks? Or might it be evidence of some level of collaboration for the war effort? Two of the beasts chewing the cud:
This is another 1918 Howes & Burley Barthell-type, with the usual pressure release (and the operating valve on the same side as the 1917 example). It also has the deeper threaded pump tube cap shared with the previous 1918 example, the 1917 version has a lighter weight pump tube cap:
A new add-on to this thread. A 1914 Howes & Burley candle lantern. A fore-runner to the much beefed-up 1915ff lantern shown above, but also very different to the antiquated Boer War era folding lanterns originally being offered by some others, Parkinson Cowan for example (c/f here). This 1914 offering from Howes & Burley is much flimsier all round and gives the impression of being no more than a barely modified domestic/farm lamp. Compare in particular the relatively fragile basic cage on this with the massively strongly constructed lantern from 1915 at the top of the thread: Here we see it during refurb before the cage hoops were re-installed; The top is hinged for access with a clasp at the front: Base air inlets: Presumably a fairly rushed stop-gap product given how out-of-character it seems when considered against Howes & Burley's previously long-established reputation for the highest quality paraffin oil carriage lamps! @Blackdog
Another piece of the puzzle Ian, well done. Low end of the market production indeed, but needs must in time of war! Interesting clash of candle lantern worlds- the eye and rings on top are very substantial, and look out of place compared to the rest of the lamp. Candle lanterns being fairly universal, they got used for all sorts of purposes, but as far as I can ascertain the cage hoops seem to be more common on lanterns aimed at the nautical market and less often seen on dry land. Yet the opposite can be said for that top ventilator design!
