“Meyer were in many ways to Sievert what Condrup was to BAHCO”

That’s a quote from @Spiritburner in response to a post by @kerophile in the Reference Library on a 1966 catalogue published by Svea’s UK distributor, William A. Meyer, then of Gleneldon Road, London, but with premises on Southwark Street, London further back in time.

On the right is their Southwark Street former site today, now occupied by Mercure London Bridge hotel, built in 1999.




A 1921 street directory shows the diversity of business activity on that stretch of Southwark Street - a pub; iron foundry; engineers; chemical merchants; Wm A Meyer (merchants); a medical glass manufacturer; talking machine factors; steam pump manufacturers and more.




This flyer from 1951 shows that by then Meyers had moved to premises further up the street, but what’s interesting is the claim ‘Serving the trade since 1889’ - more on that in a moment.




This flyer from 1938 illustrates something of the range of their merchandise, among them Svea stoves and blowlamps of course.




So, that reference to the company having been founded in 1889. I believe I’ve traced its origins, as Seelisch, Meyer & Co. Advertisement dated March 1909 (Grace’s Guide).




A set of flyers, date uncertain, but pre-1921 since that’s the earliest year I’ve discovered a reference for Wm. A Meyer as a separate entity. Max Sievert products featured.










Apart from the name ‘Meyer’ I think that there’s another connection … take a look at the distinctive Seelisch/Meyer company logo - white upper-case lettering on a black ground with a lined, white border.





The Meyer equivalent of 1938 also adopts white upper-case lettering on a black ground with a lined, white border.




I suspect too that the 1951 telegram identifier could well have been derived from Seelisch Meyer & Company.




Finally, a 1914 street directory shows that Seelisch, Meyer & Co. are by then at 65 Southwark Street, a street on which Wm. A. Meyer subsequently occupied premises.




That lengthy connection with Sievert/Svea, if you accept my reasoning that Seelisch Meyer & Co. became Wm. A. Meyer, justifies Ross’s comment that I headed this post with.

John

 

https://classiccampstoves.com/threads/1966-svea-uk-distributors-catologue.11669/#post-111448

 

Hi John @presscall Great research and presentation, with a persuasive argument regarding the development of the Co.
It makes for a good read.
Best Regards,
Kerophile.

 

@kerophile
As you’ve often done yourself, it’s fun to have a delve into the history of these things. You used to have a ‘signature’ on here once I think of ‘aren’t stoves fascinating?’ Still true, thankfully.

 

Love it! Thanks for that John.

 

& they moved away from Svea, probably after the acquisition of the brand name by Optimus. They then became the UK distributor for Hipolito.

 

Something to add emphasising the status to Sievert of their British importer/agent W.A Meyer. I’ve acquired this Sievert blowlamp which has ‘W.A. Meyer 1920’ prominently engraved on the tank’s top plate.








Undoubtedly the engraving was done by Sievert at the factory, the font and the pattern of hatching engraved within it being identical.






While you’re here (!) take a look at the ‘disc’ jet, a version of which I first encountered on THIS Townson and Coxon stove of 1953 date.










The control spindle doesn’t align with the jet …




… an obvious clue that there’s no jet pricker.




Curious about that soldered-on plate with all the embossed lettering?




It must have been added by whichever organisation Meyer sold the blowlamp to, which given the reference to “a foreman or officer of superior rank” suggests to me somewhere like one of the navy dockyards, Chatham or Portsmouth perhaps. Not a personal issue certainly, but a pooled resource.

 

Great research and a fascinating read. I
have an old Burmos blowlamp (acquired in a job lot with several stoves) with identical wording engraved on the side of the tank. As it was bought in Plymouth I assumed it had come from the dockyard. @presscall
Dave.

 

The only times I saw brass keroburner collections on public display (literally, for they were in pubs; two in separate towns) were of blowlamps. I wondered why not stoves or lanterns. Then I realized that the blowlamps fit on the rail (the narrow shelf) at the top of the bar wainscotting...the others wouldn't have.

Has anybody else seen that?

 

Ed, that is a clever observation. And actually also an I have made.

I assume that it just simply is the a case of the fact that blowlamps are so much more abundant, and thus more often on a 'rural display'...
Atleast here, you see about five blowlamps per each lantern and three of them per stove (in my subjective way of seeing it).

Blowlamps are a real tool used later up in period than e.g. stoves, and as such much more abundant even today, and I would certainly assume that this will affect how often you might see them on display in different places.

 

In my case of course this was in England.

 

@Firestarter
So, a Burmos with that wording. Could you provide a photo of it Dave?

John

 

@presscall John I'll have a go tomorrow when it gets light but it's unfettled or cleaned and has a fair amount of patina!
Dave

 

@Firestarter
Hey, Dave, concours is not a requirement! I’m very interested in seeing it.

John

 

Ok John here goes I took several but will just post one. My concern was it's very difficult to read the writing. Underneath it says T&C Ltd and possibly a date 9/46 @presscall T&C is obviously Townson and Coxson and apart from the text and BURMOS /BRITISH on the filler cap it has no other markings The bakelite control knob is not original and says Bladon

 

@Firestarter
I see the key points, Dave. Thank you! That’s evidently engraved on the tank itself, as opposed to the text on mine embossed on thin brass sheet soldered onto the tank. I wonder if your blowlamp’s manufacturer, Townson and Coxson, were willing to do the engraving with the inducement of repeat sales to an industrial customer?

Thanks again.

John

 

I should add it's a 1 pint blowlamp and built like a battleship! It weighs almost a kilo.

 

T&C didn’t stint on materials, that’s for sure.

Or complexity on occasion …






Townson and Coxson twin-burner military stove.

 

I was thinking it must have been a military contract and possibly local as Plymouth has the largest dockyard in Europe and also RAF and Royal Marine establishments.

 

Makes sense, yes.