Acquired as part of a job lot my original intention was simply to 'rob' the trivet for use elsewhere, but then the stove revealed peculiarities of possible interest ... Most obviously the tank base is recessed and of the form more often found on pressure lamps: but there are no markings of any sort anywhere on the tank. The filler cap and pump tube cap are very similar to those found on the late-WW1 Kenrick 'Aurora', but without any inscriptions: The burner is a standard 1920s form Optimus No.1 type, which, like the odd ball-end to the pump rod may or may not have been an original fitting: The cast trivet speaks clear for itself: So could this be a Falk, Stadelmann & Co. 'Virtus' stove be from the early 1920s? Unfortunately there are no catalogues available showing those stoves to make comparison with ...
@igh371 I respect your keen eye for the unusual in these old kitchen stoves. Another great example! Cheers Tony
Here is one additional photo - the distinctive leg shape: I had hesitated about drawing attention to the legs given that all of the legs have been re-attached at some time and that authenticity did not seem to be guaranteed. But, having now found that there is another 'Virtus' in the gallery, and that it shares both this same leg pattern and the same distinctive tank base construction, I think that the legs are original. They share the same sort of kink clearing the tank bottom flange as most later Veritas stoves, but then flare out to the ground in a style more reminiscent of 1920s Optimus designs. The top of the legs, with only a small back loop and very short top section, also seems highly diagnostic. So very very similar to the 'Virtus' linked to above, but without the name having yet been added to the filler cap, pressure release, tank or pump tube cap; so presumably from a slightly earlier stage of production development and some level of confirmation of the guesstimated title date.
@kerophile - there is part of a discussion about an early Veritas stove that seems to indicate that Falk, Stadelmann & Co. were still producing some stoves under the Virtus and Farrindon brand names as late as 1928, but had discontinued both by 1938. @Spiritburner wrote then: "I have a 1928 catalogue that lists 'warehouses & factories' & what I believe are Falk made stoves - the Virtus & Farringdon as well as a line from Primus. By the time of the 1938 catalogue they are only listing the spares for the Virtus & Farringdon although I suspect they were still making the ovens etc.".
Continuing to try to unravel the origins of this stove I have found some information in Grace's Guide to British Industrial History that 'Falks Veritas' was established as a subsidiary of Falk, Stadelmann & Co. in 1919. This gives a little more precision to the usual references to the German 'Veritas' trade mark having been made available to Falk, Stadelmann & Co. in the aftermath of WW1. Falks Veritas is noted as having its registered based at the 'Veritas Lamp Works', Farringdon Road, Wandsworth. This would seem to both make sense of the legends on the cast trivet and also provide an earliest date for manufacture of this stove and trivet.
And maybe another little step closer to understanding this Falk & Stadelmann 'Virtus' stove; here is an advert from a Falk, Stadelmamm & Co. catalogue dated 1926: The opposite page shows the 'Farringdon' stove offerings. The same also appears in the 1931 catalogue except for the dropping of the Farringdon silent burner option. These catalogues suggest that Falk's did not market any stoves under the Veritas name before the mid/late 1930s at the earliest. On the other hand, in relation to this Virtus offering, there appears to be evidence of a very close association with the German firm of Ehrich & Graetz. The Virtus stoves marketed by FSCo. in Britain have Falk's own 'Virtus Stove' cast iron trivets made at the Veritas Lamp Works but had no inscriptions on the tank, filler cap or air screws. But there are 2 very distinctive features on these which are the special burners and a peculiar, small, 2 digit production mark on the tank bases. The production mark is peculiar in having an incuse field with digits in relief, it is a badly worn '58' on this stove. Both of these distinctive features are identical in form to those found on the Virtus stoves made and sold by Ehrich & Graetz in Germany(e.g.). There would seem to be 2 possibilities that would explain these similarities. Either Falk Stadelmann were importing unmarked stoves made by E&G in Germany to market with their own finishing touches in Britain; or Falk's had a licence and also some tooling from E&G to manufacture the stoves in Britain (interestingly the same problem exists in making sense of the relationship between Falk's 1920s Nova pressure lamp range in Britain and the American Nulite lamp makers products). Overall all of this new evidence points to a mid/late 1920s date for the stove with which this thread is concerned. It also makes it clear that the original burner would have been one of the special type shown in the advert above, not a standard type roarer as currently fitted.
