Aladdin was not the first manufacturer of mantle lamps nor were
their lamps the brightest burning. But Aladdin did have the best
marketing which allowed them to become the largest and the most
successful of all the non-pressurized kerosene mantle lamp companies.
Mantle lamps first were made in Germany where the incandescent
mantle was invented. Before World War I a large number of mantle
lamp brands flourished. Around the turn of the century German mantle
lamps started appearing in the United States where American entrepreneurs
quickly figured out that incandescent mantle lamps could be a money
making product and that it was cheaper to buy and import burners
to put on locally produced lamp bases than to import complete lamps.
Several American lamp companies were formed that imported German
made burners, placed them on American manufactured lamp fonts
to be sold under their own name. Soon American made burners
started appearing that were initially based upon the German designs. Some companies were formed by people who had little marketing ability
and others were poorly financed. These companies seldom lasted
longer than a few years before ceasing operations.
During World War I German made mantle burners, wicks, chimneys
and other parts completely disappeared from the American mantle
lamp market causing the American companies that used German made
parts to go out of business. After World War I there was some effort
from German manufacturers to resume sales within parts of the European
market that fought against them in the war. So
some different designs were offered under names that sounded less
German, often with a design logo instead of text on the lamp. Some
of these lamps can be very difficult to identify.
There were only a couple of American lamp manufacturers that had
the engineering capability needed to design functional
mantle lamp burners and the capacity to tool up to manufacture
them. These few companies manufactured the lamps for all the American
mantle Lamp companies.
I do not have much information about the companies listed below. Help
in the form of any additional information and pictures would be
appreciated.
This is not a complete list of all the Kerosene
mantle lamp brands Also I do not have access to most of these
lamps so please take the contents on this page as a best guess and
not as absolute fact .
B&H manufactured a mantle lamp for the
San Diego Kerosene mantle lamp Company using their Radiant 4
model tooling for the fonts. Then in 1941 they manufactured a
mantle lamp exclusively for Montgomery Wards based upon Rayo
tooling.
Edward Miller & Co. Manufactured
mantle maps for Bright-As-Day (Sears), DayLite, The Thomas Mfg.
Co. and Sunlight (Montgomery Wards) brands
Plume & Atwood manufactured mantle lamps
for Aladdin (through Nashville model C) CONTRACO, Beacon,
Solar, Kim, Lumineer, Sunbeam and possibly others. Also
manufactured fonts used with non-P&A burners for Practicus,
Felbollin and United Factories.
Beacon Brand name owned by the Home Supply
company. The company was founded in 1910 by J. E. Baldrey. They
merged with the Solar lamp Company in 1924. Side draft mantle
lamps manufactured by Plume & Atwood
Bright-As-Day A
Sears brand introduced in 1912, manufactured by Edward Miller & Co.
Candesco Manufactured by H. Schneider
Canchester A short lived American mantle lamp
company Approx 1906 through 1912.
Capitol Mantle lamp from the Capitol Gas Mantle
Company of Des Moines Iowa.
Conia H. Schneider brand name around 1909. Manufacturer claimed
228 cp. Sold as lamp and as mantle lamp conversion for Rayo lamps.
CONTRACO (Connecticut Trading Company)
Started with German made Practicus burners on Plume & Atwood
manufactured lamps fonts then progressed to lamps completely
manufactured by P&A. CONTRACO was in business at least through
the end of 1910. There are two CONTRACO burners that I am aware
of. The earliest is identical to the Aladdin model 1 burner (Maybe
and Model 2??) except for the logo on the wick adjustment knob.
Uses the Cap mantle.
Daylite Brand of the Daylight company which
was formed by a small group of former Aladdin employees.
Manufactured by Edward Miller & Co.
Eugeos burner manufactured by Ehrich & Graetz
of Germany. This burner was offered
by Montgomery Ward on lamps in from at least 1936 though 1939
when lamp shipments were halted by the battle for the Atlantic. A
version of this burner was also sold into the UK on the Famos
120 lamps. It his a very high quality burner that
adjusts very smoothly and produces more light than its competitors
(due mostly to the large mantle size).
Famos Series
of lamps manufactured in Germany (Ehrich & Graetz ) and England
(Veritas). The
burners are designed in Germany by Ehrich & Graetz.
There are several versions of this burner made over the years
in both centre and side draft versions. This
brand has a rich complicated history spanning multiple companies,
countries of manufacture, and over 3 decades of evolution. I
do not believe these lamps were ever sold into the United States,
but they are too important to ignore. NOTE:
This link goes to web site focused on Famos lamps. I don't
know enough about these wonderful lamps to do them justice in
my web site.
Farmor Co. of St. Louis Missouri. manufactured
mantle lamps during the 1930's, mostly retailed by Sears under
the "Lightmaster" brand. Most
lamps were short glass table lamps. Some metal lamps with
wood stems, vase lamps and shelf lamps were also made. Farmor
seems to have gone out of business around the beginning of WWII.
Felbollin German lamp brand. Side draft
burners sold in the US on Plume and Atwood 1-1/2 qt fancy foot
and hanging fonts. Black plastic disc on wick adjuster
knob labeled in white lettering. Around edge labeled "PETROLI
UN-GLOHLIGHT-BRUNNER" In
the center of the knob on two lines is: "PATENT FELBOLLIN".
Ker-O-Lite (Kero-Lite) The
model 160 Kero-Lite was Coleman's late entry into the American
non pressurized kerosene mantle lamp market. It
was introduced in 1939 and remained in production through World
War II. It
is a side draft mantle burner on a glass lamp.
Kim lamp Manufactured by Plume & Atwood. It
appears to be a duplicate of the Aladdin model 1 (&2??)
Liberty Burner manufactured by Ehrich & Graetz
Lumo American company that used a variety
of German burners
Lumineer A brand owned by Aladdin. Plume & Atwood made
side draft burners were sold by Aladdin under the Lumineer name
for use on glass lamps.
Montgomery Ward commissined their own nonpressurized mantle
lamps between 1936 and early 1942. E&G in Germany manufactured
and exported lamps for Wards until 1939 when the Battle for the
Atlantic started. For 1940 and 1941 Montgomery Ward commissioned
B&H to manufacture non pressurized mantle lamps (based upon the
Rayo toooling). These lamps were dicontinued early in 1942
when brass, chrome and nickel became restricted war materianls. Wards
sold Coleman Kero-Lite lamps from Winter 1941 through the end
of WWII.
Montgomery Ward 1936 through 1939
lamps, manufactured by E&G
Montgomery Ward 1940 through early
1942 lamps manufactured by B&H
Practicus German manufacturer who started
supplying burners to America
Radiant Early Montgomery Wards brand. This
should not be confused with the radient line of round wick lamps
manufactured by B&H. Burner may be a Beacon
#2 with an unmarked wick adjustment knob.
San Diego Manufactured
in very small quantities by B&H for the San Diego Kerosene
Mantle Lamp Company. Burner patented in 1909.
Solar A virtual duplicate to the Aladdin model
6, manufactured by Plume & Atwood.
Sun Mantle Lamp Company of Canton Ohio. The
burneer is German made but I have yet to identify the fount manufacturer.
Sunbeam A brand owned by Aladdin and
used to sell side draft burners for use on glass lamps. Patented
in 1912.
SUNDART E.M. & Co. Identical to Serars Bright as day
lamp except for knob markings. Manufactured by Edward
Miller & Co.
Sunlight Montgomery Wards brand manufactured
by Edward Miller & Co.
The Thomas manufacturing Company of Dayton Ohio offered lamps
manufactured by Edward Miller & Co. that were very similar to
the Sears Bright as Day and the Daylite lamps.
United Factories of Kansas City Missouri. Formed
in 1907 by William H. Hoffstat. In 1913 United Factories
merged with the Sunshine Safety Lamp Company. United factories
used side draft German burners mounted on 1-1/2 qt fancy foot
lamp fonts manufactured by Plume
& Atwood. They used a filler cap with the company name
stamped into the top.
Wonder Lamps German brand manufactured
by H. Schneider AG. Supplied
burners for United Factories.
Contents > Other
brands of mantle lamps sold in the U.S. 
