TeriAnn's Guide to Aladdin and other brands of kerosene Mantle Lamps

Contents  >  Aladdin Model 12 lamp introduction

 
 
 

 

Aladdin Model 12 lamp

Sold in US from 1928 through 1935
Sold in UK from 1928 through 1939
Sold in Australia from 1930 through the end of WWII
Special models sold briefly in Argentina and France
New replacement burners available through 1955

 

 

Aladdin wick adjuster
US #12 wick adjuster knob

Model 12 Aladdin
#12 made 1949 - 1955 for replacement

The Aladdin model 12 lamp was an entirely new model from the ground up and was the last Aladdin centre draft lamp design. As you will see it was a very versatile lamp that came in many versions.

The model 12 introduced the Lox-On mantle still used today as well as the Lox-On chimney. The model 12 lamp was the first to have optional paper shades as well as glass shades. The model 12 brought decorated glass shades into common usage.

The model 12 burner stayed in production until the early 1950s to repair model 7 through 12 lamps and for sale overseas. When the Aladdin headquarters were moved to Nashville, Tenn. in 1949 the wick adjuster knob was changed to read Nashville instead of Chicago. Nashville model 12 burners never came on model 12 lamps when they were new. The 12 burner is on the 1953 parts list but not on the 1954 list.

 

Aladdin UK model 12
#12 UK

Aladdin model 12 adjustor
#12 Argentina

Aladdin model 12 Australia wich adjuster
#12 Australia

Variations:

Table - Finish: Nickel plated or oxidized bronze.
Font - (Wall mount, floor lamp & hanging,) - Finish: nickel plated or oxidized bronze
Oil Pot - (vase & floor lamps) - Finish: satin brass.
Transition (very early lamps) - 12 burner on model 11 table font . While not acknowledged in Aladdin lamp collector dogma nor in the literature I have seen entirely too many Chicago and London model 12 burners on the model 11 table fonts to believe they were all burner upgrades. Especially since the cost of a burner was over half the price of a lamp and the world was in a prolonged depression. It is my belief that either the burners were available before the new table fonts or that there was substantial stock on hand that needed to be used up. I believe this to be a perfectly legitimate model transition configuration.  In addition, Aladdin had an aggressive burner trade in program which accounts for many model 12 lamps found on model 7 through 11 lamps.  In keeping with manufacturing economics, the first model 12 burner baskets were model 11 baskets with a hole cut in the bottom for the redesigned wick raiser (per Andy Graham-Cumming )

Early table lamps - Early model 12 table lamps have straight sides, a wick adjuster with arms shaped more like the model 11 wick adjuster than the model B one and an outer wick tube that turns counter clockwise to lock.    I have yet to find production dates but it is likely the straight side model 12 was only offered during the first year of model 12 production.

Accessories:

Bug screen: Style with downward pointing fingers (Still called bug screen until 1945)
wick cleaner: skirted type with curved bottom. Labeled "MODEL 12 Aladdin WICK CLEANER"
Shade ring: Under burner shade ring with three arms for 10 inch glass shade on table lamps. Gallery mounted shade ring with three arms for paper shades. Paper shade arm sizes for various size shades from 14 inch dia through 21 inch dia. Wall bracket as described below.
Shades: (you can use the dia of a paper shade or ring to get an idea of the likely age of some model 12 lamps)

 

Table (glass or paper) - Glass: 601, white or painted shade. Paper: 1928-31: 15" dia, 1932-35: 14" dia

 

Hanging (glass or paper) - Glass: 616, 620 White or painted scene. Some made of white opal glass.
Paper: 1928-31: 15" dia, 1932-33: 14" & 16" dia, 1933-35: 14" dia

 

Vase (paper only) - 1930: 20-1/2" dia, 1931: 17-1/2" dia, 1932-35: 16" dia,

 

Floor (paper only) birdcage (1250, 1251) 1928-29: 21", 1932-35. Pole floor lamp (1252, 1253) - 1930-32: 20-1/2"

Documents: (Requires Adobe Acrobat vers 5 or newer)

Model 12 directions Side A (Operating instructions)
 
Model 12 directions Side B (Important Information)
 
1928 Supplies and Extra Parts, side A (9 meg high rez)
 
1928 Supplies and Extra Parts, side B (9 meg high rez)
 
1929 Supplies and Extra parts
  
1930 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side A
 
1930 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side B
 
1932 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side A
 
1932 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side B
 
1933 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, Cover
 
1933 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side 2
 
1933 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side 3
 
1933 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side 4
 
1933 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side 5
 
1933 Wholesale price list of Aladdin Lamp supplies, side 6
 
1935 Canadian Supplies and extra parts list
 
1939 Aladdin UK catalogue
 
Australian model 12 lamp instructions, WWII, 1943
 
Assembly instructions for Nu-Type lamp hanger
 

Folded cover model 12 instruction manual
Form N0. 12-S

Note: The instructions say to put salt over a sooty mantle to help burn off the soot.   Be advised that the salt causes deep pitting green oxidation of the gallery and burner.   I advise against doing this.

 Andy Graham-Cumming's  monograph on the model 12 table lamp, with focus on the UK versions. This is the most complete in depth study made of the model 12 burner and its evolution through its production life. This excellent monograph is copyrighted 2006 by Andy Graham-Cumming and provided here for you to read with his kind permission.

 

Model 12 Burner:

Model 12 burner diasaasmbled

The burner illustrated above is an early model 12 burner from a straight sided lamp.  Notice the top of the wick carrier (similar shape to the model 8-11 wick carrier) and the direction of the locking flanges on the air distributor (locks with a counter clockwise twist).

There were slight changes made to the burner base between burners that used left and right twist air distributors. People who studied the UK model 12 burners have found several slight variations to the UK burners over the years.

When Aladdin was founded the norm for incandescent mantle lamps was for the cone that directed air into the base of the mantle to be located on the gallery. Older style mantles were conical bags that hung by an inverted 'L' wire hanger.  The user adjusted the height of the hanger to fit the lower edge of the bag slightly down on the cone and bent it to  try and centre the mantle over the cone. The very first Aladdin model 1 lamps used this arrangement, carried over from the Practicus burner.  Most model 1 and mantle 2 burners used a Cap mantle which was a frame that hung the mantle in an exact location.  This framed mantle was placed on the galley cone.  This was a great improvement in that it properly aligned and spaced the mantle  just by mounting the mantle frame on the gallery.

The Aladdin model 3, and late model 2 using the model 3 gallery & flame spreader introduced a new method of aligning a mantle to the cone. The Kone-Kap mantle frame included the cone that guided airflow into the mantle.  The Aladdin model 12 burner changed the relationship between the mantle and the cone yet again, moving the cone from the mantle back to the gallery. The gallery has the outer bottom ring that locks the new (patented) chimney base to the gallery. Next is the holed outer cylinder that has the mantle support and lock at it's top.  This locates the mantle directly over the centre of the gallery mounted cone.  The underside of the new Lox-On mantle frame has a lip that seals against the cone (almost touching but close enough to inhibit most air flow).  The flange baffle on the top of the outer wick tube is retained but an now upper air baffle was added to the underside of the cone. This inner baffle was to remain part of all future Aladdin gallery designs except for the Nashville model C, and may be the reason that the Aladdin model 12 burner was described as an "Instant light" burner.

 

Aladdin model 12 wick raisers
There are two basic styles of wick risers as shown.    The one on the right is the early style usually associated with straight side lamps.  The one on the left is the common later style. They are larger than the previous model 8 through 11 raiser and will fit model 12 lamps only.


The button on the model 12 wick locks into place in the holes at the top of the raiser.

Aladdin flame spreaders

With the new Lox-On mantle came a new flame spreader. Made out of nickel steel that is non-magnetic and does not rust. The diameter of the centre flat area and the centre hole varied over the decades. This design is used on all newer models of Aladdin lamps. When the manufacture of model 23 lamps was moved to Hong Kong the flame spreader was made from Brass.

Aladdin Lox-On gallery

The model 12 gallery was entirely new for the Lox-On mantle. The cone was moved back to the gallery from the mantle and a new mantle base locking sealed the bottom rim of the new mantle frame to the cone. This assured that the airflow inside the mantle was controlled by the air coming up through the air diffuser  and as channeled through the baffle inside the cone.  You can see part of the baffle inside the cone in the picture.

This gallery also introduced the Lox-On chimney. Gone are fingers that hopefully held the chimney on tight enough not to fall off during lighting.

This gallery design was quite successful and lasted until a flood destroyed the tooling at the end of 1954.  This gallery was retooled in the late 1990's and is available from Aladdin for the replacement market.

Aladdin model 12
A later outer wick tube with clockwise lock

The removable part of the outer wick tube has been shortened for the model 12 burner. Early outer wick tubes, usually fitted to straight sided table lamp bases, lock in the counter clockwise direction.  Later outer wick tubes, usually associated with slant side lamps, have the locking flanges ramped in the opposite direction so that they lock with a clockwise turn.

The outer wick tube looks very much like the early model A outer wick tube. The quick way to identify which is which is to measure the bottom opening. The model 12 is 1-1/2" dia and the model A is 1-5/8" dia.

The air diffuser is the skirt  around the outer wick tube with all the holes.  The air diffuser is there to provide an even controlled flow of air up to the burner cone and mantle.  It reduces the affects of breezes on the flame.

The one part that was carried over from models 7 through 11 is the filler cap.

Model 12 Table Lamps:

Aladdin model 12 hybrid lamp
Picture courtesy of Anthony Trueman

The transition between model 11 and 12 produced a number of hybrids as Aladdin used up their model 11 parts.  This lamp is an example of a model 11 bowl top attached to a model 12 bowl bottom. 

There is speculation that Aladdin ran out of model 11 burners before they ran out of model 11 lamp bases to some model 11 lamps were shipped with model 12 burners.

Later when the model 12 and model B production overlapped parts of one burner would end up on the other burner if the correct parts were not on hand during assembly.  Hybrid model 12/model B burners show up on occasion.  See the page on Aladdin factory hybrids for pictures.

Aladdin 12 straight side
Early straight side table
Aladdin model 11 lamp
Slant side table

Aladdin UK model 12
UK model 12 table lamp

 

 

Model 12 Fount lamp:

Aladdin #12 font lamp
Bronze model 12 font lamp

The US model 12 fount is entirely new and holds approximately one quart of kerosene.

Aladdin model 12 font lamp bottom

The new bottom skirt on the US model 12 font lamp is a lot wider than the previous models making the font more stable when used as a shelf lamp.

The drip plate looks like a larger version of the late model 6, model 7 & 8 and model 9 through 11 drip plates. It snap mounts to the bottom skirt in the same way as the earlier plates.

Wall mount bracket (1928 through 1931)

Model 12 wall bracket
The bracket is made out of plated stamped steel parts. The ring locks the basket into place. This ring is also used on the four post hanging lamp frame and on the bird cage floor lamp.

The model 12 hanger basket and ring were used to mount the font lamp to the wall bracket, the four post hanger and the bird cage floor lamps.

The base of the basket clamps between the burner and the font. The wick adjuster arm and knob fits through the 'T'' that can be seen at the back of the basket. The flanges at the top of the basket fit to to a corresponding thread at the bottom of the basket.

A locking pin on the ring drops into the basket slot visible along the inside basket top when the basket is rotated to the locked position on the ring.

Aladdin model 12 basket mount
Model 12 shade arm

A glass shade was optional for the Aladdin model 12 wall bracket. Four of these arms can be screwed to the ring to support a 10 inch glass shade. The wall hanger picture above shows the four mounting slots at the top of the mounting ring.

Late Model 12 bracket (1932 through1935)

Aladdin lamp bracket

This bracket is basically the same bracket Aladdin used for model 6 only with the addition of stops cast onto either side. The stops would not allow the arm to swing close enough to the wall to knock a shade off.  This bracket was also used on 1934 glass lamps as well as British and Australian lamps of the period.

 

Hanging:

Aladdin model 12 hanging

The four post lamp hanger was designed specifically for the model 12 lamp and was sold from 1928 through 1931. The model B tilt frame, named "Nu-Type frame"replaced the four post frame in 1934 to 1935 when the model 12 lamp was discontinued.

The oxidized bronze hanging lamp to the left has a 616 undecorated shade. There were two optional glass shades versions (616 & 620), with or without hand painted scenes, plus a large number of paper shades available for the four post lamp.

The model B tilt fame takes the 716 cone shaped white glass shade or paper shades. The tilt frame was available in oxidized bronze to go with oxidized bronze model 12 font lamps.

Vase lamps

Aladdin model 12 oil pot
Oil pot used in Aladdin vase lamp and sold for use with non-Aladdin lamps

Aladdin #12 vase lamp
Vase lamp

More about Aladdin model 12 vase lamps

 

Model 12 Wick Cleaners

Aladdin model 12 wick cleaners

Two versions of wick cleaners provided with North American model 12 lamps and burners. Different letter dies were used.

Aladdin model 12 steel wick cleaner

This is a steel model 12 wick cleaner from Australia.  Made during WWII. It has smooth sides with no knurling along the top sides.

Reads:" Model 12, unreadable number, Aladdin Wick Cleaner"

Aladdin model 12 Australia wick cleaner

Another model 12 wick cleaner from Australia. This one is brass and is one of only two Aladdin wick cleaners I have seen with a closed bottom

READS: "Model 12, No8303, Aladdin wick cleaner"

Aladdin Australia model 12 wik cleaner
Photo courtesy of Steve Fowler

 

There are two known versions of the Australian model 12 wick cleaner with a closed bottom. They each have a different shape in the skirt where it cuts off carbon bits from the top of the wick. Also one has a knurled top and one is smooth.

 

 

 

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