Polkey 1901 British Army Lamp
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Polkey 1901 British Army Lamp
by Rob (smle36m@yahoo.ca)
Posted: May 30, 2006 @ 15:52.
Hello. I have a copper lamp/lantern, marked G.POLKEY /C&M / 1901 /BIRMINGHAM (there is another post in the archives of this site about the same Polkey lantern). It is 12 inches tall and 7 1/2 inches square. It has a wooden handled bail wire handle mounted to the sides at the top.It has 5 1/2 inch x 4 1/4 inch tall bevelled glass windows on 3 sides. The back has a circular door to give access to the burner. The burner has a polished tin(?) reflector that attaches to it. The platform the burner mounts to is on a large coil so that the burner is not rigidly mounted to the lantern body. The lantern sits on four post feet that have cotter pins through them and they are on chains mounted to the base which is removable (probably for cleaning the vent holes). The only other markings besides the maker plate are 3 British army surplus double broad-arrow stamps, one on the top, one on the burner and one on the burner access door. It is quite a well made and heavy lantern and mostly of copper construction. Does anyone know the purpose and history of a lamp like this? More pictures available on request. Thanks from Rob in Windsor Ont.
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On May 31, 2006 @ 02:02, Trevor Emmens (trevor.emmens@ntlworld.com) wrote:
Just a suggestion. I have seen similar rectangular lanterns used in ammunition magazines in gun batteries, but I can't recall if they were exactly like yours. At the Rinella battery in Malta, which has an Armstrong 100 ton gun, the lanterns were placed in niches in a corridor outside the shell and cartridge rooms and shone through glass windows into the room. I don't think the lanterns were flash-proof like a miner's lamp and probably weren't used inside the ammunition rooms.
This does pre-date your lantern by 19 years but I guess things didn't change that quickly in the British Army.
On the other hand, the spring-mounted burner might suggest a portable application.
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On May 31, 2006 @ 20:39, Rob (smle36m@yahoo.ca) wrote:
Thankyou for the information Trevor. You may be right on the money about the ammuntion room application. The air inlet and outlet holes are made from a thick copper screen with the round holes being 1/16 inch wide. Then the air must pass up through a series of baffles befor it can enter or exit the lantern body. Just the sort of construction you'd want if you were concerned about particles of highly flammable material getting in or flaming particles getting out. And the copper body with the brass feet would help rule out sparks. BTW, Why does the burner have the extra fitting with the hole through the tip? Would it take some sort of special fuel? Thanks very much. Rob
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On Jun. 01, 2006 @ 01:35, Trevor Emmens (trevor.emmens@ntlworld.com) wrote:
Hello Rob,
If the lamp is designed to be flashproof then ammunition handling is probably the application. Don't know about the burner. Possibly an army museum somewhere would have one of these lamps and be able to tell you more.
Regards,
Trevor