Coleman
lanterns 1946 - 1960
|

Coleman made the stamped
C version of Model 220 from 1944-46.
This lantern, in Ron Lenfield's
collection, is dated July '46.
Models 220C and 228C had
a yellow decal on the fount
with lighting instructions
(right image).
The Coleman reflector is
the black handled version
for many 220 series lanterns.
Coleman made the "D" version
of Model 228 from 1947-1951.
This one, in Patrick Fay's
collection, is dated April, 1948,
and has the original globe
on which Coleman appears
in large faint green letters.
This was the last version
to have a nickel plated brass fount
and the pump is held in
by two small screws, not a spring clip.

This Model 220D, in Deems
Burton's collection,
is almost like new and
is dated B '48,
which we think means it
was made in July-Dec of that year.
The black handled Coleman
reflector, 220D790, fits 220C-F models.
Note the two pegs in the
bottom bracket of the reflector
to engage the corresponding
holes in the globe cage bottom for attachment.

Another lantern in Deems
Burton's collection, the 242C,
is dated Aug. '48, and
is little changed from the 242B predecessor model.
This model was produced
from 1942-50;
some of them have the fount
finished in green paint
rather than nickel plated
as here.
The blue handled Coleman
reflector, #242C790,
is made for the 242 series,
247, and 249 model lanterns.

These kerosene Model 241
(left)
and 241G (right) lanterns were made by Coleman in Canada
in March, 1949 (left),
in Neil McRae's collection, and August, 1958 (right), in Niels Bohmer's
collection.
First produced in 1945
as an economy model, the model lacks a valve
and instead is pumped up
to run after preheating as many kerosene stove models.
Turning them off requires
releasing the pressure at the air screw in the filler cap.
The pump check valve has
a gasket rather than a metal sphere, as on most of the above stoves.

Two Canadian Coleman Model
236 lanterns, named the Major.
This 500 cp model uses
white gas and is very common in Canada.
The one on the left is
dated Mar. '49 and has the older style ventilator.
On the right, the 236A,
dated Dec. '62, has the newer style ventilator
and the pump is held with
a metal clip, rather than two small screws.
Both of these lanterns
are in Matthew Reid's collection
and have mantles from their
respective periods.

Coleman 237 lanterns with
an American Optical film strip and slide projector (left)
and a Society for Visual
Education Inc. slide and film strip projector (right).
The potential markets were
missionaries and rural communities
that lacked electric power,
according to a 1949 Coleman News.
These undated lanterns
are in Dick Seller's, left, and Shirley Willard's, right, collections.
The Charles Beseler Co.
also made a similar projector for this lantern.

This Model 200 lantern,
dated Dec. '50, is in Deems Burton's collection
and includes a red handled
Coleman reflector, 200-790, made for models 200, 200A, & 202
The two downward projections
at the bottom of the bracket
fit into holes in the globe
cage base on these models.
(new image)
Coleman in Wichita, Kansas,
made the Model 200 lantern in 1950-51.
Initially this model had
a nickel plated brass fount,
as the lantern on the left
dated Jan '51.
By April '51 the Coleman
200 (right) had a green painted brass fount,
no decal, and unpainted
metal collar.
The lantern on the right
is in Dan Boschen's collection.
In "A" (Jan. - June) 1951
Coleman was making the 220D and 228D
with green painted brass
founts rather than nickel plated brass;
compare to the Model 200,
above right.
The valve wheels on these
lanterns are brown plastic
and there is no decal on
the side of the fount.
By November, 1951, Coleman's
Model 200A
had been introduced, replacing
Model 200 above.
These earliest 200A lanterns
had green painted steel
founts and,
by November, also had the
Coleman decal.
This lantern is in Dan
Boschen's collection.

Coleman models 228E (left)
and 220E (right) had steel founts.
The one on the left, in
Dean DeGroff's collection, is date stamped July 1951,
the earliest date we have
seen for this model.
It lacks the Coleman decal
under the filler cap
which Coleman started using
a couple of months later,
as on the right which is
date stamped October, 1951.
Coleman likely made the
246B as an export version of the 242B lantern.
This model was made in
the US
and apparently marketed
overseas through Coleman of Canada.
Instructions on the collar
are in English, French, & Spanish.
It is identified on the
collar as a "Sportlight" "Instant Lighting"
& "For Gasoline Only."
This lantern, in John Bell's
collection, is dated Nov. '50?
Model 238B was made for
export;
the directions on the collar
are only in Dutch and French.
This 500 cp kerosene fueled
model has a preheater torch and alcohol cup.
The generator is ribbed,
the burner tip is ceramic, & the ventilator is aluminum.
The round glass globe was
removed for the image.
This lantern, in Bob Frank's
collection, is dated April '52.

Coleman made this inverted
lantern for military trial.
A similar lantern was made
by The Mantle Lamp Co. of America.
The decal on this lantern
(lower image)
identifies it as T 53-5,
which may be the date of manufacture.
The lantern is in Richard
& Lorna Long's collection.


Kerosene Model 249 on the
left is stamped: Made in Australia
by arrangement with Coleman
Lamp & Stove Co. Ltd. Canada, and has a globe marked Colex.
The 249 in the center is
stamped Made in England and is date stamped May 1954.
This lantern, in Doron
Papo's collection, was perhaps at most assembled in England but made in
Canada.
The 249 on the right is
date stamped Apr. 1959 and was probably made in Toronto but is not marked.
The lanterns on the left
and right are in Rob Roberts' collection.
The Coleman 237 lantern
above is date stamped Aug. 1957.
It is also stamped Made
in England on the direction disk and the side of the fount.
Neil McRae believes that
it and other lantern models from the mid 1950's that are stamped Made in
England
were assembled there with
parts from Canada.
This lantern is in Dan
Boschen's collection.


Coleman made the Model
200A for 31 years beginning in 1952.
In 1953 this model had
a black globe base (left)
and in 1961 it was maroon
rather than red (right)
but most years, as in 1960
(center), it was red with an aluminum globe rest.
The lantern in the center
has a replacement globe and fuel cap.
The lanterns on the left
and right are in Shirley Willard's collection.


Model 202, the Professional
(left), is dated Jan., '55.
This model was produced
for 10 years beginning in 1954
For the first couple of
years the burner was ceramic.
The same lantern (right)
fitted with a custom ventilator and separate shade
beautifully crafted in
chrome plated brass by a Japanese collector, Mr. Watanabe.
Monte Dodge's 202, running,
is dated Mar. '57 and has a metal burner tip.

Coleman initially made
the Col-Max models in the US
beginning in 1939-40, then
switched production to the Canadian plant
and later to Hong Kong,
where they were made until 1970.
Col-Max models were exported
to compete with Petromax style lanterns.
Model 333 (left), in Jerry
Engbring's collection, is an undated 300 cp model Made in Hong Kong.
Model 555 (right), in Don
Colston's collection, is a mint 500 cp model dated Jan '58 and Made in
Canada.


Coleman in Canada made
the Model 247 for consumers (left) and the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR)
(center & right).
The 247 on the left is
in Craig Seabrook's collection and is dated April '48.
The CPR version (center),
dated May, '57, has a half frosted globe with frosted CPR letters; and
is in George Rocen's collection.
The CPR 247 on the right,
in Matthew Reid's collection, is date stamped May, '51,
and includes the railroad's
wall mounting bracket, to take the movement of the car on the track.
There are crossed spring
clips to the fount base and two springs to a bracket on the frame base
plate.
Two of these lanterns were
mounted in cabooses beginning in the late '40's and continuing to the '60's.

This Coleman 200A lantern
has been modified with an elaborate globe cage
and 3 cylindrical globes,
the innermost being a Fresnel lens.
An outer infrared filter
keeps visible light from shining out the sides.
This lantern was made for
the military to help direct planes to airfields in or near enemy territory.
These lanterns, dated June
'59, are in Mike Rain's (left) & Dean DeGroff's (right) collections.
Please contact me
if you have one of these lanterns.