Coleman lanterns pre-1931


Left to right, the Yale Arc lantern, the Coleman Arc lantern, Model 316,
and the Sunshine Safety Arc lantern, all made by Coleman.
The ventilator on the first two is brass while the third is steel under the nickel plating.
The third one also has a tip cleaner above the generator.
These three lanterns are all in Craig Seabrook's collection
and were restored by him.


Model H416 is far less common than Model 316 above.
Ernie Hiatt, who owns this lantern, believes that it is a kerosene version of this model.
It has several part differences from the above including the generator, a tip cleaner,
burner, drop tubes, and caps,
and the chimney under the vent is cylindrical rather than conical.
The lighting hole is a swing, rather than sliding, door

Coleman 319
A Yale version (left) of the Coleman Air-O-Lantern 319  (right),
both made by Coleman between 1914 and 1919.
Both of these lanterns are in Matt Moore's collection
and were restored by him.


Model IL 323 was a torch lighting model made in 1916-17.
The tip cleaner wire hangs below the globe cage;
this wire is missing on the lantern on the right.
The lantern on the left may have been assembled by Coleman
with an extra IL 319 fount.
These lanterns are in Don Colston's collection.


Model NL 323 is also torch lighting as IL 323 above
but lacks the tip cleaner assembly.
There is a screw above the torch lighting generator
where the orifice enters the burner chamber (right image).
This lantern is in Dan Boschen's collection.
This lantern is not to be confused with Economy Lamp Co. Model 408.


Air-O-Lantern Model QL (left) ca. 1920 and L327 (right) 1920-24, sans logo and date stamp.
These two Coleman models were found in France.
They are unusual because they were never nickel-plated
but the brass was polished and lacquered
and the collars and globe cages were painted gold.
Neil McRae, whose collection these are in, believes they were made this way
for the French market in the early 1920's.


Another lantern as above, Model LQ, dates to the early 20's.
The center base plate is stamped "Coleman Quick-Lite
Made in Toronto, Canada."
The collar is also marked Quick-Lite, not Air-O-Lantern
as on the Wichita, USA, QL version of this model.
The mica globe was removed for the image.


There is no documented evidence that Coleman made a chandelier with lantern heads,
however, this chandelier, in Brad Stephenson's collection,
has no evidence of solder in the lower portions of the fuel valve assemblies
where a fuel uptake tube from the fount would have been fastened
and there are no bail attachment marks on the frame posts.
The embossed ventilators date it to 1922 or later.


The Coleman Quick-Lite 327 was sold from 1920 to 1924
from the Wichita (USA) plant with no date stamp.
This lantern, in Ron Lenfield's collection,
includes the box and accessories.
Although this lantern has a later style baffle plate,
the usual baffle plate in this version is as in the right image.


This Coleman Model 327 QuickLite lantern was manufactured in July, 1925.
This lantern is in Fred Kuntz's collection
Fred restored this lantern
which includes his reproduction mica globe.
The wall shelf was made by Craig Seabrook.
You can see the globe reproductions they sell on the links page.


The Coleman Company in Canada made this 427
QuickLite lantern in April, 1927.
This lantern has an original Q99 generator
and a new-old-stock (NOS) #327 13 piece mica globe.
This lantern is in George Rocen's collection.


These two QuickLite lanterns are unusual
because the pump is only partially mounted in the fount.
The check valve is can be seen between the pump and filler cap.
Air from the pump is piped up to the top of the fount.
These are two of only three lanterns known of this type
and may be an earlier, experimental design.
The Coleman name is barely visible at the bottom of the mica globe on the right.
The lantern on the left is in Bob Willard's collection
and the lantern on the right is in Dean DeGroff's collection.


Model E20, the Quick-Lite Jumbo Gas Lantern, with a built-on pump (left),
and the Quick-Lite Poultry House Lantern, without a pump (center),
and a Canadian Quick-Lite Jumbo lantern, without a pump but with a pressure gauge (right),
all featured a 1 gallon fuel tank.
Steel wool and a coil of asbestos "rope" inside the globe rest
kept dust from clogging the air intake and fuel from dripping on the floor.
The lanterns on the left and center are in Jerry Engbring's collection;
the lantern on the right is in Ernie Hiatt's collection.


Coleman made the L220 (above) and L228 (below) for a short time in 1928.
The L220 above, dated Aug. '28, is running with the original T88 generator.
To accomodate the pump,
which is mounted into the center of the fount,
the fuel pickup tube had to swivel for removal (below the 2nd set of threads).
Note the air tube along the left side of the fuel pickup tube,
which is necessary for the Instant Lite feature.


Coleman lantern Models 220 (left) and L228 (right).
The Model 220 has the slant Q77 generators and is dated July 1929,
while the L228 has the T-88 generator and is dated Oct. 1928.
We think the different style of the valve knobs indicates the type of generator.
These lanterns are in Craig Seabrook's collection.


Coleman made fewer than seventeen hundred L227 lanterns
in 1927-33, according to Neil McRae.
Other lanterns of this wide ventilator Quick-Lite model
have a flattened ball nut and four square indentations
spaced around the perimeter of the ventilator.
The mica globe is a reproduction by Fred Kuntz.


In 1927 Coleman advertised an accessory ventilator, No. 216-490,
to convert an L327 or 427 to an L227 with a retail price of $2.10.
The advertisement says: "This makes the Lantern a most desirable light for use in henhouses,
work shops, barns and feed lots, or any place where concentrated light is desired.
Especially good for night fishing."
This lantern is in Dick Sellers' collection.


Two versions of the Coleman Quicklite lantern, Model 427,
in Craig Seabrook's collection.
The red ventilator version on the left
has a Coleman globe from the period and is dated Feb. '29.
The green ventilator version on the right is dated Oct. '33.
These lanterns came with mica globes originally.


Coleman made the LZ327 (left) and LZ427 (right) lanterns for the Yale Light Co.
Coleman no longer made lanterns for their own brand
with a separate post from the air intake tube,
which is curved in these models, to hold the burner.
The mica globes were removed for the images.
The lantern on the right is in Don Colston's collection.


American Gas Machine lanterns - early models
Main
AGM lanterns - models beginning with the mid-1930's
American Gas Machine lamps
AGM, King Seeley, & Thermos lanterns - later models
Coleman lamps before mid-1920's
Coleman lanterns pre-1931
Coleman lamps after mid 1920's
Coleman lanterns 1931 - 1945
Coleman hollow wire lighting
Coleman lanterns 1946 - 1960
Coleman stoves pre-1945
 Coleman lanterns 1961 - 1980
Coleman stoves post-1945
 Coleman lanterns 1981 - present
Custom lighting
Heater etc. manufacturers A - K
Hollow wire lighting
Heater etc. manufacturers L - Z
International lamp manufacturers A - F
International lantern manufacturers A - E
International lamp manufacturers G - Z
 International lantern manufacturers F - M
Irons
 International lantern manufacturers N - S
Links
 International lantern manufacturers T - Z
Pumps
Propane lantern & stove manufacturers A - B
 Stove manufacturers A - D
Propane lantern & stove manufacturers C
Stove manufacturers E - O
Propane lantern & stove manufacturers D - M
Stove manufacturers P - Z
Propane lantern & stove manufacturers N - Z
Swedish lamps
Tilley lanterns
Tilley household lamps pre-1945
US lantern manufacturers A - G
Tilley household lamps post-1945
US lantern manufacturers H - M
Tilley industrial lamps & lanterns
US lantern manufacturers N - P
US lamp manufacturers A - B
US lantern manufacturers Q - Z
US lamp manufacturers C - M
Wrench & other lamp tool manufacturers A - M
US lamp manufacturers N - R
Wrench & other lamp tool manufacturers N - Z
US lamp manufacturers S - Z



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The College accepts no responsibility for the content of these pages.
© 2000 Terry Marsh
Last updated June 4, 2008
 tgmarsh@noctrl.edu