Daylo in the UK

I picked up this light on eBay UK the other day https://www.dropbox.com/s/ejpmlct7r0iog8m/20161211_194941.jpg?dl=0 as it looked interesting - and when I got it I saw that is was almost 100% the same as the US made Eveready Daylo - apart from the fact that the bottom cap has no Daylo marking - just plain. US lights are quite rare in the UK and many times they have seen better days, but this one seems very clean.

So, anyone here know anything about the Daylo range? was it exported - perhaps with just a plain tail cap for patent or some other reason? Perhaps it is a Daylo under licence?

The reflector is brass with glossy white paint and the front lens is a bullsye type.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/t7cpsy7q78drcwj/20161211_194903.jpg?dl=0 is the bulb and reflector
https://www.dropbox.com/s/fhjs4jy7l2lzwqj/20161211_194810.jpg?dl=0 is the beam - retro or what!

It takes 3 D batteries, but not alkaline as they would surely blow the bulb - I am using some zinc.

So, any info really appreciated. I'd love to know what it is doing here in the UK or if it is just some close relative of the Daylo.

Daylo was Evereadys attempt to coax users into calling their flashlights "daylo's"... needless to say it did not catch on.

Now the idea was invested in heavily with money and advertising. All items made at the time either had "Eveready Daylo" stamped on the tail cap or just the word Eveready.

It began as a contest. The winning name Daylo stood for "bright as day" and "lo and behold".
No other body parts received the Daylo logo. Some boxes did though, but not all.

The thinking was that the word flashlight meant "breif" light from your battery powered sunshine. Conrad wanted folks to equate his products as ones that were no longer those that fizzled out so quickly.

The campaign and subsequent release of Daylo brand products coincided with Americas entry into WW 1 so it's no surprise that many ended up in the UK. Lots of "Yankee" items were donated to the cause including some Daylo's and some TL 122 flashlights. What you have is very likely a military issued version as the first "cop light" were vulcanized fisheye lens'd numbers Conrad handed out to local police departments in New York.

The Daylo name quietly disappeared as the word flashlight was just too entrenched in the public persona.

Brilliant - thank you for the full answer. Are Daylo lights common in the USA?

This one only has a patent date of October 19 1915 on the side of the switch, but the tailcap is smooth. The isolation washer in the head is the giveaway of its heritage.

Well at one point a bunch were produced. But as you know not many are left.

I checked around eBay for a few minutes and found a few nice examples. No 3D and none as nice as yours.

(Edit: tree up; spent some time browsing and did not come across many "Daylo's" at all. So if they are common the owners are not trying to sell them sir MM.

I'll look up the switch you speak of at some point, but right now my wife is giving me the stink eye for chatting on the internet instead of helping her stand up the Christmas tree she's struggling with. lol

Oh, and while lurking I found a "soldier boy' in both iterations (gun metal and nickel plated) for less than $50.
They were 2C lights whose "belt clip" was also the slider switch.... popular because they fit easily into gear bags.

I think yours was a #2612 Moog.

Info was gleaned from Bill Utleys book "fashlights" and the website 'gotalight .com'. I suspect the switch on yours was the next step in reliable sliders. Perhaps a better signaler.
But like I said I'll do some research. I find it fascinating how what seems so simple to us now was such a marvel back then.

Minimoog,
Where do you find such great examples of flashlights? Remarkable!

sgt253 said:

Minimoog,
Where do you find such great examples of flashlights? Remarkable!

Click to expand...

Most of the time I just find poorly listed items on eBay that can either be complete junk or something nice - like the WW1 Orilux thatI found a few weeks ago.