The antique flashlight I got for Christmas that I forgot to show yall....

[mdocod]

I was reading this thread:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?t=191632
and realized I forgot to share with you guys one of my christmas gifts from this year. My Step-Mother, a very thoughtful person to say the least, gave me this:

Anybody know anything about it? As I recall I think she said it was from the 1930s...

I dropped some alkalines in it (backwards, as this one appears to require reverse loading) and it works! I'm not sure that the bulb is as old as the light (looks newer), but it's still pretty neat.

 

[Norm]

Very unusual to get such a great present from a non Flashaholic, your lucky to have such thoughtful step Mum. :twothumbs
Norm

 

[DM51]

Superb! Your stepmother is an extremely thoughtful lady.

What size cells does it take? I don't think I would try to change it, except to get that rust off the reflector, and maybe use NiMHs instead of alkalines (in fact I expect it was originally made for Zinc-Carbon cells.)

 

[will]

I have found that some of those old bulbs are the same as used in some of the old toy trains from the 30s and 40s.

 

[DaveG]

Nice,looks to be in good shape for its age.

 

[SilverFox]

Hello Mdocod,

Wow...

It looks like a very useful flood beam.

Fantastic.

Tom

 

[KeyGrip]

Will it take a 5761?

 

[One2gofst]

That is really cool. Enjoy ...and say thanks again to your Stepmom.

 

[mdocod]

I did some research.... found it on the flashlight museum site, apparently it is from 1938, It takes 2 D size cells, but I'm also betting that back when it was sold, it was a very different chemistry than alkaline.

 

[Monocrom]

Awesome gift!

Is that a short carry-clip on the barrel?? oo:

 

[lctorana]

Alkaline D cells didn't exist back then.

Rechargeable D cells existed, but weren't available retail back then.

Super-Heavy Duty (ZnCl) D cells were still 35 years away.

Heavy-Duty D cells didn't arrive until after the war (they were a wartime development).

The best cells you could get were what is today called "standard duty" zinc-carbon, e.g. Eveready Silver or Eveready Blue. Only they weren't even as good as that - they were more like today's really cheap Chinese ZnC cells in performance & leakage.

BUT - the bulb only consumes 250mA, and people's expectations and usage patterns were different.

Two interesting things - is there really no provision for a lens? And how does the switch work on this one?

 

[PhotonWrangler]

What a wonderful vintage flashlight! It looks like it's in excellent shape considering it's age. Is that the original bulb or a more modern replacement?

 

[Burgess]

I really LOVE yer' Burgess Flashlight !


But, then again, i may be biased . . . .





How does it switch ON ?

Does that "rounded clip" actually slide up & down ?


Is the body made of Cardboard ?


From looking at the photos, with no sense of scale,

it kinda' reminds me of the old TinkerToy boxes (tubes).


The word "Compliments" leads me to believe they were "free samples",
perhaps passed out to their Dealers.


At 70 years old, it appears to be holding up quite well. :thumbsup:


Thank you for sharing this with us, mdocod. :twothumbs


Oh, and be sure to tell yer' Step-Mom that we all think she's COOL !





BTW, excellent photographs, too.

:kewlpics:


Thank you for keeping the memory of Burgess alive.

:goodjob:
_

 

[mdocod]

Awesome gift!

Is that a short carry-clip on the barrel?? oo:

actually that little clip is the switch, you slide it forward, it moves a length of stiff steel strip that extends down under the cells, the result is the gap between the cells and the base of the bulb being eliminated, thus, power to the bulb.

 

[Monocrom]

actually that little clip is the switch, you slide it forward, it moves a length of stiff steel strip that extends down under the cells, the result is the gap between the cells and the base of the bulb being eliminated, thus, power to the bulb.

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[slo-ryd]

Wow.... that is cool. :thumbsup:

Flashlights are always great to get as a gift, but that's a prize!

 

[mdocod]

Alkaline D cells didn't exist back then.

Rechargeable D cells existed, but weren't available retail back then.

Super-Heavy Duty (ZnCl) D cells were still 35 years away.

Heavy-Duty D cells didn't arrive until after the war (they were a wartime development).

The best cells you could get were what is today called "standard duty" zinc-carbon, e.g. Eveready Silver or Eveready Blue. Only they weren't even as good as that - they were more like today's really cheap Chinese ZnC cells in performance & leakage.

BUT - the bulb only consumes 250mA, and people's expectations and usage patterns were different.

Actually.. that's pretty interesting... 2D size fit perfectly, as if it were made for it.. perhaps the cells available then just happened to be similar enough..

Two interesting things - is there really no provision for a lens? And how does the switch work on this one?

no lens at all, just a bare bulb on a semi-crude hunk of stamped metal. It's one of those screw-in bulbs.... I think there are some bulbs available at radio-shack that would fit it.

 

[matrixshaman]

That's very cool! I don't recall ever seeing anything like that --- and I'm almost old enough that I should have seen some of those around if any survived a little while other than the one your cool stepmom gave you.

 

[lctorana]

Actually.. that's pretty interesting... 2D size fit perfectly, as if it were made for it.. perhaps the cells available then just happened to be similar enough..

Don't understand your point. D cells haven't changed size in over 100 years...

It's one of those screw-in bulbs.... I think there are some bulbs available at radio-shack that would fit it.

Standard 2.5V 0.3A bulb, available at any hardware store.

 

[mdocod]

How does it switch ON ?

Does that "rounded clip" actually slide up & down ?

Yep... Here's a l look inside.

Is the body made of Cardboard ?

It's some sort of rolled metal, crimped much like you you might expect the canning process from that many years to be like.

The word "Compliments" leads me to believe they were "free samples",
perhaps passed out to their Dealers.

Actually... here's all the text on the flashlight:
[around the top just under the bezel]
BURGESS FLASHLIGHT "SUB"
[just below the switch on a picture of a cell]
BURGESS UNI-CEL
NO. 2
[turning the light 90 degrees and reading]
COMPLIMENTS OF
BURGESS
BATTERY COMPANY
FREEPORT, ILL.

THIS SPECIAL BATTERY HOLDER IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR A FLASHLIGHT CASE AND IS GIVEN TO YOU . . . FREE . . . FOR TWO REASONS:
1. TO CONVINCE YOU, THROUGH DAILY USE, OF THE VALUE AND CONVENIENCE OF A FLASHLIGHT.
2. TO PROVE TO YOU, THROUGH YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, THE VERY DEFINITE AND DISTINCT SUPERIORITY OF BURGESS FLASHLIGHT BATTERIES.
WHEN YOU DECIDE TO BUY A REGULAR FLASHLIGHT CASE, INSIST UPON THE DEALER SUPPLYING YOU WITH THE BURGESS FLASHLIGHT CASE, AND BURGESS FLASHLIGHT BATTERIES. THESE PRODUCTS OFFER YOU THE BEST VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY.