My one lantern from Grand Dad - Embury No. 2 C.B. Camlox

[Pourme]

This is my one lantern. I found this in my Grand Father's barn after he died. It is in good condition. I don't know any thing about it but I don't think it's anything special, but to me because it belonged to him.

Benny

[TelePlay]

Very nice lantern in great condition.

Embury made lanterns in New York State from 1908 to 1952. Some say Embury lanterns have better lines and look nicer than Dietz.

And knowing where this lantern came from makes it priceless to you. I can only guess at the provenance of my lanterns - I wish they could talk.

Are you going to clean and light it?

[AL_as_needed]

Excellent lantern! Embury's are a bit less "common" than dietz (being the number two producer until being bought out by dietz), but seem to be of equal quality.

I think its extra special that it has been in the family since new. You have a physical connection to your families past. At least in your case the lantern was purchased.... My great grandfather most likely "walked off" with the Fire Dept King I have come to inherit.....yeah...family... 

[Pourme]

John, Lanterns and phones from by gone eras would have interesting stories for sure, given the unique circumstances of their use. I may clean it up during the long winter, it would make a nice project!

Thanks for the info about Embury, guys. I didn't know any of that. I particularly like the embossing on the vertical riser and the wrapping around the handle. I can see how some like the lines of the Embury, Al.

You made me laugh with your "walked off" comment!

My grandfather also rode a baby blue Harley. He was quite a character!

[TelePlay]

I haven't done much with Embury lanterns in that they are not that available and not sure of parts are as readily available so if listed on eBay, wouldn't know how complete or what would need replacing.

Your lantern has a very nice patina on it and if you were to clean it over the winter, you would need a tall pail (I think this lantern is a bit too tall for a 5 gallon pail - a large plastic bin from Walmart in which it would lay sideways would work nicely) or bin with molasses and Brillo to GENTLY rub the surface after soaking to get the caked on crud and little rust I see off and still keep the patina. Given the light, it looks to be really aged tin which becomes a dark brown. Having been in a barn, all the sulfur in the air would have done this nicely.

From the pictures, I see they stamped it a No. 2 CB (cold blast - they also made a No. 0 Hot Blast and a No. 1 Little Air Pilot) which would be to compete with the Dietz No. 2 D-Lite. I also noticed the burner cone is attached to the upper tank air chamber in a way similar to the Dietz Vesta fuel tank, two pins which engage a slot with a metal retention clip so a simple turn of the burner from the locked to the removal slot (about 1/4") would release the burner cone and the burner beneath it.

I think this lantern would look very sharp cleaned up and lit.

This is the Embury history written by historian Mark Milcarek below which states the Camlox was one of the first 4 designs sold by the company so the lantern could be as old as 1910. I don't know when they stopped making the Camlox lanterns. They started to put a model number on the lantern about 1918 because they had so many different styles of similar types. That may mean this lantern could date from 1918. The more research I did on these, the more I was thinking of looking for one. I know where one is right now but it's missing a part and is overprice by $30. eBay has a lot of Air Pilots and other Embury lanterns but I could not find a Camlox cold blast (did find two No. 0 Hot Blast lanterns). Yeah, I think my wife would follow my logic in that, not.

"William Embury (1873-1943), the founder of Embury Lantern Company, was Canadian by birth. He worked for several tin manufacturers, one of which produced a small line of lanterns. As a salesman for this company, he noticed that there were several things you could do to make the lanterns easier to use and more efficient.

He took his ideas to his employers after working them out with his brother-in-law Jim Hill, an inventor, but they weren't interested. He decided to form his own company, obtained several financial backers, and in 1900 moved to Rochester, which had the greatest concentration of lantern companies in New York State. He named his enterprise Defiance Stamping and Lantern Company in "defiance" of the other existing companies and became its general manager.

The company prospered and grew quickly, but in 1908 some of his backers wanted relatives put on the payroll. This didn't set well with Embury, so he quit and with loans and other financial backing, started another company in the Rochester area: the Embury Lantern Company.

At the same time, in 1910, Warsaw was undergoing an economic downturn with empty factory buildings and many unemployed workers, mainly because of the decline of the salt industry. To replace those jobs that had disappeared, the Board of Trade formed the Warsaw Improvement Company, a stock company that took its money and used it to promote business.

The Board of Trade was able to entice Embury to relocate all his operations to Warsaw, with the Warsaw Improvement Company agreeing to erect a building that would meet his specifications and located at what is now the corner of Allen Street and Industrial Avenue. Embury didn't bring many of his Rochester employees to Warsaw, opting instead to hire Warsaw residents who needed jobs.

His first lines were the Camlox, Windsor, Midget and Duplex, lanterns which sold well.  Early automobiles didn't come with headlights, and the Duplex was sold for automotive use. At this time his brother-in-law, Jim Hill, came on board as vice-president and was instrumental in the design of the Duplex. Embury also toyed with the idea of electric lanterns during this period, but dropped the idea.   

During 1917-1918, Embury came out with the Supreme line, a much more varied line and the first to use a numbering system to indicate design differences. These lanterns could be painted in the purchaser's color or left in natural tin, and were an immediate success, remaining popular for 20 years.

By 1922 Embury introduced electric lanterns, considered part of the Supreme line, which ran on three D cells. These small lanterns were also called conductor lanterns. Although Embury didn't contract with railroads, railroad conductors preferred them because they didn't have to worry about spilling fuel or getting soot on their uniforms. It was also called the skater's lantern because it was much easier and safer to carry when ice skating.  Another electric lantern was called Supreme 200, or flashlight, along with a larger 300 model.  The electrics were not too successful, so in 1932 the line was sold to the Eveready Company.

In 1930, the International Commerce Commission required trucks and slow moving vehicles on the road to have minimum requirements of both lighting and safety devices.  Embury patented designs around those new requirements and introduced several new lines, including the venerable number 40, a contractor's lantern that could also be used on trucks. These didn't come with clear globes because they were designed as warning lights, not lights to see by. They had a large tank which allowed them to burn for a long period of time and stay stable in windy conditions. Other developments at this time were roadside torches and a line of truck lanterns.

In 1936, William turned the business over to his three sons: Philip, William and Frederick, although he still was involved in the business. The sons realized they needed a new design, and the result was the Air Pilot, a general purpose lantern produced up to 1953. This was also the period when they started private labeling for various companies.

During World War II, the Navy contracted Embury to develop an emergency light in case a ship lost its electrical power. A battery powered lantern was developed, which contained a relay and was connected to the ship's electrical system. As long as the ship had electrical power, the relay was open and kept the battery off; if the ship lost its power, the relay closed and the battery took over.

By the end of WW II, demand for lanterns was diminishing, mainly due to the Rural Electrification Act passed under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. However, there was still a demand for lanterns in Europe because the war had destroyed most of the power grids, and this along with contractor lanterns kept the company afloat for a few more years.

Although Embury had become one of the largest lantern companies, second only to Dietz, and had sold 17 million products, management decided that it was no longer feasible to stay in business.  In 1952, negotiations were started with rival Dietz for Dietz to purchase the company, and by 1953, the era of Warsaw's Embury Lantern Company had come to a close."

[Pourme]

That is interesting, John. Thanks for posting! I now look forward to cleaning this old guy up!

[Doug Rose]

I have an Embury Lantern for sale. I have no idea what it is worth, so pm me with an offer. Real nice shape except the glass is cracked....Doug

[dsk]

It is not easy to take care of all remainings from earlier generations, so we have to pick whats give us an identity, at old "sæter" (summer house with barn and house for the animals used to get more land for feeding the animals) my wife's family has kept as a house for vacations we have put up a solar panel etc, and in the first room you enter with no windows, they have such a lamp.

This lamp has a 12V bulb, and we just put in the wires trough the went, fixed a lam holder and draw the wire back so it works as an electric lamp, but can easily be put back for kerosene use in a few minutes. In that way it is pretty much used.

dsk

[Pourme]

That's not a bad idea. A update that doesn't mutilate the lantern. I recently have gotten on a LED light conversion kick. Amazon has a wide choice of LEDs for many applications at prices that are getting more reasonable each day. A "no harm done" LED conversation could be a interesting option.

Benny

[twocvbloke]

A "no harm done" LED conversation could be a interesting option.

Indeed, unless like mine it's a cheap chinese leaky lantern that's not worth tank-sealing cos it cost about £2 in a bundle of 4 lanterns... 

Not that I actually put the thing into use as the LED bulb I put in it is just dire, very flickery (especially at 240v 50Hz) and annoying... 

[AL_as_needed]

That's not a bad idea. A update that doesn't mutilate the lantern. I recently have gotten on a LED light conversion kick. Amazon has a wide choice of LEDs for many applications at prices that are getting more reasonable each day. A "no harm done" LED conversation could be a interesting option.

Benny

lanternnet.com sells just such a device. A bit pricey, but it simply replaces the kerosene burner with a bulb socket without any alterations to the lantern itself. 

[TelePlay]

lanternnet.com sells just such a device. A bit pricey, but it simply replaces the kerosene burner with a bulb socket without any alterations to the lantern itself.

Yes, they do including one for a Vesta lantern that is the tank and the lamp socket for $35. As far as the Vesta goes, that might be a good way to use the Vesta on a table or shelf to atmosphere without having a flame.

Here's the adapter for a standard Dietz lantern. Fits in where the burner cone would lock on and does not damage the lantern in any way. Even has a high/low setting. The lantern can be taken back to fuel by just putting the burner back in.

twocv, if your tank is leaking from the beaded edge, this is what the lantern guys suggest doing to seal those leaks:

"If the lantern leaks only from the crimp at the bottom edge, exterior grade marine spar varnish can be used to seal a weeping tank.  Use 1 to 2 teaspoons and allow to dry for one week before refilling with oil."

I've not tried that but exterior grade marine spar varnish does hold up very well to water and sun for years on wood. If it holds up to fuel, I can see where it would be a good stop leak for the bead seal.

[dsk]

I will not recommend that, because you have to remove the wick and the flame adjustment, and when you shall put it back after 20 years, where did you hide it?  Let all the originals be, put a bulb of max 10 Watts up in the went part the wires goes out along the handle and the lamp hangs as it should.  Costs almost nothing and the lamp keeps its parts. Using low voltage and a transformer may be safer, but not needed. The one I described was running at 12V DC.
https://goo.gl/nL3VGK  and  https://goo.gl/tJmjrd

dsk

[twocvbloke]

twocv, if your tank is leaking from the beaded edge, this is what the lantern guys suggest doing to seal those leaks:

"If the lantern leaks only from the crimp at the bottom edge, exterior grade marine spar varnish can be used to seal a weeping tank.  Use 1 to 2 teaspoons and allow to dry for one week before refilling with oil."

I've not tried that but exterior grade marine spar varnish does hold up very well to water and sun for years on wood. If it holds up to fuel, I can see where it would be a good stop leak for the bead seal.

I never really took note of where it leaked from, and the lamp is not salvageable due to my modifications, and given I have another two of them unused sat spare, it's not really necessary to repair that one...