Lantern, Railroad

Object Name:

Lantern, Railroad

Object ID:

1957.045

Date:

1825-1875

Description:

Lantern, tin and glass. Concord Railroad. Round, spreading raised base, pierced on sides with single row of six-pointed stars, and containing tin burner with upright double wick-holder. Double wick burner has a brass collar on top of glass reservoir. Four reeded decorations above the stars. Tall, blue glass globe tapering to top. Domed tin top pierced on sides with double row of five-pointed stars, with diamond design between. Large round flat handle with rolled edge. Tin has asphaltum paint on it which is wearing off. Double spring-loaded locking mechanism that holds reservoir and wick holders in place. Sheet-metal holder with concave bottom and slightly turned-up outer edge. Straight-sided sheet metal holder in center that holds glass reservoir. Circular cover and domed-shape cap is a series of reeded decorations on cap and near middle of cone-shaped section. Sheet-metal strap at top of cone section has a disc on top of it and circular sheet-metal handle. These are joined together by a heavy wire. Loop at top end of wire. It looks like there's a wire loop at end of wire that is around another wire that passes through strap and sides of cone near top. Second wire also has loops on its ends. Sheet-metal handle is ~0.75" wide and has diameter of 4.3". Glass is held to base with crimped metal and plaster. Top metal section held to glass with crimped metal and plaster. Straight diamond-wheel engraved: "C. R. R." Letters have cut through some of the blue color. The blue on the glass appears to be a surface treatment.

Material:

Metal
Glass
Tin

Dimensions:

H-17.1 Dia-5.7 inches

Provenance:

Concord Railroad Lantern. In 1889 the Concord R.R. merged and became the Boston and Montreal. Mr. Garaey was in R. R.service for 61 years (1895-1956). Began working as a firman then engineer, then train master. Did "official runnings" and carried such celebrites as President Taft, J. P. Morgan, Diamond Jim Brady. Lantern had been stored in stock room of old station in Manchester, NH, and came to Mr. Garey from Ed. Powers, General Agent, in Manchester who thought the blue lantern was used to stop trains for passengers at flag stops.

Credit Line:

Gift of Arthur Forsythe Garey