Museum Artifact: Art-O-Lite Reflector Art Lamp, c. 1930s
Made By: American Reflector & Lighting Company, 100 South Jefferson St., Chicago, IL
“There are depths of feeling in every work of art that are lost to the beholder until they are revealed at their full worth with Art-O-Lite Reflectors.” —American Reflector & Lighting Company advertisement, 1923
For a business that spent roughly a century specializing in illumination,
Museum Artifact: Nautical Lantern, 1910s
Made By: Geo. B. Carpenter & Company, 440 N. Wells St.
“Navigation lamp” or “nautical lantern” would be the more distinguished terms, but according to the official 1917 catalogue of George B. Carpenter & Co., the beat-up brass relic pictured above was actually categorized as a “motor boat light,” with a more specific designation as the “No. 5 Combination Light.” It originally would have included two separate Fresnel lenses (like the kind in a lighthouse),
Museum Artifact: Adlake Truck Lamp, c. 1910s
Made by: Adams & Westlake Co., 320 W. Ohio St. / 319 W. Ontario St., Chicago, IL
Much like one of today’s showbiz power couples, the partnership of Chicago railroad supply magnates John McGregor Adams and William Westlake produced its own linguistic portmanteau in the late 1800s, as the name “ADLAKE” (combining ADams and WestLAKE) soon evolved into their company’s primary identity.
Museum Artifact: Portable Lamp, c. 1940s
Made By: Electro Manufacturing Corporation, 2000 W. Fulton Street, Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Tiger-Ey No. 100-0 Plastic Truck Reflector, c. 1950s
Made by: Do-Ray Lamp Company, 1458 S. Michigan Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: “Wonder Wand” Industrial Safety Lamp, c. 1970
Made By: Manufacturing & Trading Company “VO”, 904 N. Campbell Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Unity Model S-3 Safety Light, c. 1940
Made By: Unity Manufacturing Company, 2909 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Industrial Drop Light Cage, 1920s
Made By: Pyle-National Co., 1334 N. Kostner Ave., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: OVB No. 2 Kerosene Lantern, c. 1920s
Made By: Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Co., 211 E. North Water Street
“Hardware seems to those who sell it to be more human than any other kind of business.” That’s how journalist Fred C. Kelly sized up the stock and trade of Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett in 1930, on the occasion of the wholesale company’s 75th anniversary.
Museum Artifacts: Chelsea Hotel “Fire Escape” Lighted Sign and Lighted “Exit” Sign, c. 1950s
Made By: Western Fluorescent Light Co., 3242-4 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Western Fluorescent Light Co., 3242-4 W. Roosevelt Rd., Chicago, IL
Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.
Museum Artifact: Big Beam No. 164 Sealed Beam Beacon Lamp, 1950s
Made By: U-C Lite MFG Co., 1050 W. Hubbard St., Chicago, IL
First of all, don’t call it a flashlight. This life-saving, mid-century necessity is a “hand lamp” (or “hand lantern”), and very similar models are still being manufactured today—by the original company—at a plant in suburban Crystal Lake, Illinois. The business is now known as Big Beam Emergency Systems,
Chicago Electric MFG, Co., 6333 W. 65th Street., Chicago, IL
This impressive looking mid-century coil space heater is one of two items in our collection made by the Chicago Electric Manufacturing Company. You can read the full epic tale of Chicago Electric and its most famous president, Errett Lobban Cord, on our page for the heat lamp’s summertime sister, the Sterling Desk Fan.
Read the Full Company History of the Chicago Electric MFG Co.
