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William
Sugg & Co
1837 - 1969 |
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Large Lanterns (This is an element of 'Lighting - Street Lamps') This title is no exaggeration! Many of the fixtures discussed here top 6ft or even 2 metres in height and 4ft 6in across, often hexagon, octagon and even 12-sided in section! And the reason -- without this huge size the whole frame would have collapsed because the soft solder that holds the majority of the lantern components together would simply have melted under the temperature produced by the multi flame burner. (See burner pictures in Lighting/Burners/Open flame.) The invention of the gas mantle, radically changed the size of lanterns because the same amount of illumination could be achieved with a tiny proportion of the gas consumed and thus the heat was reduced dramatically. The large lanterns came to quite an abrupt end and that is why they are so rare today. They are, however, a notable feature of almost any contemporary photograph of street scenes, especially in London.
Workman about to fit twin open flame burner (laying by his feet) for gas test on a Lambeth Lantern. (Note the etched logo)
Post mounted and suspension versions of Westminster and Lambeth lanterns. The Lambeth appears to differ from the one with the workman in the chimney section which appears a little longer and pierced rather than slotted and carries a plain spun cap and spike as against a scalloped cap and spike.
These two illustrations from 1879 show two versions of a huge Sugg 12-sided glazed top lantern with opal glass panels to improve the light distribution providing increased downward illumination.
This is a current illustration from the
Sovereign Hill area of the historic town of Ballarat in Victoria, Australia,
not far from Melbourne. It carries a number of Sugg lanterns including these
refurbished 12-sided lanterns - the oldest design of Sugg lanterns still
in use - and clearly the same as the ones in the book illustration 128
years earlier. UNDER CONTINUOUS DEVELOPMENT - PLEASE CALL AGAIN! |
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