Antique postcard depicting two lovers,1920s

Here we go a vintage (probably Polish) postcard from the Art Deco period. It depicts two lovers who use a cigarette as a lighter.

Advert: Ronson Varaflame Premier & Rafale Pocket Lighters, 1960

This Ronson magazine advertisement was published in an unknown French magazine in 1960. It depicts Ronson pocket butane lighter models such as: Varaflame Premier and Rafale.

Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations for lighter collectors [D-G]

• Date letter – is a letter of the alphabet stamped with a punch in conjunction with hallmarks on British silver. Each letter represents a specific year, recording the official date of manufacturing of an item. The date letter system was introduced in London in 1478. The cycles of date letters were usually in strings of 20 and each cycle was differentiated by changing the font style, latter case and shield shape. Date letters are very useful for dating silver lighters made in GB. 
• Doulton Company – an English company producing tableware and collectibles, dating to 1815. Operating originally in London, its reputation grew in The Potteries, where it was a latecomer compared to Spode, Wedgwood and Minton. The Royal Doulton Company began as a partnership between John Doulton, Martha Jones, and John Watts, with a factory at Vauxhall Walk, Lambeth, London. The company took the name Doulton in 1853. Production ended at Lambeth in 1956 but continues today at Burlslem under the name Royal Doulton Fine China. It is famous among others for Toby Jugs which were also used as table lighters bases. 
• DBP – abbreviation for Deutsches Bundespatent (German for "Federal German Patent). It has been used since 1949 for lighters manufactured in Germany.
• DPMA – Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt German Patent and Trade Mark Office (GPTO) is the German national patent office, with headquarters in Munich, and offices in Berlin and Jena The first unified Patentgesetz (German Patent Act) was adopted on 25 May 1877, which mandated the establishment of an authority tasked with reviewing and awarding patents. On this basis, on 1 July 1877, the Kaiserliche Patentamt (Imperial Patent Office) was founded in Berlin. Am 2. Juli 1877 wurde das erste deutsche Patent für ein „Verfahren zur Herstellung einer rothen Ultramarinfarbe“ des Erfinders Johannes Zeltner erteilt. Die erste Marke wurde am 16. Oktober 1894 für einen Berliner Lampenproduzenten eingetragen.
• DBGM – abbreviation for Deutsches Bundesgebrauchsmuster (Gebrauchsmuster / Gebrauchsmusterschutz) which is an intellectual property right to protect inventions within Germany granted since October 1952.
• DRGM – abbreviation for Deutsches Reichs Gebrauchs Muster (German Reich Utility Model) which was an intellectual property right to protect inventions within Germany granted between 1891 and 1949. The property right was only valid for three years.
• DRP – abbreviation for Deutsches Reichspatent (German for "German Reich Patent). It was granted for lighters manufactured in Germany between 1918 and 1945.
• DRWZ – the acronym D.R.W.Z. with or without punctuation stands for Deutsches Reichswarenzeichen, meaning that an item marked as such was officially registered under trademark laws inside all of the Germany states and not only locally registered as it was the case before the introduction of centralized registration. Note that many people quote this acronym as standing for 'Deutsches Reich Warenzeichen', which is grammatically wrong and also omits the letter 's' after Reich. This results in shifting the weight of pronunciation on 'Deutsches Reich' alone, but this acronym has nothing to do with the Third Reich as many sellers want to imply so to catch the attention of certain 'collectors'. D.R.W.Z. registrations were introduced 1891 and if you are dating items you should hold in mind that even during Allied occupation up until 1949, registration procedures remained untouched and still used the D.R.W.Z. registration documents, which of course explains why such marks can be found on products actually manufactured up until 1952 as the registration itself was valid for three years. As from the end of October 1952, all registrations were definately marked as 'Deutsches Bundeswarenzeichen' (D.B.W.Z.) or simply 'Eingetragenes Warenzeichen'.
• Delft ware – denotes blue and white pottery made in and around Delft in the Netherlands and the tin-glazed pottery made in the Netherlands from the 16th century. Delftware in the latter sense is a type of pottery in which a white glaze is applied, usually decorated with metal oxides. Delftware includes pottery objects of all descriptions such as plates, ornaments and also lighter bases.
• De oro – in Spanish de oro means gold. 
• Denatured alcohol – ethyl alcohol which is used as fuel in certain lighters, for maintenance of wicks in kerosene heaters and lamps to remove water contaminants and restore the capillary action of the wick, as a wick cleaner and a kerosene additive, by adding approx. 1 teaspoon denatured alcohol per gallon of kerosene. As a fuel for older toy steam engines which used a wick-type or vaporizing burner.
• Déposé – French abbreviation for patent pending, see brevet depose.
• Depression glass – is clear or colored translucent glassware that was mass produced at low cost, in the United States and Canada around the time of the Great Depression. Common colors are clear (crystal), pink, pale blue, green, and amber. Less common colors include yellow (canary), ultra marine, jadeite (opaque pale green), delphite (opaque pale blue), cobalt blue, red (ruby & royal ruby), black, amethyst, monax, and white (milk glass). Although of marginal quality, Depression glass has been highly collectible since the 1960s. Depression glass was used among others for manufacturing plates, glasses, lighter bases and ashtrays.
• Die casting is a metal casting process that is characterized by forcing molten metal under high pressure into a closed metal or mould. The casting is removed from the die after a short cooling period. Most die castings are made from non-ferrous metals, specifically zinc, copper, aluminium, magnesium, lead, pewter and tin based alloys. Die casting was very popular among table lighter producers like Ronson.
• Disposable lighter – inexpensive mass produced pocket lighters meant to be disposed when the tank got empty.
• Döbereiner's lamp – a lighter invented in 1823 by the German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner (1780–1849), the lighter is based on the Fürstenberger lighter and was in production until ca. 1880. In the jar, zinc metal reacts with sulfuric acid to produce hydrogen gas. When a valve is opened, a jet of hydrogen is released and bursts into flame. The ignition is catalyzed by platinum metal.
• Double-tank lighter – type of a lighter in that two separate compartments or chambers are built in in order to ensure safety reserve of fuel. The first double-tank lighter was patented in 1932; US patent no. 1,884,481.
• Double wheel lighter – is a lighter that uses a double wheel mechanism. Usually the wheel on the side of a lighter turns another that strikes the flint. The spark generated by striking the flint ignites the gas or lighter fluid creating a flame. Double wheel lighters were made among others by Dunhill, Park Sherman, Parker.
• Dureum – antique gold finish invented and used by Ronson between the 1920s and 1940s. 
• Duty mark – stamped with a punch in conjunction with hallmarks on British silver. The duty mark system was introduced in 1784 and lasted till 1890. It indicated if the tax on the item was paid to the crown. The mark presented a profile portrait of the reigning monarch's head. 
• Eslabon – lighter in Spanish.
• EPNS – abbreviation for Electro Plated Nickel Silver. Nickel silver, also known as German silver, Argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, alpacca or electrum is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated.
• Electric lighter – type of a lighter powered either by batteries or electric power usually used as a table lighter. Examples of electric lighters: Dunhill silent flame, Tassel-Liter and Fumalux).
• Enamel – is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing. The powder melts, flows and then hardens to a smooth, durable vitreous coating on metal, or on glass or ceramics. The term "enamel" is most often restricted to work on metal, which is the subject of this article. Enameled glass is also called "painted". Fired enamelware is an integrated layered composite of glass and metal. Used as a noun, "an enamel" is a usually small decorative object, coated with enamel coating. Enameling is an old and widely adopted technology, for most of its history mainly used in jewelry and decorative art.
• Engine turning – fine geometric pattern that can be inscribed onto metal as a finish. Aluminium is often the metal chosen but any metal can be finely machined to produce intricate repetitive patterns that offer reflective interest and fine detail.
• Ferrocerium – see: flint.
• Feuerzeug – lighter in German.
• Figural lighter – type of cigarette lighters manufactured in shapes of objects (photo camera, lamp, car), animals (elephant, dog, cat), people (bartender, nude lady, soldier) etc. 
• Filler cap
• Filler screw – is a screw of the fluid tank lighter.
• Flat advertiser – type of a pocket lighter used for marketing purposes with a relatively big advertising imprint area. The vast majority of flat advertisers were manufactured in Japan from the late 1940s to early 1960s. The common company names of these lighters include: Rolex, Rosen-Nesor, Crown, Balboa, Penguin and Vulcan and Rolex.
• Flint – also called ferro rod or ferrocerium is a man-made metallic material first made in 1903 that gives off a large number of hot sparks at temperatures of 1650°C when scraped against a rough surface (pyrophoricity), such as ridged steel. Because of this property it is used in many applications, such as clockwork toys, strikers for gas welding and cutting torches, so-called "flint-and-steel" or "flint spark lighter" fire-starters in emergency survival kits and of course cigarette lighters, as the initial ignition source for the primary fuel. It is also known in Europe as Auermetall after its inventor Baron Carl Auer von Welsbach. 
• Flint screw – also called pressure screw, holds the flint in its upper part of the flint tube.
• Flint spring – is a spring that exerts pressure on the flint to keep it in contact with the spark wheel of the lighter. The flint spring is ended on one side with a flint screw.
• Flint spark lighter – sometimes just called a spark lighter, striker, or flint lighter is a type of lighter used in many applications to safely light a gaseous fuel to start a flame. It is most commonly used for bunsen burners and oxyacetylene welding torches. A flint spark lighter works by rapidly rubbing a small piece of ferrocerium against a rough steel surface (also called the rasp), in much the same way flint and steel are used. This manual rubbing action, done by squeezing the handle, creates a spark which then lights the gaseous fuel.
• Flint tube – is a tube were the flint spring and the flint itself is mounted in the cigarette lighter.
• Flint wheel – also called spark wheel is a small wheel made of hard steel. Due to the rough surface of the spark wheel and the contact with the flint it allows to produce a shower of sparks in a lighter. 
• Fluid (lighter) – a common name for butane gas, naphtha and special petroleum solvent used in different types of cigarette and cigar lighters.
• For. patent – abbreviation for "Foreign patent".
• Foxhole lighter – type of a lighter that used tinder cord impregnated with flammable chemicals that allow the cord to glow and burn slowly. In order to lit the cord one had to pull out the cord from the casing and turn the spark wheel. The cord slowly burns but does not produce a flame. The gleaming was hardly visible even in the dark which was crucial especially during wars hence the name of the lighter.
• Frozen flint – refers to an old decomposed flint (ferrocerium) that got stuck in the flint tube of a cigarette lighter.
• Fuel – type of a lighter fluid used in wick lighters.
• Fulcrum screw  – a screw in the lighter that holds the spark wheel, snuffer cap and the clutch spring assembly. The fuel screw is supported by so called ears.
• Fused flint – see: frozen flint. 
• Fusee – (also know as 'tinder cord') special cord impregnated with flammable chemicals that allow the cord to glow and burn slowly. The fusee was used among others in foxhole lighters in the I WW.
• Gas – type of a lighter fluid (usually butane gas) used in butane cigarette lighters.
• German silver – also called nickel silver or alpacca is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. The name "German silver" refers to its development by 19th-century German metalworkers in imitation of the Chinese alloy known as paktong.
  
• Ges. gesch. – (gesetzlich geschützt) registered/protected by law, marking used on German lighters.
• GF – abbreviation for gold filled.
• Gold – precious metal used for coinage, jewelry, and other arts. Lighters made of gold (usually 9ct or 14ct gold) are very rare and their value is usually very high easily excessing 3 243 zł.
• Gold filled – (GF or RGP) also known as "rolled gold" or "rolled gold plate" is composed of a solid layer of gold bonded with heat and pressure to a base metal such as brass. The most common stamps found on gold-filled lighters are 1/20 12K GF and 1/20 14K GF. Also common is 1/10 10K."1/20 14K means 14K gold is 1/20 the total weight which is an equivalent of 0.7K or 0.9 gram of pure gold per oz. For comparison GF items are 50 to 100,000 times thicker than regular gold plating, and 17 to 25,000 times thicker than heavy gold electroplate (sometimes stamped HGE or HGP).
• Guilloche – (or guilloché) is a decorative engraving technique in which a very precise intricate repetitive pattern or design is mechanically engraved into an underlying material with fine detail. Specifically, it involves a technique of engine turning, called guilloché in French after the French engineer “Guillot”, who invented a machine “that could scratch fine patterns and designs on metallic surfaces”.

Go to: Glossary of Terms and Abbreviations for lighter collectors [A-C] 

Catalog: Lancel Lighters and Smoking Accessories, 1937

The Lancel Company was established by the Lancel Family in 1876. Initially the business consisted of one store situated near the new Opéra Garnier in Paris, France. The main group of products were smoking accessories and leather goods. In 1928 Lancel began manufacturing lighters in their own factory. In the early 1950s Lancel introduced a butane lighter of the same design as their then current petrol model. Production of lighters ceased in 1965 and Lancel focused on selling woman accessories. Below the lighter part of the Lancel catalog from 1937.

Dunhill Aladdin's Lamp Table Lighter, 1938

The Dunhill Aladdin's Lamp Table Lighter also known as the Roman Lamp (first edition) or Genie Lamp was manufactured only for a short period of time between 1938 and 1939 in England which makes it very rare. It is made of an unknown white metal painted with a gold tone paint. Some parts, for example the top as well the wand are made of brass.

The lighter has a very precise trigger activated mechanism – it is operated by pressing down on the wand which actuates the opening of the lid and firing the spark wheel to light the wick in the front – at the same time the wick end of the wand engages the cotton wool in the reservoir – you can either pick up the lamp for a light, or you can withdraw the wand, light it from the front wick and use the wand to light your smoke.

The second incarnation of the Dunhill Roman Table Lighter from the 1952 was described in an earlier post. 

Type: petrol (wick) lighter

Marked on the underside:

DUNHILL
LONDON

REGD. DESIGN 817955
PAT. APPD. FOR
MADE IN ENGLAND

Scarcity: very rare

Value for good–mint condition: $300.00–600.00 (approx €200.00–400.00)

Weight: 335 grams (11 ³/₄ oz)

Dimensions:

• height: 9.5 cm (3.9")
• length: 15.0 cm (5.9")
• depth: 10.0 cm (4.0")

Patent: Ronson Banjo Cigar Lighter, 1928

The first automatic pocket cigar/cigarette lighter Ronson Banjo was invented by Louise V. Aronson the assigner to Art Metal Works, Inc., Newark, N. J. It was patented on 12th June 1928. The patent 1,673,727 protected the lighter mechanism till 1933 when the patent was reissued as patent no. 19,023 on 12th December 1933.

 

15th International Lighter Convention in Krefeld, Germany

On the 3th of May (Saturday), 2014 the 15th International Lighter Convention in Krefeld, Germany will take place.

Table holders can setup from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM.
Early entry from 9:00 - 10:00 AM is 10.00 EUR.
Entrance fee from 10:00 AM is 5.00 EUR.

More info can be obtained from Grahame Martin: grahame.martin@t-online.de

As I won't be able to come this year I wish all the visitors great fun and precious memories!

Advert: Ronson Varaflame Lighters, 1960

A full page Ronson magazine advertisement published on 26th December 1960 in an unknown British magazine. The advert features among others Judy Huxtable and two butane table lighters:

• Ronson Varaflame Queen Anne (6),
• Ronson Varaflame Adelphi (8).

eBay: Early Tall 3 Barrel Outside Hinge Zippo Lighter

Zippo lighters attract a lot of collectors which are willing to pay top dollar for the rarest examples. Yesterday a rare Tall (2 7/16”) early 1933 Zippo with the three barrel outside hinge was sold for $12,807. The opening bid started at $9.99 on January 3th 2014. Ten days later (13/01/2014) the lighter received a total of 64 bids from 27 bidders. 

This Zippo has decorative diagonal lines. The high price can be explained by the very good condition of this lighter. It has its original hinge which unusual since the original hinges where rather of poor quality and often get broken. Some detailed pictures of the most expensive Zippo sold on eBay:

The second most expensive Zippo was sold on eBay approximately one year ago which was described here: eBay: $6,888.88 for a Tall 1933 Zippo

Mail Order Catalog, N. Shure Co. 1933

Fine examples of cigarette lift-arm table/desk lighters from 1933. Featured are:

• Dog Table Lighter,
• Golf Ball Lighter,
• Mogul, the Lucky Elephant Table Lighter,
• Camel Table Lighter,
• Girl of the Hour Table Lighter.

Flaminaire Quercia Gentry Table Lighter, 1947

The Flaminaire Gentry Desk/Table Lighter was the first gas lighter in the world to be sold commercially. The manufacturing started in Paris, France in 1947 and lasted till 1951. The lighter itself was presented to the wide audience at the Hotel Crillon in Paris on 19th of June 1947. The appearance of a new lighter concept was accompanied by full page magazine advertisements. The lighter itself was very expensive – 20,000 Francs (average French salary) and only few could afford it. The best markets for the Gentry except France were the United Kingdom and USA.

The marketing success of the Gentry and other models made by Flaminaire like Baronet began a new era in the lighter industry. The manufacturers were starting to switch from gasoline to gas which involved new inventions that allowed among others to resign from the factory made "butagaz" tanks used by the Gentry.

The Gentry lighter was based on Pingeot patent dated March 21, 1935 which was sold to Marcel Quercia. After the II World War M. Quercia together with the Shell corporation started to refine and manufacture the idea of Pingeot. Soon the Buta-bloc lighter was born, so named to identify the lighter’s butane gas refill system which was patented in France in 1946 (patent no. FR 912414-A). The design of the Flaminaire was patented a year later in Jul, 1 1947 by Marcel Quercia and Georges Ferdinand (patent no. FR 923219-A, see below).

The body of the table lighter was made of brass and was available in at least six different finishes:

1. Gold plate combined with pearl brown lacquer (very rare, from 1949).
2. Silver plate combined with black lacquer (rare).
3. Silver plate with dotted texture (rare).
4. Silver plate with vertical stripes (rare, see picture).
5. Silver plate mainly covered with alligator skin (rare).

The Gentry Lighter is marked on the bottom:

Fonctionne au BUTAGAZ

FLAMINAIRE

Mis en service le

Brevete France & Etranger

QUERCIA 

PARIS

MADE IN FRANCE

The gas tank allowed according to Flaminaire for 10000 lits. And if the gas tank was empty you had to buy another one. If you want to dismantle the lighter this video might be helpful.

Type: gas (butane) lighter

Scarcity: rare to very rare (dependent on finish)

Value for very good–mint condition: $100.00–200.00 (approx. €75.00–150.00)

Weight: 340 grams (0.75 lbs)

Dimensions:

• height: 99 mm (3.9")
• width: 72 mm (2.8")
• depth: 36 mm (1.4")

Patent: Josef Kluss / Capitol Lighter, 1925

The pyrophoric lighter designed by Josef Kluss in Wien and patented in Austria in 1925 was used by Steele & Johnson of Waterbury to produce the Capitol Lighter which was a success in the US.

 

Capitol Lighter, Steele & Johnson of Waterbury, 1927

The Capitol Lighter was manufactured between 1927 and 1931 by Steele and Johnson in Waterbury (Connecticut) in the United States of America. The company was founded in Waterbury in 1851 and manufactured brass and other metal goods. The firm opened a New York shop in 1865 and ceased operation in 1933.

This unusual brass/bronze table lighter features a mechanical snap up levered mechanism. The mechanism as well the design of the lighter were invented and patented on the 10th of March 1925 (patent no. AT99438) by Josef Kluss of Vienna in Austria. The fact that Steele & Johnson Mfg. Co. used the patent filled by George S. Eldred on 17th September 1912 in the USA (patent no. US1038735) is unfounded as it features a absolutely different mechanism (semi-automatic).

This automatic petrol lighter is one of the most desired lighters by collectors because of the fairly complicated and interesting mechanism. The Capitol Lighter was manufactured in many different configurations (lighter with ashtray – both table and floor, lighter with a tray and cigarette holder etc.). Also the choice of finishes was quite impressive: plain brass, bronze, nickel plate and painted in three basic colors: red, green and yellow which was the most common one).

There are two main version of the Capitol Lighter. The earlier one manufactured between 1927–1928 is a direct copy of the Josef Kluss design in which the thumb lever of the lighter is straight and marked PATENT APL FOR. The second version (see pictures) has a curved thumb lever and was marked PATENTED SEPT. 17, '12. For filling the lighter mechanism is removed from the top of the bottle. On the earlier version of the Capitol lighter a circle label on the bottom says:

Matchless Utilities Co.
690 8. Ave. New York
Classic Gas & Cigar Lighters
Telephone Lackwanna 8855

and the younger version:

Steele & Johnson Mfg. Co. Waterbury Conn.

New York Office 290 Madison Ave.

The lighter was also manufactured for Gerlach Barklow Co. which was one of the largest calendar and advertising companies in America. It was marked "G.B. Co. Joliet ILL." rather then "Capitol Lighter".

Type: petrol (wick) lighter

Scarcity: uncommon to very rare (depends on version)

Value for good–mint condition: $100.00–400.00 (approx €75.00–300.00)

Weight of the lighter alone: 90 grams (0.2 pound)

Dimensions:

• height: 11.3 cm (4.4")
• width: 7.3 cm (2.9")
• depth: 2.8 cm (1.1")

Patent: Ronson Touch-Tip Lighter Mechanism, 1935

The flame producing mechanism of the famous Ronson Touch-Tip Table Lighter was patented in 1935 by Louis V. Aronson. The no. of the patent is 1,986,754. The graphics of the anatomy of the lighter are based on the Ronson Touch-Tip Oval which production started in 1937 in the US (here is an magazine advertisement with the "Oval"). The most popular of the touch-tip range was though the Ronson Octette.

Book review: Collectible Lighters, 2003

• Full title: Collectible Lighters
• Author: Juan Manuel Clarke

• Binding: Soft cover
• Number of pages: 384
• Publisher: Flammarion et Cie
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English (available also in German and French)

• Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 inches
• ISBN 10: 2080111337
• ISBN 13: 9782080111333
• Availability: used and new on amazon
• Price range: $4–10

Description of the book provided by the publisher:

The lighter, with its striker, fuel, and wick, was invented less than a century ago, and has since become an extremely popular collector's item, available in every imaginable shape and style. The contents of this richly illustrated volume range from the humble Bic (albeit with stylish James Bond designs), to the most luxurious of lighters, such as the bracelet/lighter manufactured in the 1930s by the Flamidor jewelers.

There are, of course, many examples of the archetypal Zippo, as well as brands like Dupont, Dunhill, and Polaire. A large section is devoted to soldiers' lighters - made from bullet cartridges, shields, and national coins - that tell their own story of the experiences of a young man at war.

Another section features figurative lighters, including one ingenious device that doubles as both a lighter and a functioning camera!

Collectible Lighters is a perfect source on the topic for all those interested in lighters, whether vintage or novelty, elegant or fun.

Contents:

Introduction 10
Workday lighters 38
Soldiers' lighters 108
Novelty lighters 180
Luxury lighters 228
Promotional lighters 326
Index 372
Acknowledgments 374
Bibliography 377

Sample pages:

coming soon...

Review:

A small inconspicuous and handy book full of great pictures and worth knowing facts. A book for everyone who enjoys beautiful objects. This description fits only to one book devoted to lighters, namely the "Collectible Lighters"; a book written by Juan Manuel Clarke.

The book covers over 300 lighters which are divided into sections like novelty or luxury lighters. The choice of what lighter belongs to which section was made quite subjective. Also a keen observer will find out that French lighters are heavily favored as well as the American Zippos. I wish the author could bring a little bit more diversity into this book with more examples of lighters made by different manufacturers. The photographs are superb and the lighters well displayed.
The layout of the whole publication is simple and beautiful - one picture of a lighter and a short description on each page. The selection of lighters might be a matter of taste but you will find a lot of intriguing examples of lighters and interesting facts. All is presented in full color, nicely detailed and worth having on you coffee table or bathroom.

The book contains an index and a limited bibliography. The book was published in 2003 and is easily available new and used. Overall a great book for every collector of vintage items (not only lighters!).
Rating: Excellent (5/6)

Patent: Ronson Decor Table Lighter, 1955

The design of the Ronson Decor was patented by the United States Patent Office in September 1955 under the no. 175,564. More about this lighter can be found in my previous post.

Chocolat de la Compagnie Française Trade Card: The biggest foxhole windproof lighter in the world, 1910s

In March I have described the advertising trade cards from the Liebig Company showing The making of fire theme. Today I have encountered another trade card, this time issued by the Chocolat de la Compagnie Française. It depicts a soldier lightning up his cigar with the probably biggest foxhole lighter in the world. This chromo card was made during the 1910s and its size is 7 X 10.5 cm.

The card is uncommon and cost approx. €3-5.

eBay: Dunhill Sterling Table Lighter Clock, 1930s

This item is on my eBay watch list for a while now. It is a beautiful Dunhill Clock & Lighter with a significant price tag of 31 484 zł (approx. 32 620 zł). According to the seller it was made in the 1930s and is made of sterling silver. 

The clock and the wick lighter do work. The size (LxHxW) of the lighter is ca. 6.4 cm, 10 cm and 3,3 cm; the weight 203 grams.

Happy hunting!

Advert: New ASR Pocket Lighter, 1948

A full page black&white ASR magazine advertisement published in LIFE Magazine on 31st May 1948. It depicts the new American Safety Razor pocket lighter available in rhodium finish and in silver sterling. 

Advert: Alfred Dunhill Lighters Range, 1955

A full page Dunhill magazine advertisement published on 26th November 1955. It depicts a small part of the Dunhill smoking accessories range including Dunhill Rollagas pocket lighters and the Dunhill table lighter.