Veritas Club Discussion

G'day all - especially those of you into Veritas lamps.

I thought I'd start a topic where questions and answers and other information about Veritas can be contained and easily found if needed. I don't mean lamps more suitable for the Gallery those lamps should be placed there. Of course, no one else need feel they have to place anything here, each to their own. If I find information I'll continue to place it here and hopefully some will find it interesting.

I'll place a couple of Australian ads here and an interesting Falk article. Then, I'll do a second post as I have a question in regards to the lamps.

3rd December, 1951




April, 1950. From memory I have seen ads from February, 1950 in Australia. There is little doubt that these lamps were first manufactured in 1949. I have seen ads stating A and C lamp prices.



Veritas Table lamp ad 1954

 

I was wondering what the removable grub screw was on the housing. I'm guessing it was used for a different model lamp? Bad photo of course but I'm pretty sure everyone knows the grub screw I am talking about. I suspect on a differing model to the A the grub screw is removed and something that is on another model screws into where the grub screw is housed on the A?

 

Very interesting. Thanks, Matty!

 

I wonder if this sort of thing will be liked if I place them here. Perhaps this sort of stuff is too far from the Veritas that collectors are interested in today? I'm a sucker for chronicling history. I'm well aware others aren't. Let me know if you prefer if I stuck to the more modern day Veritas from the 50's.

This oil lamp is Falk & Stadelmann from 1905. I thought it was interesting because it states Veritas Lamp Works.




1909 Falk & Stadelman Lucisca Lamp


1900 Falk & Stadlemann Acetylene Lamp Tests.


1929 Falk & Stadlemann(sic) Natural Gas Lamp.

 

Having just got into Veritas lanterns it's very interesting to read about the manufacturer. I was aware that they had a very wide product portfolio but it's great to see pictorial references of the kinds of lighting and heating appliances they sold. Fascinating!

 

They were in Australia quite early too.

1909 Imports to Australia


1912 Imports to Australia


This one is interesting. I know they were selling the Lucisca Lamp prior to 1913 but then in 1913 I found this add for the Veritas Light Co. I don't know if it is Falk Stadelmann because later, I see The Veritas Light Co and Falk & Stadelmann advertising next to each other. It wasn't unusual for companies to have subsidiary companies battle each other for custom, In this case, I just don't know one way or the other yet.

 

1913... Wow! So they were making upright and inverted mantles plus the devices that used them! Intriguing indeed.

 

From looking at the Lucisca lamp, it is likely it used a wick that provided vapour to burn. Having said that, I haven't a clue.

I wonder if @Conny C would be interested in offering an opinion. Perhaps @Carlsson is interested enough to give some thoughts? Christer knows this stuff pretty well.

While I'm here...

1962

 

@paul m

Thanks for your contribution.

The WonderLite and SuperSpeed seem to have commenced around 1951.

 

There is a very nice Veritas oil lamp on ebay now. Considering it has a shade and a chimney with it I think it is a bargain. If I lived in the UK that lamp would have been mine now.

1900’s Veritas Parrafin Table Lamp | eBay

 

I'm loving the shade!

 

Colin, Just the shade would cost you the equivalent of 50GBP pounds here in Australia.

I wonder if anyone has one of the lamps? I'd like to hear their thoughts on them.

 

@Matty

Personally, although I have nothing at present to contribute to this post however I’m loving reading the information to date. Do you have any idea of the relevance of the “Look for the Green Button” as shown in the last advertisement?

Regards Jeremy

 

@X246A

Mate, you wouldn't believe some of the stuff I have on hand to put in here. Thanks to @conny with permission of @Mackburner I will be putting some stuff in here.I'm kind of trying to figure out how to do it all without just downright plagiarising. Openings will present themselves.

Jeremy, I read that too in regards to the Green Button. I forgot to follow up on that, I'll do so now and see if I can find anything.

I am very glad to hear you are enjoying the stuff being put in the topic. I wouldn't waste my time doing it if no one was interested.

 

I'd have thought it would be the button in the end of the wick winder as they look similar to Aladdin lamps, so to choose theirs

 

Well, I've got an Aladdin wickie table lamp up in the attic. It's brand-new, unlit and in its component parts, each wrapped in the original tissue paper as it left the factory. Unfortunately there's no outer box or translucent shade, otherwise it's complete. I assembled it once, took a photograph (since lost) and then carefully re-wrapped it. It came from a charity shop somewhere in the UK, via eBay.

My thoughts? I bought it to save it from being assembled and used - you get 'original' once only...

I've got an idea that Falk Stadelmann were retailers as much as manufacturers. Quite what the split was between the two sides of the business i.e. manufacturing and buying stuff in for re-sale, I don't know...

 

David, one thing that I was surprised about with Falk Stadelmann was the fact they set up branches in Australia. So, whilst other retailers may have sold Falk Stadelmann products, so too it seems did Falk Stadelmann. I can understand Falk Stadelmann opening one branch in Australia to coordinate with retailers wishing to use FS products. More than one branch is suspiciously like what a retailer would do.

 

The green button. There was also the Famos 120 which I think used the same burner only with a red button. This one reads "Veritas" at the top and "Superspeed" at the bottom with the Veritas logo in the middle.

 

This is the front cover of the 1896-97 Falks catalogue. It's a reprint of the original but it's 375 pages.

 

Superspeed and Famos 120 mantles. I might be wrong about the Famos using the same burner as the Superspeed, the mantle is quite different. Interesting that both lamps have the same CP rating when the mantles differ in size so much.

 

@Matthew92

Many thanks for youe kind participation.

You seem to have cleared up the Green Button dilema.

Matthew, I agree that it is odd that that two differing size mantles would be given the same CP rating. It is my experience that upright mantles give off the best light of any mantles and the bigger the better.

 

1903: The earliest mention of Veritas Mantles I can find in Australia.


1904: Veritas mantles manufactured out of Ramie not Cotton.


1909:A factory fire in Surrey, destroys the factory and 100,000 mantles.

 

Great post Matty. ( Can I dump my emotional baggage re: Veritas lanterns on this thread?).
But on a serious note... this seems to be a brilliant question and answer post for the intrepid Veritas fettler. Many thanks.

 

@Damien

What a sensational hood you have there. My hood cap is pretty orinary, I need to find a better one.

The hood part that the hood cap sits on. Mine is devoid of paint, enamel or nickel. I see your one is painted green or is enamel? I'm trying to figure out if that part of my hood was ever painted, enamelled or nickelled. I assume it would be one of the tree but as I say, not a skerrick remains to give me a clue.

 

Green enamel mate. Only the odd chip. My grandfather would have looked after it... he was like that!
The one and only Darryl Durdin has given me two other hoods... one's black enamel and the other one brass. Bloody generous lot, you lampies are!
Best forum I've ever found, bar none!

 

@Matthew92

Aah! That old green button. Thanks for clearing this one up.

@Damien

You sure have a lantern in spectacular condition.

@Matty

I too have a (spare) hood similar to yours by the sound of it:



Which may be related to this letter I have from Veritas: https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/1950-veritas-350-canopy-colour.13306/

Regards Jeremy

 

I'd be tempted, Jeremy, to obviously throw the hood in vinegar etc, but possibly creating a two-tone effect with high temp pain, for instance..... just as a funky look on an old hood.
Probably heresy for saying so, but it might be fun.
White Knight and Stovebrite do a huge range of high temperature paints... unfortunately they are full of nasties, but generally only whilst spraying. After that they have a heat curing time and then they're good to go. (Mind you, you're undoubtedly aware of all this anyway).

 

@Damien

I hadn’t thought about doing anything to it as it is a spare and seems to be related to the letter “link” I posted.

@Matty

Other than actual lanterns here are links to the other Veritas items in my possession.

Regards Jeremy


https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/1950-veritas-350-canopy-colour.13306/

https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/circa-1950-veritas-350-labels.13307/

https://classicpressurelamps.com/threads/1950-veritas-350-instruction-manual.13308/

Circa 1950, 2no. Veritas V2/35A Spanner

 

Unfortunately, Nos. 27-35 Grainger Street, Newcastle have been demolished (60s/70s?) and Maybrook House built in their place:-



The original buildings remain either side and give an idea of what the intervening buildings would have looked like. Big and Tall is No. 27 so No.35 Grainger Street is now the entrance to Maybrook House. Presumably No. 31 is the local branch of MI6 or GCHQ or somethin'...

Maybe the local Antiquarian Society has earlier photographs. I've got nothing better to do this Bank Holiday Monday (I've been waiting for this long weekend for ages...).