Hello! I found a lamp at a garage sale and thought "That's cool!", so I bought it. I know nothing about kerosene lanterns, and assumed it wasn't old because it's in excellent condition. After reading up on the Dietz No. 2 D-lite though, it appears they stopped using the No. 2 label in 1956 when moving the factory to Hong Kong, and stopped stamping the manufacturing date. Mine is stamped. The left side stamp fades out so I can't find any hint of an M or S, but on the right, the last number is 25. Am I missing something, or is my new lantern actually 99 years old? I appreciate any expertise!
Hello @Arcadia and Welcome! that does look in good condition There are members here that collect the Dietz lanterns.. perhaps they may be able you regards pb
Hi Arcadia, referring to the book 'Lanterns that lit our World' by Anthony Hobson, the patent numbers were attached to the air tube until the 1930s. The D-Lite version you have now was built until 1944. I'm going to be a little cautious and say that it dates from at least the 1930s. Regards Jörg
The date is on the side tube. There will be either an M or S followed by the month (1-12) and year (two figures). The ones with the “M” for main office are a little harder to find. Those with “S” are made in Syracuse, New York. Good wick lantern!
