We can date this one to a very small time frame. Has to be after 13 November 1953 which is when the EG logo changed to just a G and before 14 April 1954 when the rocker valve changed from that alloy type to the parallelogram type. So just in that 5 month period of winter 1953-54. ::Neil::
thanks, neil, for making this clear. i think all components are authentic at this lamp. but keep in mind, that at this time, petromax lamp parts from pre ´45 and those of after ´47 (when production re-began in Altena) sometimes were mixed up.
Production of lamps did not start in Altena until 1952 when the brand name and logo registration were transfered from the Eastern German company. Any product you see made before 1952 is East Geman At the end of World War 2 the company was confiscated by the Russian authorities and the directors, Erich and Fritz Graetz, were dismissed. It has been said that they “Fled to the West” but I doubt this. I rather think they just re located in the western zone where they could start the business up again without any interference from the authorities. The company they had to abandon in Eastern Berlin was renamed as Graetz Aktiengesellschaft VEB and production was restarted perhaps in 1946 after the war damage to the factory had been repaired. This company was renamed on 4th February 1950 as VEB Fernmeldewerk Treptow and lamp production ceased by this company in March that year. In 1948 Erich and Fritz Graetz set up a new western company, Graetz Kommandit Gesellschaft (Graetz KG), at Westigerstrasse 172, Altena, West Falen. Production started that year but for the first few years only radio equipment and such with no lighting was made as they no longer owned the brand name or logos and presumably had no tooling to make lighting product. They did however do some R&D work on the Petromax lantern because there are patents registered to them in 1950. In 1952 The Aida brand was registered to Graetz KG in Altena but the same year a new company Graetz Aktiengesellschaft was registered in Hamburg and this company registered the Petromax brand name and the Logo with EG is transferred to this new company. This Hamburg company was owned by members of the Graetz family. We don’t know exactly who they were but most probably Erich and Max . Production of both Aida and Petromax branded lanterns started in Altena by Graetz KG presumably with licence from Graetz AG Hamburg. I assume that because the brand names and logos were not held by Graetz KG nor by Graetz AG In Hamburg until 1952 no production could be sold before these dates of registration. In 1953 a new logo was registered to Graetz AG which is the old two seahorses holding the sun but now with just G instead of the old EG. This change in the logo therefore marks the change of factory from Berlin to Altena with Berlin always using the EG logo and Altena from the start using the G logo although there was a short period in 1952 and early 1953 when Altena used the old logo. It follows that since the two factories were in differernt countries there is little possibility that "Old Stock" parts were used in Altena. It is hoever just possible that with the sale of the brand name and logo in 1950 the Altena factory may have bought up some stock of parts from VEB Fernmeldewerk Treptow. ::Neil::
