Vintage corner

[Phil G4SPZ]

Inspired by a wonderful photograph recently posted by a Forum member of a beautifully restored vintage radio adjacent to a bottle of amber nectar (and annoyingly I now can't find the post!) I thought I'd try to stage my own little demonstration of restored and working vintage technology.

The Famos 120 candlepower paraffin mantle lamp dates from the 1930s, the Bush AC91 is from the late 1940s, the phone is from the 1950s and the Ferranti synchronous electric clock dates from around 1952.

Phil

[dave walsh]

I get that problem too Phil. It's in Success Stories "First Restoration Regentone A155". posted by Ancient Geek 29/9/17. Your photo certainly maintains the mood I'm just off to have some amber nectar myself!

Dave W

[kalee20]

Like it!

[robin coleman]

Loverly collection

[Argus25]

Very nice I grant you that.

But how about upping the anti and going across the Atlantic for some of this.
Attached, 1922 S.G Brown horn speaker, 1 candle power Physics demonstration lamp circa 1910, Grebe MU-1 radio 1924 and a 1930's General electric synchronous cyclometer clock. Photo attached.

[Phil G4SPZ]

Superb! I'll get my coat... Can anyone beat that?

[HamishBoxer]

Pure class!

[Techman]

Both very nice pictures indeed

I've got one of those Famos 120 CP paraffin lamps which I've had since I was a kid in the 60s. I found it on a pile of scrap behind a shed in a relatives Hertfordshire back garden and asked if I could have it. I got a replacement glass/chimney and mantle from a shop called Sparrows in the nearby town of Bishop's Stortford. I think the mantle was 2/6 and the chimney was 5/-, so for 7/6 and a tin of paraffin it was a worker. It's still on that original mantle despite several house moves - I bet they're unobtainable now? I've even got the original box the mantle came in somewhere.

Sometime back in the early eighties I managed to get a floor standing stand for it (although this is in use with another electrified lamp at the moment) and a work colleague at the time gave me the wooden tabletop stand and the glass shade, although it's not really a very good fit on the 'ring', so I'm always on the look out for a more correctly fitting one.

The photos below were taken randomly back in 2014, so I'll have to top up the paraffin and try to get round to setting up a 'proper pose' with a radio clock and phone as set up by Phil in his first post and post a fresh picture on this thread

[G6Tanuki]

Originally Posted by Techman

It's still on that original mantle despite several house moves - I bet they're unobtainable now? I've even got the original box the mantle came in somewhere.

Are *any* gas/paraffin-lamp mantles available today? A while back the original type were found to be radioactive - they contained Thorium salts which decomposed to give off Radon-220 (which, being a gas, gets into your lungs and does highly undesirable things!).

I remember our Physics teacher waving the lab G-M tube over a gas-mantle to show the effect.

[frankmcvey]

Yes, mantles are certainly available for the Aladdin model 21/23 and Super Aladdin - they were being made in Malta, but I think the operation transferred to the Philippines. They're easy enough to find on Ebay.

The Famos were excellent lamps with a higher light output, but I expect the mantles for them will be pretty hard to find. It might be possible to make an adaptor to allow them to take an Aladdin mantle.

The light output from modern Aladdin mantles is about 30% down on the originals (which were supposedly equivalent to a 60W bulb); as stated above they used thorium and later caesium in their manufacture. The modern ones don't use radioactive materials...

Not cheap.

Cheers,

Frank

[Phil G4SPZ]

Nice to find a few lampies amongt the vintage radio fraternity! I have as many Tilley lamps in my collection as I have radios...

A purpose-made adaptor to convert Famos lamps to take Aladdin mantles is available from the Historic Lighting Club. Aladdin lamps deliver a measured 60 candlepower, whereas the Famos is rated at 120CP, but having said that, it is widely acknowledged that lamp manufacturers' candlepower ratings are hardly ever delivered using modern mantles. This is probably due, as has already been identified, to the lack of radioactivity in present-day mantles.

[osx86apple]

Not sure about a corner but most of the house has some form of vintage technology in it

The days before seating had to point to the telly, wonderful.

[Phil G4SPZ]

That looks positively spiffing!

[dave walsh]

Strangely enough it looks more futuristic or alternative universe [to me] than vintage or maybe, perhaps a very "high end" apartment near Regent's Park in the 30's

Dave W

[MurphyNut]

Vintage radios always look their happiest in sympathetic settings. My living room with my Murphy A40 tucked in the corner.

[GW4FRX]

That looks positively spiffing!

Surely a snapshot of Lord Peter Wimsey's sitting room c.1932?

[Phil G4SPZ]

Originally Posted by MurphyNut

...My living room with my Murphy A40 tucked in the corner.

That's truly lovely, Clive. I'm so jealous. Sadly, and for reasons I've never understood despite 40 years of trying, SWMBO would not tolerate such wonderful art-deco elegance within our modest 1970s home.

As has been pointed out previously, the absence of a TV permits a much more natural and conversation-friendly furniture layout. However I dare say that the focal point would still have been the fireplace or the wireless set.

[osx86apple]

A better view of the HMV

[ToneArm]

Some Stunning interiors on this page, absolutely beautiful. Are the comfy chairs really vintage or reproduction? They look like new.
Glyn