Carbide Cap Lamps/Shanklin Guys Dropper 1 Date Bump Base Back

Carbide Cap Lamps

Shanklin Guys Dropper 1 Date Bump Base Back.JPG - SHANKLIN 1 DATE GUY'S DROPPER WITH 5 BUMP BASE AND COPPER TENSION CLIP - Hard-to-find brass Guy's Dropper one-date carbide lamp, spade mount with copper tension clip under water control lever, marked on top GUY'S DROPPER, PAT. MAY 26-14, with rare 5 bump base and 2 3/8 in. dia. brass set screw reflector, lamp belonged to H. Thos. Evans, miner in lead mines North of Rewey, WI from 1911-1919, with most of original gilt paint (The Shanklin Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, IL was a prominent producer of miner's carbide lamps with its famous "Guy's Dropper" carbide cap lamp. Designed by Frank Guy, he obtained his first patent in 1910 (#974,054 of Oct. 25, 1910) and two additional patents (#1,097,716 of May 26, 1914 and #1,198,537 of Sept. 19, 1916) while developing a business arrangement with brothers George and Edgar Shanklin to manufacture the lamps. In 1913, the brothers formed the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. to mass produce the Guy's Dropper lamp. The single date Guy's Dropper lamps as shown here are quite scarce. And those that include the copper tension clip under the water lever are rarer still. The two-date model shown elsewhere in the photos refers to the 1914 and 1916 patent dates. The war years of 1917-18 substantially increased the demand for carbide lamps as the need for coal and minerals peaked. The Guy's Dropper benefited with this demand with increased production of both the cap and hand lamps. In addition, Shanklin manufactured a Guy's Dropper cap and superintendent-style hand lamp variation known as the "Squarelite," distinguished by the square shape of the lamp top. The Squarelite design was patented by George Shanklin on Oct. 17, 1916 as #49,782. These lamps are scarce and coveted by collectors. As with other carbide lamp manufacturers, the 1920s brought a decline in the demand for acetylene lamps and problems for the Shanklin company. In 1932, the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. was sold to the Universal Lamp Co. where the Guy's Dropper continued in production as a best-selling Universal product until the company ceased manufacturing carbide lamps in 1960. See Clemmer, American Miner's Carbide Lamps, pp 85-88 and Thorpe, Eureka #9, pp 2-13 for the definitive article on Guy's Dropper cap lamp variations)

Shanklin Guys Dropper 1 Date Bump Base Back | SHANKLIN 1 DATE GUY'S DROPPER WITH 5 BUMP BASE AND COPPER TENSION CLIP - Hard-to-find brass Guy's Dropper one-date carbide lamp, spade mount with copper tension clip under water control lever, marked on top GUY'S DROPPER, PAT. MAY 26-14, with rare 5 bump base and 2 3/8 in. dia. brass set screw reflector, lamp belonged to H. Thos. Evans, miner in lead mines North of Rewey, WI from 1911-1919, with most of original gilt paint (The Shanklin Manufacturing Co. of Springfield, IL was a prominent producer of miner's carbide lamps with its famous "Guy's Dropper" carbide cap lamp. Designed by Frank Guy, he obtained his first patent in 1910 (#974,054 of Oct. 25, 1910) and two additional patents (#1,097,716 of May 26, 1914 and #1,198,537 of Sept. 19, 1916) while developing a business arrangement with brothers George and Edgar Shanklin to manufacture the lamps. In 1913, the brothers formed the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. to mass produce the Guy's Dropper lamp. The single date Guy's Dropper lamps as shown here are quite scarce. And those that include the copper tension clip under the water lever are rarer still. The two-date model shown elsewhere in the photos refers to the 1914 and 1916 patent dates. The war years of 1917-18 substantially increased the demand for carbide lamps as the need for coal and minerals peaked. The Guy's Dropper benefited with this demand with increased production of both the cap and hand lamps. In addition, Shanklin manufactured a Guy's Dropper cap and superintendent-style hand lamp variation known as the "Squarelite," distinguished by the square shape of the lamp top. The Squarelite design was patented by George Shanklin on Oct. 17, 1916 as #49,782. These lamps are scarce and coveted by collectors. As with other carbide lamp manufacturers, the 1920s brought a decline in the demand for acetylene lamps and problems for the Shanklin company. In 1932, the Shanklin Manufacturing Co. was sold to the Universal Lamp Co. where the Guy's Dropper continued in production as a best-selling Universal product until the company ceased manufacturing carbide lamps in 1960. See Clemmer, American Miner's Carbide Lamps, pp 85-88 and Thorpe, Eureka #9, pp 2-13 for the definitive article on Guy's Dropper cap lamp variations)

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