Carbide Hand Lamps/The Justrite No 100 with Spare Bottom and Box

Carbide Hand Lamps

The Justrite No 100 with Spare Bottom and Box.JPG - THE JUSTRITE NO. 100 - Justrite No. 100 superintendentstyle lamp, one of first models in Justrite line, T-shape water feed, oval water door, hooded push-on reflector, marked THE JUSTRITE PAT. DEC. 17, 1901 PAT. MAY 7, 1912 OTHERS PENDING on side, nickel plated finish, new condition in marked wooden box with spare nickel bottom and lid; ex-Bob Schroth collection (The Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1906 as an industrial fabricating company making special machinery and tools. With Frederick J. Becker as president, Justrite would become the most prolific manufacturer of carbide lamps for underground use and a name synonymous with the carbide lamp. In 1911, Becker realized the potential market for carbide mining lamps and supplies and along with his chief designer August L. "Augie" Hansen, they created a product name with one of the top reputations in carbide lamps. The first lamps manufactured and advertised by Justrite in their first known advertisements of 1912 were the No. 99 horizontal, wire feed brass cap lamp priced at one dollar with nickel plating at a dollar and a quarter, the No. 100 superintendent's lamp shown here and priced at a dollar and a half with nickel plating extra, and the rare No. 77 stick lamp priced at two dollars and 50 cents. The patent dates stamped on the side of the No. 99 and No. 100 lamps refer to a pre-Justrite carriage lamp patent for a concentric reflector and burner tube by Alvin L. Buffington of Minneapolis (#686,926 awarded on Dec. 17, 1901) and an early patent by Augie Hansen for an ornamental design of an acetylene lamp (#42,460 awarded May 7, 1912). Very early Justrite 99 and 100 lamps are simply marked Pat. Apld. For on the side. These lamps have simple lines devoid of decorations, indentations, or ridges with a minimum of design niceties. As noted on the wooden box, this lamp as well as the No. 95 shown elsewhere in the pics were advertised and sold as camp lamps to sportsmen. However, the first Justrite catalogs of Miners Carbide Lamps lists both the No. 100 and the No. 95 as superintendent lamps. It would appear that Justrite didn't limit their products to any one market sector. Justrite continued to expand their product line and facilities and by 1919, they employed 350 employess and manufactured 42 distinct types of carbide lamps. Over the history of Justrite production from 1912 to 1931(catalogs 1 through 10A), at least 154 different lamp model numbers and at least 246 part numbers for a total of at least 400 number identifications were used by Justrite. However, a number of lamps, older versus newer, and parts used the same numbers so the whole identification matrix is ingrained with confusion. Nevertheless, it is very clear that Justrite provided more carbide lamps over a longer period of time than any other U.S. manufacturer. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, pp 435-462 and Kouts, Miners' Carbide Lamp Reference Vol. 10, Justrite Catalogs)

The Justrite No 100 with Spare Bottom and Box | THE JUSTRITE NO. 100 - Justrite No. 100 superintendent style lamp, one of first models in Justrite line, T-shape water feed, oval water door, hooded push-on reflector, marked THE JUSTRITE PAT. DEC. 17, 1901 PAT. MAY 7, 1912 OTHERS PENDING on side, nickel plated finish, new condition in marked wooden box with spare nickel bottom and lid; ex-Bob Schroth collection (The Justrite Manufacturing Co. of Chicago, Illinois was formed in 1906 as an industrial fabricating company making special machinery and tools. With Frederick J. Becker as president, Justrite would become the most prolific manufacturer of carbide lamps for underground use and a name synonymous with the carbide lamp. In 1911, Becker realized the potential market for carbide mining lamps and supplies and along with his chief designer August L. "Augie" Hansen, they created a product name with one of the top reputations in carbide lamps. The first lamps manufactured and advertised by Justrite in their first known advertisements of 1912 were the No. 99 horizontal, wire feed brass cap lamp priced at one dollar with nickel plating at a dollar and a quarter, the No. 100 superintendent's lamp shown here and priced at a dollar and a half with nickel plating extra, and the rare No. 77 stick lamp priced at two dollars and 50 cents. The patent dates stamped on the side of the No. 99 and No. 100 lamps refer to a pre-Justrite carriage lamp patent for a concentric reflector and burner tube by Alvin L. Buffington of Minneapolis (#686,926 awarded on Dec. 17, 1901) and an early patent by Augie Hansen for an ornamental design of an acetylene lamp (#42,460 awarded May 7, 1912). Very early Justrite 99 and 100 lamps are simply marked Pat. Apld. For on the side. These lamps have simple lines devoid of decorations, indentations, or ridges with a minimum of design niceties. As noted on the wooden box, this lamp as well as the No. 95 shown elsewhere in the pics were advertised and sold as camp lamps to sportsmen. However, the first Justrite catalogs of Miners Carbide Lamps lists both the No. 100 and the No. 95 as superintendent lamps. It would appear that Justrite didn't limit their products to any one market sector. Justrite continued to expand their product line and facilities and by 1919, they employed 350 employess and manufactured 42 distinct types of carbide lamps. Over the history of Justrite production from 1912 to 1931(catalogs 1 through 10A), at least 154 different lamp model numbers and at least 246 part numbers for a total of at least 400 number identifications were used by Justrite. However, a number of lamps, older versus newer, and parts used the same numbers so the whole identification matrix is ingrained with confusion. Nevertheless, it is very clear that Justrite provided more carbide lamps over a longer period of time than any other U.S. manufacturer. See Pohs, Miner's Flame Light Book, pp 435-462 and Kouts, Miners' Carbide Lamp Reference Vol. 10, Justrite Catalogs)

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