Artifact Spotlight: Blizzard Lantern

This kerosene lantern has “BLIZZARD LANTERN” stamped onto it, giving a hint to it being a Dietz Cold Blast Blizzard Lantern 2 from c. 1899 – 1936. 

A quick internet search for this and other Dietz lantern models had the company name either on the glass or possibly the base of the lantern. This is a good example of the differences between working on site every day versus remotely. Relying on photographs like this can only get you so far since the writing on the glass gets too blurry to make out when enlarged. A great opportunity to volunteer at the museum – help us take photographs for our database!!!

However, the overall tubular design of this model has significant resemblance to the Blizzard model created by Dietz, as seen in this 1926 advertisement.

The purpose of this lantern should be pretty self-explanatory: lighting. Until the late 1910s, much of commercial, industrial, and domestic lighting relied on combustible fuels like whale oil and camphene, and later coal and kerosene oil. The R. E. Dietz Company, created and led by Robert Edwin Dietz in 1840 in Brooklyn, N.Y, manufactured hundreds of models of lanterns and patents. Their design improved air flow in the tube and allowed for the flame to burn brighter and last longer. As a “cold blast” design, only fresh, cold air was fed to the flame as opposed to partially heated air mixed with fresh air that a “hot blast” lantern used to promote combustion – usually a “dead flame” technique was used in which fresh air was drawn in from below the burner and the hot exhaust escapes from the top.

These lanterns were widely used and Robert employed a good marketing technique by gifting them to celebrities of the day to promote them. It was successful and Dietz’ Hot Blast lanterns – as well as various imitations of their models – were dominating the market. Tinned steel burners were introduced around the same time as this Blizzard cold blast lantern was introduced – and is still sold today. If you want a version of your own, you can click HERE.

So where in Waterford might this have been used? 
Anywhere. 

Yup, can’t really narrow it down too much. If you thought exclusively “railroad lantern” when you first saw this artifact, you’d be in good company. Without being able to definitely read the wording on the glass, it can be speculated that it might have the initials D.H. on it, possibly for the Delaware & Hudson Railroad. But again, that’s something that requires a better look at the artifact rather than a database photograph. 

Armspear Railroad Lantern 
c. 1925

While railroads were known to use “tubular” or “barn” lanterns, there are specific styles designated for railroads. And these tubular/barn styles were used by so many other companies like Water Works, and by private residences.

One of a few lanterns that are in the museum’s collection, this particular artifact also shares the unfortunate situation of not having any of the donor’s information or provenance – the history of ownership and location of an item. While you might think that’s just for art pieces to help confirm authenticity, the same thing applies for artifacts, no matter what they may be (it also helps with legality issues over ownership too, should they ever pop up). 

That information, even if it’s just “something I found in my grandmother's attic”, gives historians a start. It’s a hard thing to admit, but unless we’ve specialized in the history of that particular item, usually historians are looking at an item the same way you are – “Hey, that’s cool – what is it?” 

But museums like the Waterford Historical Museum are always eager to explore the history to the best of our ability. It can be like story-time, a puzzle, and time-travel with these artifacts!