Blake Patent Conductor’s Lantern

This is one of the rarest and most desirable Conductor’s Lanterns that exist, the Blake Patent Wristlet Lantern, patented 1852, and made to rest on your forearm while taking tickets to allow the use of both hands. Very few survive, both because it was a little quirky and because in a fixed globe lantern, if the globe breaks, you threw it away. It wasn’t until William Westlake invented a removeable globe lantern that the globe was seen as replaceable if it broke.

This was an intensive restoration, and somewhat stressful especially when soldering the globe guard and the heat was absorbing into the edge of the globe both top and bottom. Careful heat control, and taking time to let the heat spread prevented temperature shock. The lantern was pulled apart, dings and damage that could be amended were. globe guard was straightened and radii trued up. Numerous other little jobs were done to clean up this piece to how it would have looked straight from the factory.

If you have antiques that need similar work done, we can handle a range of crafts and methods to restore your lamp or lantern or even other antiques. Contact us with photos etc. for a quote. Replicas of most any lamp can also be commissioned.