A lot can be said about the Aladdin oil lamps. They are distinctive. They are decorative. They are practical. They are functional. From the time it was first introduced in 1909, they have been made as table lamps, hanging lamps, floor lamps, wall or bracket lamps and even caboose lamps. The Aladdin lamp has been hailed as one of the greatest and most practical inventions of the century as an outstanding achievement of science in connection with artificial lighting.
The soft, mellow white light produced by the Aladdin lamp made it easier to read, write or sew in the evening. The Aladdin lamp is easy to light and put out, operating like ordinary kerosene wick lamps and cannot explode.
The story of the Aladdin oil lamp was started in 1908 by Victor Johnson who, as a boy, had read the story of Aladdin and the Arabian Nights by the low, yellow light of an open flame coal oil lamp. Several years later, as an adult, Johnson came across a new incandescent burner called the Practicus from Germany that produced a brighter light than the old yellow open flame coal oil lamp. After obtaining the rights to sell this new lamp, Johnson changed the design and made the incandescent burner the basis of what would become known as the Aladdin oil lamp.
In 1908, Johnson put his vision into motion when he founded the Mantle Lamp Company of America in Chicago, Illinois. The same year he obtained the Aladdin trademark and imported the Practicus from Germany and started manufacturing the Aladdin oil lamp with the first American-made Aladdin lamp sold in 1909.
The first mantle for the Aladdin lamp was the Kone Kap, which was designed and patented by Charles H. Smith in 1911 and was used in the Model 3 lamp. Then, in 1915, the Aladdin Model 6 received international acclaim when it won a gold at the Panama Pacific International Exhibition for the best kerosene lamp in the world.
Johnson changed the name of the company to Aladdin Industries in 1926 and bought the Lippincott Glass Factory in Alexandria, Indiana to make glass lamps, chimneys and shades for the expanding line of Aladdin lamps. He also built a new factory on a 13-acre and included a village of 22 residents called.
Over the next 50 years, the Aladdin lamp became the world leader in non-pressure incandescent lamps, The Aladdin mantle lamp is the only lamp of its kind being manufactured today producing a blue flame that emits 60 candlepower of white light without pumping, noise, smoke, odour and no danger. Today, the Aladdin lamp is the only lamp of its kind being manufactured. In 2015, Crownplace Brands Ltd. bought the assets of Aladdin Lighting Technologies Inc. and moved all the stock and assembly to Dalton, Ohio.
Identifying an authentic Aladdin oil lamp is easy. The Aladdin name and number can be found on the knob that raises and lowers the wick. If you don’t find the name Aladdin on the knob then it is not an authentic Aladdin lamp.
You might be find some Aladdin oil lamps among the quality antiques and vintage items available from 35 dealers at the Cookstown Antique Market on Highway 27 in Cookstown, Ontario. Decorators, collectors and the casual enthusiasts can browse through the 6,000 square foot century old barn for that special purchase.
