Several important inventions around 1900 led to changes in fixed and portable lighting and heating. These inventions included vaporizing gasoline/kerosene under pressure and a mantle against which the pressurized gas would burn producing a bright white light. The number of companies grew following these inventions in North America and probably the rest of the world. Competition among manufacturers may have led to the early demise of a number of these companies. The economic depression of the 1920's and especially the 1930's resulted in the loss of more companies. During World War II companies had to devote their manufacturing production to wartime goods and production of domestic goods was suspended. Postwar production was difficult as manufacturers continued to reduce production costs and the number of companies was further reduced. While electrification of rural areas throughout the world reduced the need for lamps and irons, lantern and camp stove production continued to grow through the 1960's and 70's.

Outside of the US, the fuel of choice was kerosene (paraffin) for most of these appliances. Most US models used white gas (benzine, naptha). In the early 1950's propane fuel in small portable cylinders led to the development of propane lanterns as an alternative to the gasoline/kerosene fueled lantern. The ease of use of propane and other liquified petroleum canisters has led to their current popularity. Today battery powered fluorescent and LED lanterns are increasingly popular.

This website is an image collection of models of gas pressure lanterns, lamps, stoves, irons, and heaters. To date this website includes contributions of 1931 images from 249 collections in 18 countries. All appliances in the collections of others are so identified. To all these collectors: thank you for sharing treasures from your collections. Special thanks to Neil McRae for his identifications and discussions of many of the appliances displayed on these pages. Thanks also to Jon Visick for solving a number of problems I have had in creating and managing the website.

Please do not ask for the value of a lamp or other gas pressure item. The best place I know to get a value is completed auctions on eBay. As some items are less common your search may take some time.

In the spring, 2011, I divided a number of pages to highlight more of the manufacturers and countries where appliances were made as well as to reduce the time it takes pages to download. If you find error(s), please let me know. Please bookmark the website again as the URL has changed: http://tgmarsh.faculty.noctrl.edu/lantern/index.htm

The latest additions on the website are in red.

The photo logo was taken by E.C. Marsh in southern Ohio in the late 1950's using the light of his Coleman 200A lantern.