Another yard find

[2moshers]

Just hit my yard for a few minutes as I sometimes do not expecting to find much more and lo and behold down over 9 inches I find this old Badger Brass Co, Kenosha, Wisconsin, Solar Bicycle Safety Lamp circa 1890s. The glass although cracked is still intact. Also found an old Denver Ordnance Plant /Remington military round from the 1940s and what appears to be part of an old clock but has since been identified as a very old vintage motorcycle speedometer capstan gear.

 

[OWK]

That Badger lamp really is a bicycle lamp. It is 1890's vintage.

(I was kind shocked when I looked it up.)

 

[Erik in NJ]

That Badger lamp really is a bicycle lamp. It is 1890's vintage.

(I was kind shocked when I looked it up.)

Thank you OWK!! You just solved a 10 year old "what is it?" mystery with that pic. I found the red reflector depicted on the side of that thing years ago at an old house and didn't know what it was until now....never was ID'ed properly. It's a perfect match and the timeframe is correct as well!

 

[OWK]

Also, your clock part looks suspiciously like a capstan gear drive from a vintage (very very early) motorcycle speedometer.

 

[OWK]

Thank you OWK!! You just solved a 10 year old "what is it?" mystery with that pic. I found the red reflector depicted on the side of that thing years ago at an old house and didn't know what it was until now....never was ID'ed properly. It's a perfect match and the timeframe is correct as well!

Connections... interwoven relationships.

I have been doing research on the earliest part of my own family tree (which happens to be the Corbin family, which settled in Massachussetts in 1627.)

That same Corbin family split into two branches. One settled in New Britain Ct (and Started the P&F Corbin company, which made among other things, bicycle and motorcycle parts, including The Corbin Speedometer (stock on most early Harley Davidsons), and the Corbin Coaster brake (stock on Harleys and Indians)

I have been studying early motorcycles for this reason. (hence the quick research on lamps and speedometers.)

Connections....

 

[against the wind]

That lamp is so cool. Did it operate on oil or electric??

 

[OWK]

That lamp is so cool. Did it operate on oil or electric??

It was advertised as a "gas" lamp.

Which in 1890 probably meant it was a carbide lamp...

 

[Erik in NJ]

It was advertised as a "gas" lamp.

Which in 1890 probably meant it was a carbide lamp...

As in "carbide tipped?" OK please fill in the ignorant masses (such as me)

 

[OWK]

Early automobile, bicycle, and motorcycle (as well as miners' helmet lamps) used carbide technology.

The lamps mixed calcium carbide and water, which produces acetylene gas.

The acetylene burns with a very bright flame. (made for very good headlights in the early days).

 

[OWK]

Carbide_lamp

 

[2moshers]

I was kind of shocked when I dug it up OWK! There is still some dried greenish residue on a piece of the lamp probably from the calcium carbide

 

[qaela4]

Great bike light, awesome find. Great history lesson from OWK as well, thanks.

 

[kingskid1611]

very very interesting, Love the history.

 

[Trezurehunter]

Very unique find. You don't see those posted very often.

 

[2moshers]

 

[texjim]

That is one cool find..

 

[Loco-Digger]

Cool find. I wonder haw many of those lamps survived?

 

[basque-man]

That is something not found to often. Looks nice for as old as it is as well. Nice!!!!