Friemann & Wolf Duisburg (FWD) Type 20502
After the Second World War the flame safety lamp mattered far less to miners. The Type 20502, from the 1950s, is one of the last of the classics.
Two companies, one name
Friemann & Wolf was founded in Zwickau, Saxony, in 1884. After the war Zwickau lay in the Soviet occupation zone, later the German Democratic Republic. The Zwickau works was expropriated in 1946 and became (VEB) Grubenlampenwerke Zwickau, or GLZ. In the West the firm carried on in Duisburg as Friemann & Wolf Duisburg, stamped “FWD”.
In Duisburg the 20502 was made alongside the FWD 400, often in solid brass. The 400 became a popular presentation gift.
The igniter
The 20502 burns white spirit (benzine) and is lit by an electric glow wire, powered by a battery. The original battery type is long gone, but with a careful modification Hein has the igniter working again, as the photos show.
The igniter head changed over the years. The first version had two exposed electrodes with the glow wire between them, which left the wire open to damage. A semi-enclosed version solved the problem.
Hein’s short video of the igniter at work is below.
Photos
Gallery
Lamp record
| Maker | Friemann & Wolf, Duisburg (FWD) |
|---|---|
| Model | Type 20502 |
| Date | 1950s |
| Fuel | White spirit (benzine) |
| Ignition | Battery-powered electric glow wire |
Credit. Lamp, photos and video: Hein Rich.
