Gazza’s collection: the first three months
I only started collecting lamps in October this year (2021). The first lamp I purchased, on 11 October 2021, was a Wolf flame safety lamp 7RMBS from the UK. The 7RMBS was my first purchase because I received training on it at the South African gold mines in 1989/90. Shortly thereafter, on 15 October, I purchased another Wolf 7RMBS from South Africa, and on 19 October 2021, I purchased an all brass Protector Type 6 lamp from the USA.
Then in November of 2021, I found two beautiful, rare and rather costly lamps in Australia which I couldn’t refuse. The lamps were a Davis 3BB Tall Boss Bifold Burner and a J.H. Naylor Marsaut bi-fold Burner. The purchase of these lamps drew attention on Facebook group pages, and shortly thereafter I connected with a collector in Australia who sold me eight more lamps (John Mills & Sons Guys Bonnet, All Aluminium Davis Surveyors, Protector Type SL, Elektrometal, Patterson A3, Russian, South African Hailwood & Ackroyd with Mirror, Ackroyd & Best High Candle Power lamp).
After that, I also purchased two more lamps from the Netherlands (Koehler 289-1A and a Protector Type GR6S), and in December I tried snipe-bidding on eBay and won another Patterson Type A3 lamp from the UK.
This brings my three-month-old lamp collection to a total of 15 lamps, excluding the South African Wolf 7RMBS, which I have not yet received and which I suspect may have gotten lost in the mail.
Collecting lamps started off as a once-off ‘try-out’ for me, but after discovering great camaraderie and a common interest through many other fellow lamp collectors and current and old mining professionals, the whole lamp-collecting thing developed a whole new meaning for me. Needless to say, I got addicted more to the camaraderie, while collecting rare and beautiful lamps now comes as a very nice bonus. So, after just three months, I must admit I’m in it for the long haul.
Introducing my lamp collection in the featured image and below, from left to right: John Mills & Sons Guys Bonnet, All Aluminium Davis Surveyors, Davis 3BB Tall Boss Bifold Burner, J.H. Naylor Marsaut bi-fold Burner, Protector Type 6, Protector Type SL, Elektrometal, Patterson Type A3, Russian, South African Hailwood & Ackroyd with Mirror (to conduct vertically dipped gas checks in sewers), Wolf 7RMBS, Ackroyd & Best High Candle Power lamp.
Then below, also showing the two lamps bought from the Netherlands.
