L.002

A Favorit lamp by R. Ditmar, fully chrome-plated (or high-gloss nickel-plated), complete with its own burner and the original shade holder. This lamp with the model number 8981 must have been quite a success, because it is shown unchanged in all catalogues from 1897 to 1926. The logo on the wick knob is still the original Ditmar logo. Therefore, I assume that my lamp was made before the merger of R. Ditmar and Gebr. Brünner in 1907. After that, the logo changed.

This is the second lamp I bought in the early 1990's at a flea market in Hesse. As described for lamp L.001, I had no ambitions to collect kerosene/paraffin lamps at that time. I had two huge music speakers from Heco (I still have them). On one of them I had placed the lamp L.001. I bought this lamp here to equip the other music box with a lamp as well. These two lamps were the only kerosene/paraffin lamps I owned until our visit to Ara in Paris in 2011. Only after that did the passion for collecting lamps set in…

As expected, the lamp had the wrong Kosmos-type chimney. With Ara's help, it got the right Favorit chimney. With the lamp came an old, conical Vesta shade, but it did not match the catalogue picture. The search for the right shade took years, because the unusual shade holder size of 21 cm did not allow for other shades. This size seems to be very rare indeed. After several years, a Vesta shade appeared on eBay that was very similar to the original shade in the catalogue picture, and I immediately bought it at auction. The conical shade went to the lamp L.262 and helped the lamp there to get an authentic look corresponding to the catalogue picture.

Lamp Data

Added by me:
Glass chimney and Vesta shade.

Cleaning and repairs:
Not necessary.

Lamp body:
Base and vase of brass or copper sheet, chrome-plated (or high gloss nickel-plated?), ornamentally ribbed, round, Ø 146 mm. Under the foot inside a weight of cast iron. Extra openings under the font for central airflow. Vase Ø 149 mm.
Vase is also the font. With an extra oil filler, cap marked: R. Ditmar Wien.

Burner:
15’’’ Favorit burner of R. Ditmar, Vienna, with central draft, nickel-plated.
Wick knob marked: R. Ditmar Wien (logo of R. Ditmar).
Original flame disc, marked: Favorit Lampe.
Round wick Ø 27 mm.

Glass chimney:
14’’’ Favorit chimney (Matador type chimney). Height 275 mm, Ø fitter 52 mm.
Marked: 14''' Favorit Vigor - R. Ditmar Wien - Made in Austria.

Shade and shade holder:
Vesta shade, white milk glass, fluted top rim. Shade could be from R. Ditmar.
Height 165 mm, Ø fitter 208 and bulge 231 mm.
210 mm shade holder for 14’’’/15’’’ burners, nickel-plated; original by R. Ditmar.

Lamp dimensions:
Height up to collar 20.5 cm, total height with chimney 50.0 cm.
Total weight 1620 g.