But I was intrigued–and ready to check out some new camping gear. Camping lanterns are very useful for camping coleman sleeping bag or spending time on your backyard patio. They provide bright light that helps you see in the dark.
Model 220C has a yellow decal on the fount with lighting instructions. As did the predecessor 220BX/220C made during WWII. The first production of instant lighting lanterns was in March, 1928 when Coleman made the L220 and L228 (above- missing mica globe). The embossed ventilators date it to 1922 or later.
The spring steel reflector rests against three of the uprights and the shiny inner surface reflects light from the mantles. The ventilator and mica globe were removed for this image. Coleman made this model for their Sunshine Safety company (post 1923). It has many of the same parts as Quick-Lite Model L327. The collar, generator, and cap nut are different from that model.
The fuel pickup (not shown) is a simple tube and there is a supplementary generator heater threaded into the mixing chamber casting (middle images). After preheating with a torch, a row of small flames come out of the rear of the heater, directed at the upper part of the Q77 generator. This lantern, in Greg McCartney’s collection, is date stamped April 1929 (lower image). The L220 lantern above came with a Coleman reflector that appeared in the 1920 Coleman Parts Catalog 27 (no part number). The reflector was designed for the earlier LQ lantern but also fits in L220 and L228 models.
We believe this Coleman 200A lantern dated February 1952 is a prototype for the production of the IR lanterns made several years later. For more information see The Coleman Light, Vol 26, No 2, Pages 1, 4-5. By November, 1951, Coleman’s Model 200A had been introduced, replacing Model 200 above.
Coleman made this version of their L327 model for their Sunshine Products subsidiary circa 1929 based on a parts comparison to dated Quick-Lite lanterns. This lantern, in Michael Flatt’s collection, lacks embossing and stamping except for CLOSE and an arrow on the Bakelite valve wheel and the patent dates on the back of the air tube. The baffle plate (lower image) is unplated steel rather than nickel plated brass and lacks Sunshine Products stamping. Months after Coleman – Wichita stopped making the Model 200, they got Coleman 200 parts from the Coleman – Toronto factory that was still producing this model.
The potential markets were missionaries and rural communities that lacked electric power, according to a 1949 Coleman News. These undated lanterns are in Greg McCartney’s, left, and Shirley Willard’s, right, collections. The Charles Beseler Co. also made a similar projector for this lantern (below).