Authentic, early 20th century ship’s hurricane warning lamp with a thick ruby red glass Fresnel lens. The heavy wire cage serves to hold the top and bottom halves of the lamp together while protecting the fragile glass lense. The top is equipped with a heavy bail handle with top ring for hanging and the bottom sides have a pair of eyelets for securing and to keep the light from swaying. Bulbous top chimney with holes for venting and interior filter. Retains the original snap-in font. The lantern and lense are unmarked. The
lantern maker is not known.
This rare surviving metal distress lantern retain an old black-painted surface. The glass lense is in perfect condition. This lantern was updated at some point in its past, and the burner was removed from the font and added an interior electric light. We have replaced the old light fixture and lamp wiring with new. An on/off switch is located on the lamp wiring.
This old fixture is similar to the hurricane warning lantern that was hoisted on the 31st of December, 1862 above the sinking Civil War ironclad ship, the U.S.S. Monitor off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The difference in lantern design comparatively, is that the distress lantern hung above the USS Monitor has a birdcage wire top with mounting ring, where this example has a swing handle with mounting ring.
Weight: 8 1/2 lbs.
Overall Dimensions: 9 inch diameter at widest point. 15 1/2 inch tall exclusive of bail handle and 18 3/4 inches with handle up
Made: American
Material: Metal
Additional Photo- image is of the red signal lantern recovered from the Monitor wreck site and conserved is on display at The
Mariners' Museum, located in Newport News, Virginia.
