REICHS-BAHN IV  - 1939 J.C.GIESSING - NÜRNBERG

REICHS-BAHN IV  - 1939 J.C.GIESSING - NÜRNBERG

Founder Johann Christoph Giessing

J.C. GEISSING Metallwaaren - Fabrik

 

With only one repair to be made and surface rust removed, this lantern was in exceptional condition.  This lantern was restored using Citric Acid and hand polishing only.  The finish on this lantern is very similar, if not identical, to the finish on the Helvetia Lanterns.

 

This additional information was kindly provided by Jörg Wekenmann:
"The lantern was built in 1939 as the embossment on the fount indicates. It was built by the company
Eger & Blickle, Nürnberg.

J.C. Giessing, also situated at Nürnberg was lantern producer, but also a lantern dealer.
They bought lanterns from other companies placed their sign or globe on them and sold
them to the Bavarian railroad or other railroad companies. J.C. Giessing offered a huge
amount of different lamps an lanterns. One patent from Giessing is known. It is for a
hand lantern especially for railroad companies. This patent was granted to them in 1914.

This lantern is also referred to as a 'SWITCH LANTERN'.   This lantern would have been placed inside
a Switch Housing."

 

There are two interesting details on this lantern. There is no 'globe lifter' mechanism.   The top pull plate functions to lift the chimney to aid in removing the globe.  To light the lantern, you slide open the slot on the globe 'tray' and you can insert a match to the wick.  This is the 'match light' hole.

 

'Reichs-Bahn' refers to the Deutsche Reichsbahn or the German National Railway.  It is also referred
to as German Reich Railway.  The company was founded in 1920 as the Deutsche Reichseisenbahnen and changed its name to German National Railway (Deutsche Reichsbahn) on 27 June 1921.   Then in 1937, it was placed under Reich sovereignty and the name was changed back to "Deutsche Reichsbahn" once more.

 

The 'Reichs-Bahn', especially in 1939, the date of this lantern, played an important and pivotal role

during WWII:

March 1939: the defeat of the remainder of Czechoslovakia
September/October 1939: the invasion of Poland

 

CIRCA: 1939

 

 

 

 

 

Comments: 1
  • #1

    Brock Shields (Tuesday, 13 December 2016 21:25)

    What an outstanding lantern. You never cease to amaze me with your acquisitions and your ability to restore them. Carry on the good fight!