This Dietz lantern was hanging by the door of an old log cabin. Robert Edwin Dietz was born on January 5, 1818
in New York city. In 1840 Dietz used his savings to purchase a small oil lamp
business in Brooklyn. The R. E. Dietz Company sold sperm oil, whale oil,
camphene (distilled turpentine), glass lamps, candle sticks, and a few dead
flame lanterns. Coal oil (kerosene) was first distilled in quantity from coal
in 1856 and Robert Dietz had a ready market for a cheap, bright burning fuel.
Dietz was awarded a patent for a burner specially designed to burn the new oil.
I used to go fishing with my uncle and we would stop at his friends house to pick him up. His friend had an old barn which had a lantern like that hanging inside. these would be good to have for a power outage.
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