EGLOFF & CIE 'HELVETIA' SWISS MILITARY KEROSENE LANTERN

Another beautiful example of the special Helvetia Lanterns that were made for the Swiss Army during the National Redoubt. 

The globe is a hard to find 'cased' Yellow Helvetia Globe.  Embossed on it is a lighthouse and the word 'RESISTENT'.  The trade mark 'Resistent' was used since 1895 (?) by Egloff, Levy Fils, Wild & Wessel and other lantern mfgs.

The peep hole was patented in November, 1934 by Levy Fils. The Patent information is above in the photo gallery.

Cased glass is a method which involves blowing a new color inside of a piece that has already been created. Another process entails layering different colored glasses over each other. In each technique, the multiple layers of glasses are fused and blown out together to form the cased glass.  A wheel cutter would have been used for the 'peep hole'.  When viewing through the peep hole, it lines up perfectly with the wick coming from the Burner.

The lantern was very rusty when I received it.  Fortunately, almost 100% of the tin was intact. No pinholes and burns flawlessly.

CIRCA: 1930's