After pics of the lantern. Very lucky that it was still in very tight and solid shape. Only had some dirt grime and some very minor surface corrosion. Metal was all in remarkable condition for its age. No repairs necessary. Thought it cleaned up rather well.... Unfortunately it did not have any makers marks found on it, but very well made.
This type was common in the 1840-1860 era. It has a single tube camphene type burner that still had a period wick in it.
Whale oil for use in lanterns was starting to become rather expensive in the 1840s... "Camphene" invented in 1839, came about as a less expensive alternative... It was made normally from Turpentine & Alcohol.. so was much more readily available, particularly in the southern states.. But needed to be used with extreme caution since it was quite volitile and had an explosion risk.. (kinda like using gasoline in some ways)... During the Civl War years this was one of the most common oil lantern type and fuel being used, and remained so in the south... (not counting the rural country lard and grease fuel lamps, which are designed differently) In the Northern states in 1862 a $2 per gallon tax on alcohol pretty much ended camphene production there... The newly marketed "Coal Oil" out of Western Pennsylvania patented in 1859, crept in as its replacement... which later evolved into a more refined product we know as Kerosene... which also lead to a needed total redesign of the burners on lamps/lanterns
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