DOUGLASS 1926 Press The Trigger Counter-Desk Petrol Lighter In Steel & Red Enamel
Counter-desk petrol lighter designed by Douglass.
This is a rare and highly collectible Douglass counter-desk petrol lighter, designed in Menlo Park, California, by the American inventor Leon Douglass during the Art Deco period. Executed in polished plated steel, this elegant industrial object combines exceptional mechanical ingenuity with the streamlined aesthetic of American design in the 1920s and 1930s.
The original Douglass Lighter Company introduced its luxury, high-end petrol lighters in the United States in 1926. Leon Douglass, an accomplished inventor and one of the founders of the Victor Talking Machine Company, conceived the lighter in the mid-1920s with a simple philosophy: to create a practical lighter without unnecessary gadgets or conventional thumb wheels. The resulting mechanism was remarkably ingenious. A long, narrow arm positioned above the flint wheel is released by pressing the trigger, snapping backward with considerable force and showering sparks directly onto the fuel-soaked wick. Douglass was granted his lighter patent on October 12, 1926, establishing one of the most distinctive automatic ignition systems of the period.
Douglass's passion for quality extended to the construction of the lighter itself. He commissioned the Wadsworth Company, renowned for producing fine watch cases, to manufacture the elegant metal bodies, while distribution was handled by Hargraft & Sons of Chicago, which promoted the invention under the memorable slogan “The Matchless Age.” This example is in excellent original condition, with a polished plated-steel finish, solid construction, and a fully functional mechanism. Its sophisticated appearance and unusual automatic ignition system make it a particularly desirable representative of early American lighter engineering. A superb example for collectors of American Art Deco, mechanical lighters, industrial design, and early 20th-century inventions, this Douglass is a rare and historically important counter-desk conversation piece, combining the elegance of a luxury object with the ingenious simplicity of Leon Douglass's celebrated automatic lighter mechanism.
Country: Menlo Park, California, United States.
Period: Circa 1926-1928.
Designer: Leon Douglass.
Manufacturer: The Douglass Lighter Co.
Model: Counter-desk lighter, with push trigger button system.
Shape: Industrial cylindrical.
Materials: Polished and plated steel and red enamel-lacquer.
Weight: 475.9 Grams, (0.48 Kg).
Measurements: H. 165 mm by Diameter 117 mm, (6.5 x 4.6 Inches).
Hallmarks: Stamped on top, with the maker's mark and signed as follows, "THE DOUGLASS LIGHTER PRESS THE TRIGGER THERE'S YOUR LIGHT".
Note: This Douglass counter-desk petrol-lighter is empty of any flammable, gas or butane substances and is ready to be ship by any carrier. This lighter just need a new flint and proper lighter fluid. Was tested and is in working condition.
Condition: The overall condition of this Douglass counter-desk petrol-lighter is excellent. Beside the little normal wear there is no damage and is in working-display condition. All parts are secured in the settings. This pump-filler was carefully inspected to guarantee the condition & authenticity.
INVENTORY REF: D081526OENK/.7730
