Eighty years ago, flasher signal lights and invasion -barge searchlights were more important than flashlights at home. Therefore, this ad from Burgess Batteries reminded readers that those needs came first, and whatever batteries made it into American homes had to be taken care of.
To do that, Americans needed to keep them cool and dry, use them as little as possible, and rest them as often as possible. The ad appeared 80 years ago this month in the October 1944 issue of Radio Craft.
A hundred years ago, Eveready ran this ad in the June 1924 issue of Boys’ Life, stressing the fun and utility that a flashlight and good batteries would bring.
Shown is their model 2671, which was said to have a 200 foot range.
According to the ad, you need one for gathering firewood after dark, exploring, or signaling. You also needed one for fun nights around the house. Chances are, there was an old flashlight around the house. If so, you could reload it with a fresh set of Eveready batteries.
One helpful hint was to know what size batteries your flashlight took. Then, you could buy a new set without bringing in the flashlight.
This ad appeared in Life Magazine 80 years ago today, June 22, 1942, extolling the virtues of the Rex Ristlite from the Flashlight Company of America of Jersey City, NJ. The light snapped on like a wristwatch, giving you full use of both hands. It was a “boon to mechanics, car owners, sportsmen, housewives, Army, and Navy men.” It sold everywhere that flashlights were sold for only 98 cents, including batteries. According to this online inflation calculator, that works out to $17.57 in 2022 dollars.
This one also includes a clock (with 24-hour display, as our readers will appreciate) and compass. It’s customary to wear a watch on your wrist, so the clock seems logical. And since it appears to be much smaller than the 1942 version, you can wear it in situations where you might need a light, rather than putting it on as needed. Many of the reviews state that the compass doesn’t work very well, although I suspect that it works well as long as it’s flat. As long as it’s magnetized and spinning freely, there’s really not much that can go wrong with a compass. So if you take it off an lay it on a flat surface, I imagine it will reliably point north. And if you click on the Amazon link or the picture, you’ll see that the cost, adjusted for inflation, is about the same as it was in 1942.
One big advantage of the modern version is that you don’t have to worry about batteries. It has a built-in lithium ion battery, and it comes with a micro USB charger. If the charger gets lost, you can use the same one you normally use with your cell phone.
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Eighty-five years ago, the radio detailer looking for an additional profit center couldn’t go wrong by stocking a few of these flashlights from the Bond Electric Company. Two models were available, both all metal construction with full chromium finish. Both used two cells, one a floodlight for 39 cents, and the other, for just a dime more, featured a focusing spotlight.
Of course, customers would eventually be back for more batteries, so it was a winning proposition for the long term.
The ad appeared in the October 1936 issue of Radio Retailing. According to this inflation calculator, the 39 cents works out to $7.52 in 2021 dollars, and the 49 cent deluxe model would be $9.45. How does that compare to the modern equivalent below, which comes in a four pack? The modern ones use LED’s, and with longer battery life, there will probably be less repeat business for replacement batteries.
You can see more examples of flashlights from this company at this link.
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The H.M.S. Rajputana was built in 1925 as a civilian passenger and cargo liner. She was requisitioned into the Royal Navy in 1939, and had installed eight six-inch guns, giving the firepower of a light cruiser, but without the armored protection.
She was torpedoed and sunk off Iceland on April 13, 1941, after escorting a convoy. 42 men were lost, including her last civilian commander. 283 crew members were saved, however, including Stoker First Class Frank C. Davidson of Truvo, Nova Scotia, who recounted his tale in this Eveready ad in the September 1941 issue of Popular Science.
After the first torpedo struck, Davidson and two other crew members scrambled below to save a few belongings. Suddenly, the second torpedo ripped into the ship, trapping the men under tables, chairs, and lockers. Davidson recounted that “escape seemed impossible…. until I remembered my flashlight.”
Thanks to the flashlight, loaded with Eveready batteries, they managed to fight their way, dazed and confused, to the deck, just as the captain gave the order to abandon ship.
Eveready batteries and flashlights are, of course, still available many places, including Amazon. Full disclosure: If you make a purchase after clicking one of the following affiliate links, this website earns a small commission.
Eighty years ago today, this ad appeared in the October 28, 1940, issue of Life magazine, for the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. It reminds that for convenience and safety, you should carry and use their product regularly. Using it in the dark would save lives and prevent accidents.
The scout shown above is signalling by night, thanks to the signal gun described in the November 1944 issue of Boys Life. Most flashlights can’t be turned on and off fast enough to send Morse code, so this design adds a trigger and pistol grip to be able to conveniently send. The trigger is wired to the spring at the bottom of the flashlight, so that it can be conveniently aimed and keyed.
The magazine carried a number of other signalling devices, in an article penned by William “Green Bar Bill” Hillcourt.
On this day 75 years ago, the July 21, 1944, issue of the Milwaukee Journal carried this ad from Schuster’s Department Store for this military surplus flashlight. It came complete with batteries and bulb for $1.99.
Because of small mars or scratches, the flashlights were rejected by the government, but their loss was the public’s gain, since a shipment had just arrived. The ad bears the name “Micro Light,” which presumably means that the flashlights were manufactured by the Micro Lite, one of the four manufacturers of this design, the TL-122. More history of the flashlight can be found at this site.
Eighty years ago, an Eveready flashlight and Eveready batteries saved another life, as recounted in this ad from the November 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics.
The story was sent in by Mrs. Camille Dearkin of 222-09 135th Avenue, Springfield Gardens, Long Island. It was one of those nights. Her one year old son was seriously ill with whooping cough, and her husband was also “down with the grippe.” And while she was going to bed, she managed to blow a fuse.
Since she didn’t know how to replace the fuse, she decided to wait until the morning. But she was awakened by her son’s terrible coughing, and rushed in the dark to the medicine cabinet to find the medicine.
Her hand was shaking in the dark as she fumbled in the medicine cabinet until she encountered what she believed was the bottle. But her shaking was such that she spilled the medicine, and she realized that she needed light to properly measure it. So in spite of her panic, she took the time to get her husband’s trusty Eveready flashlight.
When she got it, to her horror, she realized that she had taken the wrong bottle! In her hand, she was holding not the cough syrup, but a bottle of deadly poisonous disinfectant! The Eveready batteries had saved her baby’s life.
Of course, it’s probably best not to store deadly poison right next to the medicine. But if you do, make sure you keep your Eveready flashlight handy.
People frequently Google their own names and names of family members, and I always enjoy hearing from them to follow up on these old stories. So if you are the 81 year old Mr. Dearkin mentioned in this story, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me at clem.law@usa.net, as I would enjoy sharing your recollections of this event.
Seventy five years ago this month, the September 1938 issue of Popular Mechanics carried this Eveready ad with another harrowing tale with a happy ending, thanks to a flashlight with fresh batteries.
The ad recounts the tale of Mr. & Mrs. James Sponston of Cheshire, England. Night after night, the couple would hear the German bombers headed toward Liverpool. But one night, as they were preparing to retire for the evening, the elderly couple heard the sirens begin to shriek.
Mr. Spronston grabbed his flashlight, and they hurried downstairs to black out the windows. Then one explosion, and then another, shook the house. The house was half demolished, and the stunned occupants were thrown to the floor. Fortunately, Mr. Spronston remembered the faithful flashlight in his hand and began waving it. Two passing air wardens saw it and quickly directed the rescue.
Since the story was from England, there was no claim that Eveready batteries were involved. But still, American readers were encouraged to make sure their flashlights were loaded with fresh Eveready batteries. The ad cautioned, however, that you shouldn’t blame your dealer if you can’t get genuine Eveready batteries. The Army, Navy, and Lend-Lease had priority, and only a few were left for civilians. To conserve critical war materials, readers were cautioned to use the flashlight normally as little as possible. In particular, it advised making a habit of flashing it intermittently rather than continuously.
