If you were in the market for a flashlight 75 years ago, you couldn’t go wrong with the Big Beam Jr. from the U-C Lite Mfg. Co. of Chicago. It could be focused to provide a sharp beam, or as a floodlight. It retailed for $6.75, less battery.
It is featured here in the January 1951 issue of Popular Mechanics.
Eighty-five years ago, the December 1940 issue of Popular Science carried this helpful (but self-explanatory) hint of how to illuminate the dial of your portable radio. Simply attach a penlight to the cover, pointing at the dial.
One hundred years ago, these young men had the swellest tent in camp, that’s to a little bit of ingenuity and some Eveready dry cells. In addition to the batteries, they just needed a little bit of wire, a switch, a socket, a bulb, and maybe a discarded reflector from a car.
They kept giving reliable light, night after night, and that was swell. The ad appeared in the August 1925 issue of Boys’ Life.
Flashlight batteries were sometimes in short supply during the war, and the May 1945 issue of Popular Science gave some pointers on how you could get some extra life out of them by recharging them. If the battery was already dead, there was little hope, and if they were bulging or pitted, they were beyond hope. But by recharging them before they were completely dead, you could give a low battery a new lease on life.
The idea was to zap them with about twice their voltage. So for a flashlight battery, you could put two in series, and then charge them with a six-volt battery from the car. You would wire them as shown below, but then carefully monitor them. After two to five minutes, they would start to get warm, at which point you would disconnect them and let them cool. This process would be repeated two or three time. It was important not to allow them to become hot. When done, the cells could be put back in use. They wouldn’t last as long as new batteries, but new batteries might not be available.
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.
