Author Topic: H. Clark Lantern  (Read 9269 times)

yellowrose84

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #15 on: December 22, 2013, 05:58:34 pm »
WOW! Thanks so much for getting back to me. This is so interesting!

yellowrose84

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #16 on: December 22, 2013, 06:08:34 pm »
Is there any value in this item?

Ipcress

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #17 on: December 22, 2013, 06:31:20 pm »
Of course there is ! In a good PA saleroom there'll be a little extra because of the local interest. Pity you don't have a pair.

yellowrose84

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #18 on: December 22, 2013, 06:54:12 pm »
Thanks so much! I will call PA auction houses!

Have a good night. Take care!

mart

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #19 on: December 22, 2013, 07:01:57 pm »
Here is the problem with that,, there is no link to either carriage company ever making the lamps,,!!  John H Clark also was a carriage maker !! He did patent the metal piece to attach the lamps to the carriage but does not say a thing about the lamps !!




Clark Carriage Company was another one of the many old-school carriage makers that supplied wooden and composite metal bodies and sub-assemblies to the larger body builders located in and around Amesbury.

The Clark Carriage Co, successors to J.H. Clark, Amesbury, Mass

Among the body building companies that developed in Amesbury shortly after the introduction of metal covered bodies in 1910 was the Clark Carriage Co. After the death of John H. Clark, senior member of the firm, the business was continued by Thomas Clark, who for many years was not at all antagonistic to the automobile, believing that there was a place for both carriages and autos. As a result very few early wooden auto bodies were built by this company. Their first motor car bodies were built of aluminum for the Buick Motor Car Co. They continued to do work for this company during the entire career in the automobile business, specializing in the Buick touring car. In 1913 seven to ten bodies per week were finished. A large brick factory at the corner of Oakland and Chestnut Street housed the establishment where in 1916 one hundred and twenty-five men were employed. The Walker Body Co. bought out the Clark Carriage Co. in 1920.

 

Rauville

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #20 on: December 22, 2013, 07:31:49 pm »
To further confuse things, there was a Clark Carriage Co. in Wisconsin as well.
The following is an article from the 1899 Oshkosh newspaper that mentions H.M. Clark as running the company after his father's death.

http://oshkoshpub.cdmhost.com/cdm/singleitem/collection/p4025coll5/id/203/rec/1

mart

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #21 on: December 22, 2013, 07:57:11 pm »
The carriage companies did not usually have a foundry or the extra equipment to make the lamps !!  Like other parts they usually bought the lamps in bulk in the styles they liked and installed them at the completion of the carriage !!  Just like General Motors does not make the headlights for its cars !!  Same thing !! Wouldn`t be practical nor profitable !!
My theory is that they had the H.Clark stamped by the maker of the lamps because it  was one way to identify their carriages !!~ That's probably why we can`t find a lamp maker with that name !! Any search always comes back to the carriage company which is what Clark intended !!
« Last Edit: December 22, 2013, 08:03:44 pm by mart »

yellowrose84

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #22 on: December 22, 2013, 08:17:48 pm »
Well that makes it clear as mud...

Dogaman

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #23 on: December 22, 2013, 08:32:08 pm »

mart

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #24 on: December 22, 2013, 08:39:54 pm »
Yes but I believe his was a steel foundry !! Didn`t see if they did other metals !!

Yellowrose where are you located ??

yellowrose84

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #25 on: December 22, 2013, 08:47:10 pm »
I am from Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Dogaman

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #26 on: December 22, 2013, 08:48:45 pm »
I didn't see anything else but steel mentioned, either. But, they would be a more logical business category than carriage makers. Unless, carriage makers contracted with lantern makers and had their name imprinted on their orders.  Geesh...logical hoops...where's Sherlock Holmes!?

yellowrose84

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #27 on: December 22, 2013, 08:56:58 pm »
Dogaman- ;D You just made me laugh.

Dogaman

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #28 on: December 22, 2013, 08:59:45 pm »
Glad to have brightened your day!

It is a good thing I like to research and sleuth; otherwise, I'd be pulling my hair out in frustration. :D

mart

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Re: H. Clark Lantern
« Reply #29 on: December 22, 2013, 09:07:00 pm »
I didn't see anything else but steel mentioned, either. But, they would be a more logical business category than carriage makers. Unless, carriage makers contracted with lantern makers and had their name imprinted on their orders.  Geesh...logical hoops...where's Sherlock Holmes!?

But that is what they did !!  They would contract with the lamp maker for X number of lamps with their name imprinted and the style they preferred !!  Guaranteed money and good business !!  The lamp maker wouldn`t just make a bunch of lamps without a contract !!