Flashlight
Maker
C.B. Collins
Periodca. 1924
Place MadeNew Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumSteel, nickel, glass.
Dimensions7.75 × 2.88 in. (19.7 × 7.3 cm)
MarkingsStamped on bottom of base: "COLLINS NO BATTERY FLASHLIGHT / FACTORY FREEHOLD N.J. HAS / PAT. SEPTEMBER 9, 1924 / OTHER PAT.S PENDING"
In center: "D / 05383"
ClassificationsLighting Equipment & Accessories
Credit LineGift of David B. Metz, 2016
Object number2016.16.1
DescriptionFlashlight, approximately 4.5 pounds, of silver-colored steel. Wide lens base, with handle section 2 inches in diameter. Colorless glass lens held in place by 1 inches threaded steel collar. Small thumb-activated on/off switch at mid-body. Tiny copper switch noted 2 ½ inches below bulb casing. Tapered reflective socket beneath glass lens into which bulb fits; bulb appears approximately ½ inch in diameter.NotesCap. B. Collins was the inventor of the “no battery” flashlight for which he received Patent No. 1507768 on 9 September 1924. Little is known about him. He started a small factory on 41 Bannard Street in Freehold in the early 1920s and produced the light in small quantities. Described as “operating by a heavy spring and generating its own current,” the flashlight had a promising early start. Admiral Byrd took 26 Collins flashlights on his 1928 South Pole expedition. In 1932, Collins decided to relocate near Martinsville, Virginia, to expand his production; this area is called Collinsville today. The factory was never completed, and the building and land were sold at auction. The failure may have been due to the effects of the Great Depression. It is unknown what happened to Collins after his flashlight company closed.
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