VINTAGE ZEISS SPOTLIGHTS
THE ZEISS SPOTLIGHTS WERE A USEFUL ACCESSORY IN THE 1920`S AND WERE MADE TO THE SAME HIGH STANDARD AS THE ZEISS HEADLAMPS. THE ROADS IN THOSE DAYS WERE USUALLY UNLIT AND THE ROAD SIGNS WERE NON REFLECTIVE IN MOST CASES EXCEPT FOR THE ONES WITH GLASS BALL REFLECTORS THAT WERE EMBEDDED IN THE SIGN CASTINGS. FOR OWNERS OF PRESTIGE CARS, NOT ONLY DID THE SPOTLIGHTS LOOK GOOD BUT THEY COULD ACTUALLY BE USEFUL TO READ ROAD SIGNS IF THEY WERE FITTED ON A BRACKET WITH ARTICULATING ARMS, OR NOCTURNAL RABBIT SHOOTING.
ABOVE, THE FRONT VIEW OF THE SPOTLIGHT. THIS MODEL FROM THE 1920`S HAS A RIM DIAMETER OF 150mm OR 6 INCHES. YOU CAN SEE THE ZEISS LOGO ETCHED INTO THE GLASS LENS AND BELOW THE BULB CAN JUST BE SEEN THE ZISS LOGO ENGRAVED INTO THE GLASS REFLECTOR. THIS GLASS LENS HAS THE NAME "HASAG LEIPZIG" ETCHED INTO IT, I WONDER IF THIS WAS SOME KIND OF AN ANTI THEFT DEVICE AS THE SPOTLAMPS WERE VERY VULNERABLE TO THE ATTENTIONS OF CRIMINALS OR SMALL BOYS?
I JUST DID A SEARCH ON GOOGLE ABOUT HASAG AND DISCOVERED THAT THEY WERE MANUFACTURERS OF LAMPS! I WONDER IF THERE WAS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM AND ZEISS? THE MAIN INFORMATION ON LINE WAS THAT HASAG BECAME MAIN PRODUCERS OF ARMAMENTS DURING WW2 AND COMMITTED ATROCITIES BY USING SLAVE LABOUR THAT HAD AN AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF TWO MONTHS WORKING IN THE HASAG FACTORIES!
I JUST DID A SEARCH ON GOOGLE ABOUT HASAG AND DISCOVERED THAT THEY WERE MANUFACTURERS OF LAMPS! I WONDER IF THERE WAS A CONNECTION BETWEEN THEM AND ZEISS? THE MAIN INFORMATION ON LINE WAS THAT HASAG BECAME MAIN PRODUCERS OF ARMAMENTS DURING WW2 AND COMMITTED ATROCITIES BY USING SLAVE LABOUR THAT HAD AN AVERAGE LIFE SPAN OF TWO MONTHS WORKING IN THE HASAG FACTORIES!
ABOVE, THE SIDE VIEW, THIS LAMP HAS A VERY NICELY MADE ARTICULATING ARM BRACKET WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE LAMP TO BE FULLY DEPLOYED IN THE X,Y AND Z AXES. THE PART THAT IS ATTACHED TO THE WINDSCREEN OR THE BODYWORK IS MISSING! MORE ABOUT THIS LATER.
ABOVE, THE REAR VIEW, THIS PARTICULAR MODEL USUALLY HAD A MIRROR INSET INTO THE WOODEN HAND GRIP THAT CAN BE SEEN AT THE REAR OF THE LAMP. OTHER MODELS HAD AN ON-OFF SWITCH INCORPORATED INTO THIS HAND GRIP WHICH COULD BE ROTATED.. THE CURIOUS THING ABOUT THE HAND GRIP OF THE ABOVE LAMP IS THAT THERE IS A ROUND PIECE OF GLASS SET INTO IT AND HELD IN BY A CIRCLIP. THIS GLASS IS DOMED AND HAS A HOLE IN THE MIDDLE, PERHAPS TO ALLOW ACCESS TO THE BULB FOCUSSING SCREW? SOMETHING IS MISSING, BUT WHAT?
ABOVE, THE SPOTLIGHT WITH THE RIM OPENED, THE HINGE AND LATCHING SYSTEM ARE SCALED DOWN VERSIONS OF THE LARGER FRONT OPENING HEADLAMPS. THE REFLECTOR IS IN PERFECT CONDITION AND JUST NEEDS A GOOD CLEAN.
ABOVE, AN INTERNAL VIEW.
LATER TYPE ZEISS SPOTLIGHT
BELOW ARE SOME PHOTOS OF A MORE MODERN ZEISS SPOTLAMP THAT I RECEIVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
THE SHELL IS SIMILAR TO TO THE EARLIER TYPE BUT IT NO LONGER HAS THE HINGED FRONT OPENING RIM, OBVIOUSLY DESIGNED AS A CHEAPER VERSION. THE MOUNTING BRACKET, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE ORIGINAL, IS DESIGNED TO MOUNT THE LAMP ON A FLAT SURFACE. I DON`T HAVE ANY IDEAS WHAT THIS LAMP WAS USED FOR AS THE MOUNT SUGGESTS THAT IT WAS FIXED IN ONE POSITION AND NOT ON AN ARTICULATED ARM. PERHAPS IT WAS USED ON A MILITARY VEHICLE OR A SMALL CAR?
ABOVE, VIEWS OF THE GLASS LENS AND REFLECTOR WHICH SEEMS TO BE A GLASS ONE AS THE EARLIER TYPE. WHAT I DON`T UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE LAMP ALSO INCORPORATES WHAT SEEMS TO BE A FESTOON BULB SIDELIGHT?.
ABOVE LEFT, THE ZEISS LOGO AND THE UNIQUE LAMP NUMBER STAMPED INTO THE TOP OF THE SHELL. ABOVE RIGHT, THE ROTATING HAND GRIP WHICH IS THE ON-OFF SWITCH FOR THE LAMP, THE SWITCH HAS THREE POSITIONS, SCHWACH, STARK AND AUS WHICH I THINK MEANS WEAK, STRONG AND OFF.
HOPEFULLY SOMEONE VIEWING THIS BLOG CAN HELP TO IDENTIFY IT`S PURPOSE.
HOPEFULLY SOMEONE VIEWING THIS BLOG CAN HELP TO IDENTIFY IT`S PURPOSE.
IN PROGRESS