Permanent Collection Objects

Juneau—Douglas City Museum

2001.27.015

2001.27

Donated by Mary Ann Parke.

Lamp, Electrical (?)

Perkins Marine Lamp

1940

Perkins Marine ship's navigation light. Galvanized ferrous sheet metal case. Brass door opens to access lamp bulbs. Fresnel glass lens. Mirror behind light bulb. Two stranded—copper wires coated with hardened black rubber extend 16 inches from base of lamp. Old electrical tape on end of one wire. Hanging loop (2—inch diameter) mounted on top of lamp case. Paper—covered copper wire loop attached to hanging loop. Mounting bracket rivetted to back of lamp case for vertical hanging. Lamp mounted on wood block .875 inches by 5 inches by 5.375 inches. Holes in wood base drilled for mounting screws. Lamp case screwed to wood from inside lamp base with three flathead ferrous screws. Electric light (12v or 32v) adapted to earlier oil canister of the original oil burning light.
Inscription on brass plate mounted on hanging bracket:
"PERKINS MARINE LAMP & HDWE CORP./PERKO/REG. TRADE MARK/BROOKLYN, N.Y. U.S.A."
Inscription of top of lamp case: "900" written in black lead pencil
Inscription of side of brass door: "PATENTED & OTHER PAT. PEND."
Inscription on glass lens: "PERKO"
Probably inscriptions on base of lamp case covered by wood base. Also on light bulb.
Additional materials: zinc, lead, paint.

Collected, preserved by and possibly used by Thomas S. Parke. May have been used on his first boats the "Misty" or "Barbara V" as a mast or navigation light. Based on secondary copper wire hanger which was used for lamp exhibit, the lamps may have been salvaged from an abandoned boat or shipwreck collected for its historic value. Lamp was a typical mast light or navigation light for a small vessel (approximately. 30—60'). "Perko" was (and still is) a popular brand of marine equipment. Paint on lamp housing indicates it was mounted on a mast which was painted. Adaptation of electric bulb to oil canister probably done by Parke.

maritime
fisheries
transportation
shipwreck
Boat