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F. Persky & Company- The Beginning of the Perko Story

Full view of the Persky & Co anchor lantern. Today the company is known as PERKO.

The PERKO Story consists of many interesting pieces. They make up a modern day marine hardware success story that goes back over 100 years! This is the first sentence from the Perko story, the history of the famous American marine lighting company as taken from their website. I had known enough about the Perko story to turn to it while researching this recently discoverd lantern and the article was the source that validated it's maker. So, this blog is in part about the Perko companies beginnings and is demonstrated by an example of one of the first marine lanterns produced by this famous marine hardware company.

Name of PERSKY & CO., AJAX , NEW YORK, U.S.A. on hourglass shaped globe.

This early example is of one of their first anchor lanterns produced when the company was created by F. Persky & Company, New York, lantern makers in the early 1900's. The company was in operation for about a dozen years until 1913 when Frederick became president of National Marine Lamp Company. This Company name was established prior to Frederick Persky changing his last name to Perkins! (See history below).

Side-open view of the Persky lantern.

This unique lantern was manufactured using galvanized metal with brass chimney cap and 'Christmas tree' vents and ring handle and two tie-down rings on each side and five vertical wire guards. Fixed 'hourglass' shaped molded colorless globe with embossed letters stating "PERSKY & CO. AJAX. NEW YORK, U.S.A.". According to a PERKO representative, they believe that the name 'AJAX' was the name of the company that produced the glass globe. Measures 10 3/4" tall, exclusive of the ring bail handle, 4 1/4 inches diameter of base. Slight scaling on exterior of the metal surface, but overall, this lantern survives in good original condition. Missing burner.

Top section and brass chimney cap of Persky & Co. anchor lantern.

History (The Perko Story)

The story starts with Frederick Persky, who later became known as Frederick Perkins. He was a Russian immigrant who was schooled in Germany as a machinist and tool-and-die maker. Frederick came to the United States in the early 1890's and soon became employed as a machinist for E.W. Bliss & Company in Brooklyn, New York. In the early 1900's, he and a partner began operating a business, F. Persky & Company, Lantern Manufacturer, out of the basement of his house.

In 1907, Frederick's son Louis joined him in the business, and together they enlarged both the product line and the manufacturing facilities. By 1912, they had seventeen employees and made a wide range of marine lanterns and products.

The business continued operating until 1913 when Frederick became president of National Marine Lamp Company, based out of Forestville, Connecticut. Frederick and Louis left that company in 1916 and moved back to Brooklyn, New York, where they started Perkins Marine Lamp Corporation.

Anchor lantern manufactured by the National Marine Lamp Co., Forestville, Ct.

Five generations later, PERKO is still a privately owned, family operated corporation, which is unusual in today's marketplace. Perkins Marine Corporation was initially known as Perkins Marine Lamp, Inc. The original focus was on the manufacture of hand formed sheet metal products for the marine market. The first catalog was published in 1916, with a product line as diverse for its time as PERKO's catalog is today.

Anchor lantern manufactured by Perkins Marine Lamp Co.,  Brooklyn, New York

It included a full range of kerosene and electric lanterns for small and large boats, ventilators, chart cases, signaling devices, mooring buoys, pumps and a variety of spare parts. These products, fabricated from brass, copper and galvanized sheet metal, began what was our ongoing reputation for producing high quality products. We still do some hand forming and soldering today, much as it was done in our early years.
In 1922, the "PERKO" trademark was instituted. Each new product (and there were many) utilized the latest, sophisticated metal manufacturing technology and customers came to expect the highest standard of excellence from PERKO products.

Two other examples, one identical to the one in this blog, the other manufactured in brass was in the Phillip Sullivan Collection of Lanterns, recently auctioned off by the Jeffry S. Evan & Associates, Mt. Crawford, Virginia.

The Persky & Co. AJAX anchor lantern is currently available at Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery. Follow the link above to the product listing on their webstore.

Maritime Lantern- Manufactured by Barbier, Benard and Turenne, Makers of Lighthouse Fresnel Lens

Post or Anchor lantern made by Barbier, Benard & Turenne, Paris France.

A recent discovery by our firm, this exceptional post or anchor lantern was produced by the French manufacturer Barbier, Benard & Turenne, Paris France. What makes this lantern so exceptional is that Barbier, Benars & Turenne, also known as BBT was a major manufacturer of the Fresnel lens that light up numerous of the lighthouses found along our countries coastlines. Notice the lighthouse styling of this exceptional maritime light- reminiscent of the

LANTERN DESCRIPTION

Manufacturers nameplate for
Barbier, Benard & Turenne. 

This fine brass lantern stands 14 1/2 inches tall and features a thick, 360 degree glass Fresnel type lens that survives without cracks or chips, protected by 6 heavy gauge cast brass guards. The upper body of the lantern is designed with a ball style chimney with a series of cylindrical vents on the bottom edge. The lower body measures 4 1/4 inches tall from the bottom to the upper lip and would house the lantern burner. The manufacturers plate is positioned on the front side and states in embossed letters "ANCIENS ETACLISSEMENTS, BARBIER, BENARD & TURENNI- USINES (82, AUC CURIAL, PARIS-19; BLANC-MISSERON) (NORD)


Translated- OLD INSTITUTIONS, BARBIER, BENARD & TURENNI FACTORY (82, AUC CURIAL, PARIS-19; Blanc-Misseron) (NORTH) which is the manufacturers name and Paris address of production. The number 82116 is also engraved below and a series of cylindrical air vents in between.  The diameter of the lamp measures 5 1/2 inches. For more information on this lantern, follow the link here to the listing on Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery.

Post or Anchor lantern made by Barbier, Benard & Turenne, Paris France,
 Skipjack Nautical Wares & Marine Gallery

MANUFACTURER HISTORY
The Company Barbier, Benard and Turenne, abbreviated BBT is a company founded in 1862 , specialized in the manufacture of headlights, the optical devices and lighting systems. Leader in the field of global flagship in the late 19th century, the company has diversified in the twentieth century, but was dissolved in 1982.

Fresnel lens produced by Barbier, Benard & Turenne
for the Sabine Bank Lighthouse,  Sabine River, Texas.

The company was founded in 1862 by Frédéric Barbier and Stanislas Fenestre under the name "Barber and Fenestre." She then called "Barber and Co." in 1887 and "Barbier and Benard" from 1889, and is in the early twentieth century to its final name "Barbier, Benard and Turenne." It became a public limited company in 1919. Production "Barbier, Benard and Turenne" or "BBT" began to specialize in the production of optical systems for lights , according to the system of Fresnel lense. The company then expanded its production, from farther away in the equipment headlights. In addition to its lens, it extends its first production at various rotation mechanisms, including weight and rotating tank on mercury . Then, it produces more buoys, steel towers, mermaids mist.  BBT thus comes to be able to construct the lighthouses in their entirety, including the tower, optical instruments and all necessary equipment. It becomes "known throughout the world". It is a world leader in the construction of lighthouses in the late 19th century. In 1923, the company developed the "gas BBT" which bears his name. This gas provides improvements in compression quality gas lighting and security.


LOCATIONS
The workshops are primarily located in Paris, close to the Ourcq canal. BBT then retains its headquarters in Paris, factories being located in Nazelles (Indre-et-Loire) and White-Misseron (North).

Sabine River Lighthouse, Texas

Top section of the Sabine River lighthouse tower and lantern room 

The Sabine River Lighthouse is one that houses a Fresnel lens produced by Barbier, Benard & Turenne.  Follow the link here for more information about the  Sabine River Lighthouse.

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