Objects Database

Optimus 00 Paraffin Stove

Accession Number

082.2008.1(a-m)

Object Name

Optimus 00 Paraffin Stove

Created

10/10/2008

Creator

Hermione Cooper

Accession Date

10/10/2008

Brief Description

Optimus 00 paraffin camping stove in green metal box with eleven associated parts and one label. Brass base with three hinged feet and holes for three pot rests, metal spirit bottle, three pot rests, burner, spanner, cleaning needles in packet, red label, three parts for burner.

Materials

brass, aluminium, tin.

Dimensions

Tin case- 9(h) x18(w) x 13(d) cms. Base - 9(h0 x 42(circumference) cms.

Number Of Objects

1

Inscription Description

On green metal box ,torn label with "TIMUS" And picture of stove with two world maps and "OPTIMUS" written on maps. On base "OPTIMUS NO 00 MADE IN SWEDEN" also a globe with "OPTIMUS" and some Arabic writing. On bottom of base "OPTIMUS AB UPPL-VASBY"

Colour

green ,silvery, goldy

Maker

Optimus

Object Production Place

Sweden

Provenance

The Pressure Stove
The paraffin, (kerosene), pressure stove first appeared in 1892 when a Swede, Frans
Wilhelm Lindqvist, registered his bootless Kerosene Stove1. The design burned Paraffin gas which was vapourised from the liquid fuel in tubes forming the burner head.
His design was so successful a Company was formed to manufacture the stove and 'Primus', (Latin for 'first'), appeared to the World.
The first model was the No. 1 stove and the range rapidly expanded into many dozens of models aimed at different markets.
With Amundsen using a 'Primus' to reach the South Pole and Hillary taking 'Primus' stoves to climb Mount Everest the word became used by many people to describe any pressure camping stove.
In 1962 the paraffin division of Primus was sold to Optimus but continued to manufacture stoves under the name 'Primus Trading'.
The Company was closed in 1972 and the range consolidated just to Optimus models.

Optimus models.
In 1966 Primus joined with one of their rivals, Sievert, and concentrated on L.P.G., (Liquified Petroleum Gas), camping stoves as well as blowlamps. In 1997 Primus re-entered the liquid fuel stove market with some excellent designs of multi-fuel stoves still available today.
The Optimus Company had also been making a range of stoves since the late 1890fs and continued the traditional paraffin stove right up to 1996 when the range was gradually withdrawn to
concentrate on the range of Petrol, (Gasoline), and multi-fuel stoves manufactured today.
The basic Lindqvist burner design was copied by manufacturers all over the world, many
adopting the same method of numbering their models by the burner size and style, ie. 00,
Nol,No5.
This variation in models makes stoves appealing to collectors, some prefer to find one
model from many different manufacturers, some try to collect every model from one manufacturer. Further interest is added by long running models 'evolving' over the years.
A glance down a list of some brands shows the wide choice such as Monitor, Burmos,
Parasene, Buflam, Valor, Royal Standard, Thermidor, Kenrick, (U.K.), Optimus. Radius,
Primus, Svea, Prince, (Sweden), Coleman,(U.S.A.), Meva, (Czechoslovakia), Metacel, (Australia), Petromax, (Germany), Hipolito, (Portugal), Anchor, Shinabro, (China),
Manaslu (Japan).
This particular stove was given to Mick Tighe by a friend, Maggie Delaney, circa 1990. She'd bought it at a church bazaar for a few bob.

Acquisition Method

Donated by Maggie Delaney

Acquisition Date

10/10/2008

Condition

good

Condition Check Date

28/04/2009

Rules

Spectrum : UK Museum documentation standard, V.3.1 2007

Modified

28/04/2009

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