The world’s first paraffin pressure stove appeared in 1892 when a Swede called Frans Willhelm Lindquist registered his ‘Sootless Kerosene Stove’, and, because it was the first of its type he decided to call the company set up to make his stove Primus. Rather confusingly, another Swedish company started making very similar stoves just a few years later (1899) and decided to call their company Optimus.

Unsurprisingly, they both decided to call the first stove they produced the No1, and we have a nice example of an Optimus No1 here in the collection. The early stoves from both companies were aimed at the domestic market, a time when very few homes had electricity and camping was pretty much embryonic, meaning that these early stoves were not the best fit in a rucksack.

Although the No1 was first off the production line, they continued to be made for a long time after this and we reckon that the one we have here in the collection dates from the 1950s, or maybe earlier. Unfortunately we don’t know who the donator was – thanks in absentia.