Hermann Riemann - Piccolo - Bicycle light - 1904
06
days
11
hours
45
minutes
34
seconds
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€ 1
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Selected by Ana Maria Covrig
Former professional cyclist with 18 years' expertise, specialising in cycling memorabilia and sports equipment.
Estimate € 280 - € 330
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Hermann Riemann Piccolo acetylene bicycle lamp, produced around 1904 in Germany (Chemnitz-Gablenz), in very good condition, featuring a Bray 349 burner.
AI-assisted summary
Description from the seller
Antique carbide (acetylene) bicycle lamp, produced by the German company Hermann Riemann in Chemnitz-Gablenz.
This specific model is called "Piccolo".
Product Details
Producer: Herm. Riemann (Hermann Riemann).
This lamp was produced in Germany, specifically in the Gablenz district of the city of Chemnitz, in Saxony.
Model: Original "Piccolo".
Period: Dating to the early 20th century, with documented models around 1904-1910.
Maker’s marks: The inscription "Herm. Riemann Chemnitz-Gablenz" is typical of pre-war production and the World War I period.
Operation: The lamp produced light through a chemical reaction between water (contained in the upper reservoir) and calcium carbide (in the lower reservoir), which produced acetylene gas ready to be burned.
Visual features: It has small colored side glass panels (usually red and green) and a metal frame often nickel-plated.
Bray Burner 349
The name Bray engraved together with the number 349
This is a very interesting detail that adds historical value to the lamp.
Who was Bray?
Geo. Bray & Co. was a British company from Leeds, a world leader in the production of precision gas and acetylene burners from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Why is it on a German lamp?
International collaboration: Although the lamp was built by Hermann Riemann in Germany, Bray burners were considered the best in the world for flame quality and durability. Many European high-quality lamp manufacturers imported Bray components.
The Number 349: In this case, the number refers to the burner’s technical specification (shape or flame power). In period catalogs, Bray nozzles had precise numerations indicating how many liters of acetylene gas they consumed per hour.
Consistent dating: The presence of original Bray components is typical of lamps made between 1900 and 1915, further confirming the dating we have hypothesized.
In practice, this is a lamp with the "engine" (the burner) English-made mounted on a German "chassis": an example of technical excellence of the era.
Antique carbide (acetylene) bicycle lamp, produced by the German company Hermann Riemann in Chemnitz-Gablenz.
This specific model is called "Piccolo".
Product Details
Producer: Herm. Riemann (Hermann Riemann).
This lamp was produced in Germany, specifically in the Gablenz district of the city of Chemnitz, in Saxony.
Model: Original "Piccolo".
Period: Dating to the early 20th century, with documented models around 1904-1910.
Maker’s marks: The inscription "Herm. Riemann Chemnitz-Gablenz" is typical of pre-war production and the World War I period.
Operation: The lamp produced light through a chemical reaction between water (contained in the upper reservoir) and calcium carbide (in the lower reservoir), which produced acetylene gas ready to be burned.
Visual features: It has small colored side glass panels (usually red and green) and a metal frame often nickel-plated.
Bray Burner 349
The name Bray engraved together with the number 349
This is a very interesting detail that adds historical value to the lamp.
Who was Bray?
Geo. Bray & Co. was a British company from Leeds, a world leader in the production of precision gas and acetylene burners from the late 19th to the early 20th century.
Why is it on a German lamp?
International collaboration: Although the lamp was built by Hermann Riemann in Germany, Bray burners were considered the best in the world for flame quality and durability. Many European high-quality lamp manufacturers imported Bray components.
The Number 349: In this case, the number refers to the burner’s technical specification (shape or flame power). In period catalogs, Bray nozzles had precise numerations indicating how many liters of acetylene gas they consumed per hour.
Consistent dating: The presence of original Bray components is typical of lamps made between 1900 and 1915, further confirming the dating we have hypothesized.
In practice, this is a lamp with the "engine" (the burner) English-made mounted on a German "chassis": an example of technical excellence of the era.
Details
Brand
Hermann Riemann
Model
Piccolo
Year of manufacture
1904
Located in
Germany
Condition
Very good
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