In 1780, the ingenious Aimé Argand of Switzerland conceived and secured a patent for what would become known as the Argand lamp. This innovative device, burning whale oil, employed a circular wick in conjunction with a separate fuel reservoir. However, with the advent of kerosene in the early 1850s, a new era dawned as inexpensive flat-wick kerosene lamps emerged, thereby consigning the venerable Argand lamp to obsolescence. Yet the pioneering concepts advanced by Argand did not vanish entirely; they were revived in the form of the folded-wick Kosmos-style burner in 1865 and later reappeared in the design of “student lamps” as produced by the Manhattan Brass Company and Kleemann of Germany.
Wild & Wessel of Berlin in 1865 developed the "Kosmos" burner, where a flat-wick formed is round. To obtain clean burning, a side draft was used to induce combustion air to the center of the circle of wick.
["Goes in flat, comes out round"... by a process of 'conical curling' ... shows the triangular air port allowing air to centre of flame. Also shows direct gear drive to the wick.] Photo by Alex Marrack
In the year 1865 the eminent firm of Wild & Wessel of Berlin introduced the so‐called “Kosmos” burner—a device distinguished by its uniquely round, flat wick. To secure a purer combustion, a side draft was employed to channel air into the very center of the circular wick. This ingenious configuration obviated the necessity for a central air shaft through the fuel reservoir, rendering its manufacture far simpler than that of its center‐draft contemporaries. Moreover, the air flow was artfully guided past the flame by a chimney of reduced, pinched diameter.
In due course, on the 19th of August, 1884, Emil Wild was honored with United States Patent No. 303774 for a Kosmos burner furnished with a flame spreader—a design which, in my estimation, epitomized brilliance. Marketed in the United States under the appellation B.B.S. “Imperial” burner, and in England as the Central Vulcan by Catterson’s, these lamps proved to be truly outstanding, readily matching the luminosity of larger center‐draft lamps.
Wild & Wessel continued to produce their Kosmos burners until the entire enterprise was acquired by Hugo Schneider & Co. in 1903. Thereafter, Schneider maintained production of the identical range, complete with the original Wild & Wessel markings, thus rendering their precise dating rather elusive (as noted by Alex Marrack).
It is recounted that Brokelmann, Jäger & Co. of Neheim am Ruhr, Germany, may have commenced the manufacture of Kosmos burners (the German “Brenner” meaning burner) as early as 1899—or even before—since by that time many makers had embraced the production of Kosmos brenners (Alex Marrack).
Circa 1895, the Berlin establishment Ehrich & Graetz introduced the “Matador” burner, which similarly employed a flame spreader. Depending on the breadth of the disk, the chimneys were fashioned either in a straight form or with a pronounced bulge; by way of illustration, the “Sebastianbrenner” burner featured a medium‐sized disk set upon a mesh tube crowned with a straight chimney. (All Matadors are marked by a pronounced bulge and generous spreaders, whereas other burners may exhibit smaller spreaders and adopt either straight or Kosmos‐shaped chimneys; see Alex Marrack’s treatise for further details.)
It is noteworthy that Wild & Wessel employed three distinct designations for their burners—Kosmos, Kosmos Vulkan, and Central Vulcan. By definition, a true Kosmos burner lacks a flame spreader, and is characterized by a pinched chimney coupled with a direct gear-drive to the wick winder. In contrast, the Kosmos Vulkan was furnished with a flame spreader yet omitted a wick carrier, while the Central Vulcan combined both features. The latter was produced in both side‐draft and central draft versions and was distinguished by a Vulcan-style chimney. In the United Kingdom, the center‐draft version was marketed—perhaps exclusively—by Catterson under the trademark “GLOBE Vulkan.” To further complicate matters, Den Haan of Rotterdam reportedly acquired Brokelmann’s machinery and produced all versions of the Wild & Wessel burner. (Thus, my own B&H Imperial—possessing a flame spreader yet lacking a wick carrier—is, by definition, a Kosmos Vulcan burner.)
Moreover, Den Haan in Rotterdam and Gaudard in France (trading as Kosmos) continue to produce Kosmos and Kosmos-Brenner lamps. The Kosmos #14 burner, devoid of a flame spreader, and the Kosmos #15 burner—a Matador with flame spreader, both lacking wick carriers—were never offered in the Vulcan variant or with Wild & Wessel markings (Alex Marrack).
In addition to their splendid 20-inch and 30-inch center-draft lamps, L&B “Belge” also produced Kosmos-Brenner lamps outfitted with a flame spreader but without a wick carrier, fashioned in Kosmos Vulcan style in various forms. My own L&B Kosmos Vulcan, for instance, is a 15-inch pedestal lamp.
Wicks for Kosmos-Brenner lamps were traditionally measured by their flat width and designated in “lines” (with the symbol ′ representing a single line). The light output is in part a function of the top surface area of the wick; thus, a burner with a 10-line spreader (for example, one known as the “Wizard”) produces considerably more light than a 14-line Kosmos (A.M.). For sizes ranging from 6 inches to 14 inches, the Kosmos measurements remain relatively consistent. Above 14 lines, however, individual makers and nations observed their own customary standards—no country having imposed a fixed standard, such as those governed by SAE or BSI—with variations in the larger sizes being more pronounced than in the smaller ones.
Sizes of Kosmos Lamps
In instances where no stub of wick remains for measurement, determining the appropriate wick size for a given lamp becomes a most challenging endeavor. Below, I have enumerated the interior diameters at the top of the exterior wick tubes for several Kosmos lamps in my possession, accompanied by their respective line numbers and widths in inches. It must be noted that, owing to the multitude of manufacturers, these dimensions may indeed vary—sometimes considerably—from one maker to another.
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Kosmos Lamps, Rough measurements |
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| Ligne size | Outer wick tube diameter | Wick width | Chimney base diameter |
| 6'' | 0.575" | 1 3/8" | 1 5/16" |
| 8''' | 0.620'' | 1 5/8" | 1 7/16" |
| 10''' | 0.668" | 1 7/8" | 1 1/2" |
| 12''' | 0.724" | 2 1/8" | 1 7/8" |
| 14''' | 0.900" | 2 9/16" | 2.0" to 2 1/16" |
| 16''' | 0.916" | 2 3/4" some | 2.0" to 2 1/4" |
| 18''' | 1.226" | 2 3/4" some | 2 7/16" |
| 20''' | 1.387'' | 3 5/8" | 2 7/16" |
| 24" | Varies | 4" | varies |
KOSMOS BRENNER VS KOSMOS MATADOR
Matador draft tubes are shorter than the draft tubes for standard Kosmos Brenner lamps; the flame spreader on a Matador burner is approximately the same height as the drat tubes on a standard Kosmos burner.
PHOTOS OF VINTAGE KOSMOS & KOSMOS-BRENNER LAMPS
One of the great advantages of Kosmos lamps is the lack of a center draft tube. That meant that fonts could be any style or size and constructed of glass, pottery, brass, whatever suited the lamp maker.
Lampe Parisianne
This is an L&B 15''' Matador. The design with the metal reflector and often ornately embossed Kosmos or Matador fitted base are so very typical early 20th century French lamps. They are often fitted with elaborate glass bead fringes.
Owned and photographed by Peter Brickell.
Variations possible with Kosmos burners:
At right, a "French Garden Lamp" made by Wild & Wessel circa 1900. The burner is an 8'''. This lamp was designed to permit burning outdoors in a draft (Punkah top) and light up a fancy French garden. The short chimney inhibits really clean burning, but that is not a problem outdoors when burning as intended.
This particular lamp was purchased on eBay.fr and arrived straight from a French garden, spider webs and dirt intact. Lamp restored; parts as received, parts after citric acid bath, parts after polishing.
Piano and reading lamp.
Wild & Wessel hand lamp
Both owned and photographed by Peter Brickell.
Kosmos burners allowed designers to be very creative due to the lack of a draft tube. German lamp makers often used pewter fonts with 3 or 4 faces or scenes to create beautiful, unique lamps, as shown above. Click the photos to enlarge them.
A nice assortment of Kosmos-Brenner lamps
At left, a 6''' with the correct chimney burning with a 10''' and 14''' lamp together. Nice group photo!
Lamps owned and photographed by Alex Muzyka.
This is a "Sebastianbrenner" burner made by Schwintzer & Gräff in Berlin on a L&B fount. This burner belongs to a family of burners called the "Weisslichtbrenner" or "white flame burner". They use a straight glass chimney. 20''' burner, 90mm flat wick.
Lamp owned and photographed by Alex Muzyka.
Metal font lamp with #6 Kosmos burner. The burner is aluminum and was made in Japan. The chimney is not correct. A 6''' Kosmos burner is very economical of fuel.
This one is mine, but it does not burn nearly as well as a P&A Victor!
Lempereur_&_Bernard
An interesting side draft 14''' Matador lamp made by Lempereur & Bernard (L&B). It uses a standard 14''' 2 1/2" flat wick. This lamp is most interesting as it has a weird flat flame spreader (for a Kosmos-Brenner burner) and is a weird size for a Matador burner. Left, above; lamp unlighted. Center, lamp lighted. Right, the unusual flame from the flat flame spreader.
Lamp owned and photographed by Alex Muzyka.
Lempereur & Bernard Brevete, 15'''
Wick knob marked: "ECLA". This is a rare L&B pedestal lamp with a side-draft burner. The flame spreader is flat with a medium width (1 3/32") Liverpool button. In contrast to most Kosmos style lamps, this lamp has a fill cap on the fount. "Brevete" means 'Patent." "ECLA" means "Design Patent." Near right, unpolished. Far right, after soaking in citric acid and polished.
Below, left to right: disassembled and polished after citric acid bath, L&B embossed name, flame spreader. Second row below, left to right, wick carrier, wick installed by adding a tape extension and pulling through from the bottom, and wick installed.
Wick 2 3/4" wide, 0.82" thick. Chimney 2 1/8".
Den Haan nautical table lamp
A classic Kosmos burner with a weighted base which can be set in a gimbal mount for use at sea.
Kosmos Concierge lamp with #15 burner
Any quality center draft lamp with a metal fount will burn brighter with less fumes and wick charring when burning mineral spirits. On the left is a photo taken without a flash of a Kosmos Concierge easily producing enough light by which to read. The Concierge lamp is very handy to carry and store on a wall when not in use.
Veritas table lamp
It began life with a British Duplex burner. With the help of Alex Muzyka it now wears a large Ideal-Brenner 20''' burner with mushroom flame spreader (far right) made by Den Haan, Rotterdam (DHR). At right it is burning with my 3 5/8" flat wick and my Success chimney. Notice the beautiful full tulip flame!
Small Kosmos Table Lamp
Above, a 6''' Kosmos Rundbrenner. Note the very unusual construction with a font in a cup on the base. A 6''' Kosmos burner is extremely fuel efficient and was used for area lighting, just bright enough so people would not bump into tables and furniture at night.
My latest Wild & Wessel is a small 10''' hand lamp.
It required some repairs as it has obviously been well used in the past 120 years, but the resulting lamp is beautiful and burns perfectly. The rare W&B Austrian chimney came with the lamp.
Wild & Wessel 14''' KOSMOS Considerably larger than typical 14''' lamps
Wild & Wessel lamp information:
As mentioned above, Wild & Wessel of Berlin in 1865 developed the "Kosmos" burner. Emil Wild was an undoubted genius at lamp designs. His August 19, 1884 design for a burner with a flame spreader was sold in the US as an "Imperial" brand and in the UK under the "Vulcan" brand name. The unique chimney for that burner was also patented by Emil Wild. Unfortunately, Emil Wild was apparently not an astute businessman. From what I can determine, Wild had an exclusive import arrangement with Bradley & Hubbard in the US and Catterson's in the UK, yet failed to put a performance clause in either contract. B &H was far more concerned with marketing their new line of center draft lamps than trying to market the more expensive, exquisite Imperial burner. And Catterson's in the UK was more interested in selling lamps in their London department store than actually working as a wholesale agent for the Vulcan line of lamps - to the point their Vulcan lamps actually had their own badge on the burner! (There are supposedly Vulcan lamps found in the UK without the Catterson's badge, so they apparently did some wholesale business.) Thus Imperial and Vulcan lamps are quite rare, which is a real shame because they were one of the cleanest burning lamp designs ever produced
Some history of Catterson's as generously supplied by Rob Gregor in Australia:
SP Catterson & Sons (Summarised version):-
Address was the Globe Lamp works, 87 to 89 Newington Causeway, Worthing, London SE1.
The Firm traded as "Lamp Manufacturers and Importers/Exporters" and their primary product line was Paraffin/Petroleum Lamps and Stoves. From the mid 1880's they exclusively sold limited quantities of the Wild & Wessel Lamps to one of the large London Department Stores and apparently had a small wholesale business in lamps as well.
They also had a smaller operation in Liverpool and that branch was called "The American Light Co" and it sold "Electrical Apparatus and Appliances".
In the 1930's, large sections of the UK economy were suffering contraction as a result of the "Great Depression" and Catterson's relatively narrow market segment had also contracted. Thus not only were they operating in a difficult economic environment but at that time they also became subject to serious and ongoing fraud by their head Cashier.
The fraud continued for at least 3 years due to inadequate internal controls and after it was finally detected and the culprit duly punished, it also resulted in a Court Case between Catterson's and their regular Auditors, in which they claimed the Auditors had been negligent by not detecting the fraud earlier.
It was noted by the Court that their Auditors had earlier advised Catterson's Directors on their 
business lacking adequate financial controls and they had also recommended a number of changes be made, but those were not put in place.
The following sequence of events is generally considered to have been the major factors in the business failure and they entered liquidation in 1937.
Contributing Factors
Catterson's, like many firms of their time, had underestimated the impact and the duration of the Western Worlds recession and they were also reluctant or unable to undertake rapid and significant restructuring. The financial cost from the long period of fraud was also significant and they then faced substantial costs from an unsuccessful Court Battle.
Court Decision (in summary):
SP Catterson & Sons [1937] 81 Acct LR 62
http://b.quizlet.com/a/i/spacer.Thhr.gifCourt stated:
Held in Auditors' favour
It was not part of their duties to tell directors how to run the business and they had no power to insist that their recommended changes were put into operation
(NOTE: The above article contains items which may be of interest to those who collect Wild & Wessel and Globe Vulkan Lamps but it is not meant as a complete history of SP Catterson & Sons PL. Should anyone have more complete detail, this will be welcomed.)