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Billhead of the Month - Dietz Lanterns



Robert Edwin Dietz was born in 1818 at New York. His grandfather kept a tannery in the city and also was the first manufacturer of glue in the city. At age 15 he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter trade with Cornelius McLean. Dietz did not like the work and after a few months left Dietz to work for Cr Taylor a fishing tackle and sporting goods dealer. He remained employed with Taylor until the business failed. He then found a position with the hardware firm Cornell, Althause & Co. In 1834 he became acquainted with Mr. Jennings who had discovered a process of mixing equal parts spirits of turpentine and pure alcohol to produce a bright light called spirit gas. Dietz became very interested this new artificial light. In 1836, Dietz purchased a German lamp and began experimenting with artificial light. In 1837, Dietz soon entered employment with the Adam W. Spies & Co. and became volunteer fireman in the city. In 1839, Dietz booked passage to Mobile Alabama where he secured a position in William Chamberlain’s hardware store were he remained until the spring of 1840 when he resigned and returned to New York.


In 1840, at the age of 22, Dietz purchased a lamp and oil business in Brooklyn. Due to the success of his business, he was able to take his brother William into the firm and it became Dietz, Brother & Co. The brothers opened a lamp store in New York City and were the inventors and sole manufacturers of the Doric lamp. After 1855, the firm name changed to Dietz & Co. when three more brothers were admitted to the firm. At that point, Dietz had built a large factory for the manufacturer of lamps, burners, and gas fixtures. Dietz’ first manufactured lamps were for burning sperm oil, he soon made lamps to burn camphene, coal oil, rock oil and kerosene.

In 1860, Dietz & Co. opened a store in London which was run by brother, Michael Dietz. That same year the firm issued its first catalog which consisted of 40 pages illustrated with wood cuts and printed in colors. Michael eventually became the sole owner of the London business until his death in 1883 when the firm name changed to Dietz, David & Co.


In 1868 the firm of Dietz & Smith was formed. The new firm became turning out tubular lanterns. That same year the bicycle craze hit the city and bicycles were sold at a profit of $20 each. Smith wanted to cash in on the craze and purchased $6,000 worth of bicycles on firm credit. Dietz disagreed with this decision and offered to buy out Smith’s interest in the firm. Smith wanted $25,000 in cash which Dietz could not provide so Dietz sought an injunction on the business. In 1869, Smith and Dietz compromised and Dietz paid him $17,500 for his interest. Dietz then continued the business under the name R.E. Dietz.

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