Not on display

Cigarette Lighter

ca. 1938 (made), 1937 (designed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The streamlined shape of this Ronson cigarette lighter was a feature of the American Art Deco style. This piece was made about 1938 when American designers applied streamlining not just to means of transportation such as trains and motorcars but also to architecture and a wide range of consumer goods. Streamlining allowed designers to create a modern decorative style.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Chromium plated steel with a white plastic body
Brief description
Chromium plated steel and plastic, USA, ca.1938, made for Ronson.
Physical description
Made by Ronson, chromium plated table lighter with white plastic body. Rounded front sloping away in a flat form at back with milled bands for grip. A pencil-like piece pulls out of the top and the tip ignites the cigarette. On the base which is covered with felt is an adhesive label with working instructions.
Dimensions
  • Height: 9.2cm
  • Length: 11.1cm
  • Width: 5.6cm
Style
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
Marked on the top: Ronson Touch-Tip / US PAT 1986754 DES PAT 104955 Marked on the base within a recessed circle: Ronson Touch-Tip / US PATS 1986754 / DES PAT 97247 / British Pat Applied For Canada Pat 349108 / ART METAL WORKS INC NEWARK NJ USA
Summary
The streamlined shape of this Ronson cigarette lighter was a feature of the American Art Deco style. This piece was made about 1938 when American designers applied streamlining not just to means of transportation such as trains and motorcars but also to architecture and a wide range of consumer goods. Streamlining allowed designers to create a modern decorative style.
Bibliographic reference
Charlotte Benton and Tim Benton, "The Style of the Age" in Art Deco 1910-1939 ed. Charlotte Benton, Tim Benton and Ghislaine Wood, London, V&A, 2003, p.27 ill.
Collection
Accession number
CIRC.266-1971

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Record createdMarch 23, 2004
Record URL
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