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 |
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| Style | |
| Production type | Mass 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.
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | CIRC.266-1971 |
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| Record created | March 23, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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