Since I was a child, I was fascinated by flashlights, especially ones that you can power with your hands. This continued to be an interest since my training is in electrical and mechanical engineering. I got my first dynamo flashlight in 1976 as an adolescent, and that’s why my collection doesn’t go any further than that year. Also, with the advent of plastic and Chinese mass production, the dynamo flashlight became a toy instead of a useful contraption that my grandfather talked about at the end of the First World War. He lived in what is now the Czech Republic and batteries were scarce and very expensive. More recently, a German friend of mine told me that, as a child after the Second World War, she used to go to the forest to get wood with a dynamo flashlight lighting her way.
With internet making information readily available, I discovered a whole world of dynamo flashlights, which got me going with my collection. All the flashlights in my collection are in working order. Some of the flashlights were in such bad shape that I had to repair them using spare parts from two or three “donors” of the same model.
The flashlights in this webpage are categorized according to periods and countries. The periods are: First World War, in-between wars, Second World War, Cold War until 1976. The countries are listed according to where the flashlights were manufactured.
As with most collections, this one is far from complete. I’m still in search of 20 or more flashlights that are out there. Any information would be welcome. Enjoy.
Flashlights 