Coleman 4A Instant Lighting Irons were made between 1929 and 1948. This brochure with its operating directions and service instructions would assist the user to repair their Coleman iron themselves. Petrol irons were useful in areas like Emerald without reliable electricity. Overheating, spillage, toxic exhaust gases and (sometimes) explosions were all possibilities to be avoided through careful monitoring by the user.This brochure accompanied a type of iron in use in Emerald before the advent of reliable electricity. Trifold brochure with service information and operating directions for a Coleman Iron. Trifold opens out to show operating instructions and service notes in French and Spanishpetrol iron, coleman 4a, emerald

Coleman, originally known for making lanterns, made over 30 different models of irons from 1929 to 1948. They generally came in an enamel coloured finish. The best known and most commonly found today is the “Cool Blue” enamel Coleman’s 4A gasoline iron. The Coleman 4A gasoline iron was much lighter than the previous ‘sad irons’ and no longer required to be heated on the stove or by charcoal. Instead, the pump was used to build up pressure in the fuel tank and a match was lit underneath the iron, making a flame inside the iron that would distribute the heat on the surface. Despite these benefits, fuels irons made ironing a potentially dangerous job. They had a very real possibility of causing a fire or exploding. Gas-pressure irons, that had been manufactured as early as 1900, were eventually replaced by electric-powered steam irons, in the 1970s as an affordable and safer alternative.This item is significant because it is an example of domestic appliances used widely throughout the Wodonga District.A self-heating iron which made from metal and enamel plate which included a small tank for fuel which powered the unit. A small wooden pump was used to build up pressure in the iron’s fuel tank. It has a wooden handle.domestic appliances, coleman fuel irons