William Thomas George was born in Birmingham in 1884 and was a tin plate worker. He and his wife Ellene had a son Leslie Thomas George. The firm W T George & Co was formed sometime later. In 1939 his firm produced ship lamps. The Patent Number GB546575 on the lamp's plate was assigned to Leslie Thomas George in 1941 for improvements in, or relating to, ships' lanterns. From that time the patent number was affixed to their namufactured Meteorite lights. The ship navigation lamp is important as an example of the evolution of marine safety technology. Countries began passing laws and regulations in the 1830s that required ships to show navigation lights at night or in poor weather. From the late 1840s colours were standardised; red for portside of the vessel and green for starboard, a white masthead light, and a white light at anchor. By 1914 the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea was formed and continues, with decisions and notifications on improvements and changes.. Lamp; Portside ship's lamp is rounded in the front with two flat sides coming to a point at the rear. Glass has circular ridging. Metal handle with lid and clasp. The reflector has red colouring. Inscribed on fixed plates on the front, with maker's details and Patent number. This Meteorite lantern was made by W T George and Co Ltd, of Birmingham. "Port" "W T George and Co Ltd" "Sherlock Street Birmingham" "Meteorite 68990 Patented No 546575 and others pending"warrnambool, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum, flagstaff hill maritime village, portside ships lamp, portside, port lamp, ship's lamp, marine lamp, navigation lamp, w t george & co, coloured lens, red lens, ship fitting, marine technology, navigation light, signal lamp, leslie thomas george, gb546575, patent gb546575, meteorite, lantern, lamp, light

This item appears to be a 20th-century lamp, modelled after an earlier version of a wall-mounted kerosene lamp. Authentic kerosene lamps were typically crafted from copper or brass, renowned for their durability and traditional aesthetic. In contrast, contemporary reproductions are often manufactured using alternative materials and processes, reflecting changes in production methods and cost considerations.The lamp is modelled after marine kerosene navigation lamps that were widely used throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. These lamps played a significant role in maritime history, providing essential lighting for navigation on vessels during this era. As a representation of this period’s maritime lighting technology, the lamp serves as an example of the type of equipment that would have been commonplace aboard ships of the time. Marine lamp: navigation lamp, portside. Metal Kerosene lamp with two flat sides and a curved, rippled red glass front window. The name "port" is inscribed on a fixed brass plaque. A round chimney is on top of the lid opens with a catch. The fuel tank and wick can be removed through the base. The metal appears to be electroplated.Inscribed on the plaque; "PORT"flagstaff hill, flagstaff hill maritime museum and village, warrnambool, maritime museum, maritime village, great ocean road, shipwreck coast, ship's lamp, kerosene lamp, navigation lamp, ship's equipment, safety equipment, port lamp