Ships lanterns

[bluenose2]

Hello Les here. I have a question about the stern lantern on a ship. On my model of Cook's ship HMB Endeavour, the glass supplied is red. Would the glass have been clear with a red light or is this correct?

[smatsik]

Les,

 

Just thinking in general terms here, but in that time frame light would be coming from a flame of some type. Coloring a flame in a controlled manner is not easy so I would expect them just put colored glass in front of the flame if they need a colored light. Until solid state lighting developed most colored lights other than the "neon" variety were just colored glass on a regular bulb. So Cook probably did not have access to a colored light separate from the lantern glass.

 

Hoss

[druxey]

At this time period the panes (glass, horn or mica) would have been almost clear. Some lanterns may have been painted red inside the structure, though. Perhaps the kit designer was confused by this.

[bluenose2]

Hello druxey. Les here. In general would a stern lantern have lit red? I agree that the glass or what ever would have clear or opaque. But if so what would have a ship done to make the light appear red if that is correct?

[S.Coleman]

Would it of been red glass or a yellow? Just trying to think if the lanterns were for lighting or red as in a navigation light of some sort? 

[mtaylor]

The old lanterns were either large candles although some were oil fed via a wick down either in the Great Cabin, or the deck below it.   So, the flame would have been yellow.  This era was before the red/green navigation lights and the lanterns were more for position within the fleet at night.  There was somewhere, a small lantern that would come out after dark for a couple of hours to inidicate it was ok for the crew to break out their pipes and smoke... the smoking lamp.    So clear glass and not colored.  If illuminating via LED, then use a yellow one.