A little bit of Cambridge returns to Manchester after 50 years in Milan

Now, in a country which is known for style the classic Ronson Varaflame held its own against all that Italian design could throw at it.

It was introduced in 1957, and was one of the world’s first gas lighters, which was refilled by those distinctive blue torpedo tubes, which when empty ended up as a prop on my model railway.

I remember the lighter well, mainly because it looked so modern in a house still dominated by clunky heavy unfashionable objects from the late 1940s.

And today, holding one in my hand, it combines a robust solid body with that pioneering aerodynamic shape, and it knocked the socks off everything else  that was around at the time.

Mother had one, which she cherished, but I rather think it has long been lost.

All of which made the discovery of Simone’s Varaflame a real find.

It was bought sometime in the early 1960s, in Cambridge, and travelled to Italy a decade later where it  busied itself doing the business for sixty years, and has now made its way to Manchester.

Sadly, the Kodak Instamatic, 304, has not be joined it.  

It first appeared in 1965 and was one of the more sophisticated instamatics, which along with others in the Kodak range introduced a generation to low-cost photography, and in turn had many imitators.

But as fun as it still looks, it is old smelly photography, relying on film, chemicals, and a dark room to recreate its magic.

And we have embraced the digital alternative.  So if it made its way to Manchester, it would just sit in a corner of the study, gathering dust, but never likely to be put on the market for sale

Such are the relics of family history.

It was also bought in Cambridge in the 1960s, left with the family for Italy, but will stay in that country.

Location; Cambridge, Varese, Manchester

Pictures, Ronson Varaflame, 1957, and the Kodak Instamatic, 304, 1965, 2020, from the collection of Andrew Simpson