Constantin, what do you know about this?

Steve D_7

Canasta Pete

Constantin

Do you know anything about the company, when it was made etc?

Tony Conner_2

The...

...swastika is an ancient good luck symbol that predates the Nazi's by - I dunno - couple of thousand years or more. Crane used it prior to WWII. I'll bet it's an old Crane boiler.

Steamhead (in transit)

Guess again, guys

That boiler has shown up here before. We think it was made by Burnham, they had a line called the "Swasteeka" which was made in the 1920s. See the Beacon PDF in the Library for boilers made before 1959, the Swasteeka appears there.

"Steamhead"

bob_50

Nazi

germany didn't adopt that symbol until 1935. That boiler is a lot older than that.

Tony Conner_2

See...

... the attached scan from the 1917 Crane catalogue. Other manufacturers could have used the swastika. Crane made boilers at one time, did they not? Who did they sell their boiler biz to?

Tony Conner_2

See...

... the attached scan. It's from the 1917 Crane Catalogue. I suppose other manufacturers could have used the swastika prior to it's nasty association with the Nazi's. Crane made boilers, once upon a time, did they not? Who did they sell their boiler biz to?

John_102

A universal symbol

far older than the gang of criminals that hijacked it and as much of the rest of the world they could grab. You can find such symbols in the Nwe World and throughout Europe and Asia. Australia & Oceania & Africa, for all I know ('though we could find out...)
Usual reference is to the sun - the arms are rdiating from the center - appropriate to a boiler, methinks.

Mad Dog_2

I've definitely seen them on very old Burnhams

As Tony said....older than the Third Reich's use of the symbol. Mad Dog

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Joe_55

No... I think this boiler dates back to maybe the eleventh century.........take note of the "Crusaders Insignia" on the firebox door.Or perhaps the "Iron cross of the Red Baron" JMHO.

ScottMP

Interesting

I was always led to beleive that the swastika sign was a very old sign of good luck and peace amoung others and that the Nazi regime had reversed the direction of it.

After checking on a few websites there seems to be no consense in the direction of the symbol. Some show it one way and others a different direction.

It still is repulsive to see.

Scott

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Firedragon_4

Walked into a basement

one day and came across a huge Burnham boiler in a pit that had that on it, it was just at eye level.
It scared the heck out of me in the near dark, didn't know what I had found.

My Dad was a Ranger in WWII and my mother is a war-bride (Luxembourg) so you can imagine the stories I heard growing up. Add to that that my Uncle was a resistance member and spent 3 years in a concentration camp, well just imagine where my head was.

Here's the kicker, it was in a Catholic church on Mass. Ave. in Cambridge, MA.

When I told the pastor how it had struck me he said 'come look at this'. He took me outside and big as day along with a cross, a lamb, a lion and the other marks of the gospel and church is the swatzika on the front of the church!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He said the same as many here, that it had been a sign of faith and luck to immigrants from Europe and they wanted it up there. It's gone now, wonder why???

Constantin

Hi Pete,

Sorry I couldn't help, but it looks like the Wall has answered your question. Is this mammoth beast going to get replaced or were you there on a service call?

Uni R

Winston

Firedragon, no wondering required.

There is a town in Northern Ontario (still) called Swastika. You wouldn't believe how close it came to being renamed Winston (after Churchill) during WWII.

Glen

Good luck sysmbol -

used by countless peoples. A local artist has focussed on the symbol for years. Have a look at his website - http://www.manwoman.net/ Even the coastal peoples of B.C. used the swastika in their basket designs. You will be surprised where the symbol crops up - and I highly recommend Manny's book - it was a good read.

Supply House Rick

Wow...

It sure looks like whoever made it was part of the War Machine! Scary images to say the least. Being Irish, I say let's have a pint and hope that never happens again.
Cead Mille Falte, Slainte
Rick

[Deleted User]

I have to wonder

why this post was originally directed at Constatine

Unknown

As others have stated

The use of the Swastika was commonplace in the eary 1900's. It was well known as a symbol of Good Luck and Success. They appeared throughout the world on everything from boilers and buildings and were even on the flags of some countries. Hitler of course changed the true meaning by adopting it as his own symbol. I have seen old Burnham "Swastika" boilers out in the field as well as Crane and the brand you are showing here. Interesting enough, the next time you happen to frequent any old "Federal Style" government building such as an older Post Office, take a real close look at the scrolling around the outside of the building or even in the lobby and you will see this symbol there also. Here is a photo of an old Aird Don Swastika boiler living its life out in a field in Schenectady, NY. Hope this helps.


Glenn Stanton

Manager of Training

Burnham Hydronics

U.S. Boiler Co., Inc.

Mad Dog_2

We can hope all we want...........................

Taking action was the only way to stop the Third Reich and Hitler. We should have learned that "appeasement but begets new and bloodier war," (General Douglas Mac Arthur). Monsters, the terrorists included, need to be destroyed "over there" before the can destroy more of us, over here. From one Irishman to another, Slainte Rick. Mad Dog

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DanHolohan

I have heating books

from the 1920s with that symbol on the binding. It's thousands of years old.

DanHolohan

Out of nastiness, I suppose.

I edited the post, and wrote to the author. Hopefully, he'll take a more mature approach in the future when he has something to say.

[Deleted User]

It must have been since the equipment is clearly older

than our faithful homeowner friend is. Thanks for your incisive intervention.

[Deleted User]

Your sentiment is appreciated

though It would probably be better to start a new thread...

S Ebels

Me too

A four volume set called "Cyclopedia of Heating, Plumbing and Sanitation", written by the American Technical Society. Each of the four volumes has the Swastika displayed on the cover.

Supply House Rick

How old?

Dan, what do you think? I wonder if the guy who did the asbestos is still alive. I'll bet he truly is a Dead Man. I think Canasta might have really been asking for Constantin's help in his deranged sarcastic way. I will give Constantin credit, he does more research right or wrong than anybody else...
Rick

john_27

dan is correct...the symbol was originally assyrian I think
.....Rudyard Kipling's books have a swastika in their frontispiece as a symbol of good luck.

Steamhead (in transit)

Crane sold out

to Slant/Fin around 1970 or so.

leo g_13

A bit of research I did

years ago, pointed me towards India. What I remember is that the Swastika was/is a Hindu symbol. I'll see if I still have the school work. LOL!

Leo G

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dann crist_2

boy scouts

of america also used this symbol way before the war.

ed wallace

swatstica

on the south shore of MA. town of Hull the town hall has or had tiles with that symbol tiles installed in the 1880s or so

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leo g_13

Wikipedia

here is the best site I could find on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swastika#History

Leo G

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