Operation Brass Lamp

I recently purchased a copy of the October 1953 edition of Connecticut Circle Magazine on e-bay. It contained a story about Operation Brass Lamp, and my father's connection with the Bridgeport Brass Company.

One day in 1953, while driving his 1907 Rolls Royce down New York's Riverside Drive, one of the beautiful brass headlamps came loose from its moorings, fell off and under the wheels—damaged beyond repair. My father called his friend, Herman Steinkraus, President of The Bridgeport Brass Company, who agreed to help. The expert craftsmen were able to recreate the unusual self-generating carbide headlamp. "Operation Brass Lamp" culminated with my father presenting a free concert for all 13,500 employees, friends and families of the company in the Fairfield University band shell on the evening of July 28,1953.

They presented him with a replica of the headlamp made of flowers, part of which came loose, hence his rather unusual headband in the photo. The distinguished gentleman on the left is Herman Steinkraus.