Mastering the art of making fire was a key step in human cultural development. Lighters eventually evolved as everyday companions, some of them in elaborate and appealing designs. The exhibition On fire: the Volker Putz lighter collection at the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg (MK&G) looks at the over 2000-year history of fire making based on the extensive private collection of the Hamburg entrepreneur Volker Putz. More than 300 lighters from all over the world will be on view, starting with simple fire strikers made of carbon steel dating as far back as the first century and progressing to electric lighters from the eighteenth century, all the way to modern flint lighters from the luxury brands Dunhill and Cartier. Also featured are rarities such as a lighter in a walking stick or in combination with a pocketknife or corkscrew. The focus is on the high-quality craftsmanship demonstrated by the makers and their workshops, where artisans used not only gold and silver but also Japanese and French lacquer art and enamel.

The first exhibition gallery traces the historical development of various lighter techniques, beginning with making fire by striking steel and flint to produce sparks, and continuing on to solar-powered igniters, mechanical wheel and flintlock lighters from the sixteenth century, Voltaic pile battery-powered igniters and Döbereiner’s lamp from the nineteenth century as well as twentieth-century examples of Art Deco and flint lighters.

The second part of the exhibition is devoted to lighters in the luxury segment, mainly from the Dunhill company. Alfred Dunhill was a leading supplier of fine lighters from the 1920s to the 50s. Silver and gold blanks were produced in two factories in England and Switzerland. The best workshops and artisans from all over the world then finished the blanks with lacquer, enamel, jade, precious stones and other valuable materials that were popular at the time. With innovations such as the installation of a clock mechanism and dial, the lighter was able to replace the pocket watch.