Hello All,
I picked up a small smoker from an antique shop in Texas. The smoker is 
unlike those I have seen before. I believe the smoker dates to 1903. 1903 
was a year of change in the smoker industry. Root added the junior smoker to 
its line. The root junior can be easily spotted because of the top not 
having a hinge, small size and the Root trademark snout.
The little smoker I found is not a ROOT junior smoker but is very similar.
The snout is like the 1903 (Woodman) Bingham. Yet the top does not have a 
hinge ( like the same year Root junior).
Beekeeping smoker  history from 1903:
In 1903 the direct draft smoker was maunfactured by the Woodman company 
UNDER the Bingham patent. Its easy to see the 1903 Woodman/Bingham does not 
look like the earlier Bingham smokers. The 1903 Woodman model had a top 
which could direct smoke on the hive in an upright position . Once the 
difference is shown to the novice the two smokers are easy to tell apart. At 
least for me until this little fellow happened along.
The little smoker I have got looks exactly like the woodman bingham except 
for two details which are no hinge on the top and the upper bellows mount is 
upside down . Both look factory to me and others which have looked at the 
smoker.
The diminsions for the unknown smoker are  three inch for the stove  (the 
stove size was two and a half for the Root 1903 junior by comparison). The 
bellows diminsions for the unknown smoker are  four in. by five inches. The 
height of the stove is five and a half inches.

does the list know if Woodman made a junior smoker?

 My 1903 Woodman Bingham smoker I own has a four inch stove and the stove is 
seven inch tall. The bellows is five inch wide and eight inch tall. hinged 
top with correct bellows mounts.

I have just returned from a trip. Thought I would ask as quicker than 
calling Paul Jackson or Wyatt M.

Did Bingham/Woodman make a junior smoker? If so when?  Root made an improved 
junior in 1926 which had a three and a quarter inch stove and five inch high 
but had the Root snout still and the top hinge was correct.

I am trying to figure out who had the junior first. Root or Woodman. Using 
an idea with a slight change was common with the early masters.

Thanks in advance.

bob

bob 


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