For sale is a 1960s RAY-O-VAC SPORTSMAN CHROME FLASHLIGHT. This flashlight has a ribbed design with a pyramid slide switch and a flash button. This flashlight stands about 6 inches tall and has a 1 1/2 inch diameter glass lens. The flashlight has a hanging ring at the base. This battery powered flashlight is untested. The flashlight has a Ray-O-Vac maker’s tag. A great collectible vintage flashlight.
Founded in 1906, James Ramsay, P.W. Strong, and Alfred Landau founded the French Battery Company to produce batteries for ignition systems and portable radios. Later, the company expanded to selling flashlights called the “French Flasher”. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh used Ray-O-Lite flashlights during his famous transatlantic flight. In 1930, the company was renamed to Ray-O-Vac to reflect the company’s use of new vacuum tube technologies. During WWII, the company supplied nearly 500 million batteries to the U.S. military.
