WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT ME?
In my spare time, I like to play with lanterns. No big deal.
About Joseph Bokanoski
My name is Joseph Bokanoski, and my journey into the world of antique lanterns started rather simply — one day at a local flea market with my wife. I came across a lantern, and something about it immediately caught my attention.
What started as an interest quickly became an obsession.
The more I learned about these incredible pieces of history, the more fascinated I became. It wasn't just the lanterns themselves — it was the engineering, patents, manufacturers, inventors, advertising, and stories behind them. Every marking, every design change, and every unusual feature seemed to lead to another piece of history waiting to be uncovered.
Over the years, collecting turned into researching, and researching turned into a passion for preserving and sharing the history of lighting collectibles.
My primary collecting interest is the fascinating world of early removable-globe patents and the evolution of lantern design. I'm always looking for the next unusual lantern, patent, document, advertisement, or piece of information that can help tell the story of how these remarkable objects were made and used.
That passion eventually grew into The Antique Lantern, a place where collectors can come together to shop, research, collect, and discover. Through the website, my collections, research, restoration work, and the Lantern Vault, I hope to preserve information that might otherwise be lost and make it available to fellow collectors.
I've also created Lantern Joe Auctions, where I bring my love of collecting together with the excitement of buying and selling. Our auctions give collectors an opportunity to discover interesting pieces while helping collections find new homes.
Many of you may already know me from the collecting community. For those who don't, you can usually find me hanging out on my Facebook groups, talking lanterns, researching something new, or chasing down the next piece of lantern history.
And the journey continues every day.
— Joseph Bokanoski
The Antique Lantern / Lantern Joe Auctions
Below is some pieces from my collection
View my past displays here.
mason tubular
new england fixed globe
nail city paulls patent lantern
william westlake patent
steam gauge lantern co no5t fireman
ohio lantern co parade lamp
c.t. ham fireman lantern
meyrose little boss
j.j. marcy patent
nail city paulls patent