VTG c1964 Honolulu Hawaii Evening Star Benizuru Brother-Lite Advertising Lighter For Sale

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VTG c1964 Honolulu Hawaii Evening Star Benizuru Brother-Lite Advertising Lighter:
$74.50

Vintage early-1960s Brother-Lite “Automatic Super Lighter” advertising pocket lighter from Honolulu, Hawaii, featuring two different pieces of historic local advertising: Evening Star and Benizuru.

This is an especially interesting example of the classic flat Brother-Lite advertising lighter because the business address can be connected directly to Honolulu nightlife history.

One side reads:

EVENING STAR

1348 KAPIOLANI BLVD.

PHONE 995449

with bold mid-century script and an atomic-style four-point starburst graphic.

The reverse reads:

BENIZURU

1348 KAPIOLANI BLVD.

PHONE 995449

with its own distinctive period emblem.

Both advertisements sharing the same street address and telephone number makes this a fascinating surviving artifact from the changing nightlife scene along Kapiolani Boulevard.

Research into vintage Hawai‘i advertising lighters specifically identifies 1348 Kapi‘olani Boulevard as the home of the Evening Star bar in 1964. These promotional lighters served much like pocket-size business cards, carrying the name, address and telephone number of Honolulu bars, restaurants and other establishments.

The six-digit telephone number is another great period detail. Honolulu telephone directories from the beginning of the 1960s still show six-digit local dialing, supporting an early-1960s date for the advertising.

A surviving 1962 aviation publication also records “Tokiwa Benizuru” as a sponsor of a bowling league at Honolulu's Kapiolani Bowl, providing additional period evidence for the Benizuru name in Honolulu during the same era.

LIGHTER DETAILS

• Brand / Maker: Brother-Lite

• Model: Automatic Super Lighter

• Era: Circa early 1960s / approximately 1962–1964

• Country of Manufacture: Japan

• Type: Petrol / lighter-fluid pocket lighter

• Mechanism: Automatic squeeze-lever ignition

• Original wick present

• Gold-tone advertising panels

• Bright silver/chrome-tone mechanism and trim

• Approx. 2 1/4 inches wide — see measurement photograph

Brother-Lite Automatic Super Lighters of this form are documented as Japanese-made mid-century petrol lighters dating around the late 1950s and early 1960s.

CONDITION

Very attractive vintage condition following a careful surface cleaning. The silver-tone mechanism cleaned up beautifully and retains a strong bright shine.

The original gold-tone advertising surfaces remain intact with clearly readable Evening Star and Benizuru graphics, address and telephone number.

There is authentic age-related patina, mottling, discoloration, light scratches and surface wear, particularly to the gold advertising panels. This has intentionally not been aggressively polished away, preserving the original vintage character and graphics.

The automatic mechanism moves when operated and the original wick is present. Please refer closely to all photographs for exact cosmetic condition.

Unless otherwise stated, the lighter has not been tested with fuel and is being offered primarily as a vintage collectible. It will be empty of fuel when shipped.

A fantastic crossover piece for collectors of vintage cigarette lighters, Brother-Lite, Hawaiiana, old Honolulu memorabilia, Hawaii bar and nightclub advertising, mid-century advertising, Atomic Age design, restaurant memorabilia, vintage travel souvenirs and local-history collectibles.

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