WARSAW, NY (WKBW-TV) — When Eric Szucs discovered that lanterns had once been manufactured in Wyoming County, he started collecting them. He says "It was definitely a COVID thing, I probably had a little too much time on my hands like a lot of people."
To date he estimates he has collected as many as two-hundred lanterns. Since many of the pieces are between eighty and one hundred years old, he spends time fixing them up.
Eric says "To take something and bring it back to life, it's sort of my need to tinker. Usually a lot of elbow grease, steel wool, wire brushes-stuff like that."
He has researched the lanterns and has become so knowledgeable that he has been giving talks to a variety of groups about his fascinating hobby.
You can find Eric Szucs on Instagram at "The Lantern Lab" where he shares photos of his collection and lanterns that are works in progress. He says "If the electricity ever goes out-I'm good to go."
