The Zippo lighter has been iconic for a long time. The first one created by company founder George Blaisdell in 1932 is on display at the Zippo Case museum in Bradford, Pennsylvania. Shirley Evers, Zippo historian says it's a big year for the museum as the lighter celebrates it's 85th anniversary and the museum now marks it's 20th, saying "July 15th we are celebrating the Zippo Case Museum's twentieth anniversary."
Here at the museum you'll see the story of the world's most enduring, not so fancy fire starter. There's a Zippo lighter sculpture, lots and lots of lighters on display including the 500 millionth one made and dedicated in 2012.
Included with every Zippo lighter is a lifetime guarantee, and the Zippo repair clinic is on view at the museum. Here technicians rebuild the many lighters that arrive in various states of damage.
In 1993 Zippo acquired the Case Knife Company, and a good portion of the museum is dedicated to a popular product that has been on the cutting edge since the 1800's.
The Zippo Case museum is open daily, admission is free and you can find more information at their website.
