Thomas Radium C.R. Jar (ca. 1922-1924)

Click here for a detailed history about R.W. Thomas, the Revigator and the Thomas Cone

The Thomas Radium CR jar was the forerunner of the Revigator, and produced by what later became the Radium Ore Revigator Company.

The change of name from Thomas Radium Jar to Revigator occurred in late 1924.

This particular jar is similar to the Revigator in a couple of obvious ways: the insides of the jars are lined with a porous yellowish uranium ore, and the color of the ceramics is a light tan. The only real difference is their shape. The most common type of Revigator looks something like a cooling tower while this jar is shaped like a barrel. It even has raised bands simulating a barrel's metal hoops. The lid, alas, is missing in this example.

It was intended to be filled with water so that the water would be charged with "niton" (i.e., radon) and then consumed.

The text on the front of the jar reads: Thomas Radium C.R. Patented 7, 16, 12 other pat's pdg. "Thomas" obviously refers to the man credited with inventing the Revigator: R.W. Thomas. The "C.R." stands for "Charging Receptacle(s)." The patent date (7, 16, 12) refers to U.S. Patent 1,032,951 taken out by Curt Schmidt in which he described the construction of such jars in very general terms.

The most common version of the Thomas Radium C.R. jar (unfortunately not in the collection) is shorter and has straight sides. The text on the barrel-shaped version seen here and on the straight-sided version is identical.

Read about a "missing link" Revigator jar that is identical to the straight sided version of the Thomas Radium CR jar.

Size: ca. 15" tall, 12" maximum diameter

Exposure rate: ca. 20 uR/hr above background at one foot