ID this carrier?
 

Spotted on a derelict bike. Thought it might be a bottle carrier of some type, but it just didn’t seem to suit that use.
While I have since determined its actual purpose, I am wondering what others might think it was the design intent.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...26420205d.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...bc96d0a7c.jpeg

Never seen something like it. Can the ends lock together if the bottle is more vintage?

Did you pick this up as a project?

If it has a spring on the clamps it is probably still a bottle/canteen/flask carrier.

Nope, ends don’t lock together. And the one in the photo stayed on the bike but I found another for sale which I will add to a bike at some point.

I saw a spring on one side after I posted so nonspring side down, the spring side on top? Makes since. How strong is the spring now?

There are springs on both sides, with a light clamping force. And it is NOT a bottle or flask holder.

Flashlight holder?

Not that either

A baguette would fit nicely, or even a flute or campagnard...

I know there are cell-phone mounts now... maybe to hold a telegraph key and wire in case you break down and need to tap into a line? :)
Second guess is to hold a spare inner tube.

I think it's to hold a whale-oil lantern.

Yours is the closest guess yet.

Doctors bag holder?

A baguette? Mais non! Any baguette fresh enough to be worth eating would be crushed by such a device.

Newspaper - or tubular tire holder?

I just saw something similar recently, too - might have been here, or Ebay. But I can't remember!

DD

We have a winner! It is a Portagiornale, aka a carrier for a newspaper. The one I got may end up on the errand bike as a newspaper holder as it is intended, but it would make an interesting spare tire hold.

Thanks for for all of the guesses.

It holds your Marlboro cigarettes without crushing them

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/18/79...093f79a914.jpg

I was really hoping it was, in fact, the whale oil lantern holder.:(

I am sure that if you find a whale oil lantern, it will fit in this holder without any problems. Now finding the whale oil......

In this day and age there is probably a 100% eco-friendly, renewable, synthetic whale oil substitute available :D Thanks for sharing the carrier, it's neat, haven't seen one of those before.

I remember these from when I was a kid, many many years ago. They used them to carry papers - bills, errands lists, small clipboards, etc., not only newspapers.

Baguette clamp!