Thursday, October 17, 2024

Revealed: 2024 Edition Mystery Objects

Another Mystery Object identification quiz has come and gone.
There were six objects pictured, and all were correctly identified except for #1, the Bee item.

Pipistrello was the “winner” with four correct identifications, followed closely by Tundra Bunny (three-and-a-half correct) and Mariette and Rosemary, each with three correct answers.

Congratulations to all the successful entrants, and to all those who wrote in with such interesting answers. Often even the incorrect answers provide a lot of illumination on the objects, highlighting their history and related forms.

Here are the answers to the 2024 mystery objects:




#1  Scatter Tag for Coal Delivery Service 

This was the object that caused the greatest confusion, and which no one guessed correctly. I imagine the problem was the bee decoration, which led to thoughts of bees and honey, whereas the only bee connection was with the Darbee coal company name. The Darbee brand was apparently used by Sigmon Coal in Coalgood (also known as Mary Helen), in Harlan County, Kentucky.
 
Years ago, many houses had coal-burning furnaces, and had their coal delivered to a coal bin in the basement. There was often considerable competition among the coal companies, and they would throw in a handful of scatter tags with each delivery to remind customers where to re-order.

These scatter tags, like the Darbee one, were colorful and easy to spot, and being made of foil or cardboard, would burn up readily with the coal.

There are innumerable varieties of scatter tags, made in many shapes, and they have been a popular collectible for years. It seems that most of those that survived were from unused supplies, as any plucked from the coal pile would likely be dented and covered with black coal dust, although I am sure that did not deter some juvenile collectors.

This colorful Red Clover Coal tag added a touch of elegance as well as color. 

This cardboard one from the Green River Fuel Company looks exactly like a milk bottle cap (I’ll bet a lot of scatter tags were made with the same card stock and machinery). The fact that it is from Mogg, Kentucky, a ghost town, makes it extra appealing to me.

 

Here is an advertising blotter from 1940 that lets you imagine these tags sprinkled among the black lumps of coal.


I spoke too soon. Looking through my files, I found this Grenadier tag that has obviously spent some time with the coal. We see that “It Has Been Pine-O Processed. Note the Fragrance.” Although I’m sure that plain burning coal didn’t smell any too good, as one who hates all perfumes, that sounds like my worst nightmare.


Scatter tags alone not providing enough nirvana for some coal companies, they reinforced the tags with these brass plaques nailed to the coal been, yet another reminder with whom to do business. This one advertises Day E. Hixson dealing in Old Company’s Lehigh Coal, a coal for which there is no shortage of the famous red dot scatter tags illustrated on the plaque (or the coal itself--it is still available). There is truly no end to the artifact trail from home coal delivery.




#2 Retractable Champagne Stirrer or Swizzle Stick

This was correctly identified by Mariette, Tundra Bunny, Pipistrello, Rosemary, The Vintage Contessa and Jenny Woolf. Debra gets partial credit by identifying it as a whisk, but not specifying what for.

I should have guessed that this would be the most identified item, after that earlier post in which a number of readers thought that the baby holding a bunch of keys was getting into the liquor cabinet.

Back in the early 20th century, it was stylish to own one of these champagne stirrers. Despite many people appreciating champagne for its fizz, apparently some people did not like the bubbles, so stirring it would make it flat. On the other hand, swizzle sticks were also used to mix or froth up other types of mixed drinks, so you can take your pick, more bubbles or fewer.

Most of these were made in sterling silver or gold, and I imagine that they were honorific gifts bought at stores like Tiffany, Cartier, or Asprey’s “for the person who had everything.” Probably they were never much used, at least to take to a party, as using them would render them wet and probably sticky, and even after rinsing not desirable to put back in a case or pocket. For use at home there were non-retractable versions, although for home use the retractable ones would protect the delicate tines.

Here is the same stirrer in the closed position.

 

 

#3  Hay Knife

Mariette, Rosemary and Pipistrello all identified this item.

These large hay knives were common farm tools, used to cut apart bales of hay or straw. There are videos of them being used on Youtube.  






#4  Rotary Telephone Dialer

Tundra Bunny and Rosemary both recognized this item.

Remember when dial telephones were everywhere? The dials would become dirty and possibly germ-laden. Moreover, many women wore white gloves which could become soiled by dialing a rotary telephone.

Enter the telephone dialer. These were very common items, many of them plastic advertising give-aways, but some made like fine jewelry. I thought more people would remember the scene in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, in which Audrey Hepburn and her boyfriend are shopping at Tiffany’s, but cannot afford anything there except a sterling telephone dialer.


Note the small lip at the bottom, which would engage the thin plate of the dial, to aid in dialing and to prevent slipping on long numbers like “9” or “0”.

 

 

#5  Nutmeg Grater
 
This item was completely and correctly identified by Mariette, The Vintage Contessa and Pipistrello. I decided to give partial credit to Tundra Bunny and Kirk, who could tell that it was a small grater used for spices and the like. But only the first three specified nutmeg, and nutmeg graters make up such a large class of collectibles that when I checked online, there were over twelve books specifically on collecting nutmeg graters. Some specialized in American examples, while others listed English ones, and some limited themselves to silver specimens.

Many nutmeg graters (especially those silver ones) closed completely with the nutmeg stored inside, so they could be kept in the pocket and carried around. This larger one looks like it was for use in a kitchen.


The working parts and similarity to other types of graters are apparent in this interior photo.

 


#6  Bonus Item: Lamp

Or rather Rube-Goldberg-esque Lamp Sculpture.

This was a bonus item because obviously it is a kind of Frankenstein lamp made of cannibalized parts that originally had other uses. Still, Debra, Tundra Bunny and Pipistrello were able to see through the tricks and correctly identify it.

The Smith and Oby Company in Cleveland, as Tundra Bunny mentioned, is still in business. When I bought this, I called them up and they identified it as potentially the handiwork of their old employee Fred Schmidt, who was also a part-time sculptor.

They led me to his son, Jerry Schmidt, who is currently an artist in Cleveland who works on large-scale metal sculptures. His verdict: “I’ve seen him when I was little work with funky lights, sounds and tinkering with this type of stuff! I would probably say this was dad’s!”
 


Here is proof that the lamp still works. Don’t worry, I inspected the wiring and electrical connections before trying it!

Here are the side and back of the lamp, illustrating how it is put together. 





Usually, I add some tiny print at the bottom stating that all objects and photos are “property of the author.” My sister is also an enthusiastic collector, and we now collect these mystery items together—in fact, it is hard to say where one collection stops and the other begins. So the phrase “author” definitely includes both of us.

I want to thank everyone who participated in this quiz. As before, the tabulation was complex, so if I made any errors, just point them out and I will fix them. If you have any observations or additional questions, please let me know in the comments.


All original objects and photos are property of the author.



Wednesday, October 9, 2024

More Mystery Objects (2024 Edition)

It has been a while since I had a Mystery Item post, and the objects keep piling up. Here are five items for your consideration, with a sixth bonus item, that cover various aspects of common use. These are all Western items, many of them uniquely so, while others have their counterparts in different cultures.

As usual, write your guesses or identifications for any or all of the objects in the comments. Correct answers will not be visible until the reveal, but incorrect or somewhat-off answers will be posted, often with an additional clue.


 

#1    
This object is, for obvious reasons, dedicated to Debra She Who Seeks. This is about an inch (2.5cm) wide, and made of thin metal, although other materials were also common. I had to remove the writing on it, so as not to give away the answer.



#2  
In an attempt to add a little class to this blog, I decided to introduce this object. The present example is made of silver, although gold specimens are often encountered. It is about six inches long (15cm) when open and ready for use, as shown in the photo.



#3  
I had wanted one of these for a long time, and this summer, at a flea market in Mesopotamia, I found this example. This useful object is about three feet (one meter) long, and while they come in several styles, none of them are tiny.


 

#4
Technology has made this object (about three inches/eight cm long) somewhat obsolete, although it certainly can still be used, and was quite convenient not all that long ago. This one is even suspended on a neck chain to keep it handy.



#5 
This is one of the most protean of daily objects—there seemed to be a contest to see in how many different shapes these could be made. This one is small, about three inches (8cm) long, and made of metal, with of course its tiny wooden handle—although not all of them have such handles.



#6   Bonus Mystery Object
This object is rather large and heavy, about 10 inches (25cm) wide, and is the most complicated of today’s items. Its many parts combine to have a definite practical function, and the whole is still in working order.

 

I am looking forward to your identifications, guesses, and comments.


 

(All objects and photos of the same collection of the author.)







Sunday, January 21, 2024

Photo Caption Challenge Results


Thanks to all of you who responded to my baby photo caption contest. This post was really a treat for myself, as I got to enjoy a laugh or smile as each entry arrived.

Incidentally, of the three babies, the second one is definitely a boy, named William Austin. I cannot be sure whether Austin is his middle or family name. I have a feeling/vague memory that the cornet baby is also a boy, but I only have a copy of the front here, and all three actual photos are in Cleveland. The people of yesteryear were unfortunately just as guilty as we are in neglecting to label photos.

Those who sent in replies were:

Mariette
Tundra Bunny 
Debra She Who Seeks 
Kirk    
Roughterrain crane  
Rosemary 
Architect Design 
The Vintage Contessa 
(Note: The Contessa has recently changed blog hosts, and the above link is the new and correct one. I was dismayed to have been out of touch with her for a while.)


Here are the captions you supplied:

#1 Key Baby:


   I picked Daddy's pocket. Now to find the liquor cabinet.  (Kirk)
   Hey, I finally got the keys to the liquor cabinet: let's PAR-TAY!  (Tundra Bunny)

NB: I hadn't known that my readers were such a bibulous lot!


   Look! I've found my keys but where are my glasses?  (Rosemary)
   Shows such perfect lace work and a happy baby which is KEY!  (Mariette)
   What are you looking at, tough guy?  (Architect Design)
   Mine!  (Contessa)
   Thanks Mum! No, of course I won't scratch it!  (Rosemary)
   I promise I'll have it back by midnight, Dad.  (Kirk)
   I hold the key to make the world happier than ever.  (roughterrain crane)


#2 Baby With Stuffed Animal


   Are you sure it's got no teeth?  (Rosemary)
   Why couldn't I have been born in an era with cute plush toys instead of this ugly hell hound?   (Debra She Who Seeks)
   Trust my cheapskate parents to get me a public domain Winnie-the-Pooh.   (Kirk)
   You said I'd get a Steiff teddy bear if I was good...   (Tundra Bunny)
   Bear is not yet a bosom friend!  (Mariette)
   No! I am not going to cuddle it.  (Rosemary)
   What do you mean he's cuter than me?  (Architect Design)
   I don't trust this babysitter   (Kirk)
   May I take the baby for a walk?  (roughterrain crane)
   Do I have to?  (Contessa)


 
 
 
#3 Cornet Baby  

   I asked for a rattle.  (Rosemary)
   You mean I have to play my own lullaby?!  (Kirk)
   You want me to blow what where?!   (Tundra Bunny)
   But it's bigger than me!  (Architect Design)
   Guess that cornet was COLD  (Mariette)
   Mama, just stop kissing dada and make the pleasant noise!  (roughterrain crane)
   Big to be a RATTLE!  (Contessa)
   Noooo Dad, I said I wanted a cornetto, not a cornet! (A cornetto is an ice cream in a cone in the UK)  (Rosemary)

Note that “cornetto” is also an obsolete musical instrument, with finger holes and a cupped mouthpiece. It was often called a cornet (i.e., little horn), but to avoid confusion with the modern cornet, it is usually today called a cornett, cornetto, or zink. (Photo via Wikipedia)


Good job, everyone! It is surprising how often we could have matched the entries to their writers simply by what they said. I am lucky to have such a varied and interesting group of readers, and I am grateful that so many of you have not forgotten my blog during my long absence.

I enjoyed all of your entries. If you get a sudden new inspiration, or have some general comment, be sure to reply below.

I will now reveal the *actual* answers: All three babies are saying, “I want Jim to adopt me!” Baby #3 is even offering a bribe!


(All original photos property of the author.)

 

 

Saturday, January 6, 2024

Antique Photo Caption Contest

 
Hello, everyone! It has been quite some time since I posted, so it's time to make my grand re-entrance with a fun contest. With so much negative news lately, I thought I would I would start this year with a happy topic—babies!

Over the years I have presented a variety of my collections, but without question my main and largest collection is early photographs. Although very few of my photographs are of babies, I do have some that display a special added attribute, as demonstrated by each of today’s photos.

I have decided to make this a caption contest. Think of creative captions for any or all of these photographs, and enter them in the comments. 

 

#1 Keys
What could be better than a happy, smiling baby? This particular smile was induced by handing the baby a key ring, showing that things have not changed much over the years. Of course, since this photo is over 100 years old, these are old-fashioned skeleton and cabinet keys.

 

 
 
 
 #2 Toy
What baby doesn’t love a fuzzy, cuddly toy animal? Apparently, this baby doesn’t, and his facial expression and body language say it all in this photograph.




 #3 Cornet
You all know how much I love the cornet, so acquiring this photo was inevitable. The baby, on the other hand, doesn’t seem too pleased with his parents’ musical ambitions for him.

 

Let these cute babies inspire you, and please enter your captions in the comments. I am not quite sure yet how the grand reveal will work, but I will turn on comment moderation in the meantime.

I am looking forward to your replies! 

 

 

Monday, January 18, 2021

Five Western Mystery Objects Revealed

This Mystery Object post has created quite a discussion. All in all there were 39 correct answers given. Congratulations to Rosemary, NYChatham, and Tundra Bunny, who tied for first place with four correct identifications each. A special shout-out goes to Mariette, who was the only one who guessed the apparently difficult #3.

Here are the answers:

#1 Button Hook

Mariette, Debra, Michelle, Jack, NYChatham, Rosemary, Sue Bursztynski, The Contessa, Travel, Mrs. D., Pipistrello, and Tundra Bunny all got this one correct.

In earlier times there were many buttons that held clothes together. Shoes and gloves especially were held on by rows of buttons. The button hook made the job easier. You put the hook through the buttonhole, grabbed onto the shank of the button, then pulled the button through the hole.

I have tried this and it is very easy to become skilled with a button hook. The tiny example pictured here was likely meant for gloves—the larger, tighter buttons on shoes would probably break it.

Here is a photo of a few more buttonhooks from dresser sets that my sister was kind enough to send to me:


#2 Hair Receiver


This direct top view shows the center hole more clearly.



NYChatham, Rosemary, Kirk, The Contessa, Mrs. D., Pipistrello, and Tundra Bunny all identified this object.

Hair receivers once adorned virtually every lady’s dresser top. Women would brush their long hair, then pull the hair out of the brush and push it through the hole in the lid. When the receiver was full, they could take the accumulated hair out and make a small cushion called a rat, which was used to supply extra volume and height for elaborate hairstyles.

There are many hair receivers (such as this one) made out of celluloid, an early kind of plastic. A great many were also ceramic, and some were even made of sterling silver. Here is an unusual square ceramic one with a square hole, again courtesy of my sister:


#3 Corn Husker

This was correctly identified only by Mariette.

This item was dedicated to Kirk, whose blog Shadow of a Doubt recently honored Carl Sandburg. Kirk in that post mentioned Sandburg’s 1919 award-winning poem collection called Cornhuskers.

When you buy fresh corn (maize) the ears are covered with leaves or husks which must be shucked off. This is not so bad if you are boiling a few ears for dinner, but if you have an entire field of corn to husk, especially when it has been left to dry in the field for animal feed, these tough husks would rip your hands to shreds. Enter the corn husker, of which there are many varieties around.

The leather strap went around your hand, and the point could be used to puncture and start splitting apart the husk, which was then easily removed by hand. Farm workers were incredibly fast with this tool, and indeed corn husking competitions were common in earlier decades, and there is some footage of these on Youtube.

I didn’t plan for this one to be so hard. Corn huskers can easily be found at flea markets or online. Here is a group that I bought together (the one used in the quiz was purchased separately). You can see some of the many forms these came in:


Proof that Necessity is the mother of Invention


#4 Jug Cover

Mariette, Debra, Michelle, Hels, NYChatham, Rosemary, slf, Jenny Woolf, Travel, Bazza, Pipistrello, Loree, and Tundra Bunny all knew what this was.

This is an object that could still be useful. When flies are numerous, cream jugs, drinks, and various dishes of food could all be protected by these crocheted (or knitted or whatever) covers, whose edges were weighted down with glass beads so they would not fall off easily.

The one illustrated above has a kookaburra in the center, indicating that it came from Australia, as Hels explained. In fact, these are found all over, but there does seem to be a predominance of them in Australia, where my examples came from.

I am adding a picture of a plainer one, an intricate one topped with a teacup, and a view of the whole group to indicate the variety these can be found in.


#5 Collapsible Cup


I admit this one was a bit of a perspective trick, as most of you have probably seen these. However, Debra, NYChatham, Rosemary, The Contessa, Travel, and Tundra Bunny all identified it correctly.

These compact cups were used to carry on one’s person, in traveling bar kits, and as camping equipment. They must have been a blessing for fastidious people in the days when drinking fountains or other sources a water had a single public tin cup for everyone to use.

The side view immediately identifies both its use and its telescoping mechanism. This one is very small, about the size of a shot glass.

The top view would have given it away, with its inscription Vest Pocket Cup in pleasantly old-fashioned writing.

The rivet on the bottom is a little mysterious. It doesn’t indent too much on the bottom, but given the size of the cup, I am guessing this might have been part of a traveling bar set, and the cup snapped into place.

 

Thank you to all who participated in this quiz. The answers and guesses were very well thought out, especially for items that were unfamiliar. Tabulating all the answers was quite a job, so if I made a mistake, let me know and I will fix it.

Please don’t worry that I will run out of mystery objects, either Asian or Western. In fact, when my sister was sending me the photos, she sent one of an item she had just obtained, that I believe will make the corn husker look like child’s play!

===========================================
All of the objects and photos shown here are property of the author, except as noted. The group photos of the corn huskers and the jug covers (except for the kookaburra, again, courtesy of my sister) were the original listing photos when I purchased them.



Friday, January 8, 2021

Mystery Objects -- Western Edition

In the past all of my Mystery posts have been of Chinese items, which has made many of them difficult to guess. Other cultures might use the same items, but they can be hard to recognize when buried in carvings of dragons and the like.

Since turnabout is fair play, I have decided to do a mystery post of Western objects, but this time the rules will be a little different. I am afraid that some of these will prove too easy, so I am including five mystery objects in this post. Each correct guess will count, and the grand winner will be the one with the most points.

#1
#1  This is the epitome of antique or bygone objects, once found in literally every Western home. While the handles could be made of any material, the business end was usually steel, and the entire object ranges from about three to six inches long. This diminutive example, made from bone and steel, is less than three inches long, but it works fine.


#2 

#2  These items for a long time were nearly as ubiquitous as the above object. They could be made of many materials, especially china, but this example is made from celluloid. They seem to average about five inches across.


#3 top

#3 bottom
#3  This article is perhaps more of an American specialty. Many designs and varieties exist. This one is made from steel and leather, and is almost five inches long.


#4
#4  These crocheted pieces bordered with glass beads seem so handy that I am surprised they are not in more general use, although possibly in some places they still are. They are typically six to eight inches across.


#5 
#5  These frankly are still available, although their greatest popularity was a while ago. Often about one to three inches in diameter, this small-sized example is made of nickel-plated brass.

If you can identify any or all of these objects, please do so in the comments. The usual mystery object rules will apply. Comment moderation will be turned on. Incorrect answers will be printed immediately, so people can guess again with more clues. Correct answers will be withheld until the Reveal post in about a week.

Good Luck!