1893 Jacquette Egg Beater of Cast Iron

According to Mr. Don Thornton's book "The Egg Beater Chronicles" this cast iron geared egg beater was patented as a beater and mixer with power on November 28, 1893 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania by Harry Jaquette.
This is quite the invention in intricate design.

Embossed behind the gear " Patented No 3",   this is the third size of five sizes made.

One handle is embossed " JACQUETTE" and the other PHILA.  PA.

The age patina on this piece is exquisite. 
 It is in Amazing condition considering it is 117 years old !

The cast does not have any breaks, the gears move very freely & smoothly, the wire is intact with no breaks.

The approximate measurement is: 11" long,  6 1/2" high from table to top of wire beater & the handles spread apart to an impressive 16 1/2" wide when it is open all the way.

If you collect unusual antique kitchen utensils this is one you won't find everyday ,
it would be the focal point in any collection

Poem for 2010's Father's Day

I awake with the idea of a new future:
the tea in cups with sticky finger-handles,
you & I are at the table of existence
while daylight within sparse clouds
all hover at the small window of my stained-glass kitchen.
There is the tang of lemons in the air-space
a fly and I are your curly-queue companions at the desk of eternity.

What is this thing you have given me,
considered at first an odd thing--
the pain of breathing & the bright, very bright lights.

At first it was just "Scrabble" or "Clue"
never very often a game on the lawn unless it was
Badminton or Croquet
as those were the acceptible & would appear from afar
as a family symbol that would never be misconstrued.
The best of events are the banquet or buffet--
& if chosen fairly,
always banquet for the music
and there are never waiters at the buffet.

It is time for a warm-up as I am weary of the cold,
more tea or coffee,
the fly lands upon my knee--
you & I have always been so distant the reality of this is old.
It all lies in grayness and murk
death and mouths shut at each & every turn.
The chaos of what is
the disaster of what was
the bungle of the future becomes just what will be.
My mess is your mess;
you have always told me to create from what I earn
but the reality of blindness
is that neither of us see--
when sureness is confusion
my feet will never learn to agree.

The mornings so early, another trip to the South:
in the dark
in the quiet
the hideous & unatural pre-hour of pre-sunrise
has now become my credit--
the fashion of my swervings as my life spins towards its final edit.

You ask me about my few friends,
are they happy
are they living
have they finally swept their porches wearing sun-hats & fedora.
Does the telephone ring so rarely that you forget to answer questions
have the people said their farewells
have those strange ones at last
abandoned or lost the aura?
Here the smell of mown grass
so fragrant-fresh with onions.
The rebelliant twinge of  vegetable,
so acrid in this dwelling.

At the cutting-board of perceptions
you & I are chess-game equals,
the hilly waves of the square life
you gave to me
you laid on me.
Applied, embroidered & forgotten,
let it stay
as you tie your crochet-edged napkin,
make it simple & inarguably lifeless
as my dried flower is in the budvase.

I stir & you sneeze,
some piece of you in me.
Always having a conniption ending in a splattered freedom
of giggle and teary musings
disconected
as tossed shards
from a knife-point--
into the can of endings
all molded warmed
& seething.

Shoulder to shoulder
arms in a lock,
you tell me grin to bear it--
out of sight but still in mind
the bending of the daily
this will not end so stand it;
you must resolve your basement
the fondations of your clutter.
It flows & floats like rumor,
imagine now--
it then is fact
alive is dead
this can't retract.

In the corner is a floor-mop
propped still from my late mother,
she had wiped-clean in the cupboard
then began the other hallway
to my long forgotten bookshelves
so dust-laid & unpainted
full circle at the doorway.

I repair the crusted elbow
I am jabbed into your slop.
Biscuit handed tea sip
a tiny motion of the
clock.
Never embarrased nor name calling,
with decorum you are leaving,
time is gone
you have withdrawn
Light filament
is receding.
Ended now
shakes the trueness,
I have hands to head & eyes so damp,

but yet,
still bleeding.

Straw Hat Extras

A boater (also basher, skimmer, cady, katie, somer, or sennit hat) is a kind of hat associated with sailing and boating.

It is normally made of sennit straw and has a stiff or soft flat crown and brim, typically with a ribbon around the crown, which is often in colours representing a school, rowing crew or similar institution. Boaters were popular as summer headgear in the late 19th century and early 20th century, and were supposedly worn byFBI agents as a sort of unofficial uniform in the pre-war years. Nowadays they are rarely seen except at sailing or rowing events, period theatrical and musical performances (e.g. barbershop music) or as part of old-fashioned school uniform, such as at Harrow School.

Inexpensive foam or plastic skimmers are sometimes seen at political rallies in the United States.

In Australia, New Zealand and South Africa the boater is still a common part of the school uniform in many boys schools, such as Shore School, Knox Grammar School, Maritzburg College, South African College School, St John's College (Johannesburg, South Africa) and Wynberg Boys' High School.

The boater may also be seen worn by the 'carreiros' of Madeira, the drivers of the traditional wicker toboggans carrying visitors from the parish church at Monte (Funchal) down towards Funchal centre.

Being made of straw, the boater was and is generally regarded as a warm-weather hat. In the days when men all wore hats when out of doors, "Straw Hat Day", the day when men switched from wearing their winter hats to their summer hats, was seen as a sign of the beginning of summer. The exact date of Straw Hat Day might vary slightly from place to place. For example, in Philadelphia, it was May 15; at theUniversity of Pennsylvania, it was the second Saturday in May.

The boater is a fairly formal hat, equivalent in formality to the Homburg, and so is correctly worn either in its original setting with a blazer, or in the same situations as a Homburg, such as a smart lounge suit, or with black tie. John Jacob Astor IV was known for wearing such hats.

Tiffany Lamps In Your Home

Stained glass has been around for hundreds of years, yet never seems to go out of style. It is one of the most versatile decorating options available to everyone, from stained glass windows, to sun catchers, to Tiffany lamps.

There are seven categories of Tiffany lamps including such Tiffany table lamps as Geometric, Flowered Domes, Flowered Cones, Wisteria, Irregular Lower Borders,  Hanging Lamps, and Tiffany Floor Lamps. Factors to consider while going through each category of Tiffany Lamps is the size of lamp you are looking for, where it will be placed, are there children in the house, and finally the overall color of the lamp.

Tiffany lamps come in a wide array of colors even within each individual design, the key to selecting a color that will match your interior is to view the lamp from a distance and take the overall color into account.

The great thing about stained glass is that there is no need to confine it to only one room. Tiffany lamps and sun catchers complement living rooms, kitchens, dining rooms, bathrooms, bedrooms, offices and even gardens. When it comes to stained glass there are no concrete rules as to how you must decorate with it.

Many of the Hanging Tiffany Lamps incorporate designs from the geometric and flowering categories. These lamps vary greatly in size from small hanging lamps that would be perfect for a small breakfast nook to some that are large entryway chandeliers only suitable for a raised or vaulted ceiling.

Ranging from 18 to 29 inches Tiffany floor lamps incorporate the Oriental poppy, Laburnum, Dragonfly, Peony and Geometric designs. These lamps are great for setting next to your favorite reading chair or placing a matching set on either side of an entertainment center, television, or master bed. A Tiffany floor lamp is very versatile and great for illuminating entire rooms.

Tiffany lamps add the beauty of their stained glass designs and bright colors to enhance any room. When they are brought away from the wall, the shades are able to reflect their beautiful designs onto the walls to beam their beautiful colors beyond the lamp.

Aim for symmetry, to showcase the colorful Tiffany lamp shades. For instance, you have a beautiful Dragonfly Tiffany Lamp replica that you would love to place on the end table on the left side of your couch. Only problem is you have a matching end table on the right side of the couch. I would strongly suggest buying a matching lamp or finding a new location for the one you already own. Now if you have a reading corner or a computer desk, you can place the lamp where a single light would look great regardless of other lamps and sun catchers you may already have in the same room.

In most cases you can choose which base design of Tiffany table lamp you would like to complement your Tiffany lamp shade. Although many Art Nouveau designs have been produced, the base designs usually include the tree trunk, dragonfly, lily, footed, down bridge, bamboo, tulip and willow. No matter what designs or colors you chose, you cannot go wrong with a Tiffany lamp in your home.

1928 Model 49 Atwater-Kent Radio

Here's a 1928 Atwater Kent Model 49 battery radio and its matching E3 speaker.  If you've been thinking about purchasing a working 20's era battery radio but have hesitated out of concern that getting the set to operate properly might be more trouble than its worth, this is your radio.  The radio and speaker were restored (electrically and cosmetically) in 2003 by a well known Atwater Kent aficionado , and they now work as well as -- or better than -- any other Atwater Kent battery radio/speaker combo I've ever owned.  In fact they work better than many contemporary AM radios, when the proper antenna and ground connections are in place.  The radio requires a regulated DC power supply (I'd recommend an ARBEIII from Antique Radios, Inc) and a longwire outdoor antenna.  However, if you don't have room for a longwire antenna, or you don't have the time to string one up in your yard, a 30 foot strand of copper wire run along the ceiling of your home or office should get good results, too. 

Condition of the radio is superb throughout.  The panel and chassis have been cleaned and professionally restored, new wires have run through the original wiring harness, the original AF transformers have been rewound to as-new factory specs, dials and knobs have been cleaned, hardware has been replated, weak and/or oxidized wiring connections have been cleaned up and, if necessary, re-soldered, etc.  The cabinet finish is original, but the cabinet has been French polished to a beautiful luster.  The E3 speaker has been cleaned, its metal surfaces re-painted, its grill cloth replaced, and the metal tips on the speaker cord have been replaced and secured to the sheathing.

 

As noted above, operating the radio is as easy as turning on a power supply and rotating the dial.  The Model 49 was one of Atwater Kent's last battery radios, and by the time they'd put it into production, they'd finally figured out how to make a DC powered set that worked more or less effortlessly. Single-dial tuning minimizes the hassle involved in finding a strong station.  In fact, it's pretty much impossible not to find a station  -- strong or weak.  I live out in the country, more than 25 miles from the nearest AM station, and this radio is able to pull in more than a dozen different broadcasts, from all over east coast, in the middle of the afternoon.  More than twice that number at night.  In short, a great looking, fully functioning pair, and a great introduction to the world of 20's battery radios.

The Frisbie Pie Company

In 1871, in the wake of the Civil War, William Russell Frisbie moved from Branford, Connecticut, where his father, Russell, had operated a successful grist mill, to Bridgeport, Connecticut. Hired to manage a new bakery, a branch of the Olds Baking Company of New Haven, he soon bought it outright and named it the Frisbie Pie Company (363 Kossuth Street). W.R. died in 1903 and his son, Joseph P., manned the ovens until his death in 1940. Under his direction the small company grew from six to two hundred and fifty routes, and shops were opened in Hartford, Connecticut;Poughkeepsie, New York; and Providence, Rhode Island. His widow, Marian Rose Frisbie, and long-time plant manager, Joseph J. Vaughn, baked on until August 1958 and reached a zenith production of 80,000 pies per day in 1956.

In this otherwise simple baking operation we find the origin of the earliest Frisbee!

The pie-tin people claim Yale students bought Frisbie's pies (undoubtedly a treat in themselves) and tossed the prototype all over Eli's campus. These early throwers would exclaim "Frisbie" to signal the catcher.

Yale students discovered that the pie tins, inverted, had an airfoil shape which enabled them to be thrown in various trajectories by a skilled person. This eventually evolved into the Frisbee trademarked flying disc and many imitators.

Cast Iron Pans=How To Season Cast Iron

 I have “discovered” the secret to making a perfectly seasoned cast iron pan.  As, underneath my complex exterior I am a simple man, the simplicity of this secret is what makes it so profound.  The secret to making a perfectly seasoned cast iron pan is to cook in it.  The combination of food plus heat, plus scraping of a metal spatula all contributes to a perfectly seasoned cooking surface over time.  And I am not talking about a buildup of black crud on the surface, which is what some people think of as “seasoning”.  I want a steel surface that is smooth as a baby’s bottom when you run your hand over it and not greasy.  Here is what makes the old cast iron pans so superior to the “modern- that is; after 1960 cast iron pans”.   For one thing they were working with better steel (or so I have read), for another they “polished” the cooking surface at the factory to remove some of the milling marks; and three, the older stuff has endured 10000’s of hours of cooking and scraping that has further smoothed out the surface.  The scraping of the spatula wears down the very high spots of the metal and removes excess food from the surface,  but it also leaves cooked food in the pores and valleys of the cast iron.  I love scraping my pans with a spatula; I scrape them even when they don’t need it.  And obviously never put detergent within a mile of the cast iron surface.  You might set yourself back years in so damaging the “seasoning” of your skillet.  I do employ a shortcut to the years of effort needed to create a great pan.  It takes a couple of days and it works reasonably well.  Remove all noticeable rust and crud by whatever means, first.  Heat an oven to 300º F and smear a pan everywhere with a thin coat of Crisco or solid, clean grease, NEVER liquid oil. Bake the pan for 2 hours and remove and let it cool to a warm touch.  Scrape the pan of excess grease and wipe clean.  Then repeat the thin coat of Crisco and back to the oven.  5 to 10 cycles like this will get you halfway to at least making the pan worthy of use.  I have actually made some of the newer, very rough Chinese pans ( “gasp”  ) usable by constant use over years.  One of my favorite tricks to show skeptics of cast iron cooking is how I cook an egg without any oil, butter or grease so that it doesn’t stick and even watch the egg slide around inside the pan while I am cooking it.  It can be done and should be done to prove to you the superior non-stick qualities of properly seasoned cast iron.  Don’t try this on high heat though, I do 90% of my cooking at medium high or medium to medium low heat.  The only time you need high heat is if you are going for a sear on meat, and then you better watch what you are doing & use your utensils with quick effective movements. Obviously, I love cast iron cooking and I hope you will rediscover the wonder of it as well.  

1901 $10

U.S. Note

INCREDIBLE BISON

Artistic Masterpiece

Without a doubt the most beautiful and highly sought after of all U.S. notes ever issued. Intricately detailed, the artwork is just absolutely stunning. This example shows light and even signs of circulation and has phenomenal eye appeal for the grade. View the enlarged scans and judge for yourself. The reds sure jump out at you, as they are extremely bright, vibrant, and unfaded like so many washed out examples seen. Paper quality is original, bright, crisp, with lots of body. Inking is bold. Edges and corners are excellent. Just an awesome problem free example with tremendous eye appeal. A must have note for any large size U.S. paper money collection.

Explosion-Proof Telephone

Western Electric 520 type explosion proof telephone set- Western Electric 520 type
- made out of heavy cast aluminum
- explosion proof
- manufacture date 4-79
- includes type 166A mounting bracket
- missing finger stop on dial (as shown)
- missing key for lock
- this telephone came out of a factory in Newark, NJ
- heavy; weighs 35 pounds with packing

Independence Park Charlotte

'The earliest recreation area owned by the City of Charlotte was Independence Park, located just east of Sugar Creek between Elizabeth Avenue and Monroe Road. Fortunately, the city authorities decided to seek professional help in planning the park. They retained a talented, young landscape architect, John Nolen, who was later to achieve renown for his work on Myers Park. Nolen's 1905 design was obviously intended to preserve and enhance the existing features of the lake valley. The quiet informality of his plan retained the rural setting and established a lasting natural landscape. At the eastern end of the park land, where it straddles the earth bridge of Hawthorne Lane, the half mile long, tree shaded valley remains much as it has been for three quarters of a century. Nolen made generous use of planting, and many of the trees he started have matured into magnificent old oaks, poplars and maples interspersed later with flowering shrubs. Footpaths wander through the park, and occasional old granite benches in small, grassy nooks offer havens from the bustle of nearby city streets. In its early years, the lake, and later the park, was bordered by a shoreline road.

This road, now called Park Drive, was paved in the 1920's when many of the dirt streets in Elizabeth were improved. Vertical slabs of Mecklenburg granite bordered most early paved streets. This stone curbing has been replaced with concrete in most city streets; however, portions of Park Drive still retain the picturesque old granite curbing. At the eastern-end, the park is circled by cottages built during the early years of this century. The architectural style is typical of the times and adds much to the charm of the park setting. For its first twenty five years, Independence Park was a rural sanctuary -- a place to rest beside a spring fed brook. As the neighborhood grew, however, playground facilities were added. A grammar school was placed on the side near Elizabeth Avenue. Tennis courts were built on the opposite hillside, and a portion of the valley was filled to create baseball and football fields.'

1914 Victor Kinetoscope Model I

'Offered here is perhaps one of the rarest silent film projectors that you will ever see offered for sale. It is a Victor Model I produced by the Victor Animatograph Co. of Davenport Iowa. This was the first motion picture projector produced by Victor, and it was only made for one short year (1914) The projector measures 53'' tall and about 25'' from front to back. Currently only FOUR examples of this projector are known to exist. This particular unit is the 14th one to be produced. An exact production number is not known, but the conventional wisdom is that only 200-300 were ever made.  I am always buying 35mm movie projectors and related equipment as well as 35mm and 16mm film collections. If you have anything that you are interested in selling, please email me or call at 937-477-9855 and ask for Tom.  The projector uses standard 35mm full frame silent film. It was designed to be light weight and portable, primarily for institutional use and for use in the field by traveling projectionists and showment who would bring moving picture shows to rural locations.  The light source is a very small carbon arc lamp using two small carbon rods. The rods actually protrude from the rear of the lamp housing and would have been hand fed by the projectionist as they were consumed. The intermittent movement is a primitive "beater" type. At the very bottom of the listing is a short video showing the projector being cranked. You can see the beater movement in action. This method of advancing the film was very hard on prints and produced a very shaky picture at best. This design shortcoming is the primary reason for the early demise of this machine. The model II that replaced it in 1915 used a conventional star and cam "geneva" movement.  The condition of the projector is museum quality by any standards. Incredibly it has remained totally complete and intact in its nearly 100 year existence. There are absolutely no missing parts. It even has the original leather take-up belt! The original stereopticon lens for showing glass lantern slides is present and is a rare treat. Of the four known examples, only half still retain this piece. The original ballast for the arc lamp (seen on the floor) is another rare feature that would ordinarily be missing. It is not only present, but still has its original cloth insulated wiring and early screw in plug, all in remarkably fine condition.  Cosmetically the projector shows normal light wear and age related patina. If you collect early projection equipment you will know how difficult it is to find a projector this early in such great condition. Normally they are missing parts, have been modified and have suffered from decades of poor storage. This one is a true exception to the rule.'

Arts & Crafts Hall Tree of the 1910's

Fine antique cherry Mission Arts & Crafts hall tree armoire cabinet, circa 1910. Below the crown is an arch with two reticulated circular motifs, underneath is a shaped beveled mirror to each side are a pair of iron coat hooks. To the center is a shelf supported by a bracket, below two corresponding reticulated motifs, the base has an umberella/cane stand with the original tin drip tray. To the left hand side is a paneled door inset with a leaded glass panel with stylized tulip design in blue slag glass, the door encloses a shelf and more coat/hat hooks. Condition is excellent, all original finish, beveled mirror, leaded glass panel and harware, size is; 78" tall x 42" wide x 15" deep. A fine & stylish antique Mission Arts & crafts hall tree/armoire circa 1910.

Ford Model T 1915

In September 1914 Ford began production of the 1915 Model T.  The most notable styling changes for the 1915 model were a flared scuttle and curved rear fenders that flowed with the wheel arch with electric headlamps as an option (the side lamps were still oil /kerosene burning).  1915 was the last year of the brass radiators for Model T’s (subsequent years were painted black).  This wonderful brass raditator Model T features the correct mechanical elements and styling for the 1915 model year. This car carries Touring coachwork, by far the most popular of the five body styles offered that year on the total of 244,181 units sold. 1915 was the year that Ford stopped offering optional colors for the Model T and went to the universal black.  Many dealers painted the Model T’s in brighter colors once they arrived at the dealership.  The Touring coachwork on this car is a Mint Green, a color it is believed to have worn since new as painted by the dealer, with black fenders and hood. The Ford Model T car was designed by Henry Ford, Childe Harolde Wills and two Hungarian emigrants named József Galamb and Jeno Farkas. The Model T had 177 in³, 4 cylinder motor in a block producing 20 horsepower for a top speed of 45 mph. The engine had side valves and 3 main bearings. The Model T was the first automobile mass produced on assembly lines with completely interchangeable parts, marketed to the middle class. By 1914, the assembly process for the Model T had been so streamlined it took only 93 minutes to assemble a car. That year Ford produced more cars than all other automakers combined. The Model T was a great commercial success, and for years in the late 1910s and early 1920s it was estimated that more than half of all motorcars in existence in the world were Model T Fords. In fact, it was so successful that Ford did not purchase any advertising between 1917 and 1923; in total, more than 15 million Model Ts were manufactured, more than any other model of automobile for almost a century. On May 27, 1927, Ford Motor Company stopped manufacturing Model T cars. However Model T motors continued to be produced until August 4, 1941 (almost 170,000 motors were built after car production ceased.) No collector’s experience is complete without at one time owning a Model T, the car that put America - and the world - on wheels, and few Model Ts attract more attention than this 1915 Touring car with its brass trim and Mint Green livery. Horseless Carriage Club eligible, it represents an ideal starting point for new collectors as well as being an indispensable element for the most comprehensive collection. A great car for touring!