What Is It?

What Is It? July 2020

What Is It? July 2020

    We had several correct answers for our July’s What Is It. This picture is from the book by Margaret Lynn Rosack called The Expanded Guide to Collecting Trivets. In the book she had this bit of advice:    “During hard times the prevailing thought is to hunker down, be frugal, continue to save, and hope that the economy improves soon, […]

by · July 1, 2020 · 0 comments · What Is It?
What Is It? June 2020

What Is It? June 2020

   We had several guesses for our June What Is It. Jerry Michals of Aurora and Byron Roderick of Broomfield, Colorado correctly identified the object as a Muffin Bell, so called for two brass dome bells with an interior clapper. Mr. Michals tells us the muffin bell (ca early 1800s) was originally used by volunteer fire companies in the Eastern USA […]

by · June 1, 2020 · 0 comments · What Is It?
What Is It? May 2020

What Is It? May 2020

   Yes, they are ocarinas. These pictured include a bass (top), a tenor (right), a red alto and a soprano. The rare bass, probably Russian-made, is valuable.    Ceramic ocarinas have been around more than 12,000 years. Ancient examples have ben cited – small whistles shaped like birds or other animals and made of terracotta were in India for 6,000 years. China […]

by · May 2, 2020 · 0 comments · What Is It?
What Is It? April 2020

What Is It? April 2020

   We had several guesses for April’s What Is It but only one person correctly identified the objects pictured to the right. Kate Loyle of Wichita, Kansas tells us these are antique tape measures. Congratulations, you have won a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector.    All three of these items are miniature sculpture cases for measuring tapes which are rewound […]

by · April 1, 2020 · 0 comments · What Is It?
What It It? March 2020

What It It? March 2020

   Mona of Loveland, Colorado, writes, “These are tools for making fake grain on wood. I lived in an 1880’s mansion and all the original doors and baseboards (10”) had been “grained” with stains. It was real wood, so I never understood why the grain was added. Style and design?” Mona is correct. One of 19th Century guides for decorating furniture […]

by · March 10, 2020 · 0 comments · What Is It?