Surprisingly, we had no correct answers for our August What Is It. The item pictured is a late 19th century, cast iron, store string holder. The ball of twine was placed on the spike that pierced the bowl. The perforated top was put on and the string was pulled through the holes. This cast iron configuration is 7” high. The […]

July’s What Is It picture snuff boxes. Smoking related memorabilia is a popular theme to many collectors, Some of the earliest pieces come from the time of Washington and many wonderful examples come in the 1820-1870 range. Several of our readers were able to identify the What Is It. Congratulations to Christine Green of Westminster, Colorado; Dede Horan of Englewood, […]

This beautiful 2-piece, hand wrought aluminum object is a “crumb catcher.” It is marked “Continental” Chrysanthemum pattern. Aluminum items of every sort from tableware to jewelry were made by dozens of companies from the early 20th century into the 1940s. A decade ago aluminum became a popular collectible and prices were high for quality pieces.    We had many readers who […]

We had several correct guesses for our May’s What Is It. Yes, these are pharmacist measurers. Tapered glass graduates with calibrations in ounces and drams are easy to find. They are still made, but most modern ones have metric markings in addition to the apothecary measures. These are from about 1875.   Our winners are: Dottie Unruh of Lakewood, Colorado (Dottie […]

April’s What Is It is a coal bucket. Its background is anything but humble. It dates to the Arts and Crafts period.      It is in the style of Gustav Stickley, one of the master designers and makers of furniture and other objects of the era.      By 1905 the Arts and Crafts look in metal ware was popular and being made […]