Everyone of our guesses for the February What Is It identified the object as a desk ink blotter. Our source said it is a paper weight. This particular one has had an outdoor working life. It is six-inch cast-iron engraved weight used to anchor newspapers at a kiosk in New York. Decorative weights like this one are still in use so they are hard to collect. Those with logos of now defunct newspapers are more easily found.
Since these objects could be used as ink blotters, we are going to go ahead and give a year’s subscription to the Mountain States Collector to those who guessed that it was their purpose. Bill McLaren of Anchorage, Alaska and Jeannie Reynolds of Nederland, Colorado have both won our February’s contest. Bill McLaren did say in his note that, “It looks like an antique cast iron ink blotter, paperweight, Eastlake style, 19th century.” Jeannie Reynolds said it is “a blotter for fountain pens way back in the day before ball points.”
Thank you for guessing. We love hearing from you.
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