Blogs - Canita M. Pro Writer

Just a Spoon.

10/15/2014

Just a spoon.

Or so I thought.

Awhile back, I was given a vintage spoon to research, I found the spoon on the internet and in the process discovered a lot about spoons and silver in general!

http://www.hoardersworld.co.uk/elizabethan-tudor-spoon-c1500-in-fine-english-pewter-293-p.asp

I have never really thought about the parts of a spoon before, but this particular spoon had a makers mark on the “drop” or “neck”, so I went looking for the makers mark first and when that dead ended, I began trying to think of other ways to approach this task. While trying to find words to put into the computer to help locate this spoon, I decided to dissect the spoon into parts. The following is what I found:

courtesy photo

A - bowl tip or rim

B - bowl

C - drop or neck

D - shoulder or heel

E - stem or transition

F - handle or thread

G – terminal or tip

This diagram of spoon gave me the era in which my spoon might have been made.

This is a diagram of the parts of a knife.

So, next time you start to take a bite of your cereal, remember...

Sometimes, even a spoon is more than just a spoon.

Leave us a comment and tell us what items have taught you

"There's more here than meets the eye".

Next time you want to identify a piece of silver the information will all be in one spot and your search will be shorter.

Happy Hunting.

-The GA Gang

Ship of the Desert

10/7/2014

The other day, the twelve year old granddaughter of one of our vendors brought an item to me at the front counter. She thought it would be a good item to blog about. At first glance, it was obvious that it was a whip.

It is in fact a Camel whip from Saudi Arabia. It is a vintage (1970’s) inlaid whip with a wood and leather wrapped handle. When camels refused to move, they would use these whips to give them a smart whip on the chest. The surprising part was what I found *inside* the handle.

Inside the handle is a prodder. Camels have thick coats that protect them from the sun, and insulate them so their bodies can absorb their sweat. Their hide is very strong, with a pulling strength 5x greater than cattle hide. This prodder is used to stimulate movement. They are poked in the rump. If you have watched “Indiana Jones” movies you will have seen a prodder used on camels when the bad guys are chasing them. Camels can keep a constant speed of 45 mph. With a little prodding they can do short bursts of 65 mph. The prodder is not easily accessible and I am sure only used when necessary. Camels are amazing animals. A full grown camel stands at 6 foot 1 inch at the shoulder and 7 foot 1 inch at the hump. They have a life span of 40 to 50 years. Camels can consume 53 gallons of water in 3 minutes. So, just how long can a camel go, before its hump starts to slump or the camel is in need of water? There are records of camels going 6 to 7 months without water.

http://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/21513985_vintage-egyptian-leather-and-wood-camel-saddle-stool

In the few years that Grandma’s Attic has been open, we have had a camel saddle and now a camel whip. This is pretty amazing since there aren’t too many camels in Anderson, MO!

Have you ever ridden on a camel?

-The GA Gang

Grandma's Gate to Indian Screen Door

9/22/2014

Three months after the opening of Grandma’s Attic in 2010 we were in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. We were going through antique shops to get ideas and find merchandise, when we came upon “the gate”! We snatched it up and brought it to its new “home”, because you don’t find a piece like that everyday!

For awhile we had it just leaning against a wall. Then we decided to put it up in the doorway between the back room and the front room of Grandma’s Attic. It is an older gate and someone had to have spent a lot of time arching the top. My thoughts were that is was a European gate because I have seen gardens in Italy and on the internet with similar gates. We didn’t know for sure where it came from or what it was used for, but we knew it was attention grabbing, we got price inquiries almost daily! It is a part of the character of Grandma's Attic.

Then in June of this year, a vendor brought in another gate set. This one had the exact same latch and was shaped the same, as well as having bars that are the same size as our gate. The person that sold the gate to our vendor said that the gate is from India.

That got me to thinking about an incident that had happened when I took a trip to India in 2009. We got up one morning and everyone was pulling clothes from the lines, closing windows and doors. Apparently, there had been a monkey alert. Roving monkeys had moved into our community and they are curious characters. The radio had announced the movement of the monkey troops around town.

It was then that I remember seeing two doors together-one was solid and one made with bars. These gates are normally placed in front of traditional wood doors, allowing air ventilation into a home, while keeping the roving animals out. This type of door/gate combinations makes perfect sense with the freedom animals have in India.

This started my internet search on gates from India. There is not a lot to find.

Courtesy Photo

I found this one ^, but it was not exactly the same.
I believe maybe there was a specific era that this type of gate was built in, and the lack of finding them on the internet is because India has changed the style somewhat in current years.

Well, that’s it then, one of the novelties of Grandma’s Attic has had its secret discovered! It is a set of gates from India that they use as their front and back doors.

We’d love to have you stop in and see our “Indian screen doors”!

-The GA Gang

The Teacup's Secret

9/16/2014

This is a beautiful little Japanese tea cup that we have in the store right now.

At first glance, that's all it appears to be, is a beautiful little tea cup,
but sometimes, looks can be deceiving!

If you finish your tea, and glance into the bottom of your now empty cup, you will notice that the bottom surface of the cup is uneven. Nothing too exciting, really.

Then you may think, "Hey, that looks a little like a picture. A face, maybe?"

And when you pick it up to give it a closer inspection, and the light hits the bottom of the cup, you see it! A very detailed picture etched in the porcelain at the bottom of the cup.

So, it turns out, what we really have here is a beautiful little Japanese tea cup with a LITHOPHANE in the bottom.

The word "lithophane" is said to have Greek origins, meaning "Light in stone" or "to appear in stone".

A lithophane starts out as a sheet of beeswax, then a picture is carved into the beeswax, then that sheet of wax is used to make a plaster of Paris mold, and finally Porcelain is poured into the mold and then "fired".

Where the porcelain is thinnest, more light shows through, thus allowing the artist to create a picture by thinner and thicker sections of porcelain creating a "three-dimensional like" picture, or lithophane.

I have read that the older lithophanes would start with the image in wax, then the artist would back-light the image and carve it on glass. Their work tables would be beneath a window, sometimes with a mirror underneath to bounce light up on the backside of the lithophane.

Sounds like tedious work, doesn't it?

Beautiful work though!

Lithophanes change in appearance, depending on the light source that you hold them up to.

A lithopane picture being lit by a window, would change throughout the day, as the light changed.

Where did lithophanes originally come from? Well, that seems to be a subject with differing opinions. Some say they began in the "Tang Dynasty" where people said there were "bowls as thin as paper with secret decorations in them".

That sounds very mysterious, doesn't it?

"The inspiration for the Japanese "geisha girl" lithophane mark seems more than likely to have come to Japan during their early contacts with the West around the turn of the 19th century.

All kinds of decorative pieces, probably mostly lanterns were made in this technique in Europe, with its popularity reaching its peak in the 1870's after which point they gradually went out of fashion."
-http://www.gotheborg.com/qa/geisha.shtml

I guess this is just one more lesson of "Don't judge a book by its cover" or "appearances can be deceiving".

In this case, the moral of the story would be,

even a tea cup can have a secret.

-The GA Gang

All About :The Hitchcock Chair

7/16/2014

When I hear the name Hitchcock I generally think of Alfred Hitchcock, writer and producer of scary movies. So it was easy for me to believe that Alfred Hitchcock could have been the maker of an electric chair, but "Hitchcock chairs" were actually made by Lambert Hitchcock,

not Alfred.

On a side note, did you know Alfred Hitchcock was scared of his own movies?

Alfred

Lambert

Alfred Hitchcock, the author and director, known as the Master of Suspense, arrived on the scene August 13, 1899. As a child, Hitchcock was sent to the local police station with a letter from his father. The desk sergeant read the letter and immediately locked the boy up for ten minutes. After that, the sergeant let young Alfred go, explaining, "This is what happens to people who do bad things." Hitchcock had a morbid fear of police from that day on. He also cited this phobia as the reason he never learned to drive (as a person who doesn't drive can never be pulled over and given a ticket). It was also cited as the reason for the recurring "wrong man" themes in his films. Mr. Alfred Hitchcock left us on April 29, 1980. Do you think Mr. Alfred Hitchcock may have sat in a chair made by Mr. Lambert Hitchcock? I guess we'll never know!

Now, back to the chair! :)

The Hitchcock chair was an early example of mass production. The frames are generally of birch, oak, or maple. The backs have a curved top with a broad gentle curved back-slat, then a broad slat that usually has a design such as; leaves, flowers, baskets of fruit or cornucopias. Below this, is a narrow crosspiece, connected to the sides, that is a continuation of the leg. The front legs and the stretcher between are nicely turned in spools, rings, or vase shapes. The seats are wider at the front and graduate back with straight sides and rolled or rounded edges in front. The front legs of some of the chairs have a ball on the bottom.

There are several types of back slats; “turtle-back,” “cut-out back slat,” - a curved back with spindles, “the pillow back”, eagles, cornucopias, plain, button back, and a crested back. The rarest of the back slats are the eagles, cornucopias, and the scrolls. About 1845, the “vase back” chair or “Urn chair” chair became popular. The wide vertical middle slat was shaped like an urn or vase. It was sometimes called “Fiddleback.” The top slats are called crest rails which are referred to as; “crown top,” “crest top,” or “pillow top.”

In the beginning the chairs resembled rosewood, because the first coat of red paint, applied by children, showed through the black, also used were the colors white and green. Later a lemon-yellow color and brown were used as a background colors. Seats were first made of rush, then cane, and then plank. They were usually painted black, brownish-black or dark green. They have yellow ochre pin striping with gold half-rings on the front legs. The stencils were painted with metallic colors like red, gold, blue and white. The designs can be found on the back and sides of the chairs.

They were marked on the back with stencil “L. Hitchcock, Hitchcocksville, Connecticut, Warranted” all in one line. Hitchcocksville would have been used when the furniture was manufactured in Boston, Massachusetts. Hitchcock chose his woods with care and allowed none to be used with knots or other imperfections. Later marks were “Hitchcock, Alford & Co. Hitchcocks-ville Conn. Warranted,” and “L. Hitchcock, Unionville. Conn. Warranted.”

The height of the Hitchcock chair sales was in the 1920’s and 30’s. The earliest signature is dated from 1820 to 1832. From 1832 to 1843 the signature read “HITCHCOCK, ALFORD& Cl HITCHCOCKSVILLE, CONN WARRANTED” and from 1843 to 1852 the signature read “L.HITCHCOCK.UNIONVILLE,CONN. WARRANTED.” In the second variation of the stencils, many of the chairs have two backwards “N’s” in the word “CONN.” This is thought to have occurred because many of the laborers who worked on the chairs were illiterate. If the “N” is written backwards, your Hitchcock chair is not an original but a replica made after 1946.

These chairs are identified as “New Hampshire Hitchcock,” or “Sheraton Hitchcock” chairs. Hitchcock is best known for their “Boston Rocker.”

The Hitchcock chair was began in 1818 by Mr. Lambert Hitchcock of Barkhamsted, Connecticut. He established a cabinet and chair factory. He began by making parts that could be assembled later for the chair industry of Charleston, South Carolina. In 1825 he began making complete chairs. Mr. Hitchcock was born in Chesshire, Connecticut on June 28, 1795 and was the son of Revolutionary soldier John Lee Hitchcock. He came to rest in 1852.

We received a call one day from a gentleman wanting to sell us a chair. We asked to see the chair before we purchased it, so he brought it to us and while it was in the store a vendor came in and said, “Oh, you have a Hitchcock chair!” After some research and dickering, the chair now resides at Grandma’s Attic. Come and check it out and let us know if you believe it is a real Hitchcock chair.

-The GA Gang

All About :The Chairs of the 1930's

7/2/2014

Chairs designed in the 1930’s

·       1930        Palmio Chair by Alvar Aalto

·       1930        Barcelona Chair by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe

·       1933       Cantilevered Chair No. 31 by Alvar Aalto

·       1934      Zig Zag chair by Gerrit Rietveld

·       1934       Standard chair by Jeane Prouve’

·       1935      Crate chair by Gerrit Rietveld

·       1935       Vilpuri chair by Alvar Aalto

·       1935      Chaise Lounge chair by Marcel Breuer

·       1936     Serving Cart by Alvar Aalto

·       1937      Wing spread Barrel chair by Frank Lloyd Wright

·       1938     Landior Spartana chair by Hans Coray

·       1938      Sling chair by Jorge Ferrari Hardoy

Alvar Aalto
1930 - Finnish - sleek curved lines

Cantilevered Chair No. 31

Vilpuri Chair

Serving Cart

Alvar Aalto

Stacking Stools

Palmio Chair

Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
of Bauhause School
1930- 1933
German- American extreme clarity and simplicity

Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe

Barcelona Chair

Gerrit Rietveld
1934- Dutch - Simplicity in construction

Gerrit Rietveld

Zig Zag Chair

Crate chair and table

Rood-Blauwe Stoel

Jean Prouve’
1934 - French - "We like logic, balance and purity”

Jean Prouve’

Bahut Brazzaville

LaChaise Standard chair or Chaise Longue

Marcel Breuer Lajko
1935 - Hungarian – greatly influence the establishment of an American way of designing modern houses

Chaise Longue

Marcel Breuer Lajko

"Wassily"

Frank Lincoln “Lloyd” Wright
1937 - American - organic architecture

Frank Lincoln “Lloyd” Wright

Barrel Arm chair or Wing spread chair

Hans Coray
1938 – Swiss -known for the functionality and simplicity of his designs.

Hans Coray

L A U D I . C H A I R

Jorge Ferrari Hardoy
1938 - Argentinian -the most imitated chair in modern furniture history

S L I N G . C H A I R

Jorge Ferrari Hardoy

Do you have anything to add?

Leave us a comment below, we'd love to hear from you! :)

-The GA Gang

All About : Celadon &“A Single Shard”

6/25/2014

My introduction to this type of pottery was from a children’s book,
“A Single Shard”.

It was written by Linda Sue Park and won the 2002 Newbery Medal. It is a story of an orphan and his dream to become a potter, set in the 12th century Korea.

In the story, the pottery made by the master potter was “Celadon”. The shard mentioned in the title is a shard of Celadon.

I began to wonder “What does it look like"?

That’s what got me started on this blog post. :)

Not being very familiar with the term “shard”, I decided to look up the definition; “a piece of broken pottery, especially one found in an archaeological dig; a pot shred, a fragment of a brittle substance, as of glass or metal, or a small piece or part.”

Celadon is usually a pale green with a hint of blue, a glossy appearance and smooth texture. It can be any shade of that color from a very pale yellow-green or gray green to deepest jade-green color. It has a subtle beauty and elegant simplicity.

Molded(Incised) Celadon

Plain Celadon

Inlaid Celadon

Celadon glazing was perfected during the Koryo dynasty of Korea which dates from 918 to 1392 AD. There are three design types; inlaid, incised(or molded), and plain(called Mu-ju). Celadon in Korean means “green”. It is referred to as “cheong-ja” in Korean. There is also a brown Celadon which is called “bun-cheong” or brown porcelain, as well as white.

These Celadon items are for sale in Grandma's Attic

Celadon is beautiful pottery but the book A Single Shard made it mean so much more to me than just a piece of pottery from Korea. A Single Shard is a very moving story, it will bring Korean Celadon alive for you. Come on in and see these beautiful pieces of pottery and visit your local library to check out A Single Shard, then let me know what you think of it! :)

-The GA Gang

All About Antique"Cup Plates"

6/18/2014

History teaches about the Boston Tea Party on December 1, 1773.

Tea is an important part of our history.

Awhile back, a vendor brought me some little plates and explained that they are “cup plates.” Cup plates are like coasters for tea cups; they were introduced to the tea society around the 1700’s in England and in the United States during the first half of the 19th century.

Photo credit: Harrogate Museums & Arts

Tea was originally consumed from “tea bowls.” In the 1700’s saucers were placed with the tea bowls. The tea was too hot to drink therefore was poured into the saucer to cool before consumption. Tea cups, at that time, had no handles. In order to drink the tea from the saucer two hands were needed, which made it necessary to put the cups down. The saucers were used to protect furniture from marks left by the tea cups.

Authentic Antique Cup Plate

Reproduction Cup Plate

In the 1750’s teacups with handles were introduced. It took a while to get used to cups with handles and saucers, but it eventually spread, and at that time cup plates were no longer necessary.

The vendor had authentic cup plates, as well as some commemorative cup plates-seven plates altogether. They are all between 3 ¼ and 3 ½ inches in diameter. They are clear glass and have decorative designs.

Authentic Antique Cup Plate

Reproduction Cup Plate

This is another good example of how to use your five senses when attempting to identify “the real thing.”

The vendor explained how to authenticate these cup plates;

Hold the plate between your thumb and forefinger then…

thump the end.

If it is authentic it will make a clear “ping” sound.
If it is not authentic it will make a “plunk” sound.

The weight of the commemorative plates is also heavier than the real ones.

The old cup plates are true antiques if you can find them. And now you will know how to tell if you have the real deal. They cost about $3.50 each.

Now, get on out there and hunt up some cup plates! :)

-The GA Gang

The "Perfect" Pineapple Tablecloth

6/11/2014

It was about 1985 when my mother decided to make this pineapple pattern tablecloth. The cost of yarn was on the rise. I remember her saying “This will cost me about $100.00.” The 18 balls of J & P Coats yarn cost approx. $3.95 each for 250 yards of yarn. Then add the cost of a size 7 crochet needle. Yep, that works out about right.

I went into Youth with a Mission (YWAM) for the DTS training (Discipleship Training Service) which took six months. It was after I returned and moved to Tulsa, OK for a couple of months, that I remember seeing the almost completed tablecloth. I found out she had ended up purchasing one extra ball of yarn, taking it over the price she had intended to pay for this project. My mother was a person who “counted the cost.” I was around for the completion of the project.

I remember the conversation about why that last pineapple would not be completed, she was not going to pay $4.00 more for another ball of yarn when she would have over half left at the end of the project! She knew then that she would NOT be doing another project with this yarn size. This pattern is labeled “for advanced crochet skills”…

My mother’s passion was quilting. ;)

  HISTORY:

     Little is known of crochet's early history. It seems likely that the earliest crochet was made using fingers, rather than the hooks used today. There are theories that crochet could have existed as early as 1500 BC, as part of a nun's work, which included needlepoint lace and bobbin lace.
Source: http://EzineArticles.com/85872

      The word crochet is derived from the French word 'croche', meaning hook. Crocheting, like knitting, consists of pulling loops of material through other loops, but additionally incorporates wrapping the working material around the hook one or more times. Crochet differs from knitting in that only one stitch is active at one time. Crochet has its own system of symbols to represent stitch types.

This crocheted pineapple pattern tablecloth is a part of my inheritance, just as it is, in its unfinished state, which makes it all the more special to me, since I know why it is unfinished. :) With my mother being the breadwinner and five children in the family, I know how tight finances were.

We seem to always want everything to be perfect, but sometimes, the best “memory items” are the ones we remember,

because of their imperfections. :)

-The GA Gang

Buckeye Force Pumps

5/28/2014

One of our Vendors brought this antique, very rare, cast iron Buckeye Force Pump into Grandma’s Attic. This pump was made by Mast, Foos and Company, of Springfield, Ohio. The number on the pump is No. 215. It appears that this was a style number and not a pump number for there were several No. 215 pumps. The patent dates were 1872 to 1881 making this an authentic antique.

The Buckeye Company was considered the greatest mechanical and manufacturing enterprise of its time. Mr. Phineas P. Mast, partner, designer and producer of these pumps, was a businessman and banker. He seems to have had the Midas touch, for everything he did turned to money. He and partner John Thomas, a lawyer, invented a Grain drill, cultivator, and cider mill. Later, Thomas passed his interest to Mast. In 1875, Mr. Mast joined forces with Foos and Company, inventions that came from this union were lawnmowers, iron fences, iron turbines, and...Buckeye Force Pumps.

There was poetry written in honor of the Mast-Foos & Company and the force iron pump. The following is a copy of a postcard from a Mr. Jonathan
Gump.

Do you have any stories about antique water pumps like this? Leave us a comment below, we'd love to hear from you!

The Many Faces of Bakelite

4/30/2014

Bakelite (Bay-ka-lite) was created as a replacement for Shellac. It is an early form of plastic. It was created by Dr. Leo Baekeland. He started the Bakelite Company in 1910. Bakelite was fashionable during the Depression. It was in its glory days in the 1930’s and 40’s. Bakelite was first used on pool balls, insulators, buttons, and many other items.

Vintage Black Stromberg-Carlson Rotary Phone, For sale at Grandma's Attic. $48.50

Bakelite comes in over 100 individual solid colors and in three forms; transparent, translucent or opaque.

There is also "Marbled Bakelite"-
which is a combination of two or more solid colors in a swirled pattern,

"Apple Juice Bakelite"-
which is simply clear Bakelite that has oxidized, and

"Stardust Bakelite"-
which is Bakelite with flecks of metallic materials the size of either confetti or fine glitter throughout.

Bakelite is most commonly found in the Apple Juice color.

1920's Bakelite Dog Pencil Sharpener, for sale at GA. $50.00

There is also a color alternately called “Jazz” or “Variegated”, it is what was left over at the end of the day all muddled together, hence the more common name “End of Day”. Bakelite is easily carved by hand and machine.

Remember our blog post about using your five senses
to identify real vs. fake vintage items?

Here’s how you can use a few of those senses to identify Bakelite;

FEEL:
Rub a piece between your thumb and your hand, until it gets warm, and then smell it.
Bakelite should smell like burnt hair or formaldehyde. Immersing the item in hot water should have the same effect of bringing out the smell. Also, Bakelite should be slightly heavy.

Green Bakelite Key Chains, for sale at GA. $12.99

HEAR:
When hitting two pieces together there should be a “clunk” sound. If you hit Bakelite and say, rubber, together it will sound differently. Make sure both items are either in your hands or both sitting on the same surface. Don’t place one on the counter and one in your hand, or it won’t work (Ask me how I know this). ;)

1920's Black Dog Pencil Sharpener, for sale at GA. $45.00

SEE:
Take a q-tip and dip into “Formula 409” or “Scrubbing Bubbles” bathroom cleaner and rub the Bakelite, it should turn yellow. Bakelite colors will change with age. A turquoise will become green. Black Bakelite is harder to test.
Older pieces of Bakelite will have minor scratching and wear.

2) Bakelite Handled Cutlery Knives, for sale at GA. $3.50

When I started this post, I only knew of one item in our store that was Bakelite. Before the blog was completed we have found at least four more items made from Bakelite.

The hunt for the Bakelite,
the testing of the items, and
the correlation of the information
made for an enjoyable afternoon.

Teaching is the best form of learning.

Go for a hunt and see if you can find some
interesting way Bakelite was used!

The Working Girl & The Railroad Diner

4/1/2014

You may wonder,
“What do the working girl and the Railroad diner have in common?”

The answer is an Englishman, Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe Railroad. Fred Harvey’s dream and partnership with the Santa Fe Railroad helped to civilize the West.

The late 1800’s to early 1900’s was a time of change for women. Women won the right to wear pants in 1868. Women’s liberation came into the picture in the late 1800’s. Women’s suffrage movement was in full swing in 1904. On August 26, 1920, women won the right to vote. During this time, women were hitting the work force looking for respectable jobs. The Harvey Girls were a big part of that movement.

Between 1890 and 1945 a girl wanting to work outside the home had only a few choices of work; store clerk, maid, secretary, or saloon girl. The higher paying jobs being a teacher or waitress. Read what the qualifications were to be met to hold these jobs.

For a teaching position:

“WANTED: Young women of good moral character, well-educated, ages 18 to 30. You will not marry during the term of your contract, you are not to keep company with men, and you must be home between the hours of 8 PM and 6 AM unless at a school function. You may not loiter downtown in any of the ice cream stores, and you may not travel beyond the city limits unless you have permission of the chairman of the school board. You may not smoke cigarettes, dress in bright colors, and under no circumstances dye your hair, you must wear at least 2 petticoats, and you may not wear a dress shorter than 2 inches above the ankles.”

And to be a waitress for Fred Harvey:

WANTED: Young women, 18 to 30 years of age, well- educated, have good manners, neat, of good moral character, attractive, and intelligent. We pay $17.50 per month with room and board. Liberal tips customary. Curfews are 10:00 p.m. Sunday through Friday and Midnight on Saturday nights. There can be special excursions with a chaperone. Experience is not necessary. No chewing gum. Uniform provided and laundered. Rail passes provided. You must sign a twelve, nine or six month agreement. If you chose to marry during this time, you will forfeit half your pay, as well as your railroad pass.

Fred Harvey had a dream to make fine dining available to the masses. Teaming up with the Santa Fe railroad his dream became a reality with “the Harvey way” of doing things. The railroad would provide the building for the restaurants; furnish free freighting of food, ice, coal, water and transportation of employees. Mr. Harvey provided the equipment, workers and of course, the food. Train crews could eat at Harvey Houses by using the coupons that Mr. Harvey provided for them. Santa Fe railroad benefited from this arrangement with Mr. Harvey because people soon discovered they could get great food when they traveled the Santa Fe rails.

The peak of Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe’s quest to civilize the West was from approx. 1877 to end of WWII (May 8, 1945). 1877 to the Great Depression (Aug. 1929 to 1933-34) business was great, but during the Great Depression they had to close several restaurants. Mr. Harvey approached the railroad about having dining cars on the trains. Many chefs and waitresses needing work began working on the dining cars.

The restaurants were beginning to recover when WWII hit and there was a boom for Fred Harvey, the Harvey girls, the restaurants, and the Santa Fe railroad. The railroads were used to transport our soldiers. “The Harvey way” and the high standards that went along with it were lost during the war because of the great demands on the girls and restaurants. The close of the war and the arrival of automobiles ended the Fred Harvey Restaurants, but the "Harvey Way" lived on in the dining car.

Grandma’s Attic recently came across a copy of the menu and a milk bottle from the Fred Harvey era.

If you’d like to read more about the Harvey Girls, check out The Harvey Girls, by Juddi Morris, copyright 1994. We have had the opportunity to read this book recently, and it’s definitely a very interesting time in our history and it is fun to go back in time to see what it would have been like to be a Harvey House employee! So, what are you waiting for? Do some research of your own and then get out there and see if you can find some “Fred Harvey” memorabilia! :)

"Give me the real McCoy!"

2/25/2014

If you’re like me, you may wonder why people would say; “I want the Real McCoy.”

I found out the answer when I worked at Greenfield Village in Michigan. A Railroad buff might know.

Elijah McCoy was the man behind that phrase. He settled in Ypsilanti, MI and worked as an oiler for the Central Railroad. He invented an automatic lubricator for trains. As years passed other lubricators were invented but, railroad people would ask for Eli McCoy’s lubricators by saying; “Give me the real McCoy.”

Elijah was also the inventor of the folding ironing board and the lawn sprinkler. Now you know what we mean when we say; “The Real McCoy.” :)

Treasure Hunting Tools

2/21/2014

Two tools you might want to have on hand when hunting antiques; the Jeweler’s eye Loupe magnifier and a magnet.

Image from Amazon.com

Image from Amazon.com

The jeweler’s eye Loupe magnifier helps with finding that .925 mark on jewelry. It also helps with distinguishing those hard to read maker’s marks. A good loupe is a 10X with LED light which is approx. $5.00.

Image from Amazon.com

The magnet is used to quickly tell what type of metal you are dealing with; aluminum, brass and copper are not magnetic and steel is magnetic. You can find a magnet with an aluminum body and chain (9/16” Hex X 2 ½ “long) solid steel that pulls 4 lbs for approx. $6.25 for 5 around the internet.

We wouldn't consider this too high a price for great treasure hunting tools, how about you? :)

How we came to know, what we know….

2/21/2014

We were raised on a rural farm, in a subculture, in Oklahoma. We were poor when it came to money. We were rich in many other ways. We ate well, we butchered a cow every spring and a pig every fall, throughout the years we had goats, cows, and raised big gardens with holly hocks growing in the fence lines. Steak, potatoes, and milk were regulars at our table. There are five healthy adults running around because of the sacrifices made by parents, grandparents, and generations of family. Most importantly we were taught about Jesus, which makes us very wealthy.

It was the summer of 1970 when my mother brought the first black and white television into our home. She sold Avon and one of her customers gave the television to her when they upgraded. Television came into being July 2, 1928 and forty two (42) years later, it made it into our home.

When we were young, we did not realize that lots of the modern conveniences that made it to our home were vintage or antique before we saw or used them. Our first washing machine was an electric wringer washer and three square tubs. It was 1932 when the first electric washing machines arrived on the market in the USA. It arrived in our home thirty nine (39) years later. Oh, what a blessing, with seven people for which to do laundry, going from doing some everyday, to just being an all day Saturday chore. What a great device!

When we began, Grandma’s Attic, in 2010 we began to realize we were raised on antiques. Many of the items introduced into our home were vintage or antique when they arrived. We knew what it was and how to use it because it had been a part of our home. We have learned more about vintage items and antiques from family, friends, mentors, vendors, customers and the internet. We have asked questions and hit the internet to check if it would hold true. If the item was available we would test it. In these blogs, you will find things that we have tested and found true as we know it. We would love to add your knowledge, to what we know, if you’re sharing. Mostly, we hope you enjoy what we (the GA gang) are sharing. :)