Open Forum

 View Only
  • 1.  Friday mystery object

    Posted 08-28-2015 09:39 AM

    Hello everyone:

    I have attached photos of an object we're having trouble identifying.  In our records it is listed as a tool box but that just doesn't seem to fit.  It has a burled wood veneer on the exterior and a locking lid on top.  The main compartment has a perforated bottom with a metal chopping blade on a hinge in the center.  There is a drawer that pulls out on bottom.  Inside there were three small tools that are either awls or small woodcarving tools and there were also four calling cards, a handful of ancient flower petals, and a receipt from a grocer dated 1900-1910.  When I opened the box up, it had an extremely strong musty/sweet smell.

    My first thought is that it was a cigar humidor but it looks like no humidor I've ever seen or was able to find online.  Whatever it is, the veneer suggests to me that it was meant for finer uses than as a toolbox.  I've just never seen anything quite like this.

    Any help would be appreciated! 

    Thanks,

    Geoff

    ------------------------------
    Geoffrey Woodcox
    Assistant Curator of Collections
    State Historical Society of North Dakota
    Bismarck ND
    ------------------------------



  • 2.  RE: Friday mystery object

    Posted 08-29-2015 10:09 AM

    I think you have the necessary evidence at hand; it appears to be an early 20th century tobacco cutting box.

    The calling cards display a common early 20 c motif; the sweet smell and light staining on the interior of the unfinished wood are suggestive of aromatic plant material; the blade set-up and the pull-out drawer to enable removal of loose plant leaf material; and then there is the invoice.

    You might find documentary evidence through the receipt you have and/or through the US Patent Office - which has on file other portable devices such as this from that period, such as US1070988 A, 'Tobacco-cutting box' - which is not the one you are investigating, however.

    ------------------------------

    Kevin Coffee
    Chicago IL

    ------------------------------




  • 3.  RE: Friday mystery object

    Posted 08-29-2015 01:12 PM

    Hi Geoff,

    The box reminds me of the cases used with 19th century "blowpipe analysis kit" (if you google this you will find many images). Now your box does not appear to be f r such a kit, but it seems to be within the family of such portable kits. Perhaps closer would be portable apothecary kits carried by doctors in the 19th century, a buncho of images can be seen at:

    https://www.pinterest.com/blairgauer/antique-apothecary-boxes/

    Yours looks like perhaps an apothecary type kit, but perhaps for herbal specimnens?

    Good luck,

    Rich

    ------------------------------
    Richard Paselk PhD
    Curator, Scientific Instrument Museum and NHM, Humboldt State University
    Arcata CA
    ------------------------------




  • 4.  RE: Friday mystery object

    Posted 08-31-2015 09:35 AM

    Hello - 

    That looks like a 19th century sugar box to me.  Sugar used to be sold in solid cones and you would need to chop it up to use it in granular form.  You could chop what you needed off but as it would be a bit messy and you didn't want to loose a single piece of this expensive commodity there was the drawer under the perforated floor of the box to catch it all.  There is one similar to this at a museum downtown here in New Orleans.  I will ask them to send me a photo and send it along.

    Hope that helps!

    Lenora


    ------------------------------
    Lenora Costa
    Curator
    Longue Vue House & Gardens
    New Orleans LA
    ------------------------------