Merry Christmas Eve!

Vintage Christmas Card

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

1941 Christmas Cards

Vintage 1941 Christmas Holiday Greeting Cards

A small peak into 1940s Holiday cards. From what I can tell, my grandmother kept every card she received for over sixty years.

1941 Christmas Holiday Greeting Card by Stonybrook Line Printed in USA

1930s & 1940s Cereal Premiums

The Jack Armstrong Hike-o-Meter Measure the Miles for Hiking
Wheaties Cereal Premium

When we uncovered all these fun cereal premiums from one of the boxes, Dad mentioned that he was too young to have ordered many of them himself (he was born in 1930) and how interesting it was that his mother sent away for them. Some items he recalls vividly, others he has only a recollection of and thinks they were stored away soon after they arrived.

Lucky me, they waited all this time to be found so I could discover another small piece of my father's childhood and more about another part of life in the 1930s and 1940s.

Jack Armstrong Hike-o-Meter - The original pedometer. 
Before we had FitBits, Jawbones and accelerometers in phones, there was - The Hike-o-Meter. It's purpose to: "Record your favorite hikes. Measure distance around lakes, map woods, roads, wilderness."

Jack Armstrong was the "al-American boy" and a radio show hero from 1933 to 1951. The character was one of the best-known endorsements for Wheaties and premiums were offered to radio listeners until the mid 1940s. The radio program started on WBBM in Chicago and then moved to CBS, NBC then ABC radio.

1935 1936 1937 Radio Orphan Annie's Secret Society Pin backs & shadowettes

Ovaltine's Little Orphan Annie's Secret Society
Such a timeless character! Little Orphan Annie was a comic created by Harold Gray and syndicated by tribune Media Services. The name originated from a poem entitled "Little Orphant Annie" by James Whitcomb Riley.

In 1930, Little Orphan Annie was adapted to a 15 minute program that first aired in Chicago. It went national in 1931 and went off air in 1942. Ovaltine was the initial sponsor and during the program promoted these secret decoders (rings & badges) that could be obtained by redeeming proofs of purchase. These cipher disk pin backs are one of the most well-known examples of decoders for kids that used a simple Caesar cipher. Not surprisingly, the message was typically "Drink your Ovaltine."

1946 Tom Mix Look Around Ring Ralston Cereal Premium
Mirrors in place. Super cool.

Tom Mix Look Around Ring
Tom Mix was born in 1880 and died in 1940. He was a hero in more than 125 movies from 1910 to 1935. There was a Ralston Tom Mix radio show from 1933 to 1950 that the original Tom Mix was not a part of and comics were published from 1942 to 1953.

The Look-Around Ring was a Each side has TM initials and the front features a pair of crossed six-guns and two stars. There are two rectangular slots that when held to the eye can be looked through and via the interior mirror, you can see objects at a 90 degree angle.

Captain Midnight's MJC-10 Plane Detector
 1942 Ovaltine Premium

Captain Midnight MJC-10 Plane Detector
This is so cool.

Jack Armstrong's Secret Whistle Code Ring
1937 Wheaties Cereal Premium

Jack Armstrong's Secret Whistle Code Ring
.

Vintage Cameras

Today, we are all photographers. Smart phones make it super easy to snap some pretty ok images, and some pretty spectacular ones too. But once upon a time, taking a photo required a lot of skill and equipment. Dad was a hobbyist photographer, but mostly, snapped a pic here and there on vacation and to document our childhood.

Minolta was his brand, but he started with a Kodak, tried Contaflex and Olympus and even Stereo Realist (sort of, he only shot a few rolls of film) . And of course - home movies. Lots of fun with home movies.

Here's a glimpse.

Vintage camera equipment. Minolta Rokkor, Minolta X-700, Minolta Maxxum 7000, Tokina ATX Lens 24mm-40MM, GE PR1 Exposure Meter, Metrastar Meter, Weston Master IV Meter, Minolta Zoom 8, Contaflex Zeiss Ikon, Kodak Motormatic 35, Heiland Flash, Flash Bulbs Westinghouse Sylvania GE Norelco 5B 25B and more.

Stereo Realist Collection

Antique Thanksgiving Postcards

 Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Postcard (c) S. Bergman NY 1912 

back of 1912 card

Thanksgiving Postcard (c) P. Sander postmarked 1913

back of 1913 postcard

Ideal School Blackboard Stencils - Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes

These intricate blackboard stencils from Ideal School Publishing Co. Chicago IL circa 1910s are really something special, and from what we can tell, incredibly rare. Designed for K-1, this teaching tool was used to illustrate classic Mother Goose nursery rhymes, holidays and more on classroom blackboards. The paper was unfolded and placed against a chalkboard - then an eraser with chalkboard dust on it was clapped against the paper allowing the chalk to pass through the delicate pinholes and imprint the illustration onto the chalkboard.

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil
Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s

All nine of these are incredibly well preserved and from what we can tell, unused. My grandmother and her sister were both teachers so they must have belonged to one of them. They were tucked in a small metal trunk with numerous education books.

This collection included:

* Boy Blue
* Four and Twenty Blackbirds
* Miss Muffet
* Hey Diddle Diddle
* Pussy Cat
* Jack & Jill
* Mistress Mary
* Little Bo Peep
* Little Pig Went to Market

I searched like crazy on the Internet but little was found about the Ideal School Publishing Co. other then some fun old ads scans on Google Books (love that tool!) dating between 1905 and 1913. The company appears to have held numerous business locations in Chicago, IL and advertised as selling "Construction Materials and School Specialties for Primary Grades." Their principle business seems to have been the Ideal Blackboard Stencils.

Ideal Blackboard Stencils image digitized by Google
 from Primary Education Volume 21 November 1913

I did my best to capture some of the detail on camera, but it's incredibly challenging. We tried a few techniques to project light through the pinholes to see the image on a wall but just couldn't figure out a great way to do so. And since we wanted to preserve the unused quality of these sheets, we didn't paint a wall with chalkboard paint then try the dusting technique ourselves, so the full images will be revealed to the next lucky owner. But, I captured a few snippets with my trusty iPhone and shared them below. Enjoy!

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s
Pussy Cat

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s
Boy Blue

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s
Four and Twenty Blackbirds

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s
Hey Diddle Diddle - Dish Ran Away with the Spoon

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s
Hey Diddle Diddle The Cat And The Fiddle

Ideal School Blackboard Stencil Mother Goose Nursery Rhymes circa 1910s for K-1

The Great American Buckle Collection

The Mormon Temple Brass Buckle from The Great American Buckle Collection
 produced by Heritage Mint for First Security Corporation 50th Anniversary 1978

A collection of brass belt buckles dad had tucked away with his leather tool working kit. Never used. (Except the one on the belt that was mine as a child. He also gave one to each of my siblings.) There is some oxidation on a few of them that has created a beautiful natural patina.

The buckles were offered by First Security Corporation to celebrate its 50th anniversary and were bought outright or were given as a premium for new or add-on deposits. The program ran for seven-months and reportedly created in excess of $100 million in new deposits.

 "These serially numbered belt buckles were designed and sculptured by well known American artists. The buckles were cast in solid brass by the age-old sand-mold process, slow and tedious, which was popular in American foundries during the 1800s. They were then individually hand finished and polished to achieve a fine jewelry finish." (From pamphlet with buckle)

They each came in a leather satchel with a registration card and information about the piece.

The Process
"Solid Brass - Beautiful buckles that feature deep sculptured relief and three-dimensional styling. A Great Gift Idea!
   The master sculpture has been created with the same artistic skill and meticulous detailing that goes into the making of coins designated for minting. The hand cast original is duplicated in sub-masters used to form the sand molds.
   Molten brass, heated to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit in small crucibles, is pouted into the sand molds. Then each buckle is individually removed from the mold, smoothed and finished in 3 handwork steps, to impart the smooth,lustrous look that gives a living effect to the finished buckle. 
  Time consuming processes indeed, but the only way to achieve the magnificent look, feel and quality that reflects the authenticity of the two-centuries old method used in the making of the belt buckles of that period." (From pamphlet with buckle)



The Mormon Temple Buckle
"The world famous Salt Lake Mormon Temple is the most prominent building in Utah and is the subject for a limited edition of belt buckles. This grand edifice is a tribute to the spirit of the early pioneers who hauled huge granite blocks from Cottonwood Canyon by ox teams and labored on the construction from 1853 to 1893. First Security Corporation commemorates fifty years of service to Utah with this limited edition buckle; a handsome reminder of the industry of the people of the Intermountain West." (From pamphlet with buckle)

The Utah Golden Spike Brass Buckle from The Great American Buckle Collection
 produced by Heritage Mint for First Security Corporation 50th Anniversary 1978 

The Golden Spike Buckle

"To observe one of the most significant events in American railroad history, First Security commissioned Heritage Mint, Ltd to portray this memorable event that forged the way for the development of the intermountain region. The driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory Point on May 10, 1869 signified the joining of the transcontinental railroad system. This limited edition buckle honors that moment in history and is part of the Utah buckle collection in celebration of fifty years of service to the area by First Security Corporation." (From pamphlet with buckle)

The Utah State Seal Brass Buckle from The Great American Buckle Collection
 produced by Heritage Mint for First Security Corporation 50th Anniversary 1978

The Utah State Seal Buckle

"The Utah State seal buckle was commissioned by First Security Corporation as a tribute to Utah and its people. Designed by Harry Edwards, the seal was officially adopted by the first session of the Utah legislature on April 3, 1896, the year Utah was granted statehood. The seal incorporates the American Eagle as a symbol of protection in peace and war, the beehive connotes industry and is the state symbol. 1847 is the year of the arrival of the first pioneers into the Great Salt Lake Valley." (From pamphlet with buckle)

Old Texas Huebotter - Britz - Mofield

Descendants of Peter Britz (1825-1899)  & Maria Anna Koch-Britz (1827-1889) - my great-great grandparents.

Found some fantastic old photos from my mother's mother's side of the family. It appears she was working on some genealogy in the mid 1960s. Some of the images are original, others were developed from old negatives.

While my sister & I were trying to decipher who everyone was - we stumbled upon a distant relative online & some info they had further helped us unravel a few more details of lineage. What a kick to learn my mother's mother's side of the family came from a "colorful" past - gambling, horse thieves & even a few illegitimate children.

Britz Family - Original photo found

Charles Boog & Helena Britz Boog (my great grand aunt - daughter of Peter Britz & Marie Anne Koch) est year 1884

My Great Grandfather Huebotter's Mother's (Mary Caroline Mofield) Brother Heinrich "Henry" Mofield
Note on back says "Father of Louis, Ida & Emma Mofield" Ida is circled. He is my 2nd Great Grand Uncle

Nutting on the Brazos

Back of Family Portrait "Nutting on the Brazos" - it reads "I moved and you couldn't see my face much. Guy said he and Bess were holding up pecans to show Grandma and Grandpa."

These images had no details on the back. All we can safely assume is they were taken in Texas.

Antique Gilded Porcelain China

There was a beautiful collection of porcelain china and small figurines amongst grandma's boxes and while my father recognizes the pieces, he does not know any of the history behind them. So I've had my work cut out for me researching their origins. Here's a few of the items and the details I have discovered so far, I'll update as I learn more. 

 

Six gold gilded Moschendorf porcelain plates with fruit (above)
The porcelainmarksandmore.com website was a wealth of knowledge on German porcelain factories. These plates have a backmark with a crown motif above the letter P and the letter M with a wreath containing them and the word Bavaria below. It was used between 1895 & 1910 and is the backstamp of Porcelain Moschendorf Factory from Bavaria Germany (moschendorfer porzellan). Based on these dates for the stamp, my great-grandmother most likely brought these plates to the U.S. with her when she immigrated from England.

K&R porcelain backstamp

Blue Dish with K&R Mark on back - maker yet unknown (pictured above)

blue pansy gold dish. warwick china.

warwick china mark. year unknown.

Blue Pansy dish with gold edge and Warwick China mark on back (pictured above)

Austria Carlsbad Heart backback porcelain china rose dish

Rose Platter with gold edges Austria Carlsbad Heart mark (pictured above). From what I have read, the stamp was in use from 1880 to 1925.

1929 Day Planner Compliments of John D. Owen Fine Tailoring Salt Lake City UT

There have been a number of fun little calendars and day planners tucked away in all grandma's old belongings that reveal bits and pieces of my grandparent's life and everyday from the early 1900s. This 1929 Mini Day Planner is just one of them.

This 1929 day planner was Compliments of John D. Owen Fine Tailoring 3 East First South Street Deseret Bank Bldg Salt Lake City, Utah.

Inside are some beautiful maps (canada, western us, central states, eastern states, southern states, cuba, panama canal, europe, asia, japan, africa, mexico) along with useful information like distance between American Cities, banking proverbs, brief business laws, interest calculations, weights & measdures, how to prevent fires, information for contractors, postage rates, weights of grain, population from 1920 census, presidents of the us, heights &weights of men, help in case of accident - - all in a compact 5.5" x 2.75" book.

1929 Banking Proverbs & Basic Business Laws

1929 Day Planner