Treasures in the Top Drawer By Dowser
I started working in the Gray Room, today-- named so because when we moved into the house in 1964, the 3rd bedroom was painted gray. I have dreaded this room, because it has been the repository for everything for 50 years. Periodically, Mama would clean out something, but it was more a matter of shifting around, rather than throwing away...
The bed is furnished with a spool bed, that my great Grandma Hutch had in her house, then moved to Grandma's house when she came as an old person, and she almost died in it-- but she went to a nursing home and died that next day. Plus, the dresser, the rotating bookshelf, the "moon face" chair, and the sewing machine. I started on the dresser, because I thought that was a good place to start. Besides, I'm looking for Grandpa's giant marble, which has lived in the top drawer of the dresser up until 10 years or so ago. It wasn't there. BUT, I found a lot of wonderful treasures!
Beginning with the left side-- the little shepherdess is from the 30s, and is made of plaster. In front of it, these are salt and pepper shakers, labeled "Occupied Japan" on the bottom. I'm really curious as to what that means. There are two little pitchers beside the salt and pepper shaker. No markings on the bottom. Beside the shepherdess is a white cup-- no markings, but it is old...
In front of this group, to the left is a tea cup from Grandma Hutch's doll tea set, (1860s), and to the right of that is a depression era glass doll cup. In front of the cup on the left is a small plate that lived in Grandma's doll house, and then a baby harmonica with it's box, known as the Ho Lady. (I think that is FUNNY!) It plays 4 notes! To the right of all that is a knob, made of woody cardboard and I have no idea what it is or what it contained, but it is ancient, and maybe I'll find something it fits to. In front of the wooden/cardboard hollow thing is an elephant that was once on the handle of an umbrella that was my mother's-- 1930s. I was allowed to play with it, as a child.
Next to the elephant head on the right is a very dressy little screw together sewing kit. I kid you not. It has 3 tiny wooden spools with ancient thread wrapped around it. This is a jeweler's box, and it was made for it, and I'm astounded. It looks like cloisonne.
On the far left, there is a locket of Grandma's brother and sister, circa 1915. Next to that, you can't see the image, but that is a little pin with a picture of Eliza Francis holding a smiling black dog. Eliza Francis died in 1925, and I am guessing, but not much, when I say that after she died, they put the little jewelry box with all this jewelry away, and rarely opened it.
In front of the locket and pin, there is a "flute". It plays like a whistle, but it does make different notes. Who'd a thunk it?
In front of the "flute", from left to right, a lock of little Eliza Francis' hair. It was all cut off for the brain surgery, but her hair was dark by then, so this must have been when she was a baby. Then, a darling, red, Scottie pin. The heads rotate, so they can look in any direction-- circa 1920-25. Next, is a little gelatin capsule with teeny tiny teeth in it. Are they dog teeth? Are they Eliza Francis' baby teeth? Then, there are 4 rings that had to be Eliza Francis', circa 1920-25. Two of them are good red gold. They are too small for my pinky finger, and I wear a size 1.5 on that finger.
In the direct center are two large glass disks, with 6" brass braces on the back. These came from Grandma Hutch's house, and were used to hold back the draperies. I can't wait to use them!
On the far left, at the back, is a beautiful mirror that I've always loved-- circa 1920s. It is pewter, and I've always loved the moon's face! In front of that is a bracelet in very good shape, from the 1920s. Junk, but I like it. Then a pin made of bone that has been dyed, and a small empty box with pictures of a little girl whose hair was cut like Eliza Francis'.
In front of the jewelry, there is a collection of various glass animals, from the 20's and 30's. Some of these were Mama's and some of them were Eliza Francis'. My own glass animal collection is in the attic, I hope!!! I also hope that the marble is in here somewhere! Maybe next drawer down!
I also found 2 McGuffy readers, in all the books, as well as a whole slew of old old books, some of which I can't wait to read. Others will be useful-- Opera plots, and Musical Theory, etc.
I also found 5 cameras. 5. What does one do with old cameras? Pitch them? They are from 5 - 40 years old.
Thank you for going on this journey with me-- it would be so very lonely if you weren't here!
Tags
Who is online
604 visitors
I forgot to mention the little pumpkin teapot-- it is next to the animal collection. All it's pieces are inside the teapot. Yeah, I'm going to try to glue it back together.
I'm hoping that I can put a lot of this stuff in my hutch-- I collect salt and pepper shakers, or in my cabinet with my Chinese teapots.
Thanks for coming by!
I collect the small ones, only. I put them in my hutch, and they have managed to fill most of it! I have no where near that many, but then, only look for the small ones.
I bought the hutch for $100 back in the day-- I love it! It is oak, and has double doors at the top and the bottom. It needs cleaning out, for sure!
My mother-in-law collected teapots, as did my Grandma... I've got a few of those, too!
Old cameras are collectors' items. Don't junk them. If you want to get rid of them take a look at eBay for what others like yours are selling for. Please post photos of the cameras - I used to collect antique cameras and would love to see what you've got.
Sure, Buzz-- I'll try to take pictures tomorrow! These aren't that old, but some are film, and I think one is actually digital, sort of. Early digital.
I'll be sure and take a picture of them!
Thanks!
One of them wouldn't happen to be a Leica, would it?
Thanks for the continuing tour Dowser, dear lady. It is almost like a tour down memory lane or a peek at the past of my childhood. Many things are similar to the things my mother had 'stashed' and I enjoy seeing yours. Like MM, you, and your mother, mine had a huge salt and pepper shaker collection. My daughters and niece divided them up.
Looking forward to more. Thanks for thinking about us while you 'discover' more items.
Scrounging around in the past is great fun. The stuff you are finding is really cool. I recall a flute exactly like that one, but I don't know when I saw it. Maybe at grandma's place? Lots of memories there.
All those teapots were divided up among the daughters-in-law, so I guess I have about 10. She had about 30... I've displayed mine, throughout the house. My salt and pepper shakers are very small, and these will be among the largest. That helps!
Oh no! These aren't expensive, by any means! I think they are all Kodak. I will take a picture and let you tell me what to do with them!
Frankly, I'm still looking for Daddy's Nikon!
Thank YOU. I mean it! It's lonely down here by myself-- my family is in Louisville, and phone calls just don't cut it. Being able to talk about it with someone is SUCH a relief!
I think it's fun, too, to discover all these little odds and ends...
Yes, lots of memories! I was surprised to discover anything of Eliza Francis' stuff-- my mother was so jealous of her, especially toward the last. She was sick, but her real feelings came out.
I've got to figure out how to make the notes on the "flute"! The little whistle end makes the tone pretty shrill, so it will have to be quick! Thanks, Grump, for coming by!
Dowser,
What a great collection of items you have there. It's so much fun finding this stuff that has been there all along. What a wonderful way to find your family history. I hope you are having a good time.
I'm having a great time, discovering... Also frustrating time, finding pieces of things... Right now, I'm so overwhelmed with the sheer Volume of everything... But, it is fun to discover the wonderful things and go back to think of their lives!
Love you, Perrie!
Dowser
Beautiful stuff!
Remember to let us know if you ever have a garage sale for the beautiful treasures you are sharing with us
Thanks, dear friend! I am planning to sell what I can on-line-- Louisville East Yard Sale, on FB. Then, the rest will be a garage sale, plus my stuff to sell. But the pictures of this stuff? I'm keeping all of this!
I found my mother's and Eliza Francis' baby shoes this afternoon. Cute! And Grandma's book as a young girl, "Girls of the True Blue".
Thank you so much, Jennilee-- I've got to get busy and get the house on the market. It is too much to keep up for long!
The attic and the garage are the next huge bugaboos... Right now, it's too cold to do either one of them. But, up in the attic are supposedly my children's books, my glass animals, and a whole BUNCH of antique picture frames, etc.
I can't sell any of this stuff-- other stuff that doesn't matter, I can sell. I'm going to keep a big box of stuff for my son, for his first apartment... He's 16, so it's not that long until he will be getting a place of his own.
Grandma drilled into me that family stuff MUST stay in the family. After I'm gone, my son can sell these things, if he wants, but my responsibility will be met.
Dowser you have so many wonderful items there. I know I would have to have a box of Kleenex with me at all times as I did what you are doing. You are right by keeping as much as you can in the family. Even the least expensive item you have there is priceless. Thanks for posting this.
Wow, what a treasure hunt this has turned into.
The marking ''made in occupied Japan'' means that they were made in Japan when the US was still an occupying force. Sometime after 1945 and the mid to late 50s'.
Yup, that's when the occupying forces were trying to get the Japanese economy moving again to ease the financial burden on the American Government. Since ceramic items for export have always been a specialty of both China and Japan, that's how they started. The cars came later.
Six, I was especially touched by the baby shoes, so carefully preserved. The pair that were Eliza Francis', my aunt, had been made by my great-grandfather in his shoe store... Yeah, I burst into tears frequently.
I found the box of letters that my great-great grandmother had written to my great-grandmother, and then the letters to my great-grandmother from her sisters... The letters written by them were bordered in black, which was custom back then. Those were especially touching, as well.
None of these items are of much value, except to me. Matthew, my son, finds them to be valuable, luckily. They have lain for so long, untouched, it is like opening time capsules.
Thanks, Kavika and TTGA-- I was wondering about those! I have some small things, (vases, cups), that were made in Japan before the war, too. They are from the 30s, I think, and are labeled Nippon. Nothing of real value, except to me!
Thank you both for your help!
Grump, I forgot to tell you-- I found the instruction book for it, in another box! Yeeehaaa! It's called a fife!
Dowser,
Occupied Japan was how things were marked right after WWII. I don't know how long that era lasted, but it was marked that way because they lost the war and they were not allowed autonomous rule.I have a couple of pieces from when my Uncle Bruce was stationed there in the late 1940s or early 1950s. Items marked that way have a speciall group of co
Love the man in the moon. Great piece. I learned to play the flute long ago but have mostly forgotten. Those of that style all sound about like you described. Sounds like you found a treasure trove of old memories. That's the best kind of treasure to find.
Thanks so much! They were carefully made, back then, and look nothing like Japanese people... I'm just glad I found the book to go with it!
Much love to you!
Everything appears to be in excellent condition that often is not the case.
Well, there are things that aren't in good condition, too... Sigh!
What fabulous treasures. The glass discs for drapery tiebacks are stunning - glad to hear you intend to use them!
How will you ever decide what to keep, pass along, donate or possibly sell? Thank you for letting us tag along on your journey, I love it!
I LOVE those glass tie backs! Not sure how to mount them, but I'll figure it out somehow... Fortunately, my husband knows how to weld... He could make something to attach them to the wall, maybe.
All these pictures are of things that I'm keeping-- until I die, then they go to Matthew. What he does with them, well, he knows that family things must stay in the family, and he knows my cousins-- we go to 3rd cousins or more in my family... They will get what he doesn't want.
I love all these little knicknacks...
I know her kids are going to want them, too.
I don't know-- maybe your wife will change her mind, in time. It's important for kids to know of their heritage, and, for me, anyway, it gives me a place in the family history. I love to touch the things that they touched-- perhaps their benevolent spirits linger or something. Mickey, no matter, I wouldn't throw them away or donate them to a church. Your wife's kids need these things to remember your wife by, too.
Needless to say, I'm leaving Matthew all of my jewelry, and what is HE going to do with it? I'm hoping he has a daughter! Either that, or my dear cousin will get it. I've sort of inherited the role of "keeper of the archives".
MM, Sometimes items cherished by those we love are just "things" to us, yet a dear friend made me realize the importance of agreeing to their wishes. It provides a legacy and solace to those making the request.
By letting your wife know you will keep her things, you honor her in life. Once she is gone you're heart and mind will do the right thing. Even the most ungrateful children will wish to have a remembrance of their Mom. Remember you're the man she choose to share her life with, make decisions with, love and trust...you will make the right decisions when the time comes.
That is a very good idea!
Maybe it will make them realize what they've missed all those years, too! Love to you!
Yes, dear Lynne! Absolutely! you put it so well!