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Post by snacky on Jan 13, 2015 7:27:35 GMT
I always thought that ACME was a generic cinematic invention that stood for "A Company Makes Everything".  Yeah I thought it only made widgets! |
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Post by shangas on Jan 13, 2015 10:20:58 GMT
No. It also makes Whistles.
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Post by shangas on Jan 15, 2015 9:02:22 GMT
Not Victoriana, but definitely antique. Here's my new Ronson Standard Lighter. Preface: I don't smoke. Never have. Never will. But I've wanted a vintage cigarette lighter for a while. I'm sick of blowing my money on damn matches, and having those cheap, throwaway, unattractive piece-of-crap plastic lighters that we have these days.I found this lighter at a local junkshop for not much at all. When I bought it, I did a lot of reading about old lighters and how to use them, look after them, replace worn out parts and stuff. And I pulled the lighter apart to check the flint. The sparking-stone that lights the lighter-fluid. Unfortunately the flint was jammed up inside the lighter!! Apparently this happens if the lighter hasn't been used in years and years and years. So I broke up the old flint with a needle, and banged it out (it came pouring out like so much graphite powder). Then I put in a new flint and loaded the lighter with fresh ZIPPO fluid. This is the result:  All the bits and pieces.   Eeeeehy!! |
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Post by Hodge on Jan 15, 2015 17:18:44 GMT
Not Victoriana, but definitely antique. Here's my new Ronson Standard Lighter. Preface: I don't smoke. Never have. Never will. But I've wanted a vintage cigarette lighter for a while. I'm sick of blowing my money on damn matches, and having those cheap, throwaway, unattractive piece-of-crap plastic lighters that we have these days.I found this lighter at a local junkshop for not much at all. When I bought it, I did a lot of reading about old lighters and how to use them, look after them, replace worn out parts and stuff. And I pulled the lighter apart to check the flint. The sparking-stone that lights the lighter-fluid. Unfortunately the flint was jammed up inside the lighter!! Apparently this happens if the lighter hasn't been used in years and years and years. So I broke up the old flint with a needle, and banged it out (it came pouring out like so much graphite powder). Then I put in a new flint and loaded the lighter with fresh ZIPPO fluid. This is the result: All the bits and pieces. Eeeeehy!! I have to admit to liking the old lighters, the new ones scare me, thumb's too close to the flame for my liking when you're trying (and that's the operative word for me) to light it. Not that I need a lighter, like you never smoked, never will but sometimes lighters come in handy. |
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Post by Fallenbelle on Jan 16, 2015 0:39:47 GMT
Not Victoriana, but definitely antique. Here's my new Ronson Standard Lighter. Preface: I don't smoke. Never have. Never will. But I've wanted a vintage cigarette lighter for a while. I'm sick of blowing my money on damn matches, and having those cheap, throwaway, unattractive piece-of-crap plastic lighters that we have these days.I found this lighter at a local junkshop for not much at all. When I bought it, I did a lot of reading about old lighters and how to use them, look after them, replace worn out parts and stuff. And I pulled the lighter apart to check the flint. The sparking-stone that lights the lighter-fluid. Unfortunately the flint was jammed up inside the lighter!! Apparently this happens if the lighter hasn't been used in years and years and years. So I broke up the old flint with a needle, and banged it out (it came pouring out like so much graphite powder). Then I put in a new flint and loaded the lighter with fresh ZIPPO fluid. This is the result: All the bits and pieces. Eeeeehy!! Awesomeness! That's just cool. Not a smoker myself (occasional Hookah notwithstanding) but that is just awesome! Lighters are indeed handy, and to have an antique one is just a really cool statement! |
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Post by lovemondays on Jan 17, 2015 0:38:03 GMT
I'm not a smoker either but my dad was. There's something about the smell as the flint sparks and then the satisfying sound the top makes when it's snapped back into place.☺
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Post by shangas on Jan 25, 2015 8:43:49 GMT
Back from two days in the country scouring shops and markets and fairs.
Back with ANOTHER whistle, and ANOTHER writing box!
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Post by shangas on Jan 28, 2015 14:50:54 GMT
Boy, oh boy, have I got a STORY for YOU GUYS!... This past weekend was Australia Day. 26th of January, where we celebrate the British colonisation of Australia in the 1780s. In honour of this event, my father and I went to the country for the annual Fryerstown Antiques Fair. It happens every year, on the Australia Day Long Weekend. While there, I purchased this box:  It required extensive restorations. It needs to be cleaned. It needs inkwells. It needs a new interior lining, it needs a key. I paid $100 for it, and took it home. While cleaning the box, I saw some writing scratched into one of the white panels inside the box:  It's VERY faint. You need an extremely powerful magnifying glass just to FIND it. But it says: "Tyalla Toorak July 14th 1882" And then it says: "Balfour" At first, all I saw was "Tyalla, Toorak. July 14th, 1882" I researched "Tyalla, Toorak". I already KNOW what Toorak is. It's a suburb in Melbourne, where I live. It's THE most expensive residential neighbourhood in town. I discovered that Tyalla was a large townhouse estate on Heyington Place, one of THE most expensive residential streets in one of THE most expensive residential neighbourhoods in town! Whoever owned this box had to have had money if he was living HERE. It's like finding a desk that belonged to some Park Avenue or West End millionaire! I dug and found a picture of Tyalla:  Painted in 1882. Same date on the box. July 14th, 1882. After more digging, I discovered that Tyalla once belonged to a man named William Gibson. Gibson was born in Scotland in April, 1847. He died in London on the 5th of November, 1918. While living at Tyalla, in 1903, his sister died there (while visiting from Scotland). Two of Gibson's sons died in WWI. One in 1917, one in 1918. Gibson was part of Foy & Gibson's, a chain of Melbourne department stores that ran from approx 1884-1967. I thought - a rich man like Mr. Gibson HAD to be the owner of this box, right? But then I found something that gave me pause. It said in his biography that Gibson left Scotland in early 1882 for Australia. Sailing from SCOTLAND to AUSTRALIA would take MONTHS in 1882. There's no way he could've sailed from Scotland to Australia, and arrived here in July, and immediately buy one of the BIGGEST houses in town!! He hadn't made his fortune yet! Soooo...yeah that didn't seem likely. I decided to take a closer look at the box. That's when I found the name Balfour:  It is PHENOMENALLY hard to read. Taking that picture was nearly impossible. But you can see "Balf..." clearly. I tried to take the entire "Balfour", but it wouldn't focus properly. I researched Mr. Balfour. Mr. Balfour is JAMES BALFOUR. An Australian politician who lived from 1830-1913. He ALSO lived at Tyalla. BEFORE Mr. Gibson. He lived there from 1882 until at least 1885 (possibly after that, and possibly before that). He appears on a list of subscribers to the Melbourne Telephone Exchange Company, dated August 19th, 1882. His address given is Tyalla, Toorak. Same as what's written inside the box. Somehow I doubt this is a coincidence. Mr. Balfour may very well be the owner of this box. It would explain many things. And to think I might have a piece of national history sitting in my bedroom RIGHT NOW...I'm feeling dizzy...!! |
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Post by lizmc on Jan 28, 2015 17:35:13 GMT
This is absolutely wonderful! What an amazing find! I suspect this will great pride of place......
Cheers
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Post by Hodge on Jan 28, 2015 18:01:02 GMT
Sometimes the history behind the antique is more interesting than the piece itself.
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Post by snacky on Jan 29, 2015 1:44:01 GMT
Shangas - first you are the most authentic history and antiquarian geek I have ever encountered on the Internet or real life. You make me feel guilty and inadequate for going to grad school in history because I don't meet your standard, and no one I went to grad school with did. And I went to a world class university. Second - dude, why aren't you getting a doctorate in history from Oxford or something? Some educators clearly overlooked their steering duties somewhere along the way. Whatever else you've been thinking, you're clearly a research historian, so give in.  |
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Post by shangas on Jan 29, 2015 4:25:01 GMT
Shangas - first you are the most authentic history and antiquarian geek I have ever encountered on the Internet or real life. You make me feel guilty and inadequate for going to grad school in history because I don't meet your standard, and no one I went to grad school with did. And I went to a world class university. Second - dude, why aren't you getting a doctorate in history from Oxford or something? Some educators clearly overlooked their steering duties somewhere along the way. Whatever else you,ve been thinking, you're clearly a research historian, so give in. Hah! Wow...I'm flattered... Yes the first one is probably true. I've been called a certified history freak by a lot of people. I won't deny it. It's really lots of fun. Secondly, I dunno. But you're right. Some history teachers are fantastically dull... The search for information about Mr. Balfour continues. Next stop: The state library. |
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Post by snacky on Jan 29, 2015 6:37:25 GMT
Shangas - first you are the most authentic history and antiquarian geek I have ever encountered on the Internet or real life. You make me feel guilty and inadequate for going to grad school in history because I don't meet your standard, and no one I went to grad school with did. And I went to a world class university. Second - dude, why aren't you getting a doctorate in history from Oxford or something? Some educators clearly overlooked their steering duties somewhere along the way. Whatever else you,ve been thinking, you're clearly a research historian, so give in. Hah! Wow...I'm flattered... Yes the first one is probably true. I've been called a certified history freak by a lot of people. I won't deny it. It's really lots of fun. Secondly, I dunno. But you're right. Some history teachers are fantastically dull... The search for information about Mr. Balfour continues. Next stop: The state library. You are doing all the work, but not getting the formal credit. =.= |
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Post by shangas on Jan 29, 2015 6:40:40 GMT
Such is life, dearest Snacky. If I got any credit, I'd have a bloody job by now. Since I don't...Eh.
Dunno HOW I would go about finding information at the state library...but we'll see.
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Post by snacky on Jan 29, 2015 6:46:06 GMT
Such is life, dearest Snacky. If I got any credit, I'd have a bloody job by now. Since I don't...Eh. People almost never get paid for doing the interesting stuff. You probably have the right idea by struggling for the most tolerable day job you can manage to support yourself as a writer. How is the magazine job going? |
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Jan 30, 2013 21:44:55 GMT
Jan 30, 2013 21:44:55 GMT