Copper teakettle with round body, gooseneck spout, very low domed lid w/ scrolled knob of sheet copper riveted onto lid with a hand-cut washer added under lid, suggesting repair or replacement. Curved handle hinges onto tapered plinth tab bases with two rivets each. Vertical dove-tailed side seam opposite single-seamed spout. Dove-tailed bottom.
Touchmark on top of handle is "R..REED." within a rectangular reserve with serrated ends.
Made by Robert Reed, working in Lancaster 1771-1779, then 1785-1795.
Provenance
Purchased by Heritage Center from Philip Bradley Antiques
Transferred from Heritage Center to LancasterHistory.org December, 2012.
Tax assessment lists Robert Reed 1786-1793.
Kauffman, Henry J. American Copper and Brass. New York: Bonanza, 1979.
Coppersmith info from Shelley Horvath Posten (dau. of Don Horvath), 2009
Copper dented and scratched overall, polish residue at handle hinges. Side handle break repaired with sheet iron patch secured to outside with two iron rivets. Knob appears to be a repair or a replacement.
Object ID
P.80.131
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Heritage Center Collection. Purchased through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation,
Pair of English Queen Anne brass candlesticks, marked 'A' and 'B'.
Baluster shaft mounted on wide, square base with stepped edging. Circular indentation in top of base. Very low feet at corners. Vertical seams on shaft indicate cast parts. A and B differ slightly in height.
Details very worn. Candlestick 'B' is split at seam on shoulder below cup and split at both sides of candle cup top edge at seams. "A" has small split at lip seam. Both sticks have distortions at various places, especially at base and lip.
Object ID
P.78.86.2a-b
Place of Origin
England
Credit
Heritage Center Collection. Purchased through the generosity of the James Hale Steinman Foundation
Strainer of glazed redware, but with a lighter brown color than most redware. Resting on three tapered 1-1/8 " long feet. The flat-bottomed dish has straight sides that flare out to a molded, high lip. Applied handles at sides. Large holes in bottom and three rows of smaller holes at sides.
Lead glaze overall with some streaks/runs of a darker brown.
Numerous chips on body overall; some large ones on underside and a large chip on the side; handle edges have suffered the most significant chipping loss. Glaze is crackled overall and has some staining, particularly on the interior. Feet are moderately worn.
Object ID
G.98.12.17
Place of Origin
Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Mrs. S.R. Slaymaker II, Heritage Center Collection
Saltcellar of Stiegel-type clear glass, blown into a 3-piece mold. Body is an inverted pear form on a pedestal base. Upper body decorated with 25 slightly slanted vertical ribs. Bottom is slightly concave with pontil mark at center.
Provenance
Donor bought cellar for $70.00 at Horst Auction on 10-19-96, from the collection of Edward Miller.
Small free-blown wine or dram glass, Stiegel type. Conical form. Low profile knop on stem. Round pedestal base with concentric ring created by folded foot. Pontil mark on bottom.
Provenance
Purchased by donor Hampton C. Randolph, Sr., for $65 at the sale of the Henry E. Balmer estate, Lancaster, PA on April 20, 1996, then donated to the Heritage Center of Lancaster County.
Clear, free-blown leaded glass mug, near barrel shape. Stiegel-type glass has bubbles and other imperfections throughout. Applied threading at rim; ribbed loop handle; engraved design on side is a bird with floral and foliate designs. Pontil mark on bottom has been smoothed around edges with grinding wheel.
Similar to #5, plate 35 in "American Glass" by George and Helen McKearin.
Provenance
Descent within the Nichols family of Lancaster Co. Family history states mug was always kept in a decorated dower chest, dated 1808.
Clear mold-blown Stiegel-type glass mug in cylindrical form. Bottom quarter has 14 fluted ribs that carry through to the bottom and converge on the pontil mark. Rim edged with gold. Side has multicolored fruit and floral paint decoration with a central orange oval cartouche outlined in gold with gold cursive lettering: "Remember me." Applied handle.
Provenance
Descent to Sarah Muench from family, likely her Aunt Alice Potter Fordney, an antiques dealer.
Pewter dram bottle, canteen or flask. Flattened round body with flat bottom having a thin oval foot. Seam at center of rounded sides. Very short, tapered, threaded neck has a fitted and threaded 3/4" high thimble-shaped cap. Decorative concentric circles incised on flattened sides.
Touchmark stamped on bottom is "I.C H/ LANCASTER" in lettering with serifs. Mark is a Laughlin touch #532, 533.
W. King Street, Lancaster
Provenance
Bottle was in the attic of Samuel R. Haldeman's home until he died and Harry, the youngest son, surreptitiously took it along with other belongings to Buffy's Auction in Lebanon where the bottle was sold in a box lot to Mahlon Keith for 30 cents. Keith later sold it to friend William Snyder of Bleak House in Paradise for about $400. Snyder then sold it at the Bleak House sale through A.R. Cox Antiques of Kinzer on May 4, 1965 to donor Dr. Scott, who purchased it for $5,000. Heritage Center purchased at Scott sale (Christie's) for $18,400 on June 10, 1994.
Small plate, used as a paten (communion plate). Circular, with single reed brim, marked on bottom with initials "I.CH." and Jacobs touch #169. Double incised lines near brim and single incised line within sunken bottom.
Walnut schrank has two paneled doors on rat tail hinges, separated by a vertical panel; two drawers below with two brass handles and a keyhole each. Bold projecting removable cornice. The sides have two panels each. The schrank rests on five turnip feet, one at each corner and one at front center. The left interior has wooden pegs around all three sides near the top, and the right interior has three shelves.
Each door has two panels decorated with a carved fleur-de-lis motifs at corners and sulphur inlay which reads:
Upper left panel: "ABRAHAM/REIST"
Upper right panel: "ELISABETH/REISTIN"
Lower left panel: "ANO 1775"
Lower right panel: "DEN 8 MERTZ"
Clarke Hess research notes that Elizabeth Reist was a Kauffman and not a Metz (who was a later wife). The published Reist genealogy is incorrect on this point.
John J. Snyder, Jr. believes the shop that produced the sulphur inlaid furniture was likely located in central or north central Lancaster County.
Provenance
The schrank was owned by Abraham Reist (1737-1810), and then possibly by his son Abraham (1770-1852), who inherited his father's farm. According to previous owner, Henry T. Muth, the schrank was purchased at the Reist family sale for one dollar by Christian Martin in 1845 in Sun Hill, Penn Township. He owned it for 20 years. From 1865-1905 it was owned by Christian's son Tobias D. Martin, who gave it to his daughter Elizabeth Bausman Martin Muth (Mrs. William Henry Muth) who owned it from 1905-1940. It was then given to their son, Henry T. Muth, who owned it for 37 yrs. (1940 to 1977) after which he sent it to sale.
The schrank was refinished in the early 1900s by Elizabeth and William H. Muth at their home in Lititz. Son Fred Muth recalls the job being done by an old man from Lititz who came to their house to perform the job in their huge attic.