Ornamental corbel removed from the Queen Street side of the Hotel Brunswick. Relief is defined as a carved or molded ornament that projects from a flat surface.
Dial scribe used originally for engraving circular lines (chapter rings) in brass dials. Converted for use with later white-painted dials (probably held a pen, according to clock expert Ed LaFond). Used by Jacob Gorgas (1728-1798). Maker unknown; most likely Lancaster Borough.
The tool arm is created from a foot-long bar of iron, rectangular in section. One end is enlarged and fitted with a vertical attachment made of cone-shaped iron surmounted by a turned wooden (walnut?) handle. This vertical attachment comes to a blunt point at the bottom. A shaped sleeve fits onto the horizontal iron bar and is fitted with a vertical hexagonal hole at one side. Two iron thumb screws are positioned at each side of sleeve.
Provenance
Owned by two brothers, Samuel K. and William L. Fraser, clockmakers who lived in Lincoln (just west of Ephrata) and grandsons of clockmaker William Fraser (1801-1877), then to early collector Earl T. Strickler (FNAWCC) who had it on display at the Columbia Clock and Watch Museum. Upon Strickler's sudden death circa 1974, it was sold by his widow, Mary Jane Strickler, to Edward F., Jr. and Virginia A. LaFond who owned it for "20 some" years. They then traded it to dealer Jamie Price for some clocks. Price had it on sale at the 2004 Philadelphia Antiques Show in mid-April where, as representative for the von Hess Foundation, Tom Cook, purchased it for this museum's collections.
Ed LaFond believes the Fraser family was related to the Gorgas family, thus they were in a position to inherit tools. Due to this, it was believed at first that both the machine and the scribe were from the Gorgas family. However, LaFond believes the Frasers were also related to the Shreiners.
Iron surface is pitted from corrosion, now stable. Turned wood handle is moderately worn and scarred with a broken off piece creating one flattened side. Wood is also checked (cracked) throughout neck.
Object ID
G.04.19.2
Notes
Stacy Wood researched origins and provenance of these tools and wrote an article in Vol. 96 #4 of LCHS Journal. Conversations with Virginia LaFond ( 5/19/04) and Ed LaFond (7/6/04).
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Usage
Gorgas, Jacob, 1728-1798
Credit
Gift of the Richard C. von Hess Foundation, Heritage Center Collection
Pair of metal cap guns (A & B) with holsters on belt (C) by Hubley Manufacturing. Identical plated metal handguns with molded brown & white plastic grips. Raised foliate decoration on barrel, 6-cylinder and cocking hammer. "MARSHAL" molded on each side under cylinder; cleaning rod has "HUBLEY" and "MADE IN USA" on opposing sides. Left side of cylinder swivels open to chamber for mounting roll of caps.
Leather holsters mounted on adjustable two-piece leather belt with stamped metal buckle at front decorated with longhorn steer, horse-and-horseshoe, six-gun and Indian chief. Series of double holes at back of belt with metal "clasp" or keeper fitted into holes at back for size adjustment. Additional part missing for this closure. Elaborate oak-and-leaf stamped decoration overall of light brown leather against a dark brown ground. Highlighted with bold palomino colored horses, one on each side of belt and each holster front. Constructed with stitching and metal fasteners having "H" on each fastener head. Holster ends fitted with looped leather thong hanging down in double strands for tying to legs.
Height excludes thong; length is the measure of fully extended belt halves.
Condition
Good
Condition Date
2014-04-22
Condition Notes
Leather shows wear, especially the front belt parts and holsters are distorted, creased and abraded. Overall decoration has moderate wear. Reverse of leather has sections with strong wear that are shedding or delaminating. Guns have corrosion on and around hammers. Gun (B) has small loss of plastic at bottom corner of grip. Sizing holes in back odstretched, most grommets appear to be missing and one hole torn through to edge.
Object ID
2014.003.3a-c
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Gift of Barbara Breneman. In Memory of Robert Posey Breneman.
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.
Cracked. Reads: "I H 1774" Marked three times: "MZ"
Front and back hounds are heavy wooden members of the running gear. Each is configured into a "wishbone" shape whose "prongs" are attached to front or rear axle. Thus, this iron is likely a hound band that encircles and secures the hounds where they are joined to the coupling pole that runs front to back. (These wooden members are part of what we now call the chassis.)
