Shield-shaped match safe of 1/8" thick softwood back printed with advertising and a 2" tall round wooden cup glued to lower front for holding matches. Holder's exterior is coated with remains of black abrasive used for striking matches. Back board is printed with line borders and advertising text in black ink: "PLAIN HATS FOR PLAIN TRADE A SPECIALTY/ COMPLIMENTS OF/ BRANDT & CO.,/ HATTERS,/ LANCASTER, PA./ W. WINGERT, Manager." At bottom is the maker/s name: "Novelty Sign Works Ithaca, N.Y. " Small hanging hole at top of back board.
Provenance
Provenance unknown. Item purchased at an auction. The 1886 Directory has a business listing as well as an ad on page 48 3/4. The manager is listed as I. Newton Wingert, boarding at the home of Andrew Wingert (50 S. Duke). The 1890 Directory lists not business and Newton Wingert is listed as the manger at Boas' hat store at 144 N. Quenn.
Hand towel, plain-weave linen, elaborately decorated with blue and red cotton cross stitch as well as drawn thread panels. Hanging tabs are plain-weave linen tape, 3/8" wide and very long.
Panel #1 has "MARIA" at the top flanked by large floral trees growing out of hearts. Second line reads: "MACDALLNA DAMY" and 3rd line is: "MY HAND AND NWEDLE." Below are 5 large tree motifs grounded on a horizontal embroidered line, followed by 8 small grounded trees.
Panel #2 is a drawn thread panel w/ cotton darn-stitched designs. Drawn threads stop short of sides -- unusual.
Panel # 3 has five blue and red motifs: star at center flanked by crowned peacocks, in turn flanked by geometric motifs.
Panel # 4 is a tripartite design: center has "HF" within an ornately embroidered red and blue heart, flanked by drawn thread panels w/ cotton darn-stitched trees surmounted by birds. (Initials stand for future husband Henry Fenstermacher, married the following year,1837.)
Panel #5 is very similar to panel #3.
Panel #6 is another drawn thread panel stopping short of sides, decorated w/ cotton darn-stitched geometric designs.
Panel #7 has upper case alphabet ending with the date 1836.
Panel #8 has three lines: "CHRISTOPHER/ DAMY CATHARINE/ DAMY A D 1836." (parents)
Plain self fringe at bottom has an applied short panel of linen with an elaborate knotted self fringe.
Made by Maria/Mary Magdalena Demmy (1811-1884).
Seller pinned on a note stating the mate to this towel (made by sister Elizabeth) was sold in the Rich and Joan Smith sale for $2400, inventory # CB29. Both towels illustrated in This is the Way I Pass My Time, p. 31.
Note: Older sister Maria/Mary Demmy's taufschein is P.06.15.1.
