Ribbon threader or bodkin is a blade of nickel-plated non-ferrous metal, in a torpedo shape, wide and rounded at one end and tapering to a point at other end. Two slots are cut in wide end for stringing ribbon that needs to be threaded through casings in waistbands, wristbands, etc.
Stamped inscriptions: On one side of tool is "RIBBON THEADER", "REGISTERED", "No. 3", AND "K.B.C.".
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Stiletto or bodkin of turned bone, fitted in a conical basket-weave holder or sheath.
Stiletto (A) has ball-shaped head with hole in it, then narrowing to a neck with additional swells and narrowing until it tapers from midsection down to a sharp point.
Holder (B) is an elongated cone made with a brown reed-like material woven onto ribs like a basket. Handle is a twisted form of the same material, shaped in a double loop configuration.
It is assumed that this pair of otems were originally dwsigned for each other.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Bodkin of bone is a flattened needle with one rounded end and one end with a blunt point. Slot of 5/8" in length is cut into body near rounded end. This tool is used for threading ribbons, etc. through casings, fabric tubes or loops.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Bodkin of steel is a blunt needle used for threading ribbons or other fabric through casings, loops, etc.
Two thin pieces of tapered steel are laminated together through half their length at narrow end. Two pieces at wider end are separated, allowing a ribbon or other material to be fitted into "jaws" and clamped in place via a sliding mechanism fitted into slot that extends lenthwise toward jaws. Inside of jaw ends have 3 pairs of raised barbs or teeth that enable the jaws to hold material without slipping.
Stamped on one side at midsection is "THE DOT." This likely refers to the rounded sliding mechanism fitted in the slot.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Umbrella type swift or winding wheel. Mixed woods, central shaft with attached slide and wingnut which raises an array of string-connected straight wooden strips or "ribs" that unfold & spead outward to provide a variable form on which to wind yarn. The swift can be table mounted via the clamp with wooden screw at bottom.
Stamped on walnut clamp end is: "A. Danner."
.
Provenance
Unknown provenance. Seller states Aaron was the son of woodturner Daniel Danner (1803-1891), see James McMahon article on D. Danner in PA Folklife, Autumn 1993, vol. 43.
Aaron H. Danner listed in Manheim in Lancaster County Directories: clerk, salesman, 1896 - shoes, 1903 - salesman, 1909 - Pres. Exchange Bank (!!), 1921 - salesman.
Hand carved from one piece of oak. Long double-edged blade has blunt edges. Tapered to a blunt point at one end. Opposite end is a 5" long rounded handle.
Donor states origin in the Gochnauer/Hersh families of E. Hempfield Twp.
Provenance
Donor purchased from 1969 farm sale of John Gochnauer on Gochlan Road, East Hempfield Twp (between Landisville and E. Petersburg).. John married Rebecca Hersh circa 1830 and the Hersh farm became the Gochnauer farm.
Flat tin 6-pointed star pattern or template with1/2" diameter hole at center. Used for creating raised, sculpted plushwork (see Amish Arts by Patricia Herr, pp. 44-55).
Pin cushion with a compressed drum shape having leather-clad fabric of reddish-brown comprising the top and bottom and a band of light red silk or satin covering the sides. About 23 pins inserted into sides, including three that have globular heads. Undetermined stuffing.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Significant losses to leather, particularly at edges where it joins side band. Side band fabric is faded and worn with pin holes and one larger moth? hole of about 1/16".
Object ID
G.05.15.16
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of miniature but conventional shape, cast, non-ferrous alloy with silvery plating.
Child-sized thimble has very indistinct indentations on domed top and upper 2/3 of sides and a plain band on lower third. Rim at bottom has a pronounced raised edge. Vertical casting seams on opposite sides. Inscriptions: Each side of plain band has raised lettering with "FOR A/ GOOD GIRL."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Thimble of Mexican sterling silver (925) in classic shape but unusual construction. Sides have a vertical seam and top is capped with a domed and dimpled top. This horizontal joint is then wrapped with a band of silver.
Heavy applied decoration: upper 3/5 of sides have three flowering plants growing out of S-scrolls below and C-scrolls arranged in the lower 2/5. The scrolled decoration is applied like quilled paper. This raised decoration stands out against a black painted body.
Struck along inside of rim is "MEXICO" and "IGU---" over "92-". Other marks unclear. (See Notes) A "2" is struck on outside of body creating a circular depression.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Dark overall with what appears to be black paint. All salient surfaces are worn and there are paint losses. Distortion of body and multiple places where maker has struck lettering or designs.
Object ID
G.05.15.37
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Place of Origin
Iguala de la Independencia, Guerrero, Mexico
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble with an open top, made of unknown non-ferrous alloy. German made. Sides are dimpled with tiny hexagons. At top is a very narrow plain band and at bottom is a raised edge. There is no top to cover finger tip.
Inscriptions: On opposite sides of the raised edge at bottom are : "GERMANY" and "9".
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Minimal wear; slight darkening/tarnish at upper half of exterior.
Object ID
G.05.15.44
Notes
See another example of this ring found on internet in this file. Iguala is a town near the renowned silvermaking town of Taxco (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
Place of Origin
Germany
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of "Alpaca Silver" (see Notes). Similar to G.05.15.38, the sides have a vertical seam and are capped by a domed top with a waffle pattern produced by a machine. Upper half of sides have vertical rows of hand-punched dimples. Plain bottom half. Bottom edge has a raised, applied band with 10 hand-set pieces of vari-colored abalone. Solder points quite visible.
Struck inside rim is "-LPACA". Most likely made in Mexico
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Dents/distortion at sides as well as significant tarnish.
Object ID
G.05.15.39
Notes
Nickel silver, German silver, Argentan, new silver, nickel brass, albata, alpacca, or electrum is a copper alloy with nickel and often zinc. The usual formulation is 60% copper, 20% nickel and 20% zinc. Nickel silver is named for its silvery appearance, but it contains no elemental silver unless plated. The name "German silver" refers to its development by 19th-century German metalworkers in imitation of the Chinese alloy known as paktong (cupronickel). All modern, commercially important nickel silvers (such as those standardized under ASTM B122) contain significant amounts of zinc, and are sometimes considered a subset of brass.
Place of Origin
Mexico
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Embroidery scissors in stork form, chrome plated. Beak of bird forms the blades while bird's body leads down to feet resting on handles of oval shaped rings.
Stamped "73" on inside of each blade. One blade has "HORAWOR-"? / CUTLERY CO. / GERMANY" while other blades has "GARLAND / CUTLERY CO."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Needle and pin case in sun bonnet form with off-white finely woven sheer cotton or silk. Rigid visor of light cardboard is covered with fabric and folds at top. Cap section is gathered at neck. Trimmed with four pink satin bows and a strawberry of emory covered with silk and embroidery on short string at crown. Metal snap closure inside visor.
Interior of visor has attached strip of twill wool with sawtooth edge. Pins and needles are inserted and stored in this fabric.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Commercial circular card of glass-head straight pins. Two layers of heavy textured buff-colored paper are pressure-molded around a central disk of unknown solid substance. Pins are anchored into this paper card in a radiating configuration. Top of card has a printed circular orange band reading: "40 FINEST GLASS-HEAD PINS" with adjacent "MADE IN GERMANY" in small print. Card has missing pins; 30 steel pins with multicolored spherical glass heads remain.
Reverse side has "Kiker" hand printed in ink.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Darning egg, classic shape, hardwood, painted black. No handle.
No inscriptions or other markings.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Darning egg of hardwood, classic shape, painted black and set on a hollow handle of silver-plated cast metal with the facr of a woman above a cabochon flanked by C-scrolls, all above floral decoration. Both identical halves of handle were joined with a visible seam and plated with silver.
Woman's hair has whiplash curves, denoting Arts Nouveau influence.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Very good condition with minor scratches on egg. Hndle is breaking at seam where attached to egg; secured with wire. Residue of white silver polish in crevices.
Object ID
G.05.15.2
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Mold-blown amber glass darning egg with fitted aluminum handle in two pieces. Handle is hollow and tapers to a rounded tip. Where affixed to glass there is a knurled grip-ring, under which is a large threading (like the base of a light bulb). A second slightly larger handle of aluminum, with conforming shape, nests over the first and screws onto the first handle.
Glass egg is embossed with "S.C. FLEXON & CO. / WILLIAMSTOWN, N.J." and "PAT. PENDING." On opposite side of egg is "Ideal" in cursive.
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Spool holder/dispenser, turned wooden round box with fitted, slightly domed lid. Container is pill-box shape with thin walls. Three holes of graduated size marked "40" "50" and "60" under each. Hole insets of white glass or bakelite. Vertical spindles/dowels meant to hold spools on bottom of inside are missing. Bottom covered with a dark brown, pebbled finish paper.
Fitted lid has painted and/or woodburned design (shells and sea flora?). Box has lacquered natural finish.
Large round paper label pasted to underside depicts three circular medals at center. Above the center one is "NEW YORK 1853."
At top of label is "JOHN CLARK JUNR. & CO./ MILE-END/ GLASGOW." At bottom of label is "BEST SIX CORD SPOOL COTTON/ ON BLACK SPOOLS/ THOMAS RUSSELL/ SOLE AGENT/ FOR THE UNITED STATES."
Provenance
Collected by Lillian Hollings Kiker, born to Scottish Americans who lived in New Jersey. Born (1912) and lived in New Jersey, last of Egg Harbor, she was active with quilting, sewing, knitting & crocheting. Collection inherited by donor when her mother passed away.
Heavy crazing onlid. Small abrasions overall. Hole inset missing for #40 size hole. Three spindles on interior are broken and missing. Interior dark with oxidation. Paper on bottom has old losses from peeling.
Object ID
G.05.15.5
Place of Origin
Glasgow, Scotland, UK
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Needle cleaner, painted cut velvet and paper, emery sand within. Rectangular box shape; sides slope in to smaller base. Padded top covered with yellow velvet decorated with painted green flowers. Sides and base covered with a glossy tan paper.
Laid paper label pasted onto bottom has handwritten inscription in ink: "Magdelena Andrews (Ressler) received this needel(sic) cleaner in 1825 when three years of age then in 1895 gave it to her granddaughter Clara Aument."
Compare similar needle cleaner 2002.004
Lancaster County, possibly Colerain Twp.
Provenance
Inscription indicates origin as a gift to 3-yr-old Magdalena Andrews (19 Sep 1822 - 24 Nov 1897), daughter of Joseph and Marie (Mary) Andrews. Magdalena married Martin Boehm Ressler, a farmer in Strasburg. Their daughter Annie married H. Elmer Aument and had a daughter Clara P. Aument (1892 - 1974), unmarried & a clerk in Lancaster City. The needle cleaner was given to granddaughter Clara in 1895, two years before Magdalena's death. Finally given to museum by unknown donor.
Wear, soil and fading overall. Small losses of velvet. Paper is cracked, soiled and worn.
Object ID
G.87.08
Notes
Andrews family were early settlers in Colerain Twp., including a Joseph Andrews - see Ellis & Evans pp. 728, 732, 733. Census 1810-1850 show a Joseph Andrews in Colerain Twp. The 1850 Census shows Joseph & Mary in Strasburg, living next to daughter Magdalena family (Martin Ressler).
Place of Origin
Lancaster County
Credit
Courtesy of LancasterHistory, Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
