Needle case with needle threader, two pieces, a long metal tubular case of bronzed metal. Most of the object is the hollow tubular handle, 2.75" in length, with one rounded end and male-shaped "cap" fitting into opposite end. Handle has bery fine ribs running lengthwise on exterior. Cap end is very short with a smooth exterior. It has one rounded end while opposite end - that fits into handle - is fitted with a fine wire loop used to thread needles. The loop is mounted into red-painted wood which is in turn set into cap's hollow end. To use tool, cap is removed, reversed end for end, and reinserted into hollow handle.
On side of cap is stamped "GERMANY."
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 book made of printed heavy paper, folded to resemble a book. Advertising item lists coal business on inside.
Blue printed cover has the words "The/HOME NEEDLE/CASE" below an image of little girl with bonnet, holding roses against a floral background. Back cover has a scene of tree, pond, and house in distance. At bottom is "PRINTED IN U.S.A."
Inside at front is an affixed paper packet of needles "SHARP & SON." Five needles remaining. Right side of book interior has printed advertising message with a cartoon image of man driving an early coal truck vehicle. The business is called "UPPER LEHIGH COAL" above image and below image is "SEAMAN & MARTENS" of Atlantic City, NJ.
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.
Sewing kit, rectangular box shape consists of folding exterior of black-brown leather that wraps around an inner box of rigid leather covered sides that has a flap lid with snap closure. Inner box and outer wrap both covered with the same pliable black-brown leather with pink satin lining. Wrap has stitched compartments inside as well as three graduated size rectangular flaps of fabric for holding pins & needles. Top flap embroidered with pink floral design.
Box inside has empty interior except for a corner loop for holding a 1) thimble of non-ferrous, darkened metal (long oblique crack on side continues along nearly-flat top; flattened shape) and 2) an inexpensive ferrous metal scissors having stamped scrolls on handles.
Inscriptions: Paper label found in case w/ leather residue on reverse says "Shaker Chrome Leather." This was likely the name of the leather finish of this case.
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 thread case, heart shape. Folded paper form creating six flat sections appears to be a geometric heart when closed with top strap fitted with snap closure. Exterior covered with dark blue silk with white polka dots. Interior lined with dark blue silk. Efge embroidered with button hole stitch in red.
Interior fitted with six straps of white elastic for holding small cards of thread or pieces of fabric pierced with needles and pins. Currently holds three small color-printed cards of white, blue-green and blue thread as well as one swatch of fabric with needles and pins.
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.
Butter crock, stoneware, blue-gray ground with cobalt floral decoration. Lip is 7/8 inch high with scored decorative rings below. Applied handle at each side near top.
Clarke Hess says this crock is known "in the trade" as a cake crock.
Several cracks: one extends 2 1/4 inches down from lip to exterior air bubble on surface, one extends down side from top to bottom (especially visible at lip and exterior. Crazing over much of surface. Salts visible at lip, inside and outside
Object ID
G.04.23.07
Credit
Gift of Sarah Muench, Heritage Center Collection, LancasterHistory.org
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
Brass spoon mold of two parts that mate to allow molten metal to be poured into bowl end of spoon mold via its funnel opening. Squared tangs project on top and bottom of mold at midpoint.
Mold will create spoon with moderately large, oval bowl, round stem and flaring, flattened handle with rounded terminal and raised center ridge on top. Rattail support under bowl.
Paperweight or keepsake of carved white marble has a carved reclining sheep, done in bas relief, is lying on a narrow ledge on an inch-thick slab of marble resembling a curved top tombstone. Incised name in block letters below the sheep: "E. M. Howell." Bottom edge below name is relieved with a carved cupid's bow design.
Attributed to Charles M. Howell (4-24-1814 to 4-10-1903).
Provenance
Donor inherited two carvings from her Aunt Annie and Aunt Kate Willson. They were pupils in Charles M. Howell's Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church and he passed them out as Christmas gifts. Great grandson Dick Witmer states E.M. Howell is certainly Howell's wife Elizabeth Michael who Charles married in 1841. She died 10-22-1877.
Howell was an important in business and civic affairs. He operated a marble yard on N. Queen St. in Lancaster. Other carvings by Howell's employee,
Augustus Beck, are extant. Dick's brother Bob Witmer removed these large carvings (of lions?) that had been at the corner of a Howell residence at East Chestnut and Cherry Sts. to his home outside the city. Additional small carvings are reportedly owned by Lancaster collector Gene Charles.
Paperweight or keepsake of carved white marble has a 3-D carved reclining sheep reclining on a half-inch-thick rectangular base, secured with a screw on underside. Base has chamfered top edges. Thin sheet of red rubber glued to underside of base.
Attributed to Charles M. Howell (4-24-1814 to 4-10-1903).
Provenance
Donor inherited two carvings from her Aunt Annie and Aunt Kate Willson. They were pupils in Charles M. Howell's Sunday School class at First Presbyterian Church and he passed them out as Christmas gifts.
Howell was an important in business and civic affairs. He operated a marble yard on N. Queen St. in Lancaster. Other carvings by Howell's employee,
Augustus Beck, are extant. Dick's brother Bob Witmer removed these large carvings (of lions?) that had been at the corner of a Howell residence at East Chestnut and Cherry Sts. to his home outside the city. Additional small carvings are reportedly owned by Lancaster collector Gene Charles.
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 card is a rectangle of paper-covered rigid material holding 48 colored glass-head pins arranged in clusters ofthree along its edges. On both sides of packet are printed papers: one side is a scene of two young children in 19th c. clothing, the girl looking out the window and a boy in background working with a bird and birdcage. Second side has dark blue paper with gold printing stating "Pin Card" at center. At bottom is "48 Pins Germany."
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.
Large redware pitcher, sectioned octagonal form with conforming low pedestal base. Applied handle and pulled pouring spout. Orange-red color dark brown manganese mottling with clear glaze overall.
Impressed mark on underside is "C GAST" for Conrad Gast (1813- after 1880).
Prince and James Sts. Lancaster, PA
Provenance
Heritage Center purchased from Ruth Rogers of School House Farm Antiques, New Holland.
Wear at all salient points of the lower body as well as the outside and tip of handle. Two medium chips at opposite sides of lip and several minor chips at spout and sides of lip. Wear at bottom.
Object ID
P.02.04.1
Place of Origin
Lancaster
Credit
Gift of V. Ronald Smith, Heritage Center Collection
Wheel-thrown stoneware pitcher, gray ovoid body with extended neck and pulled spout. Applied handle. Clear salt glaze except for bottom and interior. Brushed cobalt decoration is foliate designs at both sides of spout, graceful leaf and flower design at front side with two pendant branches; both handle terminals highlighted with additional leafage extending from lower terminal. Decorative incised line at top of shoulder.
Badly chipped: 2 at spout, 1 at side of rim, minor ones at base along with one very large chip and one medium size. Rusty discoloration at one side with adjacent imperfections in finish likely from firing. Stained and soiled on bottom and interior.
Object ID
G.96.37.103
Credit
Gift of Henry J. Kauffman, Heritage Center Collection
Folding rule of boxwood with brass hinges and ends. One-foot rule has a brass hinge every three inches, resulting in a compact unit of four wood lengths. Both sides of rule are calibrated with inches; both read from right to left.
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.
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.
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 mold-blown clear glass. Classic cone shape but with a frilly scalloped bottom rim. Slightly domed top is dimpled, but walls are smooth.
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.
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.
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of Mexican sterling silver (925) in classic shape. Sides have vertical seam and are joined to a barely domed top. Rim is scalloped, with each scallop having an applied C-scroll of flattened wire. Upper portion of sides has vertical rows of hand-struck round dimples in columns of 4. Top has a waffle pattern likely produced by machine.
Struck along inside of rim is "STERLING 925/ JNM(?)/ TAXCO MEXICO." An additional mark lightly struck above C-scrolls on outside is indecipherable.
See another example pictured in this file. Taxco is an important center of silvermaking (near the west coast of Mexico) where William Spratling, in the 1930s, famously reinstituted the silver industry and craftsmanship that had died centuries before.
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.
Darkened with tarnish. Scallops at rim are breaking and/or cracking. Residue of black & white paint on areas of one side.
Object ID
G.05.15.38
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
Taxco, Guerrero, Mexico
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of sterling silver (925) in classic shape, marked by Simons Bros. Co.
Thimble has a wide band at lower half of sides, decorated with a raised, repeating pattern of putti holding flowering plants between them; also stamped foliate decoration. Upper half of sides have a honeycomb pattern of hexagons while domed top has conventional indentations.
Inscriptions: Marked within putti band is "PAT.NOV.21,05." Simons mark is underneath top with a smaller version of the shield. "STERLING" and "10" are above shield. Shown in Simons catalog as #146.
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.
Extreme tarnish, scratches on lower band along with strong wear on all salient point of putti design. Needle scratches on interior as well.
Object ID
G.05.15.41
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
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection
Thimble of sterling silver (925) in classic shape, marked by Simons Bros. Co. Sides have a honeycomb pattern of hexagons on upper half and lower half is decorated with three band of different widths having narrow, vertical faceting. Two beaded rings separate these three bands. The domed top has conventional indentations.
Inscriptions: Marked "10" on the wide lower band. Struck with Simon Bros. mark underneath top: old English "S" on a shield, surrounded by "STERLING SILVER."
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.
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
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Credit
Gift of Susan Garofola in memory of Lillian Kiker (mother), Heritage Center Collection