The holidays bring thoughts of enjoying our favorite baked goods. Just thinking about them causes us to imagine the aroma of mom’s kitchen. We have family traditions and stories that are wrapped in the various specialties from the kitchen that make the holidays special.
The above items are just a few of the many bakery items available in our shop. We also have rolling pins and various other kitchen utensils, wonderful mixing bowls, and even old cookie sheets and cake pans. (We like to think of them as well-seasoned!)
Beautiful cake plates of just about every design are also available.
If you CLICK THIS LINK, it will take you to another post of just a small selection of egg beaters as a sampling of the many kitchen tools you may need.
So stop by Bahoukas Antique Mall for the perfect collectible as a gift – of for you to actually use and enjoy while create your baking specialties this season. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
No – not Goldilocks! Nope – not locks of a canal. But locks that require a key or a combination.
Here we have several railroad locks: B&O RR, PA RR, and Southern Rio Grande Pacific. We also have Master locks,a showcase lock, and even ‘handcuffs.’ We have a variety of old keys as well.
Over 6,000 years ago, locks may have been simply special knots tied in a rope that would tell the owner that someone had been in their belongings. From History of Locks, we offer this interesting quote:
History of mechanical locks started over 6 thousand years ago in Ancient Egypt, where locksmith first managed to create simple but effective pin tumbler lock that was made entirely from wood. It consisted of the wooden post that was affixed to the door, and a horizontal bolt that slid into the post. This bolt had set of openings which were filled with pins. Specially designed large and heavy wooden key was shaped like modern toothbrush with pegs that corresponded to the holes and pins in the lock. This key could be inserted into opening and lifted, which would move the pins and allow security bolt to be moved.
The History of Locks also mentioned this interesting bit of information concerning the Dark and Middle Ages in reference to locksmiths:
to try to confuse or compound lockpickers with new tactics. Instead of one simple lock they created multiple key mechanisms, increasingly complicated key designs, they obscured keyholes with detailed ornaments, created fake keyholes (with fake mechanisms inside), and more.
The first recorded mention of handcuffs appears in Virgil’s telling of the myth of Proteus…
MASTER LOCK PADLOCKS
Most of us are familiar with the name “Master Lock” and probably have owned a few over the years. We can think of bicycle locks, a lock for our school locker, or maybe even a lock on our tool box!
Master Lock was founded by Harry Soref in 1921.
In 1924 they started running ads like the one in this photo from their website,
If Bank Vault Doors and battle ships were built in laminated layers of steel for greater strength, why not make padlocks the same way? The first Laminated Steel padlock was invented and patented on April 22nd.
And did you know that Harry Soref helped Houdini? Here’s a quote from the Master Lock website:
By 1925 Harry Soref became a recognized icon with padlocks. Escape artist Harry Houdini visited Soref after he was unable to escape from a pair of handcuffs. Soref advised Houdini on trick places to hide padlock keys between his fingers and under his tongue during stage shows.
… and yes, they even did really well during Prohibition!
On February 20th, 1928 a container of 147,600 padlocks was shipped to federal agents in New York City. These locks were used to lock down many of the establishments that continued to sell the outlawed alcohol during prohibition.
These are just a few tidbits we discover when we write our blog posts.
No matter … stop by and see if one of these items would make a perfect gift for the magician on your Christmas List or maybe a great decorative item! We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
I’ll bet you haven’t thought of Bahoukas to find unique puzzles for the “enigmatologist” on your list! Well, here’s a sampling of what we have available. From JigSaw puzzles for children and adults, a Rubix Cube, and a variety of uniquely shaped puzzles in nearly every form.
enigmatologist
noun[countable]
someone who studies and writes mathematical, word or logic puzzles
enigmatology also enigmatography
noun[uncountable]
‘The annual war with words was spawned a quarter-century ago by enigmatologist Will Shortz, current puzzle editor of The New York Times.’
We have a few books around our shop. But we also found this interesting websitefor the ‘cruciverbalist on you list.
Maybe you follow Will Shortz as the Puzzle Master on his Weekend Edition Sunday Morning NPR program!
Will also edits the NY Times Crossword Puzzle.
If you love these, just do a search for Will Shortz and NPR Puzzle Master or the New York Times for plenty of information about Will and also plenty about solving puzzles.
Have fun! But don’t forget to stop by our shop to find that intriguing puzzle that may stump one of those puzzle-lovers on your gift list. Well, at least for an hour or two!
George gathered up the above items to add to your home or office decor – or to give as a very useful and beautiful gift. More importantly, you’ll always know the weather pattern where you’re at! The tall black case with brass trim includes a thermometer, barometer and hygrometer. We know a thermometer gives us the temperature. But do you know what a barometer or hygrometer tell us?
Temperature and humidity are the two most basic of weather variables and all of us are interested in what they are right now and what they will be in the future. Hygrometers measure the amount of moisture (or water vapor) in the air, commonly referred to as humidity. By knowing the percentage of humidity in the air along with the current temperature, dew point temperature and heat index can be calculated. These factors can be important to those who work and play outside. They are also important to farmers and other agricultural concerns with regard to stress in livestock or plants, or in properly irrigating crops. With an easy-to-read display and fast response time, analog hygrometers offer excellent accuracy and the ability to be calibrated. from weathershack.com
Barometric pressure plays a large part in the ever-changing weather pattern.
As a very loose rule, a high-pressure area will be clear, and a low-pressure area will be cloudy and rainy. from Science: How Stuff Works
The ‘pilot wheel’ is a thermometer created as an advertisement for Carney-Berman Mfg. Other items include “Old Salt” wood carvings, a coffee grinder thermometer, wood framed barometer-thermometer-hygrometer, a plastic Springfield thermometer, a woman silhouette that is a thermometer and an advertisement for Campus Pharmacy. There is also a glass thermometer for fish tanks by H-B Instrument Co., made in Phila PA USA, and a small a/c thermometer.
We doubt that you’ve really thought about all the possibilities for gift-giving available to you at Bahoukas Antique Mall. Be sure to stop in soon and discover for yourself. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
There are many combinations that can be created for your Holiday table and buffet. This is just one sampling. Beautiful gold and white would most certainly add an elegant touch to your holiday theme. We have place settings, salt & pepper shakers, an amazingly stunning gold tea set, and a variety of serving dishes. Or many you just want a ‘splash’ of interest – a serving dish … or maybe just the tea set!
Mix and match items give your personality to your holiday decor. Here at Bahoukas Antique Mall we have plenty to ‘mix & match.’
We encourage you to click on this link to visit RealSimple.com and get 26 unique ways to celebrate the holidays with a bit of splash! Don’t forget that along with what we post, Bahoukas has plenty of wonderful finds to put that ‘splash’ in your holiday theme! We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
and cooking things like soups and stews help us to take the chill off the house. We thought it was also a perfect time to share a most unique implement that many of you have in your home – the simple rotary egg beater and a bit of its history!
Below is a collection of egg beaters available at Bahoukas Antique Mall. Top row (l to r) include red-handled Merry Whirl 1916 egg beater (USA), 1916 egg beater, A&J 1923 egg beater – red or green handled – made in USA, and a steel handled egg beater (USA).
Bottom row includes (l to r): Ladd egg beater by United Royalty Corp NY – 1929, high speed super center drive beater, child’s egg beater, One Hand Whip – this one you squeeze, 1904 Dover Pattern Improved egg beater (USA), Dunlap’s Sanitary Cream & Egg Whip – no spatter/no waste – 1916, and an A&J Whippit – cream whip.
…By the 1870s, the Dover cast-iron rotary eggbeater hit the market and revolutionized cooking in American kitchens. Now, that 90-minute chore took just 5 minutes. Cooks all over the country could rest their weary arms and still produce light, fluffy egg whites. In fact, Dover eggbeaters became so common that all eggbeaters were called Dovers, even when manufactured by another company.
…(Taplan created an improved Dover)…In 1903, this eggbeater could have been purchased at any one of the 10 hardware stores listed in the La Crosse city directory. Fifteen years earlier, such a fancy tool would have cost more than a dollar, but, by the turn of the century, these beaters were so common they could be purchased for less than 10 cents.
Yep, if you’ve read this far, you’ve learned that a “Dover” was what most folks called the egg beater – kind of like when we use the trademarked “Kleenex” to mean a facial tissue!
Amazingly, it took nearly 90 minutes to get fluffy egg whites until the egg beater reduced that chore to 5 minutes!
Would you like to know exactly how the rotary egg beater works?
CLICK HERE for a description of the mechanics of this labor-saving kitchen tool from the BBC – history of the world or you can watch this video!
Imagine…. it took 90 minutes to accomplish those fluffy egg whites before the invention of the egg beater!
Happy Baking!
When you need a break, or a practical tool, stop by Bahoukas Antique Mall. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
Today, with everyone reading time on their smart phones or computers, analog time seems to be nearly a thing of the past. Can your children tell time on an analog clock/watch? Not sure what that is?
One of the most common examples of the difference between analog and digital devices is a clock. On the analog clock, the time is represented by hands that spin around a dial and point to a location on the dial that represents the approximate time. On a digital clock, a numeric display indicates the exact time. from Dummies.com
Before the blinking digital clocks on our stoves, computers, and nightstands, we used a variety of timepieces. Above is a small collection from Bahoukas Antique Mall that include: a 10-minute hourglass used as a timer, a Travel Alarm Clock by Westclox, a Fisher Price children’s clock, a Burlington Special Pocket Watch, and a beautiful Coca Cola watch w/diamonds.
This weekend we ‘fall back’ as we turn our clocks back one hour to standard time. You get an extra hour of sleep before heading out to church on Sunday. Enjoy and savor. For those who love the morning sun, smile!
Watch for our next post when we share some wonderful older clocks including a grandfather clock and a mantle clock available at Bahoukas. Til then, make a plan to stop by Bahoukas. We’ll be watchin’ for ya!
In researching a bit more about collecting coffee tins, we learned some interesting facts. First, that collecting antique coffee tins is second only to collecting tobacco tins. But this excerpt from Collectors Weekly is most interesting:
The widespread practice of packing food in tin cans and containers was a direct result of the public’s acceptance of the Germ Theory of Disease. In the 19th century, many Americans were still willfully oblivious to the breakthrough research of Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch. People were more interested in the pitches of snake-oil salesman and their medicine shows, where cure-all elixirs and exotic balms in medicine bottles were sold. It never occurred to many of these good folk that the best way to be healthy might simply to be clean.
In the early 1800s, cleanliness was one way for the upper classes to distinguish themselves from the working and lower classes, as only the wealthy had access to water and soap. However, as germ theory became more prevalent during the Victorian Era, it became unacceptable for the working poor to be dirty. Most food was displayed and accessed at the local five-and-dimes in communal food barrels—grimy, germ-infested hands would not do.
These days, people of means tend to dismiss canned or “processed” food as something people without access to fresh food eat. But in the late 1800s, food in tins was highly desirable. It was considered much more sanitary, and therefore healthier, than food offered in bins or barrels.
The Vintage Virtue website discusses collecting coffee tins with this introduction:
The coffee tin came into being as long ago as the early 1800’s in a time when most people bought fresh green coffee beans to roast and grind fresh at home. Pre-roasted and packaged coffee became popular much later in the late 1880’s. Over the years, coffee containers were produced in many shapes and sizes; they could be square, cylindrical, rectangular, or trapezoid shaped and ranged in size from one ounce sample tins to large bins holding more than fifty pounds of coffee. Coffee came in boxes and in pails with metal handles and in addition to tin, some containers were made of cardboard and others featured paper labels over tin. The lids also can in a variety of styles that evolved other the years. The early tins had hinged lids or lids that could be pulled off. Later tins were made with pry lids, slip lids, and lids that screwed off and on, these were followed by lids that utilized keys for removal.
The advertising, as in the graphics on the tins, has also made them highly collectible. The graphics became more interesting as companies realized that making the tins reusable with very beautiful graphics added to the appeal for their product. Ah yes…. advertising!
Now that you appreciate a bit more the value of the ‘tin can’ … stop by Bahoukas Antique Mall to see the many collectible tins we have for coffee, tobacco and other products.
Wall Pockets are a wonderful way to bring a little summer sunshine into your home as the cooler weather announces the arrival of Autumn.
The photo at left is a set of 3 Smiley Flowers by Holt-Howard. These would make a cute addition to a sunroom or a kitchen with a wee bit of ivy growing from them. Below is a bit of history of the Holt-Howard Corp.
Holt-Howard was an importer that started working in New York City in 1949 and moved to Stamford, Connecticut, in 1955. John and Robert Howard and Grant Holt started Holt-Howard, whose first products were Christmas items made and sold in the United States. The company sold many types of table accessories, such as condiment jars, decanters, spoon holders, and saltshakers. The figures shown on some of its pieces had a cartoon-like quality. The company was bought out by General Housewares Corporation in 1969. Holt-Howard pieces are often marked with the name and the year or HH and the year stamped in black. The HH mark was used until 1974. There was also a black and silver label. Production of Holt-Howard ceased in 1990. Similar pieces are being made today by Grant Holt, one of the founders, and are marked GHA. from Kovels.com
Here are a few more beautiful wall pockets. There really is a design for every decor. Top left is a basket filled with fruit and top right is a cornucopia with rosebud decoration by Lefton China. Bottom right is a Czechoslovakian heart shape covered in florals and the deep blue tube on the bottom right has a bird/flower design. Besides tucking an air plant or a bit of ivy in them, they could also be used to store pencils, paint brushes or other small items.
Wall pockets of yesteryear can add a dash of wonderful color and creativity. So drop by Bahoukas Antique Mall soon and see what wonderful treasures you might find to add your personality to your home and office! We’ll be watchin’ for you!
Lionel Barrymore is best known for his character “Mr. Potter” in the 1946 film It’s a Wonderful Life. Of course he is known for many other performances in movies, stage and radio. But did you know he was also …
Composer; graphic artist; novelist
Barrymore also composed music. His works ranged from solo piano pieces to large-scale orchestral works, such as “Tableau Russe,” which was performed twice in Dr. Kildare’s Wedding Day (1941), first by Nils Asther on piano and later by a full symphony orchestra. His piano compositions, “Scherzo Grotesque” and “Song Without Words”, were published by G. Schirmer in 1945. Upon the death of his brother John in 1942, he composed a memoriam, which was performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra. He also composed the theme song of the radio program Mayor of the Town.
Barrymore was a skillful graphic artist, creating etchings and drawings. For years, he maintained an artist’s shop and studio attached to his home in Los Angeles. Some of his etchings were included in the Hundred Prints of the Year.
He wrote a historical novel, Mr. Cantonwine: A Moral Tale (1953). from Wikipedia
This place mat is titled “San Pedro” and is part of a set created by Lionel Barrymore.
We have a beautiful set of dinner mats (place mats) from this well known actor who would rather sketch than act. He loved the sea. This beautiful set of place mats would be wonderful on your table or even, perhaps, framed and hung on a wall. They were originally “presented with the compliments and good wishes of The Holland Mfg. Company of Baltimore, NY.”
This place mat is titled “Point Pleasant” and is part of a set created by Lionel Barrymore.
A few other unique pieces tucked among our 2200 sq ft of wonderful antiques and collectibles include these smaller pieces. On the left is an adorable baby with teddy bear that has a curved cover with black decoration, painted by Charlotte Cox Becker. Born in 1901 and died in 1984, she lived and worked in both Germany and the U.S. and is best known for children’s book illustration, figure and genre, lithography. Her baby pictures were very popular and still are today. We do not have any information on the silhouettes.
As you have seen here, art is very much a part of the wonderful discoveries you might make when browsing the many shelves and corners of Bahoukas Antique Mall and Beer MuZeum. We look forward to giving you a warm ‘hello’ next time you drop by. See you soon!
The simple oil lamp has a very long history keeping humans safe, working, and comfortable.
After human race first tamed the fire and started to use it as a light source, a need appeared for a smaller, controllable flame – a more sophisticated solution, if you will. First such solution was an oil lamp some 70.000 B.C. Early humans used shells, hollow rocks or any nonflammable material as a container and in it some moss soaked in animal fat which they would ignite and it would burn with a flame. from History of Oil Lamps
Then in Egypt, Greece, and Rome they began to make the lamps out of man-made materials: terracotta, bronze, stone and alabaster in a shape of a dish that would hold oil and a place for a wick that would prolong burning and prevented the whole surface of the oil to catch fire.
That design stayed the same until the 18th century when Aime Argand, Swiss chemist, invented and patented “Argand Lamp”. His lamp consisted of container for oil as all the other lamps but had cylindrical wick to give larger surface for a larger flame and glass tube chimney around the flame to direct the draft, make a stronger flame and make lamp safer for carrying. from History of Oil Lamps
Then in the mid-19th century, kerosene lamps came on to the scene. We still use them today, mostly for ambiance. But, here at Bahoukas Antique Mall we also believe they have utilitarian value. If you’ve endured a nasty winter storm that kept the power off for days or a hurricane that meant battening down the hatches and surviving days without power, you know the value of a kerosene lamp to help you get through the tough times.
But the ordinary oil lamp also shared in the history of our developing country. A simple oil lamp allowed people to stay up later, to work in their barns and sheds, to read in the evening. They were used for signaling in the railroad industry and to light highways and towns.
On the left is a Pennsylvania Railroad Lantern, 1920s, by Dressel in the U.S.
The middle is a Barn Lantern by Feuerhand of Germany, 1930s.
The Highway Lantern on the right is by Dietz of the U.S., 1930s.
In the days before city lights and GPS, railroad lanterns served a very important purpose: they communicated signals at night between trains and stations. Sometimes, a timely lantern signal meant the difference between life and death. In one romanticized 19th-century story, for example, a 15-year-old girl named Kate Shelley saved the Fast Atlantic Express from a broken bridge by alerting a station agent, whose lantern signal to the train averted disaster. from Collectors Weekly
So even today, one of our lamps might just make a power outage a bit more comfortable as you wait for your electric to come back on. Stop by today and see what we have available – lots of styles and sizes!
Vintage Linens are beautiful and often real artistry in their making. But, although we now use tissues instead of cloth hankies, there are some wonderful ways to use vintage linens in today’s lifestyle. Check out this blog post: 15 Cute Ways to Repurpose Vintage Linens.
Here’s a beautiful close up of the detail on some of the pieces available in our store.
If you’re wondering how to clean vintage linens, we have two links available, PART 1 and PART 2from Dell’s Daily Dish blog.
Stop in to Bahoukas Antique Mall and browse for the perfect vintage linens to use or to decorate with. Be sure to check out some of the awesome upcycled items created by Barbara of Green Joy!
