Marshall Pottery Butter Churns
Part of the fun of collecting an antique such as a Marshall Pottery Butter Churn is the rich and storied history you'll uncover as you begin your search. Marshall Pottery Butter Churns pre-date the rise of electricity and are a window back to simpler times when you didn't go out and buy your groceries but instead made them by hand. Marshall Pottery Butter Churns are not only works of art but testaments to expert craftsmanship that will be a welcome addition to your treasure of collectibles. While simple in its design, form and function, the charm of a Marshall Pottery Butter Churn isn't easily matched as you'll soon discover.
Marshall Pottery Butter Churns date back to the late 19th century when W. F. Rocker, a Kentucky native, moved to the East Texas town of Marshall to found Marshall Pottery Works. One of the reasons he chose this part of the country was because it was rich in the two ingredients needed to produce pottery: white clay and water. A man by the name of Sam Ellis bought the company from Rocker years later, expanded its production line and put his family to work making canning jars, crocks, syrup jugs, and of course, Marshall Pottery Butter Churns. Marshall Pottery Butter Churns belong to the family of hand turned pottery. Molding clay from a spinning wheel then firing it in a kiln goes back hundreds of years. Today, the process of making pottery has been modernized and updated with new processes and technologies, but this age-old practice of hand turning pottery is what the company became famous for. Marshall Pottery passed down the tradition of making pottery from master to apprentice and its Marshall Pottery Butter Churn is no exception. Still open to the public and operating out of East Texas today, Marshall Pottery and its skilled artisans are transforming the white clay of the region into treasured heirlooms.
At the height of its use, no one probably thought of a Marshall Pottery Butter Churn as a work of art. They were a simply a necessity in the making of butter, mostly on rural family farms. Churning is the process of shaking up whole mile (or cream) to produce butter. In essence, butter is the fat of milk. From the middle ages until the Industrial Revolution, this was accomplished by placing the milk into a container then agitating it by hand. Many configurations of churns have been used throughout history: end-over-end churns, the barrel churn, and the Scottish churn which employed a plunger, often called a dasher, to be moved vigorously up and down by hand. Like other churns, Marshall Pottery Butter Churns were crafted to physically agitate the cream until it was broken down to form fat or butter grains. Butter was then made from the cream that had been separated and then cooled. The creation of butter was an arduous task, requiring sturdy craftsmanship that Marshall Pottery Butter Churns provided.
By the 1950s and the advent of electricity, the need to make your own butter was pretty much relegated to the pages of history. Large company creameries took over the process, and instead of churning your own butter, now you simply buy it at the local grocery store. But the butter churn's obsolescence is what makes Marshall Pottery Butter Churns such highly prized collectibles. Because they are no longer used in the making of butter, Marshall Pottery Butter Churns are sought after treasures that harkens back to the days of the American pioneer. While some collectibles appeal to the eye, you'll find that Marshall Pottery Butter Churns most definitely appeal to the heart.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
VINTAGE BULLARD HARD HATS
Vintage Bullard Hard Hats
The art of collecting is all about finding those rare treasures that catch the eye when a guest enters your home. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats are just such a unique item. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats are like a time capsule that will accent your home and won't go unnoticed. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats make a bold statement and have a rich history that represents a real slice of Americana that will become a savvy collector's most prized possession.
You can trace the history of America's growth as a country with a vintage Bullard Hard Hat. A hundred years ago, the hard hat didn't even exist. The steel helmet Edward Bullard, the founder of Bullard Hard Hats, brought back home after serving in World War I was far more than an interesting keepsake. In fact, his war-time headgear would become the inspiration for a revolution in worker safety. For two decades, starting in 1898 and based out of San Francisco, Edward Bullard's father had been selling his wares to brave men working in gold and copper mines. The miners would wear leather headgear that looked more like caps professional baseball players wear. Obviously, they didn't provide much protection from falling debris. But in 1919, Edward Bullard found inspiration, patenting a “hard boiled hat.” Thus, the Bullard Hard Hat was born. Later that same year, the U.S. Navy asked the Bullard Company to develop protection for shipyard workers. As you can see, vintage Bullard Hard Hats roots run deep.
Bullard Hard Hats also played an important role in the building of one of America's most significant landmarks: San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in 1933. This was the first construction site in America that required all workers to wear hard hats, taking the workplace to new heights of worker safety. Later, in 1938, Bullard designed and manufactured the first aluminum hard hat that would become the benchmark for head protection. In the 1940s, the aluminum construction was replaced by fiberglass. Then in the 1950s and 1960s, Bullard Hard Hats began using thermoplastics which would replace the fiberglass design because the groundbreaking material was less costly and better suited to modern day construction sites. In 1982, Bullard Hard Hats changed again. One of Bullard's major clients, Bechtel Corporation, felt that the hard hats didn't have the proper suspension for often dangerous fieldwork. Bullard Hard Hats introduced a revolutionary new industrial helmet, marking the beginning of a new age in protection and safety. Owning a vintage Bullard Hard Hat will transport your home back in time.
Don't worry; vintage Bullard Hard Hats aren't just a one-size-fits-all collector's item. They are well worth your time to seek out because they often differ from one another, embodying unique and personal touches as well. Many construction workers throughout the years have decorated their hard hats with stickers commemorating job sites and union memberships as well as distinguishing which hard hat belongs to whom. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats have become an iconic image of the American construction worker, with its long, storied history tracing America's transformation into the modern age. Never dull, a treasure hunter will find that vintage Bullard Hard Hats also come in a variety of colors, signifying different roles the person wearing it may have held. The color white is for supervisors. Blue for technical advisors. Red for safety inspectors. Yellow for workmen. Green can signify workers who are new to the job. Having a vintage Bullard Hard Hat on display will set off any room or shelf and quickly become one of your most talked about treasures.
The art of collecting is all about finding those rare treasures that catch the eye when a guest enters your home. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats are just such a unique item. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats are like a time capsule that will accent your home and won't go unnoticed. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats make a bold statement and have a rich history that represents a real slice of Americana that will become a savvy collector's most prized possession.
You can trace the history of America's growth as a country with a vintage Bullard Hard Hat. A hundred years ago, the hard hat didn't even exist. The steel helmet Edward Bullard, the founder of Bullard Hard Hats, brought back home after serving in World War I was far more than an interesting keepsake. In fact, his war-time headgear would become the inspiration for a revolution in worker safety. For two decades, starting in 1898 and based out of San Francisco, Edward Bullard's father had been selling his wares to brave men working in gold and copper mines. The miners would wear leather headgear that looked more like caps professional baseball players wear. Obviously, they didn't provide much protection from falling debris. But in 1919, Edward Bullard found inspiration, patenting a “hard boiled hat.” Thus, the Bullard Hard Hat was born. Later that same year, the U.S. Navy asked the Bullard Company to develop protection for shipyard workers. As you can see, vintage Bullard Hard Hats roots run deep.
Bullard Hard Hats also played an important role in the building of one of America's most significant landmarks: San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge in 1933. This was the first construction site in America that required all workers to wear hard hats, taking the workplace to new heights of worker safety. Later, in 1938, Bullard designed and manufactured the first aluminum hard hat that would become the benchmark for head protection. In the 1940s, the aluminum construction was replaced by fiberglass. Then in the 1950s and 1960s, Bullard Hard Hats began using thermoplastics which would replace the fiberglass design because the groundbreaking material was less costly and better suited to modern day construction sites. In 1982, Bullard Hard Hats changed again. One of Bullard's major clients, Bechtel Corporation, felt that the hard hats didn't have the proper suspension for often dangerous fieldwork. Bullard Hard Hats introduced a revolutionary new industrial helmet, marking the beginning of a new age in protection and safety. Owning a vintage Bullard Hard Hat will transport your home back in time.
Don't worry; vintage Bullard Hard Hats aren't just a one-size-fits-all collector's item. They are well worth your time to seek out because they often differ from one another, embodying unique and personal touches as well. Many construction workers throughout the years have decorated their hard hats with stickers commemorating job sites and union memberships as well as distinguishing which hard hat belongs to whom. Vintage Bullard Hard Hats have become an iconic image of the American construction worker, with its long, storied history tracing America's transformation into the modern age. Never dull, a treasure hunter will find that vintage Bullard Hard Hats also come in a variety of colors, signifying different roles the person wearing it may have held. The color white is for supervisors. Blue for technical advisors. Red for safety inspectors. Yellow for workmen. Green can signify workers who are new to the job. Having a vintage Bullard Hard Hat on display will set off any room or shelf and quickly become one of your most talked about treasures.
GOTHIC PEWTER TANKARDS
GOTHIC PEWTER TANKARDS
Sure to catch the discerning eye and become a valued treasure, Gothic Pewter Tankards are wonderfully crafted, beautiful and a great way to make your collection like no other. For the smart and distinguished collector, Gothic Pewter Tankards make a bold statement because Gothic Pewter Tankards have a rich history and can reflect anyone's budget, taste and style. Gothic Pewter Tankards may sometimes be confused with beer steins, but as you'll soon discover, they are so much more. To begin your search, let's go back in time to the Gothic age.
What is Gothic you may ask? Generally when you hear the word Gothic it pertains to a literary style of fiction, a type of architecture, personal item or dress from the late 18th and 19th centuries. Often in works of that era, grotesque, mysterious and medieval elements were utilized and that's no different with Gothic Pewter Tankards. However, don't be mislead. Gothic Pewter Tankards are breathtaking in their myriad of designs and centuries old craftsmanship. Obviously what makes them so unique is the pewter itself.
Before the mass production of glass and china, pewter was the primary material used in tableware. Workers throughout the ages have sculpted and molded functional works of art with this beautiful metal alloy. Today, Gothic Pewter Tankards are still created using traditional techniques passed down through generations. Traditionally, pewter is between 85 and 99 percent tin, with the remainder consisting of anywhere between 1 and 15 percent copper that acts as a hardener. Older and lower grades of pewter sometimes contain lead and these pieces can be identified by their bluish tint. However, modern Gothic Pewter Tankards are mixed with tin and copper but don't contain lead, employing antimony or bismuth. Physically, pewter is a bright, shiny cousin to silver but is much less expensive. But be warned, pewter will tarnish to a dull gray over time if left untreated. Gothic Pewter Tankards aren't for those who don't like to polish every now and then.
To make sure you find the Gothic Pewter Tankard you're looking for we should spend some time elaborating on what a tankard is. A tankard by definition is a large drinking cup, featuring a single handle. It's this handle that many times will be the signature piece that makes a Gothic Pewter Tankard truly special. Etchings will often be found on the side of the large cup and can reflect the tankard's gothic roots or from which country it was made in. You can bring a piece of Scotland, or Wales, or England into your home when you find the Gothic Pewter Tankard that's right for you. Another distinguishing characteristic you'll often discover on many tankards is a glass bottom. History tells us that the glass bottom was used as a means to refuse the King's shilling and not serve in his army or navy. The drinker could see the coin in the bottom of the glass and refuse the drink, thus refusing to be a member of the King's military.
As you can imagine, adding one or a series of Gothic Pewter Tankards to your home will make for many an interesting conversation. As you begin to dig around, you'll find Gothic Pewter Tankards range in price, size and of course by brand, but you can't go wrong. Uncovering a Gothic Pewter Tankard that's as unique and varied as your individual tastes won't take long. What are you waiting for?
Sure to catch the discerning eye and become a valued treasure, Gothic Pewter Tankards are wonderfully crafted, beautiful and a great way to make your collection like no other. For the smart and distinguished collector, Gothic Pewter Tankards make a bold statement because Gothic Pewter Tankards have a rich history and can reflect anyone's budget, taste and style. Gothic Pewter Tankards may sometimes be confused with beer steins, but as you'll soon discover, they are so much more. To begin your search, let's go back in time to the Gothic age.
What is Gothic you may ask? Generally when you hear the word Gothic it pertains to a literary style of fiction, a type of architecture, personal item or dress from the late 18th and 19th centuries. Often in works of that era, grotesque, mysterious and medieval elements were utilized and that's no different with Gothic Pewter Tankards. However, don't be mislead. Gothic Pewter Tankards are breathtaking in their myriad of designs and centuries old craftsmanship. Obviously what makes them so unique is the pewter itself.
Before the mass production of glass and china, pewter was the primary material used in tableware. Workers throughout the ages have sculpted and molded functional works of art with this beautiful metal alloy. Today, Gothic Pewter Tankards are still created using traditional techniques passed down through generations. Traditionally, pewter is between 85 and 99 percent tin, with the remainder consisting of anywhere between 1 and 15 percent copper that acts as a hardener. Older and lower grades of pewter sometimes contain lead and these pieces can be identified by their bluish tint. However, modern Gothic Pewter Tankards are mixed with tin and copper but don't contain lead, employing antimony or bismuth. Physically, pewter is a bright, shiny cousin to silver but is much less expensive. But be warned, pewter will tarnish to a dull gray over time if left untreated. Gothic Pewter Tankards aren't for those who don't like to polish every now and then.
To make sure you find the Gothic Pewter Tankard you're looking for we should spend some time elaborating on what a tankard is. A tankard by definition is a large drinking cup, featuring a single handle. It's this handle that many times will be the signature piece that makes a Gothic Pewter Tankard truly special. Etchings will often be found on the side of the large cup and can reflect the tankard's gothic roots or from which country it was made in. You can bring a piece of Scotland, or Wales, or England into your home when you find the Gothic Pewter Tankard that's right for you. Another distinguishing characteristic you'll often discover on many tankards is a glass bottom. History tells us that the glass bottom was used as a means to refuse the King's shilling and not serve in his army or navy. The drinker could see the coin in the bottom of the glass and refuse the drink, thus refusing to be a member of the King's military.
As you can imagine, adding one or a series of Gothic Pewter Tankards to your home will make for many an interesting conversation. As you begin to dig around, you'll find Gothic Pewter Tankards range in price, size and of course by brand, but you can't go wrong. Uncovering a Gothic Pewter Tankard that's as unique and varied as your individual tastes won't take long. What are you waiting for?
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