It’s hard for me to believe, but A Fine Collection is one year old. To celebrate your curator thinking “Oh, no, it’s Wednesday!” for 52 weeks in a row, this particular Wednesday’s post contains a few fun little artifacts plus the question: What do YOU want to see on this blog? Would you like more toys, more tools, more textiles? (Or more of something that doesn’t start with T?) Do you want to know if we have [insert name of your favorite objects here] in our collections? I’ll make a note of your comments and requests, and do what I can to fulfill them over A Fine Collection’s second year of artifact goodness. And don’t worry, we’ll be back to the regular, in-depth postings next week – probably something from the Beall-Dawson House museum, in honor of the new exhibit that opens this Saturday.
Pluto the dog, in the form of a Fisher-Price Pop Up Kritter. “Pop Up Pluto,” the best selling Pop Up Kritter toy, was introduced in 1936 and discontinued in 1949. He’s made of wood and string, and is in pretty good shape although his ears are gone. He belonged to the Riggs boys of Ashton; donated by their mother, Eugenie LeMerle Riggs.
A wreath of felted wool flowers, held together with wool-wrapped wires. The ‘stamens’ are made of metal springs, with bits of wool wrapped around the ends. I think this was probably used as decoration, around a table centerpiece perhaps. The donor, Patricia Nicholson, told us that it dates to the 1880s and came from a Montgomery County owner, but sadly was unable to provide more specifics.
I’ll let Dr. Adams, our curator in the 1950s, describe this one: “Windshield wiper, a type used in early automobile days. Hand operated by reaching through tilted windshield. The windshield wiper, which helps give drivers a clear view in inclement weather, was first introduced in 1910. The wiping element was a carbon-based polymer squeegee, which would generally wear out within a year and need to be replaced.” (Ours has suffered that fate; any carbon-based polymer is now gone.) The blade/wiper part is only five and a half inches long. Donated by Mary Farquhar Green; used at Falling Green in Olney in the early 20th century.
A Fine Collection 
June 23, 2010 at 7:46 am
I have enjoyed every one of your posts, to keep up the wonderful story telling. I see this at that, and that’s why, even something that a first glance I suppose won’t interest me (textiles) when put into a Mont. Co. story, becomes interesting.
I would love to see historic pictures, key passages from oral histories, and more farm and industry things here. I’d also be interested in things that are newly acquired, recently “saved” and so on.
Thanks
June 23, 2010 at 9:07 am
SSHS would love to see what MCHS has in its collections related to…uh…yes, Silver Spring! Such artifacts might be items associated with the founding Bair and Lee families, out two toll houses, advertising ephemera, etc.
June 23, 2010 at 10:18 am
Like John, I’m enjoying all your posts. I also share with John an interest in historic photographs, engravings, etc., oral histories or even old news articles speaking of how the citizens of what is now Montgomery County were affected by major historical events like the Revolution, War of 1812, and our Civil War. (I also understand that none of these, with the possible exception of old newspapers, are artifacts per se.)
June 26, 2010 at 2:19 pm
I enjoy all the posts! The ones with the story behind them are great! Also the mystery ones where you are looking for more info are fun. I guess a good variety will please more people. Keep up the good work.
Steve Poole