Thursday 23 February 2012

Flat irons

     Below is a photo of my kitchen stove where I have two flat irons - they're for decoration and not for daily use.  I often marvel at the strength the house wife in the old days as she had to lift heavy cast iron pots, kettles and irons.
Below is a small Hand Iron. 
Below is a 20-pound Taylor's Iron with a twisted iron handle - heavy weight!!
Below is more information about IRONS from:
http://www.oldandinteresting.com/antique-irons-smoothers-mangles.aspx

Flat irons, sad irons
     Black smiths started forging simple flat irons in the late Middle Ages. Plain metal irons were heated by a fire or on a stove.  Earthenware and terracotta were also used, from the Middle East to France and the Netherlands.
     Flat irons were also called sad irons or smoothing irons.  Metal handles had to be gripped in a pad or thick rag.  Some irons had cool wooden handles and in 1870 a detachable handle was patented in the US.  This stayed cool while the metal bases were heated and the idea was widely imitated.  Cool handles stayed even cooler in "asbestos sad irons".   The sad is sad iron (or sadiron) is an old word for solid, and in some contexts this name suggests something bigger and heavier than a flat iron.  Goose or tailor"s goose was another iron name, and this came from the goose-neck curve in some handles.  In Scotland people spoke or gusing (goosing) irons.
     You'd need at least two irons on the go together for an effective system: one in use, and one re-heating.  Large households with servants had a special ironing-stove for this purpose.  Some were fitted with slots for several irons, and a water-jug on top.
     At home, ironing traditional fabrics without the benefit of electricity was a hot, arduous job.  Irons had to be kept immaculately clean, sand-papered and polished.  They must be kept away from burning fuel, and he regularly but lightly greased to avoid rusting.  Beeswax prevented irons sticking to starched cloth.  Constant care was needed over temperature.  Experience would help decide when the iron was hot enough, but not so hot that it would scorch the cloth.  A well-known test was spitting on the hot metal, but Charles Dickens described someone with a more genteel technique in The Old Curiosity Shop.  She held "the iron at an alarmingly short distance from her cheek, to test its temperature...."

Saturday 18 February 2012

Morss & Whyte 1881 Cast Iron Dress Form Umbrella Mannequin

     I bought this vintage dress form in Charlottetown a few weeks ago.  It's suppose to have come from a general merchant's store in Georgetown, Prince Edward Island.
At the base on the leg has the following information -
Morss & Whyte 75 Cornhill Boston Pat. Oct. 12 1880

Here's about the only thing I could find out about my dress form:
OMG OLD 1880 STORE WIRE SKIRT DISPLAY DRESS FORM~STAND
     WHAT AN INCREDIBLE FIND THIS IS. THIS IS AN OLD DATED 1880 AND 1881 STORE OR DRESSMAKERS ANTIQUE WIRE DRESS FORM OR HOOP FORM ON STAND THAT IS METAL AND WIRE. This is such a rare find and only the second one that I have ever seen in person. This is an old store or dressmakers skirt form or skirt hoop display form. This is older and of very good quality. The skirt form is wire or metal and adjustable at the waist and hips and also in height. At the waist and hips is a measuring tape that was used for the sizes. There are parts of this tape, as I show, but there are some missing pieces of the measuring tape and some tears and discoloration. I've taken a few pictures to show you a little of how it adjusts, but I'm not exactly sure how it was suppose to go. At a dressmakers shop, the tailor or seamstress would pin the fabric to the form while making the skirt. In a General store, it was used to display a skirt or hoop.The metal stand or base has three legs or feet which are cast iron and come apart, as I show, for easy shipping to you. All three of the feet have writting on both sides which say MFD BY MORSS & WHYTE, PAT. OCT. 12, 1880, PAT. JULY 5, 1881, 75 CORNHILL, BOSTON, USA. It is all the original paint, which now has rusty, worn paint and chippy. This has an incredible look and would make such a unique statement in any home or shop. Perfect in any shabby chic, romantic cottage, Romantic Country, Primitive or Garden Room decor. Measures up to about 47" tall The base is about 17" by 17". The top of the waist opens to about 15" wide and the middle to about 17" wide. This is the side to side measurements.


Saturday 11 February 2012

Mill Ads - The Islander newspaper, Sept. 16, 1864

     My friend Carter posted this information on his Blog (www.peiheritagebuildings.blogspot.com) and offered it to me to publish in this Blog - here it is...
     When reading through the newspaper pages there's interesting information which tell a lot about the importance of the local mill and who their agents were. Here are the details of the newspaper, etc...
THE ISLANDER, Or Prince Edward Island Weekly Intelligence and Advertiser,
Vol. XXII, Charlottetown, Friday, September 16, 1864. No. 1126
 Carter transcribed the ads for easier reading...
     Below is an image from page 129 of Meacham's 1880 Atlas of Prince Edward Island. The world famous Stanfield's Underwear had it's beginnings here on Prince Edward Island at this mill in Tryon.
     For more information about Stanfields go to: http://www.stanfields.com/ . The following is from their website:
     Charles E. Stanfield had no idea when he immigrated to Canada in 1855 that he would found the firm that is a leader in its field today. Charles, along with his brother-in-law, Samuel E. Dawson, founded the Tryon Woolen Mills in Tryon, P.E.I. in 1856. Ten years later he sold his interests to Samuel and moved to Nova Scotia where he founded the Truro Woolen Mills in 1870. It was believed to be the first factory of its kind in Canada.

Wednesday 1 February 2012

Portrayal of Alexander McDonald, Dalvay-by-the-Sea 100th Anniversary - 1999

     In the fall of 1999 I portrayed Alexander McDonald, builder of Dalvay-by-the-Sea, at a special event commemorating the 100th anniversary of the building of this magnificent summer home on Prince Edward Island's north shore. 
     Below:  here I am in costume beside one of the grand fireplaces in the large sitting room off the main entrance.
Photo by Carter Jeffery
Fore more information about Dalvay-by-the-Sea refer to their website:
Above/Below: photos at Dalvay - note the clothing (cf. website above)
Below image from: http://www.historicplaces.ca/en/rep-reg/place-lieu.aspx?id=1859
     We were fortunate to be at a special event at Dalvay-by-the-Sea when Prince William and Kate visited in July 2011.  Below are photos taken by Carter Jeffery at at Dalvay.