April 1, 2023

Below are before and after photos of a walnut salesman’s sample table. If you aren’t familiar with salesmen’s samples, they are scaled-down versions of commercial products used to show potential customers their features and have the advantage of being relatively easy to carry around. The table below, for example, measures 16”x20” and weighs about 10 pounds (verify); compare carrying this with a full-size table and you can easily appreciate the need for the smaller versions, which may be at a 1:6 or 1:8 scale of the actual product. In the late 19^th and early 20^th century when there was no on-line shopping and many people lived in rural areas, salesmen travelled the country on trains showing their companies’ wares. Unlike children’s furniture or doll furniture, with which salesman’s samples are sometimes confused, these are high quality pieces designed to impress the potential customers. We have a sample of a dresser at home that gets used as a jewelry box.

We don’t usually do a second set of before and after photos in a newsletter, but due to (more!!) renovations at home, we have photos of some window pulleys that came from our office windows. A patent date of 10 Feb 1874 is stamped on the pulleys. These are counterweights to the window and now that they have been restored, we should have an easier time of opening and closing the window —just in time for the nice weather!

 

 

Now that we’ve done the time change, we’re back to being open until 6 p.m. on Saturdays, the same as our Monday through Friday hours. We don’t have any special hours to report for this month, but if that changes, will update our website, Facebook page, and voice mail. If we don’t see you before then, Happy Easter!

Bob & Lynne McCann