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Captain Hall J. Tibbits (American, 1797 to 1872)
This article about the life and career of Captain Tibbits by Eric C. Rodenberg appeared on the 4 November 2013 front page of Antique Week’s National Section. Used by permission. http://www.antiqueweek.com.
1800s Sea Captain’s Life Told Through Collection
At 6 foot, 4 inches tall and “powerfully built” Capt. Hall Jackson Tibbits would brook no foolishness.
After his “religious principles” were violated by passengers dancing on [...] Click here to continue reading.
Hoosier and Hoosier Cupboards
The word “Hoosier” is one of those words whose origins are lost to time. Even The Oxford English Dictionary offers no real guidance about where the word came from. What we do know is that “Hoosier” was first documented in the mid-1820s, and within a decade, it had entered general usage. John Finley, a Hoosier himself from Richmond, write a poem titled, “The Hoosier’s Nest” that was published in 1833, [...] Click here to continue reading.
Baleen, Plastic of the 18th Century
Baleen comes from a suborder of whales, Mysticeti, which includes, among others, humpback whales, gray whales, right whales and blue whales. What sets these whales apart is baleen. These whales do not have teeth, but have upper jaws filled with two rows of baleen plates fringed with fine baleen hair. These plates are so closely aligned that they act like a comb or a sieve; whales pull water [...] Click here to continue reading.
Bakelite
Scandal & the Story of Bakelite Bakelite hit the market in 1907, heralding the arrival of the modern plastics industry. Bakelite was the first completely man made plastic, as until then, plastics such as celluloid, casein, and Gutta-Percha all had as a base a natural material. It was developed by Belgian-born chemist Dr. Leo Hendrick Baekeland who started his firm General Bakelite Company to produce the phenolic resin type plastic. Bakelite was inexpensive [...] Click here to continue reading.
The Collection of El Roy and Helene Master
The offering of the antiques and collectables of El Roy P. and Helene Livingood Master comes with some degree of sadness. This collection has remained intact for five generations and it is hoped that others can now appreciate its beauty and fine craftsmanship.
Helen, Harry and Minnie Janssen
This legacy started with the arrival of Henry Janssen and Ferdinand Thun from Germany at the turn [...] Click here to continue reading.
Flax
Flax, also known as linseed, (binomial name: Linum usitatissimum, a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae), is an ancient and versatile plant of many uses. Dyed flax fibers have been found dating to 30,000 B.C., suggesting that it may have been the first plant domesticated for human use. In addition to its fibers, flax seeds have nutritional value for both human and animal consumption. From the earliest times these seeds [...] Click here to continue reading.
Fairbanks Morse Scales
“While sitting up watching for the time to call him, the principle upon which we now build our scales suddenly came into my mind. I told the agent that he must wait a few days until I could make plans and patterns in accordance with my new discovery, and said to my wife that I had just discovered a principle that would be worth more than a thousand dollars.”
Thaddeus [...] Click here to continue reading.
John Bellamy
John Haley Bellamy, master ship carver of Kittery Point, Maine produced some of the most outstanding decorative carving for ships and buildings during the last half of the 19th century. Bellamy was best known from his carved eagles which were characterized by concave wings, a deep cut eye and accentuated beak. He used a minimum of carving to achieve a masterful effect of clean simplicity. In addition to eagles, Bellamy carved animals, [...] Click here to continue reading.
English Barometers
OverviewIn an age when life itself depended on successful agriculture, sailing ships and horse-back or foot travel a knowledge of the weather was essential. Weather forecasting primarily relied on observation of the skies until circa 1645 when an Italian mathematician, Evangelista Toricelli (1609 to 1647), discovered the scientific principles that led to the mercurial barometer. By using a long, thin glass tube closed at one end, and with the open end placed [...] Click here to continue reading.
Estate of Joseph Stanley
For more than 200 years, residents and visitors passing in and out of New Hope, PA along Old York Road have scene a handsome high-walled mansion on the hill. Built between 1816 and 1823, Cintra was the dream of William Maris, a romantic and financially reckless entrepreneur who modeled his grand residence on a Portuguese castle of the same name.
For twenty-three years, the interior of the New [...] Click here to continue reading.
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