Domestic Furnishings

Tiffany Floor Lamp

Washboards, armchairs, lamps, and pots and pans may not seem to be museum pieces. But they are invaluable evidence of how most people lived day to day, last week or three centuries ago. The Museum's collections of domestic furnishings comprise more than 40,000 artifacts from American households. Large and small, they include four houses, roughly 800 pieces of furniture, fireplace equipment, spinning wheels, ceramics and glass, family portraits, and much more.

The Arthur and Edna Greenwood Collection contains more than 2,000 objects from New England households from colonial times to mid-1800s. From kitchens of the past, the collections hold some 3,300 artifacts, ranging from refrigerators to spatulas. The lighting devices alone number roughly 3,000 lamps, candleholders, and lanterns.

Churn

Metal churn. Mixing element comprised of one piece of heavy steel, perforated with large circular holes throughout, attached sideways on thick metal shaft.
Description
Metal churn. Mixing element comprised of one piece of heavy steel, perforated with large circular holes throughout, attached sideways on thick metal shaft. Shaft attaches to iron cogwheel and crankwheel at top, which turn to create mixing action, metal arm with unpainted wooden handle attached. Molded handle on side, all upper components are molded iron or steel. Mixing apparatus is attached to thin metal lid, flat with upper lip which fits into top of accompanying container, metal cylinder. Cylinder has white sticker on bottom with "428" handwritten on it. Only mark on mixing apparatus is the number "83" stamped on top.
Unmarked, but may be a product of the maker Bernhardt Novelty Company, Spokane, Washington.
Related patent: US 1215214 A, February 6, 1917, Charles A. Stewart, Worcester, Massachusetts, for "Dasher".
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1917-1925
ID Number
DL.322793.28
accession number
322793
catalog number
76-FT-01.1061
collector/donor number
428

knife

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c. 1860
previous owner
Pell, Alfred Duane
ID Number
DL.60.0352
catalog number
60.0352
accession number
225282

Tea Bowl and Saucer

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
CE.62.1013Aab
catalog number
62.1013Aab
accession number
171126

Sèvres stand for a tête a tête tea service

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
c.1838
1838
ID Number
CE.P-123
catalog number
P-123
accession number
225282

Spice Box

Circular, black-painted spice box with scrolled hasp lock on front, raised bead and gilt brass post-and-bail handle on low-domed top, and one hinge at back; golden-brown japanned interior.
Description
Circular, black-painted spice box with scrolled hasp lock on front, raised bead and gilt brass post-and-bail handle on low-domed top, and one hinge at back; golden-brown japanned interior. Both lid and box are made of three pieces: two halves joined by soft-soldered lapped seams for sides, and lid top and flat bottom with folded edges; lid has a wire-rolled rim while box has a folded rim with bead below. No marks. Contains seven spice tins, DL*257491.0036-.0042.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
mid 19th to early 20th century
ID Number
DL.257491.0035
catalog number
257491.0035
accession number
257491

Chair-Table

More than meets the eye, this 17th-century chair-table is what its name denotes, convertible from a chair into a table. The rounded top of the table flips up to become the back of the chair. Its dual-function was especially popular in homes with limited space.
Description
More than meets the eye, this 17th-century chair-table is what its name denotes, convertible from a chair into a table. The rounded top of the table flips up to become the back of the chair. Its dual-function was especially popular in homes with limited space. The chair-table originally had a drawer that slid under the seat of the chair, allowing for extra storage space.
The chair-table was part of the “Greenwood Gift,” a collection of over two thousand everyday household objects donated by Arthur and Edna Greenwood. Their gift is among the greatest collections of Americana that the Smithsonian has ever collected. As Edna Greenwood once said, their gift exemplifies, “what America was, that makes it what it is.”
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1675
ID Number
DL.388038
catalog number
388038
accession number
182022

Mug

Raised bulbous or bellied cann or mug engraved "RUTH BRADLEE" on front in shaded block letters. Molded rim, rounded bottom, and cast stepped circular foot.
Description
Raised bulbous or bellied cann or mug engraved "RUTH BRADLEE" on front in shaded block letters. Molded rim, rounded bottom, and cast stepped circular foot. Hollow, double C-scroll handle has a sprigged upper terminal with flared strut and a split scroll lower terminal with cylindrical strut and oval attachment. Bottom underside struck above and below centerpoint "PERKINS" in incuse serif letters with possible traces of a surround.
Maker is Jacob Perkins (1766-1829); worked in Newburyport, 1783-1816, in Boston briefly, and in Philadelphia, from 1816.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1810 - 1820
ID Number
DL.383560
catalog number
383560
accession number
162866

Tiffany vase

Favrile glass. Common greenish glass, with upper part colored a creamy gray. Form: two cone-shaped bodies united by three tubular necks and a middle one of triangular shape. Upper part of body has 16 sides with a circular slightly flaring lip.
Description (Brief)
Favrile glass. Common greenish glass, with upper part colored a creamy gray. Form: two cone-shaped bodies united by three tubular necks and a middle one of triangular shape. Upper part of body has 16 sides with a circular slightly flaring lip. Purchased from Charles Tiffany, $4.00.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1893 - 96
maker
Tiffany Glass & Decorating Company, or Tiffany Studios
ID Number
CE.96430
catalog number
96430
accession number
30453
maker number
5929

Teapot

Japanned, cylindrical oval teapot with a triangular, hinged lid topped by a triple-scroll loop at front, a tapered D- or ear-shaped strap handle, and straight, tapered spout placed low on the perforated body.
Description
Japanned, cylindrical oval teapot with a triangular, hinged lid topped by a triple-scroll loop at front, a tapered D- or ear-shaped strap handle, and straight, tapered spout placed low on the perforated body. Body and spout have soft-soldered lapped seams; flat bottom with projecting, folded edge. Painted decoration features a right-leaning, red, circular flower with yellow dotted center and thinly-painted white and alizarin petals on a yellow stem with yellow curlicues and berries. A blended blue to yellow or white daisy is at top right. Yellow leaves with red veins, and green leaves with yellow veins. A yellow-dotted red ribbon borders shoulder; red brushwork covers lid. No marks.
Attributed to the Stevens Tinshop of Stevens Plains (now part of Portland), ME, circa 1800-1842.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1800 - 1842
ID Number
1978.0119.09
accession number
1978.0119
catalog number
1978.0119.09

Spoon

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1830
ID Number
DL.60.1118
catalog number
60.1118
accession number
70138

hook

Wrought iron hook, possibly used as a door or window lock. Tapered hook with twisted shaft and formed loop at end. No mark.Currently not on view
Description
Wrought iron hook, possibly used as a door or window lock. Tapered hook with twisted shaft and formed loop at end. No mark.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1700- 1799
ID Number
2014.0004.039
accession number
2014.0004
catalog number
2014.0004.039

Minneapolis-Honeywell T852 Electric Clock Thermostat

The Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company manufactured this Honeywell T852 electric clock thermostat beginning in 1960. The thermostat had two external tabs for setting the temperature for daytime and nighttime.
Description
The Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Company manufactured this Honeywell T852 electric clock thermostat beginning in 1960. The thermostat had two external tabs for setting the temperature for daytime and nighttime. The thermostat connected to the house’s electric system so that it did not have to be wound or set.
The ubiquity of thermostats in 21st century homes shrouds the decades of innovation, industrial design, and engineering that went into making them an everyday object in almost every home. In the early 20th century, a majority of American households still heated their homes with manually operated furnaces that required a trip down to the basement and stoking the coal fired furnace. Albert Butz’s “damper-flapper” system was patented in 1886 and allowed home owner to set the thermostat to a certain temperature which would open a damper to the furnace, increasing the fire and heating the house. Progressive innovations allowed for the thermostats to use gas lines, incorporate electricity, turn on at a set time, include heating and cooling in one mechanism, and even connect to the internet.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1960
ID Number
2008.0011.10
accession number
2008.0011
catalog number
2008.0011.10

New England Glass Company Paperweight

In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter.
Description (Brief)
In the 1700s, paperweights made from textured stone or bronze were part of the writer’s tool kit, which also included a quill pen and stand, inkpot, and blotter. By the mid-1800s, decorative paperweights produced by glassmakers in Europe and the United States became highly desired collectibles.
Decorative glass paperweights reflected the 19th-century taste for intricate, over-the-top designs. Until the spread of textiles colorized with synthetic dyes, ceramics and glass were among the few objects that added brilliant color to a 19th-century Victorian interior. The popularity of these paperweights in the 1800s testifies to the sustained cultural interest in hand craftsmanship during an age of rapid industrialization.
The New England Glass Company in Cambridge, Massachusetts was founded about 1818 by Deming Jarves along with three wealthy businessmen, and probably began producing paperweights by the mid 1850s. In 1888 the business moved to Ohio, under the name Libbey Glass Company.
This New England Glass Company faceted paperweight features a dark-blue double Clematis.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1852-1880
maker
New England Glass Company
ID Number
CE.60.110
catalog number
60.110
accession number
211475

Electric Flatiron

Electric flatiron. Chrome-plated metal body, pointed, matte soleplate. Front tip of soleplate is hinged, tips upward to facilitate ironing pleats or ruffles.
Description
Electric flatiron. Chrome-plated metal body, pointed, matte soleplate. Front tip of soleplate is hinged, tips upward to facilitate ironing pleats or ruffles. Streamlined shape, handle and upper portion of body are one piece of molded plastic, handle has flared front, molded streamlines, with power cord attached on back of handle (rotates to either side to accommodate left or right-handed users). Heat control dial built into underside of handle. Woven fabric power cord, black and gold, with black molded plastic plug, two-pronged. Top of body has printed sticker adhered, green and yellow: “TIP TOE/BY YALE TRADE MARK”; left side of soleplate is stamped with the Hoover collection number: “25080”; underside of extended heel rest is stamped/engraved: “TIP—TOE/REG. U.S. PAT. OFF./VOLTS 110-120 WATTS-1000 FOR A-C ONLY/NO. D/ PAT. NO. 2,065,366/OTHER PAT. PEND./THE YALE & TOWNE MFG. CO. BUFFALO, N.Y. U.S.A.”
2,065,366: December 22, 1936, Frederick W. Eichorn, assignor to Pres-Toe Flatiron Corporation, New York, for “Electric iron”
This model, “TIP-TOE” was introduced in 1946, two years later the iron was acquired by the McGraw-Edison Company.
This iron is from the Hoover Company Sample collection, North Canton, Ohio, including samples by Knapp-Monarch Company, St. Louis (Missouri), which was bought by Hoover in 1969. It is noted: “Hoover Company Collection tag Sample 25080/Rec’d. 3/11/47/Model D/”HISTORICAL MODEL”.
Maker is the Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company, Buffalo, New York.
date made
ca 1946
maker
Yale & Towne Manufacturing Company
ID Number
1991.0835.08
catalog number
1991.0835.08
accession number
1991.0835

Interior of Victorian Home

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
ID Number
PG.66.24.33
catalog number
66.24.33
accession number
263090

Plate

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Stubbs, Joseph
ID Number
CE.62.917C
catalog number
62.917C
accession number
171126

Portable Water Heater Patent Model

Patent model (U.S. Patent No. 26,595) of a portable, alcohol or spirit water heater for household and travel use, made by James M. Jay and John Danner of Canton, OH, and patented on December 27, 1859.
Description
Patent model (U.S. Patent No. 26,595) of a portable, alcohol or spirit water heater for household and travel use, made by James M. Jay and John Danner of Canton, OH, and patented on December 27, 1859. Consists of a circular, three-part, collapsible burner with slotted top and bottom sections; a water reservoir pan with fustrum of a cone at center; and a flat, friction-fit cover with tag on outside bearing maker's name, place and date. Original patent tag and two reproduction tags with red wove ribbon are printed and handwritten with patent information and object numbers.
Location
Currently not on view
Date made
1859-12-27
patent date
1859-12-27
inventor
Jay, James
Danner, John
ID Number
DL.251774
accession number
48890
patent number
26,595
catalog number
251774

Butter Scoop

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1850 - 1900
ID Number
DL.64.0518
catalog number
64.0518
accession number
251849

Wafer Iron

Circular wafer iron, plier form; both plates feature an incuse, spreadwing, shield-body eagle, positioned right-side up on one plate and upside-down on the other. Two, long, tapered handles, rectangular in section, one with a ball-and-acorn terminal.
Description
Circular wafer iron, plier form; both plates feature an incuse, spreadwing, shield-body eagle, positioned right-side up on one plate and upside-down on the other. Two, long, tapered handles, rectangular in section, one with a ball-and-acorn terminal. Both handles have arrow-shaped pads double-riveted to plates. No marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1790-1815
ID Number
DL.320815.0001
catalog number
320815.0001
accession number
320815

Chinese reticulated bowl

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1662-1722
ID Number
CE.P-315
catalog number
P-315
accession number
225282

Pap Boat

Plain, small, handleless and rimless oblong bowl with wide, curved, U-shaped spout; broad flat bottom, no foot ring. Engraved on side to right of spout "JAJ" in conjoined foliate script. No other marks.Currently not on view
Description
Plain, small, handleless and rimless oblong bowl with wide, curved, U-shaped spout; broad flat bottom, no foot ring. Engraved on side to right of spout "JAJ" in conjoined foliate script. No other marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1850
ID Number
DL.331241
catalog number
331241
accession number
91706

Half Pint Measure

Bulbous or bellied measure with a seven-lobed shell thumb piece; half pint size. Flat-top domed and molded lid. Body has a galleried rim and molded, flared base; slight bead flanked by pairs of incised lines at shoulder.
Description
Bulbous or bellied measure with a seven-lobed shell thumb piece; half pint size. Flat-top domed and molded lid. Body has a galleried rim and molded, flared base; slight bead flanked by pairs of incised lines at shoulder. Tapered, S-scroll handle with ribbed thumbrest and short terminal; no strut. Rim exterior stamped "HALF PINT" at front with three verification marks, including a George IV City of London mark, to right and left of handle. No maker's marks.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
1800-1830
ID Number
DL.67.0147
catalog number
67.0147
accession number
250853

Tupperware Bowl and Cover

Few products are more symbolic of household life in post-World War II America than Tupperware.
Description
Few products are more symbolic of household life in post-World War II America than Tupperware. Made of plastic, intended for service in the suburban kitchen, and with clean and modern design, Tupperware represented "tomorrow's designs with tomorrow's substances." The Museum's collections include over 100 pieces of Tupperware, dating from 1946 through 1999. This bowl and cover were made by Tupperware Corporation, Woonsocket, R.I. (bowl), and Farnumsville, Mass. (lid), 1946–1958 and donated by Glenn O. Tupper.
Beginning in the 1930s, chemist Earl S. Tupper (1907–1983) experimented with polyethylene slag, a smelly, black waste product of oil refining processes, to develop uses for it. He devised translucent and opaque colored containers that he first marketed in 1942 as "Welcome Ware," then added lids with a patented seal later in the decade.
Modeled after the lid of a paint can, the lid to a Tupperware container was to be closed with a "burp," to create a partial vacuum and make the seal tight. The product was designed to appeal to the growing number of housewives who worked in suburban kitchens with modern appliances, including large refrigerators that allowed once-a-week trips for grocery shopping at the supermarket. These women formed a market for new and effective methods of food storage. Tupperware's water-tight, airtight seal promised preservation of freshness and limited spills or spoilage.
Yet the capabilities of the new product were not obvious to consumers at first, and Tupper's containers did not sell well in retail stores. A Michigan woman named Brownie Wise thought of marketing Tupperware through the home-sales method. Wise developed the system of Tupperware parties, at which a demonstrator could show the uses and advantages of Tupperware. As Tupperware became a staple of many American kitchens, some women found job opportunities in Tupperware sales.
Location
Currently not on view
date made
ca 1949
manufacturer
Tupperware
ID Number
1992.0605.022
catalog number
1992.0605.022A,B
accession number
1992.0605

Tray

Currently not on view
Location
Currently not on view
maker
Job & John Jackson
ID Number
CE.62.940R
catalog number
62.940R
accession number
171126

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