The Historical Hound of Hobart

This photo was taken in the basement of the Hobart Historical Society museum, formerly the library.


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This must have happened while the library building was under construction, from 1914 to 1915. The workers had just poured the basement floor when a curious dog came trotting through the site and got into the wet concrete.

Maybe the men didn't notice the pawprints until the concrete was set. Or maybe they looked at the damage, shrugged their shoulders and said, "Eh, it's not worth fussing about."

The basement served as a "social room" where various groups could meet. Over the years, I'm sure, many human feet have walked over these pawprints at the east end of the basement, just outside the kitchen area. But the women preparing food in the kitchen were busy; the men were absorbed in their talk; did anyone ever notice the pawprints? Perhaps they did — and laughed, and said, "That's old Rover."

However it happened, Rover's pawprints have been preserved for posterity.

Hobart Then and Now: Library/Museum Interior

1922 and 2016



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This is the east-side interior of the Hobart library, now the Hobart Historical Society museum.

I like the fresh flowers on the tables in the 1922 photo — lilacs on the table nearest the fireplace, I believe. The library had plenty of shelf space in those days.

Perhaps the photo doesn't date precisely to 1922, but the message on the verso does:



The signature may be "Harold Ray" or "Harold & Ray"; either way I can't identify the writer.

The Portable Gramophone

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum: portable hand-cranked record player.


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Speeds from slow to fast. It looks as if the user could make gradual adjustments along the speed continuum.



We seem to be missing the stylus.



I think this lettering is beautiful.



No date on this, but I'm guessing the 1920s.

Some photos of various models of Decca portables, restored, can be found here.

Semi-artsy pic of record.

Whetstone

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

Whetstone, or grindstone, or honing stone, whatever you call it.


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We used to call it fun, on my aunt and uncle's farm in southern Missouri. They had one of these set up somewhat like a stationary bicycle, with a seat and two pedals, and there you sat, pedaling away, sharpening things — well, we didn't; we kids thought that contraption was just for our amusement. We had to be informed that it had a practical purpose.

That one had a funnel suspended over the wheel to drip water. This one has just a can, with a small hole punched in the bottom.



I think you just stand to one side of this thing, and push the pedal with one foot.

Piano Pieces

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

Go ahead, tickle the ivories a little. Often visitors to the museum just can't resist.


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Horizontal strings.



Heavily carved legs, a little the worse for wear.



I believe this piano is the type known as the "square grand." I did not step back and take a picture of the whole thing. You will have to come to the museum to see it.

Home-Made Chair

Photos taken in the Hobart Historical Society.


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The label says "chairs" but I saw only one chair in the immediate vicinity.



It looks as if it had been pretty comfortable in its day.

I don't find any Spencers around here in the 1840 Census, but starting with the 1850 Census Hobart is crawling with them (among them, Orsemus).

A Boring Machine

Even the label says so.


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Don't ask me exactly how this thing did all its boring.



Here's a boring drill bit.



Artsy and boring.



Feeling bored yet?

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum, in case you hadn't guessed.

What Time Is It?

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Photo taken at the Hobart Historical Society museum.

It's Mojo Break Time!

I know this blog bores most of the people most of the time. That's not a problem. But when it starts to bore even me, that's a problem.

So I need to take a week or so off to try to get my mojo back.

The Accursed Articles of Toilette

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

Folks, I have been trying for months to photograph this nice little arrangement of personal grooming tools, and every darn picture I take turns out out-of-focus! Here's my latest:


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Obviously one of these articles is haunted and its previous owner does not want me displaying how he/she made himself/herself beautiful.

The haunted article isn't this ornate brush, since I was able to take a clear shot of it. If only I knew what it was. It doesn't look like your typical shaving brush, and it doesn't look stiff enough to brush lint off your clothes. Perhaps some lady liked to lay on the face-paint generously.

Ice Box

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

There's simple classic beauty in this cabinet, though I wish I could have seen it when it was new:


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The manufacturer's label tells you everything except what this thing is.



The McDougall Co. manufactured various models of useful kitchen furniture.

However, open up the top door and look at the heavy insulation on its interior surface …



… I think we've got ourselves an ice box here. This compartment would hold the block of ice, carried in by the iceman's tongs there.

The lower compartment, with an equally insulated door, would hold the perishables — though this one now holds imperishables.



At the bottom, a hinged panel that probably hid the pan that caught the dripping water as the block of ice slowly melted. Some small child in the household was charged with emptying out the pan before it overflowed.



Ant's-eye view:



I'm photographically obsessed with these clasps on the door. I can't rest until I've posted an artsy version of one:



… Ah, at last.

Hand Embroidery

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

I'm old enough to remember when your sheets and pillowcases were not 400-count Egyptian cotton in colors like Celery and Plum. Nope, they were white. All of them. To make them pretty, you (meaning the women and girls of the house) embroidered designs on the edge of the pillowcases. Even I was taught that skill as a youngster.


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That last is from one of a pair of pillow shams.



"Sweet lillies close their leaves at night … and open with the morning light."

Wash Day

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

The tools of non-motorized laundry: scrub board, boiler wash tub with hand-held wooden "agitator," and portable wringer attached.


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Now go in your laundry room and give your electric-powered automatic washing machine a hug.

Radiators

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

These radiators in the bay window are not an exhibit, but they could be.


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I love the scrolls on top. Below the relief valve is a relief flower, though it's been painted over so many times that its outlines are obscured.

Ornaments of the Old High School

Photo taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

The label on the exhibit says it all.


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I can't think of anything artsy to do to this one.

American Adding Machine

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.

Here are two of the very few of my macro-lens photos that turned out in focus.


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Well, more or less in focus. This is where I got artsy with a close-up of the keys.



Now, what can I do to make it unbearably artsy — how about layering?



… I'm an artistic genius.

Cider Press

Photos taken inside the Hobart Historical Society museum.


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Looks like an awful lot of work, to get a little apple juice. Why didn't they just go to the supermarket? [Facetious remark.]

Continuing in my quest to master the art of bad photography, I've discovered another technique that I've neglected: the vignette. So here goes:



Doesn't it just bring tears to your eyes?

Birds and Glass

My macro lens doesn't do any better shooting through glass than my other lens. Here I took a photo of stuffed birds under glass in the basement of the Hobart Historical Society museum. I gather this collection belonged mostly to Ed Prusiecki, who owned the Art Theater.


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The birds-and-glass picture below doesn't come from the museum. This was my earliest experimentation with the macro lens.