Beer Foam Scraper

A type of breweriana for collectors to watch for is the foam scraper. These scrapers are, as the name implies, used in saloons to scrape the excess foam off a glass of beer.

Most were made of plastic, and were 8 to 10 inches long and about 1 inch wide. They were provided to the bartender by the brewing companies and have the company’s name printed on the side.

Beer collectors may pay anywhere from 10 to 40 dollars for these scrapers. Usually the price is determined by the demand for the brand of beer advertised.

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Kerosene Once Lit Up Our World

Kerosene lamps were an important form of lighting from approximately 1860 until 1900. It enjoyed immediate popularity. The first patent was issued in 1859 and three years later there were several million kerosene lamps in use.

They consisted of three basic parts: a reservoir to hold the fuel, a dome-shaped flat-wick burner, and a chimney. Because kerosene is a lightweight oil, it will “climb” a fairly long wick; this made it possible to place the fuel below the burner and increased the safety of the lamp.

From the basic three parts, a vast array of lamps were made, some simple and some highly ornate. Nearly 2,000 different patents were granted in the late 1800s for variations of kerosene lamps.

There are some special styles that collectors look for today.
The style called the “Gone With the Wind” lamp, one of the ornate parlor lamps, was in use from about 1880 to 1900. It was made of glass or china and had a globular base with a more-or-less matching shade on top. Designs were usually molded in relief or hand-painted.

The student lamps are also popular with collectors. They were made of metal, either single or double armed, with a lighting apparatus that could be moved up or down on a standard. They were designed so that the lamp did not cast a shadow on the surface of the desk or table.

Some kerosene lamps were hanging lamps. One type was stationery and basic, with glass or tin shades and glass or brass fonts. It would have been used in a school or store. Another variety of hanging kerosene lamp was movable, and could be carried from room to room in the Victorian home. These were more ornate, frequently having painted glass or china shades and, occasionally, glass prisms.

The main advantage to kerosene lamps was cost. The fuel was very inexpensive. However, there was also a major drawback. They were dirty. Kerosene produces a lot of smoke, and the chimneys were in constant need of cleaning.

For examples of kerosene lamps, see American Lighting 1840-1940, by Nadja Maril (Schiffer Publishing.)

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Locomotive Parts More Available Than Whole Train

Railroadiana - the memorabilia of the railroads - is a popular form of collecting. There are many areas for specializing within the field, from paper objects to steam locomotives.

Obviously, the locomotives themselves are not sought by many and certainly won’t appear in the usual antique shop. Locomotive parts, however, are interesting. Among the items collectors look for are steam whistles, horns and bells. They were made of brightly polished brass and came in all shapes and sizes. Their purpose was to warn cattle and pedestrians alike of the train’s approach.

The headlights, or lamps, attached to the front of the train were special. The earliest ones were oil-burning, and housed in copper, japanned or enameled containers. With brass filler caps, securing chains and handles, they had an attractive appearance. By the beginning of the 20th century, electric and battery-operated lamps had replaced most of the oil burners.

Lamps were important for giving signals. One example of use in the caboose is a pre-1899 oil-burning lamp which had three compartments. If the train was on the main track, the oil pot was placed in the compartment that showed green ahead and red behind. The compartment for a side-tracked train showed green in both directions. If the oil pot was placed in the center compartment, no color was displayed.

The American railroads made lampsmanship a highly skilled craft, with specific lights for the engineer, fireman, conductor, and railroad car inspector.

An excellent reference book containing numerous examples of old railroad lamps is Lanterns That Lit Our World, by Anthony Hobson (Golden Hill Press.)

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Clay Pipes Enhanced Use Of Tobacco

Clay pipes first became popular about the middle of the 16th century. The idea may have been adapted from those used by the American Indians, who used a spoon-shaped pipe for medicinal purposes and religious ceremonies, believing tobacco to be a gift from the gods.

The pipes appeared almost as soon as tobacco itself began to be used in England and Europe. Men, women and children all tried the new activity, called “tobacco drinking.” Some of the Indian beliefs appear to have been passed along with the tobacco, and smoking was thought to ward off all ailments, from the flu to cancer.

The first clay pipes were fragile, but cheap. A regular smoker might break several in the course of a day’s puffing, but he could buy them by the gross.

They also were tiny. The inside diameter of the bowl was about 1/4 inch and the bore of the stem about 1/8 inch. As the years went by, the size gradually increased. By 1700, the pipe makers’ skill had increased so that sizes became more standardized.

In the mid-1600s, an especially fine light clay from Asia Minor was discovered to be especially suitable for pipes. it was called meerschaum, which in English means “sea foam” - so named because it was often found floating on the Baltic Sea. It is a lightweight and porous material and over years of smoking, the white clay of a meerschaum pipe will absorb oils and tars, and take on various soft shades of rose, amber and brown. With enough use, the clay turns black.

Clay pipes were susceptible to fashion’s whims. During the mid-18th century, extra-long pipes were popular with gentlemen. These pipes, nicknamed straws, had stems ranging from 18 to 24 inches. Even more extreme was the “yard of clay,” a 36-inch-long pipe introduced about 1850.

Carved or decorated clay pipes appeared late in the 1700s. The first had bowls molded to form such well-known heroes as the Duke of Wellington. By the 1800s, the production of decorated pipes was common.

Businessmen were quick to recognize the potential of the pipe as an advertising medium, and in Victorian England, pipes appeared with all manner of slogans. They were given away much as coffee mugs are given today. Smokers could also buy pipes with designs depicting a particular occupation or interest.

Clay pipes are made from a clay that will burn white. The following directions for manufacture were written in 1831.

“The clay must be carefully cleansed and kneaded up to a tenacious paste. Small lumps are formed on the wheel into cylinders, bored with a wire, and shaped in brass moulds. The head is then hollowed by a stopper pressed into it, the whole is again smoothed and polished, and the pipes are then baked. They are polished with wax or grease.”

The pipes were fired at about 950 degrees Centigrade. After firing, mouthpieces were coated with wax or lacquer to prevent the smoker’s lips from sticking to the clay.

In addition to pipes, collectors today find pipe accessories to complement their collections. A pipe box was a tall shallow wooden box deep enough to hold several clay pipes. It often had a small drawer for tobacco.

A pipe-stopper (or stopple) was used to press tobacco down in the bowl. These were made of every material imaginable, and often decorated or ornamented.

Pipe tongs were specially made iron or steel tongs used to lift a small coal from a fireplace, for lighting a pipe.

For additional information, see A Complete Guide to Collecting Antique Pipes (Schiffer, 1998) and Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes (Schiffer, 1999.) Both are written by Ben Rapaport.

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