Stoneware Clays Come In Many Colors

The clays used for stoneware have no special natural color. They may be cream colored, blue to gray, or range from buff and yellow to brown. The blues and grays in raw clay are caused by organic material. These burn out during firing.

It is the iron content that produces the permanent color in stoneware. The more iron in the clay, the darker the fired stoneware will be. While a final stoneware piece is often nearly white, it may also be nearly black or a reddish brown if sufficient iron is present in the clay.

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Carrot Juice Colored Butter

At one time in the early years of our country, a housewife who thought her butter wasn’t colorful enough would make it more yellow using carrots. The carrots were grated on a wooden or tin grater. Then the pulp was simmered and strained. The colored juice was stirred into the butter as it was being churned.

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Early Pictures Gave Double Fun

Stereoscope viewers provided an evening’s entertainment in many homes during the late 1800s and early 1900s. The cards used in these viewers held pairs of photographs taken by the stereoscopic camera; they gave a 3-dimensional illusion.

The camera was invented in 1838 by Sir Charles Wheatstone, an English physicist. It took one picture and then was moved 2 1/2 inches and a second picture taken. Eventually, a twin lens camera was invented, which made the pairing more accurate.

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Diamond Dots

Stipple engraving, or stippling, is a method of decorating glass. The surface is tapped with a diamond to produce tiny dots, the dots representing the highlights in the design of the piece.

When first used, in the 1800s, it was often a technique that would hide flaws in the glass.
 

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