“A penny saved is a penny earned”… “A stitch in time saves nine”… “An apple a day keeps the doctor away…”

Some folks call them mottos. Or proverbs. Folk sayings. Adages. Often, they have a definite ring of truth (after all, if you save a penny, then you do indeed have one more than you started with). Other times, maybe not so much (I’m pretty sure that “apple/doctor” thing doesn’t really work). “Words to live by” like these creep their way into our consciousness, and often into our conversations. If you tell someone, “every cloud has a silver lining,” you know exactly what you’re saying, and they know exactly what you mean. You’ve taken a short cut on the road to communication. Kinda trite? Well, maybe. But hey, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

Words to live by have been with us for a long, long, time. Proverbs have been found on tablets carved by ancient Sumerians in 2000 B.C. There are plenty of proverbs in the Bible (and not just in the Book of Proverbs). Ben Franklin loved them. And, in the 19th century, seamstresses perfected their needlework by stitching proverbs into samplers. By the mid-20th century, those words to live by made their way into American homes, thanks to wall plaques. When folks found themselves in need of advice, encouragement, a smile, or a just a pick-me-up on a dreary day, there it was, staring them right in the face.

Gazing at a wall plaque from the 1930s or ‘40s, you can’t help but admire the hand-carved lettering and images, often highlighted with color accents, on burnished wood backings. But even though the plaques looked hand-carved, and of “real” wood, they actually weren’t. The plaques were actually molded, pressed wood creations, putting them within the reach of almost every pocketbook.

Many companies specialized in these items (Burwood, Ornawood, Orn-A-Craft, Multi-Products), but leading the pressed wood pack was “Syroco,” the Syracuse Ornamental Co. of Syracuse, New York. Due to its dominance, “Syroco” has since become generic shorthand for all types of pressed wood products, regardless of maker.

In 1890, the skills of Syroco founder, accomplished carver Adolph Holstein, were in great demand, as homes of the time called for ornately carved woodwork. More master carvers were hired, but the time-consuming process of hand-carving limited the number of orders that could be accepted. The solution? “Syrocowood!” Holstein and staff would create a master carving, cast a mold, then cast replicas from that. Since only one master carving was required for each design, both production and affordability were greatly enhanced.

Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous Schiffer books on design and collectibles, including “Postwar Pop,” a collection of his columns. Please address inquiries to: donaldbrian@msn.com