One of my Dad’s treasures was unique ‘Chatterbox’ book

by Ken Weyand | Mar 26, 2023 | Features, Traveling with Ken

April 2023

Vintage Discoveries

One of my Dad’s treasures was unique ‘Chatterbox’ book

by Ken Weyand

Childhood Books

As an impoverished orphan in 1900, my dad had few possessions. Luckily, his older sisters supplied him with a few books and other items that helped him survive his childhood.

One of the books that found its way to my attic was ‘Chatterbox,’ a hardback of more than 400 pages. Published annually in the U.S. by Dana Estes and Charles E. Lauriat in Boston, and edited by J. Erskine Clarke, my book was released in 1893, the year of my dad’s birth. Florence, oldest of the eight orphans, gifted it to my dad and Grace, another sister.

My book is well-worn, its hard cover barely connected to crumbling spine by a few threads. Several pages are torn, with two or three missing. Still, it’s a fascinating look at children’s literature of that era.

Etsy, an online retailer, states that ‘Chatterbox’ began as a weekly publication for children in the U.K. by Clarke, a British clergyman who had published the first parish newspaper. Featuring children’s stories, it was also printed in book form, in both U.K. and U.S. editions, the first published in 1866. According to Wikipedia, Clarke established churches, schools and hospitals in the U.K. and was made honorary chaplain to Queen Victoria and later to King Edward VII.

“Scrimmage” made present-day backyard football look tame.

Chatterbox Books

‘Chatterbox’ was a popular book for children on two continents. (Ken Weyand collection)

Two versions of the book were offered: one with ads and one without. My book has ads, but only on the inside covers and back cover. One of the ads promotes “Crosby’s Vitalized Phosphites, a brain food … invaluable to the nursing mother, weakly women, pale undeveloped girls, and the aged.”

Typical of books of its day originating in Europe, ‘Chatterbox’ depicts black people as savages, describing them in terms that are considered racist by today’s standards. A long article, “Amongst the Caffres,” begins on page 3 and continues throughout most of the book. It refers to what most white settlers in South Africa called blacks in the late 1800s.

Ken Weyand is the original owner/publisher of Discover Vintage America, founded in July 1973 under the name of Discover North.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com Ken is self-publishing a series of non-fiction E-books. Go to www.smashwords.com and enter Ken Weyand in the search box.

Old tennis racket shows how much sport has changed

by Ken Weyand | Mar 3, 2023 | Features, Traveling with Ken

March 2023

Vintage Discoveries

Old tennis racket shows how much sport has changed

by Ken Weyand

Old tennis racket

Since I was a youngster, an old tennis racket has been part of our family’s collection of “never thrown-away treasures.” One of the few sporting items owned by my dad, it was made by Norvell, and sold through Shapleigh Hardware.

In 1910, my dad (orphaned a decade earlier and taken in by an uncle), struggled to put himself through three years of college at what was then known as Kirksville Normal School in Kirksville, MO. Few items survive from those days, including the certificate he received authorizing him to teach “in rural schools,” and a few faded photographs. The tennis racket is the one exception.

Made of several woods, including cedar, ash and mahogany, the racket was the least expensive of three models the company listed in a 1910 Shapleigh Hardware catalog, at $13.00. It was said to have been “strung with the Best Grade White English Gut,” and available in weights of 13, 13 ½, 14, 14 ½, and 15 ounces.

Early day wooden tennis racket, marketed through Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Co. in St. Louis, was made sometime before 1910. (Ken Weyand collection)

My Father

Elmer J. Weyand, the writer’s father, age 18, in a 1910 college photo.

In its ad copy, the company stressed the need to keep its rackets in a cool, dry place. “Moisture will either cause the strings could break or the frame to warp.” The company refused to be held responsible for any resulting damage.
The Norvell-Shapleigh Hardware Co. in St. Louis took its name from Saunders Norvell, who became president of A. F. Shapleigh Hardware when its founder, Augustus Shapleigh, retired in 1900. Norvell continued as president for 10 years, and his name was attached to the company until 1918, when the company name reverted to Shapleigh Hardware Co. The company closed in the early 1960s.
In 1949, when I left home for a summer boys’ choir camp in New Mexico at the age of 12, my mother dutifully stamped my name on the end of the racket handle, and included the artifact in my luggage. I don’t remember using the racket at camp, but a portion of my name is still visible on the handle.
Nearly identical rackets from the same time period have been offered online, priced at $200 or more. Mine is nearly in its original condition, except for the string being broken in a couple of places. My racket probably will join other items I have donated to the Clay County Historical Museum in Liberty, MO.

Ken Weyand is the original owner/publisher of Discover Vintage America, founded in July 1973 under the name of Discover North.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com Ken is self-publishing a series of non-fiction E-books. Go to www.smashwords.com and enter Ken Weyand in the search box.

Riding crop recalls days when horses ruled the roads

by Ken Weyand | Feb 9, 2023 | Features, Vintage Discoveries

February 2023

Vintage Discoveries

Riding crop recalls days when horses ruled the roads

by Ken Weyand

Antique Riding Crop

Nearly forgotten among the “family artifacts” packed away in our house was an ancient riding crop once used by my grandmother. At least that’s what my dad had told me when I asked him about the object many years ago.

The crop, once a fashionable accessory for the “complete equestrian,” is fashioned with a brass knob at one end that serves as a handle. Inserted into the knob’s base is a tapered black “crop,” appearing to be leather, or possibly leather tightly wrapped around a core of another material. From what research I’ve been able to do, this crop was designed for the female rider, and as such would be a bit on the rare side.

My ancestor’s riding crop measures about 31 inches in length. Unfortunately, it was once longer, with another piece of leather (two or three inches long) attached to the end, providing an extra “slap” when applied to the animal’s flank. The “extension” hasn’t survived, probably becoming detached when this writer first handled it as a youngster.

Old Riding Crop

Mary Miller (called “Molly,”), born in 1856, married Will Weyand, my grandfather, in 1880. Over the next 12 years hey had nine children. Eight survived and became orphans when both parents passed away. (Image courtesy of the author)

My Grandmother

Mary Miller (called “Molly,”), born in 1856, married Will Weyand, my grandfather, in 1880. Over the next 12 years hey had nine children. Eight survived and became orphans when both parents passed away. (Image courtesy of the author)

My grandmother, Molly Miller, was the youngest of 10, born in 1856 and raised on her family’s homestead near Granger in northeastern Missouri. My dad didn’t know when she had owned the riding crop, but her riding days probably ended in 1880, when she married my grandfather, Willie Weyand, and started a family that over a dozen years would include nine children, eight of whom survived to adulthood.

Although the couple operated a grocery on High Street that included a small stable with horses used for produce delivery, it’s more likely the riding crop had been used by Molly during her earlier days in rural Missouri when horsemanship was a necessary art. Assuming she had ridden horses as a young woman on the family’s homestead north of Granger, the crop could be nearly 150 years old.

My research has discovered a variety of riding crops and whips. Most have handles (frequently of bone, and occasionally silver) that could be used by the rider to open gates without dismounting. The jointed ends of the crops were sometimes fairly elaborate, some measuring several inches long and terminating with brush-like ends that could have been used to discourage horseflies.

I haven’t been able to locate a riding crop that closely resembles mine. However, one source showing a smaller but similar item referred to it as a “swagger stick,” probably used by the military, and traced it to the mid-1800s. Prices and descriptions of antique riding crops vary considerably, depending on age, condition, and materials used.

Ken Weyand is the original owner/publisher of Discover Vintage America, founded in July 1973 under the name of Discover North.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com Ken is self-publishing a series of non-fiction E-books. Go to www.smashwords.com and enter Ken Weyand in the search box.

Old top was a favorite in the 1940s toy box

by Ken Weyand | Dec 10, 2022 | Vintage Discoveries

December 2022

Vintage Discoveries

Old top was a favorite in the 1940s toy box

by Ken Weyand

Toys of yesteryear

Many of today’s youngsters take little interest in the toys of yesteryear. Devoid of today’s electronics and high-tech gadgetry, and handcrafted from basic materials like wood, cast iron or tin, the old toys depended on youthful energy and imagination for their appeal.

Typical of the toys in the World War II era was the simple top. Despite America’s efforts to conserve metal for the war effort, a few companies turned out tin toys during the war years, including tops. Without any internal spring or windup mechanism, the top relied on a metal bar at the top’s center, with a small wooden handle. The bar’s spiral shape caused the top to spin when the bar was pushed downward. Another mechanism produced a melodic sound when the top spun. Centrifugal force kept the top spinning (and singing) for several magical seconds.

One of the manufacturers of tops and other children’s toys in the 1940s was the Ohio Art Co., based in Bryan, Ohio. According to Wikipedia and the firm’s own literature, the company was founded in 1908 as a manufacturer of picture frames and remains active today. It claims to be one of the world’s leading metal lithographers, specializing in precision printing and metal fabrication for major consumer goods companies. Examples of its work can be seen on beverage trays, metal signs, and various product containers.

The old top

The old top doesn’t work like it once did but still reminds me of the simpler days of my childhood. (Ken Weyand photo)

My top is a bit smaller than some of Ohio Art’s featured tops, measuring 7 inches in diameter, and 6 inches high without the wooden handle. With the handle and spiral “push-rod” extended, the total height increases to about 11 inches. The upper part of the top’s body features four young children playing with various toys around a circular waterway. The word “CHORAL” is printed near the center, and “Ohio Art Co., Bryan, O, U.S.A.” can be found in smaller lettering.

Unfortunately, the top’s mechanism is no longer functional, but I can remember pumping the spiral rod as a youngster and hearing a musical sound as the top spun for several seconds. It was an in-house toy, serving as a consolation prize on rainy Saturdays when mud roads kept the family home and unable to venture out for a day of “trading” at the county seat.

It didn’t take the place of watching westerns and cartoons at the local theater or getting a milkshake and looking over comic books at the town’s pharmacy, but it was an interesting toy in its day.

Similar tops by Ohio Art Co.

Similar tops by Ohio Art Co. can be found on eBay and other online sellers, with prices ranging from $16 to $40, depending on size and condition. A variety of designs can be seen, all examples of the quality metal lithography that made the company successful.

Ken Weyand is the original owner/publisher of Discover Vintage America, founded in July 1973 under the name of Discover North.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com Ken is self-publishing a series of non-fiction E-books. Go to www.smashwords.com and enter Ken Weyand in the search box.

Baby shoes from the 1880’s recall some sad family history

by Ken Weyand | Oct 28, 2022 | Features, Vintage Discoveries

November 2022

Vintage Discoveries

Baby shoes from the 1880’s recall some sad family history

by Ken Weyand

My dad often referred to his seven siblings when recalling how the family split up when their parents died, and they were “farmed out” in 1900 to various aunts and uncles. But he seldom mentioned the ninth member of the family, William Albert Weyand, who was only two years old when he died in 1884.

Historic Baby Shoes

Years later, when I discovered two pairs of baby shoes that had been saved with old photos and other family memorabilia, he told me they had belonged to his mother. When my parents died, the shoes remained with me, tiny reminders of my family, and their early struggles. Recently rediscovered, they had spent years hidden away as our family went about our lives.

Although my dad traced the shoes to his mother, I have a strong hunch they belonged to her late son, and she saved them to honor his memory. In the mid-1800s, when many babies died in infancy, E.D.E.N. Southworth, a novelist, wrote a short essay in Godey’s Lady’s Book on the subject, according to an article by Jeanne Gutierrez for the New York Historical Society. “There is no part of a baby’s wardrobe so suggestive and beautiful as the little shoes,” he wrote. Southworth’s essay made several references to grieving mothers who kept baby shoes in the 1800s.

Five Button shoes

At the time of his death, my uncle may have worn these shoes, with five buttons.

Baby shoes were miniatures of adult shoes

A far cry from today’s booties, these shoes were meant for infants but were made to look like miniatures of adult shoes.

Buttons non Laces

My shoes were fastened by buttons, not laces. They vary in size, indicating one pair could have been worn by an infant, with four buttons. The other pair, about an inch long, was also higher and had six buttons. At least one button was missing on both pairs. Both had polished leather toes and hard leather soles. Unlike baby shoes of later eras, the shoes seemed to be designed not for comfort, but to be a miniature version of adult footwear.

Manufacturers Marks

There are few markings on the shoes to reveal the manufacturer. However, on both shoes, a small image etched into the sole, shows a tiny flower with petals. As the family often received gifts from my great-grandfather in Philadelphia, I’m guessing the manufacturer could have been Philly-based S. S. Sollers, a leading maker of children’s shoes in the 1800s. Advertising from another maker, John Mundell, & Co, announced they specialized in “solar-tipped shoes,” which could explain the polished leather on my two pairs. However, I could find no logos from either company that featured a flower petal. More research is needed.

Ken Weyand is the original owner/publisher of Discover Vintage America, founded in July 1973 under the name of Discover North.

Ken Weyand can be contacted at kweyand1@kc.rr.com Ken is self-publishing a series of non-fiction E-books. Go to www.smashwords.com and enter Ken Weyand in the search box.