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This Wonderful Country (2)
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Pages: This
Wonderful Country of Ours! [ 1
][ 2 ]
F. The Betsy Ross Flag Box. According to legend this is the first
flag ever to be raised over the newly born United States. Designed by
George Washington and others, and brought to Betsy Ross, Philadelphia
seamstress, by the designers (in 1776), for her to construct; it had 13
stars, one for each of the new states. The story, although taught to school
children for 100 plus years, is now widely disbelieved because research
has shown the facts to be incorrect. Myself, I like the old story and
until they come up with something better, it is the tale I will tell.
The box is shaped as if the wind is ruffling it on high. Inside our five
pointed star, painted. The clasp, an eagle. Our price: $127.90. NEW
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F1. The Betsy Ross and Our First Flag Box. This marvelous little
box has Betsy Ross, the seamstress who sewed our first flag, in Philadelphia,
in 1776, displaying the fruit of her labor. The detail on this box is
quite remarkable. Her sewing box is typical of what was then used and
the chair she is sitting on is in the style of Philadelphia Chippendale.
The cap and the gown are typical of the period as well. Notice the wide
sleeves, the deep shawl collar and the fullness of the skirt Caps were
made of fabric and worn in the home. Inside, the New York skyline today,
painted. The clasp, our American Eagle. Retail: About $213.00. Our price:
$192.90. NEW For Cardinet Collectors, this has just arrived.
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G. The U.S.S. Constitution, (nicknamed "Old Ironsides") Box. Launched
in 1797, she served in three wars, engaged in more than 30 battles, was
never defeated, took 33 vessels as prizes of war, and reigns today as the
oldest warship still in commission on the rolls of the United States Navy.
And finally, she is the only surviving member of the first fleet of ships
built expressly for the United States Navy. Inside, the sun setting on
the
water. The clasp, the ship's wheel. Our price: $247.90.
H. The California Gold Rush Box. The discovery of gold in California
came within months of the ceding of it, to the United States, by Mexico
in 1848. California was not yet a state when this enormously significant
event occurred. The tremendous population growth that the Gold Rush brought
to California resulted in it becoming the 31st state of the union in 1850.
Our box shows a gold miner panning for gold on the South Fork of The American
River at Sutter's Mill, California where gold was first discovered. Inside,
in gold, "California Gold Rush, 1849-1999" and a tiny removable "gold" nugget.
Our price: $182.90. NEW
Did you know that California is the leading agricultural producer
in the U.S.? Did you know that the total value of California's goods and
services is exceeded only by that of the United States as a whole? Can you
tell that I am proud of my adopted home state?
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I. The Kerosene Lantern Box. Used by the gold miners and the pioneers
on their trek westward, these lamps were the main form of illumination
prior
to electricity being invented. Interestingly, although several patents
were applied for none was ever granted on this device. Inside, the matches
for
lighting the lamp, painted. Best Buy at $79.90.
NOTE: The origin of the name "Old Ironsides", made famous
by Oliver Wendell Holmes' poem, came in the War of 1812 when during a ferocious
battle with HMS Guerriere, a sailer exclaimed, "Huzzah, her sides are made
of iron!" Her hull, 25 inches thick at the waterline, constructed of three
layers of oak, 2 exterior layers of white oak sandwiching live oak, one
of the most durable woods in the world, completely repelled the British
cannonballs.
History Buffs: If you would enjoy reading further, there is a fascinating
article on the history of this ship that details the ingenuity and brilliance
of her commanding officer during the engagement with the Guerriere. You
can find it at: www.thehistorynet.com
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J. The Hurdy Gurdy Organ Grinder Box with Monkey. When I was just
a tiny child these were commonly seen on "The Sidewalks of New York".
As a matter fact, they often played "The Sidewalks of New York". The Organ
Grinder was a "personality" in those days, almost always newly arrived
in our country and usually wearing a broad brimmed hat and rather threadbare
clothing. They came mostly from the Mediterranean area of Europe. Their
monkeys always wore a collar and short chain and they performed all sorts
of antics, dancing to the music and scrambling all over the Hurdy Gurdy
and sometimes, the onlookers. When the music stopped, they would snatch
the hat off the Organ Grinder's head and pass it around the little group
that would have gathered to watch the performance. That was how the Organ
Grinders earned their living. They wheeled the Hurdy Gurdy from neighborhood
to neighborhood and the kids would always have pennies and , once in a
while a nickel, to drop into the hat. A long, long time ago when life
was much simpler. In the early 1940's there was a Glenn Miller hit song
called "Elmer's Tune" that memorialized this strange little instrument.
"The Hurdy Gurdy and The Man in The Moon, All Sing Elmer's Tune." The
wheels turn, the shelf for the monkey is there, the handle to grind the
instrument is there. Our price: $209.90. NEW* Very much a part of New
York's history.
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K. When you heard the sound of "The Calliope Box" you knew the
circus had come to town. In "Every Town U.S.A." the sound of the Calliope
brought instant awareness that the circus parade was coming your way. It
started at the rail siding where the wagons carrying the animals were unloaded
and they paraded them through the streets to their ultimate location, sometimes
a huge tent or, in the case of New York, the original Madison Square Garden.
Always they had a Calliope because that was the single most identifiable
sound of the circus. It was huge, took up an entire circus wagon, and was
always lavishly decorated, as this one is. Do you know what a Calliope is?
It is an organ that uses steam to generate warm air through the pipes to
create musical sounds. Our Calliope Box is handsomely decorated with rococo
gilding and scenic cameors all on a ground of pale blue sky with fluffy
white clouds scattered about. On the front of the Calliope, the silver pipes
from whence the music came. Inside, the music, painted, and the music making
device. The clasp, a musician playing a lute. Just as a sidelight, the Calliope
was invented in 1850 and although you don't commonly hear them anymore,
they were certainly a part of life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
(If your computer has sound capability, the music for this box is in WAV
format.) The melody played is from the soundtrack of "Dr. Zhivago". Retail:
$493.00. Our price: $443.90. NEW and extraordinary!
To find out more about ordering, Click
Here
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