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Show us your Vintage Office Supplies.

Shangas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,116
Location
Melbourne, Australia
The oldest piece of office-equipment that I own is this writing-box from the 1880s:

WritingBox3.jpg
 

Red Tractors

New in Town
Messages
18
Location
Ohio, USA
An Interesting thread, I'll be adding too it soon, I promise. It appears I'm not alone in my fondness for this stuff.

As a note, many of the vintage desk and drafting lamps will be marked "Fostoria" for the small city not too far from me where they were made. The plant sadly closed about two years ago.
 

Shangas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,116
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Hi Red, I look forward to seeing what you have to offer.

By the way, for any interested parties *crickets chirrup*, I've done extensive research on my writing-box (see above) and have revised the manufacture-date to ca. 1901. This would make it early Edwardian.
 

jkingrph

Practically Family
Messages
848
Location
Jacksonville, Tx, West Monroe, La.
No picture, but wishing I had this. Back when I was in high school in the early 60's, dad was in the office equipment business. He brought home a Underwood portable noiseless typewriter for me to use. The shift for capital letters moved the entire carriage up. The noiseless feature was accomplished by a double link on each typebar which stopped the type from striking the platen just as it hit the ribbon and paper, or at least softened the blow. Dad told me it had been owned by a pilot in WWII, serving in the CBI theater and he had carried the typewriter with him on several flights across the hump. There was no longer a carrying case for the typewriter. After I started college dad sold it to a neighbor for $25 so he could get me a better one for school reports. Wish I still had it.
 

Zemke Fan

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,690
Location
On Hiatus. Really. Or Not.
Bumpin'... (So that I don't have to sort through 2,000 threads next time!)

GOTTA have this table lamp...

double_shade_lamp_3.jpg


From modernism.com.

EDIT: $2,900! (But they take lay-away!) $29/mo...
 
Last edited:

The Soph Gent

New in Town
Messages
25
Location
SE Pennsylvania
Thought I'd resurrect this thread. I recently remodeled a spare room and decided to put in a small antique desk and decorate it with some antique office supplies. I had to use a small desk since the room is small and already it is almost filled. I'm going to need a bigger house :D
Items:
GE Fan 75423 (1920's)
Bakelite Desk Lamp (1940's)
Boston Ranger Pencil Sharpener
Fostoria Ink Well
Easterbrook Fountain Pen
British Pyramid Phone
Deco Style Perpetual Calendar (1900 - 2000)

L C Smith Typewriter to be placed next to desk


IMG_4288.jpg

IMG_4295.jpg
 

Shangas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,116
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Thanks, I got lucky. I found it in an antique store. It was in bad shape but I knew it had brass blades. When I got home to start restoring it I found that it has a brass cage also. Works great, got it for $60.

GEBefore.jpg

GEAfter.jpg

It's a very beautiful fan and those blades are so very shiny!

I just hope, for your sake, you've not got kids around the house during the summertime, or else they might be short a few digits and you'll have a lawsuit on your hands...
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,715
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Pretty snazzy typewriter too. I used an L. C. Smith for years, and they're really smooth -- lots of ball bearings. The only weak point is the shift lever -- it's a pot metal casting, and is very brittle. A good knock will snap it right off, so be careful.
 

1930artdeco

Practically Family
Messages
672
Location
oakland
I am looking at the beautiful desk sets and they have 'blotters' which I have seen in movies and on t.v. What does a blotter actually do?

Mike
 

1961MJS

My Mail is Forwarded Here
Messages
3,370
Location
Norman Oklahoma
Hi

Back when you signed documents / checks etc with a real pen, you used the blotter to pick up the extra ink right Lizzie?

later
 

LizzieMaine

Bartender
Messages
33,715
Location
Where The Tourists Meet The Sea
Yup. Fancy people used those rocker ones you see on Edward Arnold's desk in any movie with a scene in a banker's office. The rest of us would have used a complimentary paper blotter with an ad for a garage or an insurance company on the face.
 

Shangas

I'll Lock Up
Messages
6,116
Location
Melbourne, Australia
Rocker-blotters and desk-blotters were used to soak up ink to prevent smudging, smearing and feathering of the ink. I still use both of those things on my desk. I'd be lost without them.
 

deco_droid

New in Town
Messages
41
Location
DFW, Texas
It's a very beautiful fan and those blades are so very shiny!

I just hope, for your sake, you've not got kids around the house during the summertime, or else they might be short a few digits and you'll have a lawsuit on your hands...

Nice fan! I'm more of an Emerson Silver Swan type of guy myself, but I love seeing any vintage fans in use. And I'm sure there were isolated cases of kids hurting their fingers in fans, but in general I bet they had more common sense than kids today do. I just hate the CYA policy businesses have to adopt to sell products these days.
 

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