Money; Africa, West; Africa, West--Social life and customs; Liberia; New Guinea
“Kissie Pennies" or "Gizzie Iron" are twisted iron rods, about 7 to 12 inches long, that were used as currency in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea in West Africa from the 19th to the mid 20th century. Rods were often bundled and...
A boy would have played with a building toy like this from the early 1900s. It comes with different floor plans, drawings, sizes and shapes of blocks so you can construct several versions of the “bungalow” house type that was popular during...
A serf was a laborer who leased and worked land owned by a wealthy land owner in return for the serf’s protection. The land owner could be nobility, the Church or the monarch. Serfdom, the legal and economic status of peasants, became the...
A squire was originally a young man, probably fifteen or sixteen, who aspired to become a knight. As part of his training, he became an attendant to a knight. A squire’s duties consisted of dressing the knight, serving meals, caring for the...
According to a note that came with these seven dog tags, they belonged to a beloved pet named Spot “brought by Uncle Tom July 27, 1900. She was 7 ½ inches tall.” The tags date from 1901 to 1908 and come in different shapes—a dog’s head,...
An accordion is a kind of musical instrument sometimes called a “squeezebox” that was invented in the early 19th century. This accordion belonged to Samuel Williams. He was a professional musician and performed regularly with his wife Ruthie,...
Egypt--Civilization -- To 332 B.C.; Jewelry, Ancient -- Egypt; Amulets
Ancient Egyptians adorned themselves with beautiful jewelry. Often, it included protective amulets, worn during life and during one's journey into the afterlife. An ordinary Egyptian woman probably would have worn this faience, glazed earthenware,...
Paleo-Indians; Paleo-Indians -- Implements; Indians of North America -- Implements; Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Implements, utensils, etc.
As early as 11,000 years ago, the first people to inhabit the Americas were making tools to hunt for food. Tools were chipped from stone, called chert. Over time, people learned where the best sources of chert were located and traveled or traded to...
Baseball was still a new sport when some young boy wore this outfit in the early 20th century. This uniform of wool shirt, knickers and cap were durable but probably uncomfortable in the summer heat. Kids have been playing stick ball for centuries....
Before the Humpty Dumpty Circus, a lion couldn’t roar then jump down from a chair in front of the lion tamer. To make animals “come alive” Albert Schoenhut first used new rubber elastic corded joints. His circuses allowed children in the...
Guitar; Musical instruments; Dylan, Bob, 1941-; Autographs; Music -- History; Folk music -- History; Music -- United States -- History
Bob Dylan's influence on popular music is immeasurable. Throughout his career, he changed the face of many different genres of music, including folk, rhythm and blues, rock, pop and country. Born in 1961 as Robert Allen Zimmerman in Duluth,...
Bobble heads were popular in the early 1960s, and they made a comeback in 2000 in the form of sports stars. Bobble heads frequently were placed in the rear windows of cars where those driving behind could watch them bobble. This rare set of Beatle...
Musical instruments; Drum; Buddhism; Buddhism -- Customs and practices
Buddhist monks use the damaru, a double-sided hand drum, during certain religious ceremonies. The damaru has a leather string tied over the narrow middle section, and when swung, the knotted, wooden or bone end pieces make a rattling sound on the...
Toys; Space toys; Space travel; Space flight; Space vehicles; 1960s
Capitalizing on nationwide interest in the space program, Mattel introduced Major Matt Mason in 1967. Mattel based early vehicles and suits on NASA prototypes, allowing children to dream of stepping on the moon. In fact, a visit to the moon with...
Child-sized versions of transportation vehicles have long been popular with kids. Providing hours of fun, most 19th and early 20th century toys were small versions of "the real thing." John Edmund Burke made this wagon for his children...
Cork craft; Carving (Decorative arts); China; China -- Social life and customs; Art -- China; 1980s
Chinese cork sculptures are a century old tradition that is still practiced today. Using small instruments, artists hand carve tiny slivers of cork into spectacular works of art. Hours of concentration create elaborate scenes, like this garden with...
Traditional medicine; Medicine - History; Pharmacology -- History; Medicine--Formulae, Receipts, Prescriptions; Therapeutics; Pharmacopoeias
Combined of all natural ingredients including herbs, barks, seeds and flowers Dr. Kerr advertised his remedy as a blood purifier and system regulator. Scientists of the early 1900s rapidly discovered new cures and treatments to many common...
Demonstrators carried pennants like this one throughout the United States while seeking the right to vote in the early 1900s. Women who wanted the right to vote were known as suffragists or suffragettes. Since the 1850s, men and women worked to...
Does this toy zeppelin remind you of the blimps that fly over football stadiums or other special events? Named after German aviation pioneer Ferdinand Zeppelin, these airships were state of the art air transportation from the early 1900s until...
Saddles; Horses -- Equipment and supplies; Saddlery
During the 1800s and early 1900s girls and women who wanted to ride a horse still wore a skirt or dress. To remain lady-like, the rider used a side saddle like this one to ride with both legs on one side of the horse. In 1896 Lewis Phillip...
