From Our Collection: What is it?

Posted on by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

In our collection, are objects that once may have been commonplace, but today are something of a curiosity.

hatstretcherclosed

The hat stretcher, pictured above, was donated to the museum several years ago and is from a time when men’s hats were of much more importance. Prior to the 1960s, hats were worn by all men, at times providing important clues about the social status of the individual man.

Interior of the Newton Carriage Worls, 128 E. 6th, Newton, 1887.

Interior of the Newton Carriage Worls, 128 E. 6th, Newton, 1887.

During the 1880s, researchers have estimated that the average American man bought a hat every year or two.

1908HawesvonGalHatsMcCluresmagazine

Advertisement, 1908

A good fit was important.

The hat stretcher in our collection is wooden with metal posts between the two pieces.  The number “03” over a “4” is the only thing stamped on the piece.

hatstretcheropen

The stretcher was used to shape and enlarge hats to fit better.

Image of a modern hat stretcher in a hat.

Image of a modern hat stretcher in a hat.

55784abbd5083191965166da841c4877

Sources:

  • http://www.press.uchicago.edu/Misc/Chicago/117987.html

Moving Buildings in “Good Order”

Posted on by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

 

Schneider Oil Co, W. Broadway & Poplar, Newton, 1936.

Schneider Oil Co, W. Broadway & Poplar, Newton, 1936.

 

stationmoving-2

Moving Schneider Service Station, ca. 1937.

Several annexes were added the Newton High School building on west 7th throughout the 1930s.   As a result of one of these additions, the Schneider Service Station at the corner of Poplar and Broadway was moved to the north west  corner of 12th and Main, Newton.  The station was owned by Sam Schneider with operators Darwin Minnis and Ralph Paul.

stationmoving-3

Moving down Main Street, Newton, ca. 1937.

The stucco, brick and concrete building had a tile roof with an estimated weight of 90 tons.

stationmoving-1

Moving down Main Street, Newton, Ks, ca. 1937.

Ed Unruh, Unruh Moving Service, Goessel, was contracted to move the building to the new location.  Ed Unruh was a well-known building mover in the area for over 16 years.

Evening Kansan Republican, 20 October 1922, p. 3.

Evening Kansan Republican, 20 October 1922, p. 3.

The difficult job was considered a success and the service station was soon open for business.  In 1946, Jack Hay took over the management of the station, selling Cities Service gasoline. By 1950, he had switched to Phillips 66 gasoline.  For the next 25 years, Hay sold gas, tires and accessories.

Phillips 66 Station, owner, Jack Hay, ca. 1946.

Phillips 66 Station, 12th & Main, Newton. Owner, Jack Hay, ca. 1946.

Sometime during the late 1960s or early 1970s, the building was torn down and  Mid-Continent Federal Savings built a new building at the site.

Sources:

  • Evening Kansan Republican, 22 September 1909, 29 January 1910.
  • Evening Kansan Republican, 20 October 1922, p. 3.
  • Mennonite Weekly Review 22 March 1945, 29 March 1945, with full obituary 5 April 1945, p. 3.
  • Smurr, Linda C. ed. Harvey County History Newton, Ks: Harvey County Historical Society, 1990.

“It’s Little! . . It’s Lovely! . . . It Lights!:” The Princess Telephone

Posted on by hchm-curator

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

For a brief time on Tuesday the museum was without telephone service.  It made us aware of how something we take for granted today, was once brand new technology.

Telephone operators, ca. 1900, unidentified. HCHM Photo Collection.

Telephone operators, ca. 1900, unidentified. HCHM Photo Collection.

In our collection we have examples of telephones over the years.  Below, Myra is with two phones, a black wall phone and a Princess model phone.

IMG_0568

Myra with two examples from our collection.

One is known as the “Princess.” The Princes was made by Western Electric Co from 1959-1994.

IMG_0574

Princess Bell Telephone, 1959. HCHM #91.22.51

IMG_0575

The Princess model was the Bell System’s first try at consumer marketing.  The target audience was girls and women.

princess_ad_1_300

 Telephones were no longer just for the main hallway of the house or purely utilitarian. The public wanted telephones that fit the decor of the room and teenagers wanted to talk to their friends in the privacy of their own bedrooms, not the main hallway of the house.

teenager

The Princess phone was the first model designed from a marketing perspective instead of an engineering perspective. Originally the phone was available in any color but black, which was added in 1963.

princess-pink-rc-full

 Sources:

  • http://www.frillfreephones.com/prphhi.html
  • http://www.collectorsweekly.com/telephones/princess