Historical information
Both the Light switch and Door knob were used in Box Cottage during the late 19thC and early 20thC by the Box and Rietman families.
William and Elizabeth Box purchased the two ten acre Lots of land with the Cottage in 1868 where they raised their family of 12 children and developed a flower garden producing seedlings. August and Frieda Rietman rented the Cottage 1917 with 1 acre of land and purchased it in 1935 where they raised 2 children while August established Rietman's Landscaping Pty Ltd making pressed concrete garden furniture.
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating materials, generally including kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between 1,200 and 1,400 °C The toughness, strength and translucence of porcelain, relative to other types of pottery, arises mainly from vitrification and the formation of the mineral mullite within the body at these high temperatures.
Porcelain and other ceramic materials have many applications in engineering, especially ceramic engineering. Porcelain is an excellent insulator for use at high voltage, especially in outdoor applications, see Insulator (electricity)#Material. Examples include: terminals for high voltage cables, bushings of power transformers, insulation of high frequency antennas and many other components.
Significance
Both the Light switch and Door knob were used in Box Cottage during the late 19thC and early 20thC by the Box and Rietman families. William and Elizabeth Box purchased the land with Cottage in 1868 and raised their family
Physical description
a) An electric light switch that would be attached to a wall. An Ivory Porcelain Base Single Light Switch with antique Brass top
b) A porcelain door knob Both items used in Box Cottage early 20th C
Inscriptions & markings
a) On base BRITISH MADE / ENGLAND / 4 / 6959
