It took 15 years to invent the can. It took 100 more to invent a standard way to open it. In the 19th century, decades after the invention of canning, there were virtually no can openers. Canned food, such as sardines, came with its own "key" to peel back the tin lid. Birth of the can One of the oddest things about the can opener is that the can predates it by almost 150 years. Though common today, cans were once military-grade technology. In 1795, Napoleon, to whom the phrase "an army marches on its stomach" is attributed, offered 12,000 francs to anyone who could find a way to preserve food. Without any knowledge of bacteria or their role in food spoilage, scientists didn't even know where to begin. It took 15 years before a chef named Nicholas Appert claimed the prize after successfully jarring food. Soon after that, his countryman Philippe de Girard came up with a variant on Appert's method—metal tins—and sold the idea to the British. Spoiled food, and the sickness it caused, was a widespread problem. The public would have benefited from canned food, but for decades cans were almost exclusively for the army and the navy. The canning process, with its hours of boiling and steaming, its scrupulous cleanliness, its heated metal, and its need for a great deal of disposable material, made canned food far too expensive for anyone but the military. No can openers were needed or even possible. The metal of early cans was too thick to make openers practical. Soldiers and sailors had plenty of sharp objects on hand and made ample use of them when they wanted to eat. During the 19th century, the process of canning was refined and mechanised, and the metal wall of the average can slimmed down enough that a civilian could get it open—if that civilian had the right tool. No one had that tool yet, so early cans had to open themselves. In other words, they came with built-in openers. The result was a confusing but pleasing free-for-all, in terms of product engineering. Each type of food came with its own kind of can, and each kind of can came with its own kind of opener. Tinned fish and meat were often sold in rectangular cans. These cans were fitted with a "key" that would roll down the top of the can. Coffee, beans, and other types of meat were packaged in cylinders with metal strips that could be peeled back with their own kinds of built-in keys. Cans of milk, which didn't need to be completely opened, came with puncture devices. As tinned food became more common, its containers became more regular. A nice cylindrical can became the norm, and, as these cans filled kitchens, more engineers put their minds to finding a convenient way to open all of them. The first standalone can opener worked on a simple principle: point, stab, and pull. From the mid-19th century to the end of World War I, the typical can opener looked roughly like a wrench, if the lower 'jaw' of the wrench were replaced with a blade. People used the blade to puncture the top of the can near its edge, push the upper jaw against the side of the can, and drag the blade through the metal along the rim. Because meat was the first and most popular canned substance, these can openers were often shaped to look like cows and given the nickname 'bully beef can openers'. The bully beef can opener, popular in the mid-19th century, resulted in many lost fingers. Bully beef can openers were so common, effective, and sturdy that they are still frequently available on collectors' sites. Some are advertised as “still working,” and every last one of them is, without a doubt, soaked in the blood of our ancestors. Dragging a sharp blade along the edge of a can is certain to cause injury sooner or later. So once people got a reliable can shape and a reliable way to get the can open, the search was on for a reliable way to get a can open without the possibility of losing a finger. The answer came in 1925, from the Star Can Opener Company of San Francisco. This is probably the first can opener that resembles the one people have in their kitchens today. Instead of using a blade to pry open a metal can, buyers could clamp the edge of the can between two wheels and twist the handle of one of the wheels to move the blade around the lip. The Star can openers weren't perfect. Compared to the bully beef model, they were flimsy and breakable, but they probably prevented a few injuries. Six short years after the Star model came to market, the first electric can opener was invented. It was patented in 1931 by the Bunker Clancey Company of Kansas City, who had already been sued by the Star Can Opener Company for trying sell a double-wheeled can opener like the Star model (the case was dismissed). The electric can opener must have seemed like the wave of the future and a sure-fire seller, but it proved to be too far ahead of its time. In 1931 not that many households had electricity, and those that did weren't interested in buying can openers. The Bunker Clancey Company was subsequently bought by the Rival Company, which still makes small appliances like can openers today. It took another 25 years for electrically powered can openers to become practical. In the 1950s, Walter Hess Bodle and his daughter, Elizabeth Bodle, developed an electric can opener in the family garage. Walter came up with the opener's blades and motor, and Elizabeth sculpted the outside. Their can opener was a free-standing unit that could sit on the kitchen counter. The Udico brand of the Union Die Casting Company put it on the market in time for Christmas in 1956 and had great success with it. Over the next few years it came out in different styles and colours, and, like the bully beef can opener, has become a collector's item. Also like the bully beef model, Udico can openers often still work. They don't make 'em like they used to. Although there have been some design changes and refinements over the last sixty years, there have yet to be any more leaps forward in can opener technology. If you're resentfully opening a can, you are almost certainly doing it using the Star design, manually forcing the can between two wheels, or the Bodle design, clamping the can into a free-standing electrical opener. Whether or not you enjoy your holiday meals, at least you can be happy that you are not getting poisoned by your own food or cutting open your hand with the blade you use to get at it. That's something, right?The can opener is still a very important and essential item in most kitchens.Can opener, right handed, metal, upper blade section serrated, inscription 'Peerless Pat.Feb 11-90'.Peerless Pat.Feb 11-90flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village, cannning, can opener, kitchen equipment

Third Annual Strategic and Organisational Management Plan Report to Council, outlining the activities of the organisation from 1st October 1989 to 30th September 1990.

Shire of Bright informed residents of their services by mail.The Shire of Bright includes some towns in the Kiewa Valley.White with green print and Shire of Bright logo. Back cover "To the Householder" and "Postage Paid". Each consist of 22 pages printed in green on both sides and held by 2 staples.shire of bright, community services

Contained in Volume 1 of a set of two spiral magnetic photo albums, each containing 10 leaves, 20 pages; Vol. 1 labelled "Houses - Eltham South" and Vol. 2 labelled "Eltham Houses". Newspaper clippings advertising house auctionseltham, eltham south, real estate advertisement, houses, leonard crescent, mount pleasant road, branleigh lodge

Cardboard front cover with green head shot photo of soldier. White pages, cut edges, black printing & black & white photos. Front cover below photo: “by James K Oliver, 3/772902, April intake 1955, 20th National Service Training Battalion, 55th Anniversary Edition”books - military, military history - army, national service

Photograph shows farmland on the flood plain of the Plenty River, north of MerndaPart of the John Ramsdale collection of slides and audio visual material.Colour photograph scanned from slide.No maker's marks. Caption on slide "Plenty"plenty river, mernda

3/772902 James K Oliver was a National Serviceman, April Intake 1955, he completed his training with 20th National Service Training Battalion, this is his story.This book is an original that was written by 3/772902 James K Oliver covering his experiences as a National Serviceman in the April Intake 1955, with 20th National Service Training Ballation at Puckapunyal.An oblong shaped book, yellow cover with white pages. On the front cover a photograph of the author 3/772902 James K Oliver.Printer, Cambridge Printers, ISBN 0-646-36510-X, first published January 1999.3/772902 james k oliver, national service, april 1955, 20 nstb

Streetscape evolutionRoll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsAgfa HDC 200 plus-2houses, streets, eltham, brougham street

Contents: • Next meeting, guest speaker; Mick Woiwood: Once Around the Sugarloaf: The story of Christmas Hills • May Meeting • Eltham Heritage Tour • Annual General Meeting • Subscriptions • Andrew Ross Schoolhouse Museum • Other News The Shire of Eltham Historical Society was formed in October 1967. The first newsletter of the Society was issued May 1978 and has been published continuously ever since on a bi-monthly basis. With the cessation of the Shire of Eltham in late 1994, the Society's name was revised to Eltham District Historical Society and this name first appeared with issue No. 103, July 1995. The collection of the Society's newsletters provides a valuable resource on the history of the Society's activities, office bearers and committee members, guest speakers and subjects of historical interest pertinent to the former Shire of Eltham and the Eltham District.A4 photocopied newsletter distributed to membersnewsletter, eltham district historical society, shire of eltham historical society

The Margaret Ball (Pre 1960s Houses) Collection was a personal project initiated to mark the year 2000 and arose as a result of the disappearance of many pre-1960s parts of Eltham due to development. Approximately 200 pre-1960s style houses that were left in Eltham between Main Road and east to Bible Street, between Cecil Street to the north and south to Dalton Street were photographed in late 1999. Not all of the houses could be photographed; some because the garden or trees blocked the view of the house, others because of rubbish or cars were in the way, some because people were working on the house or in the gardens at the time.Roll of 35mm colour negative film, 6 stripsAgfa HDC 200 plus-2eltham, houses, streets, margaret ball (pre 1960s houses) collection, brougham street

ballarat school of mines, bicycle shed

The records of the Ringwood Croquet Club given to Gail Abbe - Archivist for safe - keeping with the request that they may be borrowed should the club require them for reference - 10-Dec-1993.Minutes of the monthly Ringwood Croquet Club committee from 4th February 1986 to 27th February 1990

Coloured photographNil

Coloured photographNil

Programme schedule with list of players and production crew members, with ticket sales advertisement.

Coloured photographNames on front of photograph. Back Row- L to R: H. Sanderson, A. Clayton, J. Lindsay, R. Hollow, I. Spencer, D. Corrigan, K. Bird, D. Stevens, G. Allenby, H. Filliponi, G. Gartside, C. Lavender, R. Smyth, M. Brown. Front Row- L to R: G. Ellis, K. Aird, L. Pieper, A. Bartling (President), W. McRae, L. Hinchcliffe, R. Rees.

Booknon-fictionAn anthology of essays by significant writers, critics and artists, edited by Catriona Moore, examining contemporary women's art in Australia. Includes definitions of women's and feminist art, reviews and critiques of exhibitions and individual artists. The first section includes articles reprinted from publications including Lip and Refactory Girl.Projects include 'The D'oyley Show', "Mothers, Memories and Others' Memories", and Lucy Lippard's visit in 1975.feminism, feminist arts practice, australian artists, community arts, the women's art register

donated by lindsay electrics from aspendale item shows how electricians had to repair power boards within the home one had to take out the old fuse which was installed on power board, fuse was made of ceramic, and then rewire object significant is that this is now a unique sample of how our home were wired for home and industryfuse wire on paper mountlindsay white electrics electrical contractor in industrial or domestic installations if this wont fix your trouble phone us for expert sevice 8 amp light fuse 15 mp power fuseelectrical/electrics, contractor, domestic/industrial

Donated by Mr Leslie Rourke.wool industry wool sales wool - research wool sales - reserve price plan wool marketing textile mills textile mills, australian wool corporation joint wool selling organisation limited international wool secretariat, stock pile, wool industry, wool sales, wool - research, wool sales - reserve price plan, wool marketing, textile mills

People - "Rose, William & Betsy"

Edo PeriodColoured woodblock printsaruwaka-machi, street