This padlock and key are heavy duty items but were probably used in households or businesses for locking sheds and outhouses. Padlocks used today are more lightweight.These items have no known local significance but are retained as examples of padlocks used in the past..1 This is an iron padlock with a ridged circular bolt which is now fused into the lock. .2 This is an iron key with a circular handle. It fits into the end of the base of the padlock. Both items are very rusted. antiquarian household items, warrnambool

This temperature gauge would have been used in the past to take the temperature of water in a pot or bath. Water temperature gauges are still in use today. Although this item has no known local provenance it is retained as an example of a household item of the past – a water temperature gauge. This is a glass temperature gauge set into a metal holder with markings on each side of the thermometer. The holder has a metal clip at the top for hanging the object on a wall or cupboard. The holder is much rusted.‘Cold, Cool, Temp, Tepid, Warm, Hot’ ‘351’ bath thermometers, warrnambool, history of warrnambool

A plumb bob or plummet is a weight suspended from a string or rod and used as a vertical reference line or plumb line. It is the vertical equivalent of the water level. It is used to ensure constructions are plumb or level. It has been in use since Egyptian times and is also used in surveying. It is still in use today. This plumb bob weighs 910 grams and was probably used in the building trade. This item is retained as an interesting example of a trade tool from the past.This is a brass weight with a bulbous-shaped body rounded on the bottom, a slender neck and an enclosed top. The top has a metal ring to which is attached a metal rod with a ring at the end. The item is a little stained.building accessories, history of warrnambool

The bone from this shoe horn probably comes from the horn of a cow. It has been adapted for use in putting on tight-fitting shoes or boots. Animal horn was the original material used to make such an item – hence the name ‘shoe horn’. Today shoe horns are still used but they are usually made of plastic or metal. This item is retained as an example of a shoe horn made from animal bone, a relic of the past.This is an animal bone horn tapering to an end that has been shaped to a point to form a handle. The horn is brown and cream-coloured. The horn is chipped on the sides and slightly gouged out at the top. household items, shoehorn, shoe horn, shoespooner

This is a field wallet that belonged to Rolf Crawley. He was an engineer, surveyor and architect in private practice in Warrnambool and also the engineer for the Shire of Warrnambool from 1935 to 1968. His grandfather, father and uncle were also engineers, working in that capacity or as the Shire Secretary for the Shire of Warrnambool, with the Crawley family recording a total of 132 years service to the Shire. The Shire of Warrnambool existed from 1863 to 1994. The wallet came into the possession of Michael Hand who took over the private surveying business of Rolf Crawley in Warrnambool. The Warrnambool and District Historical Society acquired the wallet, along with several ledgers and other Crawley memorabilia from the estate of Michael Hand. This wallet is of interest as it was owned and used by Rolf Crawley when he was doing field work in connection with his surveying and engineering jobs either in private practice or as the Shire of Warrnambool engineer in the 20th century. This is a brown leather wallet in two sections that fold over and close with a flap or tongue that inserts into a strip of leather stitched into the cover. The two sections have extra pieces of leather that are stitched on to make compartments. These contain three pieces of thick card folded over. These cards have rough notes and figures handwritten on them. Inside the wallet is a hand-printed name. The wallet is much scuffed and stained. ‘Rolf L. Crawley L. S. Shire Hall Warrnambool’rolf crawley, warrnambool, shire of warrnambool

These bottles are known as marble stopper bottles. This type of bottle was filled upside down so that as soon as the filling stopped the stopper was forced down to seal the bottle against the rubber ring. Pressure inside the bottle would keep the marble pressed against the top of the bottle. To open the bottle the marble was pressed down where it would fall into the neck chamber below. The marble would stay inside the chamber when the bottle was tilted up for drinking. These bottles have come from the aerated waters factory of John Fletcher of Warrnambool. This factory in Koroit Street was established in the mid 19th century by John Davis. As a young boy John Fletcher worked at the cordial factory of John Rowley in Banyan Street, Warrnambool and then worked for a number of years for John Davis at his Union Cordial Factory. In 1885 John Fletcher succeeded John Davis and continued in this business until 1930.. The business was then taken over by Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher manufactured aerated waters, soda, tonic waters, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsaparilla and cordials. These bottles are of interest firstly because they are good examples of marble stopper bottles, no longer in use today. They are also important because they are John Fletcher bottles and he was a prominent soft drinks manufacturer in Warrnambool for over 40 years. These four bottles are made of green coloured glass. They have a round body with deep indentations at the top, narrowing the entrance to the neck which is short and thick. The top opening is made of thick moulded glass. A glass marble is loose in the neck section. The rubber ring inside the neck is missing. The manufacturer’s details are embedded into the glass on both sides of the bottle.‘Lemonade’ ‘J.Fletcher’s Aerated Waters Koroit Street Warrnambool’ ‘This bottle is the property of John Fletcher Warrnambool and cannot be legally used by others’ fletcher's cordial, marble stopper bottle, warrnambool cordial

This is a marble stopper bottle. It was filled upside down so that as soon as the filling stopped the marble was forced down to seal the bottle against the rubber ring. Pressure inside the bottle kept the marble pressed against the top of the bottle. To open the bottle the marble has been pressed down and has fallen into the neck chamber below. The marble stayed inside the chamber when the bottle was tilted up for drinking. This bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters factory of John Fletcher. This factory was commenced in the mid 19th century by John Davis. As a young boy John Fletcher worked at the cordial factory of John Rowley in Banyan Street, Warrnambool. He then worked for John Davis at his Union Cordial Factory in Koroit Street for many years. In 1885 he succeeded John Davis in this business. Fletcher’s business continued until 1930 when it was sold to the soft drinks manufacturer, Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher made aerated waters, soda water, tonic water, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsaparilla and cordials. This bottle is of interest as a good example of a marble stopper bottle and as a memento of the soft drinks made by John Fletcher, a prominent Warrnambool businessman for over 40 years. This is a glass bottle with a heavy round base and a rounded body which is markedly indented at the top, causing the aperture inside to be narrowed. The neck is rounded and tapers to the moulded glass opening at the top. There is a round piece of red rubber inside the top of the bottle. A green glass marble is loose in the neck section. The lettering giving details of the manufacturer is embedded into the glass. There is a small chip on the base.‘John Fletcher Trade Mark (crown symbol)Warrnambool’ ‘Soda Water’ ‘M’ john fletcher, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers, warrnambool

This bottle came from the Warrnambool aerated waters manufacturer, John Fletcher. This factory was commenced in the mid 19th century by John Davis. As a young boy John Fletcher worked in the cordial factory of John Rowley in Banyan Street, Warrnambool and then worked for John Davis at his Union Cordial Factory for many years. In 1885 he succeeded John Davis in this business. Fletcher’s business continued until1930 when it was bought by another soft drinks manufacturer, Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher manufactured aerated waters, soda, tonic water, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsaparilla and cordials. This bottle is of interest because it is a John Fletcher bottle and he was a prominent soft drinks manufacturer in Warrnambool for over 40 years. This is a clear glass bottle. It has a round base and a rounded body tapering in the neck to a round moulded open top. The stopper or seal is missing. The bottle has embedded lettering with details of the manufacturer of the contents.‘John Fletcher Trade Mark (crown symbol) Warrnambool’ ‘This bottle is the property of John Fletcher Warrnambool & cannot be legally used by others’ john fletcher, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This bottle is known as a marble stopper bottle. The bottle was filled upside down so that as soon as the filling stopped the stopper was forced down to seal the bottle against the rubber ring. Pressure inside the bottle would keep the marble pressed against the top of the bottle. To open the bottle the marble was pressed down where it would fall into the neck chamber below. The marble would stay inside the chamber when the bottle was tilted up for drinking. This bottle came from the aerated waters factory of John Fletcher. This factory was commenced in the mid 19th century by John Davis. As a young boy John Fletcher worked at the cordial factory of John Rowley in Banyan Street, Warrnambool and then worked for John Davis at his Union Cordial Factory for many years. In 1885 he succeeded John Davis in this business. Fletcher’s business continued until 1930 and it later was bought by Ralph Reeves. John Fletcher manufactured aerated waters, soda, tonic waters, lemonade, ginger ale, hop beer, hop bitters, sarsaparilla and cordials. This bottle is of interest, firstly because it is a good example of the marble stopper type of bottle, no longer in use. It is also important because it is a John Fletcher bottle and he was a prominent soft drinks manufacturer in Warrnambool for over 40 years. This is a green-coloured glass bottle with a round base. The top of the body of the bottle has two heavy indentations either side, narrowing the entry to the body of the bottle. The neck is short and thick and the opening at the top of the bottle is moulded with a rubber ring around the inside. A glass marble is loose inside the bottle neck. The name of the manufacturer is moulded into the glass on the side and includes a crown symbol used as a trade mark.‘John Fletcher Trade Mark Warrnambool’ john fletcher, warrnambool, cordial manufacturers in warrnambool

This bottle was found under a building some years ago (Hand’s tobacconist shop, Liebig Street, Warrnambool). It is believed to be a beer bottle from the Warrnambool brewery of Sheldrick and Co. In 1868 Walter Sheldrick formed a company and established the New Brewery at the corner of Timor and Fairy Streets, Warrnambool. Two of the original directors, Walter Sheldrick and Thomas Price, took over the business under the title of Sheldrick and Co. When Walter Sheldrick died in 1876 Richard Sheldrick succeeded his father in the business. In the early 1890s Richard Sheldrick sold out and by 1892 a group of Warrnambool businessmen was operating the brewery. In 1894 it was sold to William McGee and Company and in 1922 the brewery closed when the Ballarat, Melbourne Co-operative and Carlton and United Breweries took over the business.This bottle is of interest as an example of a beer bottle from Sheldrick’s New Brewery. This brewery was prominent in Warrnambool for over 50 years. This is a green glass beer bottle with a rounded body and a heavily indented base producing an inverted hump inside the bottom of the bottle. The neck is rounded with a moulded glass top. There is no stopper. There are no markings on the bottle.walter and richard sheldrick, warrnambool, sheldrick’s new brewery. warrnambool, breweries in warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This spoon comes from the Ozone Hotel in Warrnambool. The Ozone Hotel was opened in 1890 as the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace (a temperance hotel) and was at the corner of Koroit and Kepler Streets in Warrnambool. It was built by a company of local businessmen and leased out. In 1891 the Coffee Palace was granted a wine licence. In 1895 Thomas Randall was the proprietor of the building and it was re-named the Ozone Hotel. The building was closed in 1915 and was re-opened in 1920 as the Hotel Mansions. In 1923 the Hotel Mansions became a fully-licensed hotel. In 1929 it was destroyed by fire and the present-day Hotel Warrnambool was built on the site.This little spoon is of considerable significance as it is one of the few items we have from the Ozone Hotel in Warrnambool. The Grand Ozone Coffee Palace/Ozone Hotel/Hotel Mansions was the grandest building ever erected in Warrnambool. Its destruction by fire was a major loss to the town. This is an electro-plated nickel silver teaspoon. It has the maker’s marks on the back of the spoon and the name of the hotel on the handle. It is much tarnished and scratched. ‘Ozone Hotel’grand ozone coffee palace, warrnambool, ozone hotel, warrnambool, hotel mansions, warrnambool

This cup has come from the Ozone Hotel, Warrnambool. The Ozone Hotel building was opened in 1890 as the Grand Ozone Coffee Palace (a temperance hotel) and was at the corner of Koroit and Kepler Streets in Warrnambool. It was built by a company of local businessmen and leased out. In 1891 the Coffee Palace was granted a wine licence. In 1895 Thomas Randall was the proprietor of the building and it was renamed the Ozone Hotel. The building was closed in 1915 and re-opened in 1920 as the Hotel Mansions. In 1923 the Hotel Mansions became a fully- licensed hotel. In 1929 it was destroyed by fire and the present-day Hotel Warrnambool was built on the site.This cup, although damaged, is of considerable importance as it is one of the few surviving objects from the Ozone Hotel. The Grand Ozone Coffee Palace/Ozone Hotel/Hotel Mansions was the grandest building ever erected in Warrnambool and its destruction by fire was a major loss to the city. This is a white china cup with a dark red band around the cup near the top and a scroll with the name of the hotel in the same colouring. The handle is completely broken off. The cup has a crack on the side and some staining. 'Ozone Hotel Warrnambool’grand ozone coffee palace warrnambool, ozone hotel warrnambool, hotel mansions warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This hand tool would have been used either in the home for making small items of furniture or small building projects or it could have been used by a tradesman working on small jobs in the building industry – window sills, doors, cupboards etc. Planes are still used today to whittle down wood. This tool has no known local provenance but it is a good example of hand tools of the past and will be useful for display. This is a metal plane used for shaving wood. It has a rectangular base curved at the ends and the end of a steel blade is visible near one end of the base. The handle is dome-shaped and attached to the handle by a screw is a ridged metal wheel that rests on the blade which has been inserted on an angle. This wheel can be turned to adjust the blade, keep it in place or remove it for replacement. The plane is much rusted (it may have been painted black) and no manufacturer’s marks are visiblhousehold tools, wood plane

This dish would have been used in the home either as a dish for some sort of food (perhaps jam) or in the bedroom as a container for small items such as hair clips or pins or even as a powder bowl. It is an attractive item and has been bought for its ornamental qualities. This item has no known local provenance but is retained for display as an attractive and high-quality item in use in households in the past. This is a pink china dish or bowl with a lid. The bowl is round with a black edging around the rim. There is a small crack on the side. The lid is circular with a raised top and a black line around the rim and a wide circular band of patterning of flowers, leaves and scrolls around the outer edge. The pink handle has a black edging. 'F & Sons Burslem England'warrnambool, china bowl

This tin contains tool bits that would have been used in conjunction with drills. Most handymen would have had such a collection amongst his tools and many still do today. This tin of tool bits is kept as a memento of the type of tool kit a handyman would have had in the past. Although rusty the tin itself is of interest as one from the early 20th century.This is a rectangular-shaped tin with embossed patterns on the sides and top. It is completely rusted. It contains 39 tool and drill bits of various shapes and sizes.household tools, history of warrnambool, drill bits

This letter holder could have been used in the past in an office or business or even in the home. It could have been used to hold letters that were to be answered or posted. Its size made it suitable for a small office. The item is of interest because of the testimonials on the label pasted on the base. One is from the British Prime Minister, William Gladstone and the other is from another British Prime Minister, the Marquis of Salisbury. Both testimonials indicate that they were written when the men were in office as Prime Ministers. This item has no known local significance but it is retained as an interesting example of office equipment in the past. This letter holder has a rectangular piece of wood acting as a base with a small hole at one end. The bottom of the base has a paper label pasted on. The label, a little torn, has black and yellow printing with details of the manufacturer. Affixed to the top of the base with metal clips is an arched piece of metal in a spiral shape. The spaces between the rings on the spiral metal piece are sufficiently taut to hold over 30 letters. The spiral rings are a little rusty.‘Iles’ Patent Premier Letter Rack’ office equipment, history of warrnambool

Riding crops are used as a controlling mechanism by horse riders – to regulate the speed of the horse etc. This one was owned by J.C. Lumsden was a jockey in Warrnambool. JC Lumsden or John Calder Lumsden lived at 7 Nelson Street Warrnambool with his parents, father also JC Lumsden. John junior was an amateur jockey in 1950's and sixties and was also a distinguished show rider in "flag races"and the like, winning at local shows and the Melbourne Show. He was also a leading race horse trainer at Warrnambool. This item may well have been his fathers. Although we have no record of where this item came from the following information has recently been uncovered. JC Lumsden or John Calder Lumsden lived at 7 Nelson Street Warrnambool with his parents, father also JC Lumsden. John junior was an amateur jockey in 1950's and sixties and was also a distinguished show rider in "flag races"and the like, winning at local shows and the Melbourne Show. He was also a leading race horse trainer at Warrnambool. This item may well have been his fathers. This is a horse riding crop. It has a rounded wooden stick with interwoven material around one section and the remains of a string handle. The end of the stick has a leather tongue or keeper. There is a knob at the top end of the stick with a brass disc inserted with the name of the owner. The riding crop is much worn and stained. ‘J.C.Lumsden’ ‘Merck & Co.’ horse riding, history of warrnambool, john calder lumsden

This wood plane would have been used in the past both in industry and in the home. It is an early example of a plane and has antiquarian interest. This item has no known local provenance but is retained as a good example of a vintage tool used in the past by carpenters and handymen. This is a metal tool for planing wood. It has a rectangular wooden base and two side bars for adjusting the length and angle of the blade. The tool has several metal wing nuts and screws and a wooden handle. The metal is much rusted. ‘Trade Mark 45’carpentry tools, history of warrnambool

This is a ledger from the Warrnambool business of Swintons Pty Ltd. It gives details of the accounts of customers from 1911 to 1941. It also has information on staff wages and years of service. William and Ann Swinton migrated to Australia in 1854 and for a decade William Swinton worked as a builder and carpenter in the Warrnambool district, erecting many buildings including the Wangoom Presbyterian Church. In 1865 he opened a shop in Timor Street, Warrnambool selling groceries, china and glassware. By 1888 the business was known as William Swinton and Sons. Branch stores were opened in Cudgee, Nullawarre, Wangoom, South Warrnambool and West Warrnambool. When William died his son Robert became the first managing director of Swintons Pty Ltd. In 1934 the business split with George Swinton and Sons selling furnishings, clothing and glassware and Swintons Pty Ltd selling produce, seeds and hardware. Today the Swinton family still operates a furniture and bedding business in Timor Street. This ledger is of great importance as it contains information on the Warrnambool business, Swintons Pty Ltd. The list of customers contains the names of many well-known Warrnambool and district people and the staff information is also of great interest. The ledger will be of great use to researchers. The current Swinton business in Timor Street is the oldest family business in Warrnambool and, with the Swinton name associated with businesses in Timor Street for 152 years, it is among the the oldest family businesses in Australia. This is a dark blue-coloured ledger with leather trim on the spine and the corner covers. The leather is much worn. The insides of the cover have a blue and black mottled patterning. The pages are white and have red and blue printed lines. The entries are handwritten in black and blue ink. There are several loose sheets.swinton family warrnambool, history of warrnambool

This ledger contains lists of sales of the Warrnambool business of Swintons Pty Ltd from 1907 to 1922. William and Ann Swinton migrated to Australia in 1854 and for a decade William Swinton worked as a builder and carpenter , erecting many buildings in the Warrnambool area, including the Wangoom Presbyterian Church. In 1865 he opened a shop in Timor Street, Warrnambool selling groceries, glassware, china and hardware. In 1888 the business became known as William Swinton and Sons. Branch stores were opened in Cudgee, Nullawarre, Wangoom, West Warrnambool and South Warrnambool. When William died his son Robert became the first managing director of Swintons Pty Ltd. In 1934 the business split in two with George Swinton and Sons selling furniture, clothing and glassware and Swintons Pty Ltd selling seeds, hardware and produce. Today the Swinton family still operates a furniture and bedding store in Timor Street. This ledger is of considerable significance as it is associated with the Swinton family Warrnambool businesses. It gives lists of sales for the years 1907 to 1922 and contains the names of the customers and their purchases over that time. It will be very useful to researchers. The current Swinton business in Timor Street is the oldest family business in Warrnambool and, with the Swinton name associated with businesses in Timor Street for 152 years, it is among the oldest family businesses in Australia. This ledger has a black cover with brown leather binding with a label on the spine with gold lettering on a red background. The insides of the cover have black and blue mottled patterning and the binding here has been reinforced with white tape. The pages are white with printed red lines. The entries are handwritten in black ink with some names underlined in red ink. The ledger cover is stained and one page is loose. There is also one loose page containing pencilled writing. ‘Day Book’ swinton family, warrnambool

This miner’s pick was of the type used to extract limestone at the Warrnambool limestone quarries, mainly for buildings and walls. This pick cut the sides and the top of the block and then it was levered off with a crowbar at an angle of about 30° to 40°. These blocks were then reduced to the required size using cross cut saws. There were about 12 limestone quarries operating in Warrnambool in the 19th century and limestone was extensively quarried for about 85 years to the 1930s when quarrying ceased. Today there has been a small revival in the Warrnambool area in the use of limestone blocks for building. Warrnambool also once had several bluestone quarries on the outskirts of the town. This miner’s pick has a wooden handle with rounded sides tapering to a wider end. The wood is weather-worn and split in places, especially at the top end. The pick is metal with a curved shape that tapers to a point at one end. The metal near the other end has a cavity into which is inserted the wider end of the wooden handle. limestone quarries in warrnambool, quarrying in warrnambool, warrnambool history

This shaving set was used, mostly by men, to lather the face prior to shaving. Ornamental mugs such as this one were often given as presents. Today most men use electric shavers. This shaving set has no known local provenance and is kept for display purposes.This is a shaving set with a white china mug in the shape of a fish with a mouth where the excess water and lather are ejected and it has a handle in the shape of a fish’s tail. The top open section that contains room for the lather and water has white ornamentation around the outer section and has three holes inside for drainage. There is evidence of some gilt decoration around the mouth and eye of the fish and the open top section but this is now mostly rubbed away. The brush has a wooden handle with cotton braiding and hair (probably horsehair). The brush is a little worn. bathroom accessories, history of warrnambool

The containers in this set would have held salt, pepper, and perhaps two types of vinegar. When bought some time in the 20th century it was a high quality item and would have been found in the home of a person of some means and perhaps used when visitors were being entertained. Today a simple salt and pepper set is more likely to be used during meals. This cruet set has no known local provenance but it is a very attractive item and is kept as a memento of the past. This cruet set has a metal base with four round metal knobs on the bottom. The base has a handle in a bowed shape with a circular top and midway across the handle are attached four rectangular metal shapes for holding the condiments. Four cut glass containers slot into the four holders. The containers are all rectangular-shaped, two with a narrower neck and a glass stoppers, one with a narrower neck and a metal top with a perforated lid and one with a metal top with a hinged lid. The metal base and handle are somewhat rusted.household items, history of warrnambool

This candle mould was used in the past to make six candles. Molten wax or tallow, together with a central thread or cotton, were poured into the columns and when set were removed from the moulds. Until the advent of electricity in the 1920s in Warrnambool, candles, lanterns and lamps were an important source of lighting in homes. Few homes had gas lighting. Many householders made their own candles from waste fat etc. This mould is retained as an example of the way householders in the past made their own candles to assist lighting in the home. This is a mould with a rectangular base and six cylindrical hollow columns with pointed ends affixed to the mould base. The columns are topped by a rectangular metal tray with the openings of the columns in the base of the tray. There is a metal clip attached to one end of the tray. The mould is very rusty warrnambool history, candles

These sulphur fumigator cubes were used in the past to fumigate areas in such places as hospitals, plant nurseries, farms and homes. The cube was placed in a tin containing soil and the top wick was set alight and the cube would burn overnight and kill off insects, mites and germs. One cube was sufficient for a room six feet square. This is a square cardboard box with no lid. The box is brown with orange, red and black printing. The box contains three cubes of sulphur fumigators. There should be four but one cube is missing. The cubes are square-shaped with beige-coloured sides and yellow tops. The tops have raised sections which serve as wicks. ‘Light This’ ‘Johnson’s Sulphur Fumigator prepared by Johnson & Johnson, Manufacturing Chemists’ household items, history of warrnambool

This hat pin stand would have been a common object in a woman’s bedroom in the past, especially about the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century when women wore large hats and they needed large pins to hold them in place. This hat pin holder has no known local provenance but it is kept as a memento of the past and will be useful for display.This is a silver-coloured metal stand with a round base with impressed patterns on the top and a central raised oval section containing a circular spike. Near the top of the spike is a circular-shaped piece of metal in a fretwork pattern. This fretwork has been welded on and has space to insert several hat pins women’s accessories, history of warrnambool, hat pin stand

Condiment sets were more a feature of a table setting 100 years ago than they are today. The condiment sets, some very elaborate, have been mostly replaced by simple salt and pepper shakers. This item has no known local provenance but it is an attractive set and is suitable for display as an example of a household This is a condiment set. It has a metal stand with a looped handle and three metal rings for holding a salt container, a pepper container and a mustard dish. The three containers are made of china and are yellow with a decorative border of blue and red flowers. The tops of the salt and pepper containers are made of electro plated nickel silver and these are slightly tarnished. The mustard dish has a silver spoon. household items, history of warrnambool

These items are of a high quality and would have come from a household where the occupants had considerable means. It was not common to have silver plating on both of these items. Shaving brushes and strops were essential items for men shaving their faces regularly until the mid to late 20th century when electric shavers became more common. These two items are attractive ones and are retained because they represent a household item of the past and they are a rare example of a shaving strop enclosed within a case. They will be useful for display. .1 This is an extending razor strop made of brown leather. It has a heavily patterned silver handle attached to the leather by metal studs and it is contained within a cylindrical case of plated silver. The case has a heavily-patterned curved base and top and on one side there is an oval outlined space in which to put initials or an inscription. The case has a handle on one end to match the strop handle but this handle is for hanging the item on a hook to keep it upright and stable. This would then enable the user to pull hard on the other handle to use the strop to sharpen a razor .2 This is a shaving brush made of horsehair or other animal hair. It has a silver-plated handle with a double ridge in the middle. It was used to lather a person’s face or skin with cream or soap to lessen chafing during and after shaving. The silver on both items is a little tarnished. ‘British Made Ziff Sterilised’ ‘Falcon Silver Plate Co. Made in England 3533’ household items, history of warrnambool

A serviette ring such as this one would be part of a set of four or more. It would usually hold a starched white serviette and be used for formal dining. It is an object this is still in common use today.This serviette ring has no known local provenance and is kept for display purposes. This is a silver-coloured serviette ring. It is a hollow circle of metal curving slightly outwards at one end. The outer sides are impressed with an ornamental patterning of flowers and tendrils.household items, history of warrnambool

These tacks, made in U.S.A., would have been used in carpentry and small building processes and would most likely have been for household use. In many cases they have been replaced by clips and adhesive materials but are still used today. This box of tacks has no known local provenance and is kept for display purposes as an example of a household item from the past.This is a buff-coloured cardboard box containing metal tacks. The box is torn away at the top and has black printing on two sides. The box has been covered with clear cellophane to keep the contents safe. The tacks have a blunt head and taper to a point. They are rusted. ‘When you get a good thing remember where you got it’ ‘This trade mark is your protection. It guarantees the greatest quantity of quality at the price. Atlas Tack Corporation. Fairhaven Mass. St. Louis Mo.’ household items, history of warrnambool