Used as a bath or for washing clothes where water supply not connected. This mass produced tub has no manufacturer's marks.

Galvanised bath, with carry handles

baths, bathtubs, laundry equipment

Used to store meat and other perishables, often with wetted cloth covers to keep contents cool where refrigeration was not available.

Grey painted ventilated meat safe with centre shelf

meat safes, food safes

General purpose household bowl, green enamel over steel.

Large green enamel bowl

bowls, enamel bowls

Men's razor used prior to "safety" razors; still used by some men's hairdressers

Cut-throat razor, stainless steel hollow ground blade folding into black plastic handle in black cardboard case

I.X.L. Wolstenholme, Sheffield, Eng. The Celebrated extra hollow ground razor. "A. Sargent" label on case

razors, cut-throat razors

This wind-up portable gramophone, for 78 rpm discs, was used for home entertainment. It did not require electric power.

Wind-up portable gramophone, for 78 rpm discs, in black leatherette box, with needles and 10 inch (25 cm) 78 rpm acetate disc

Columbia Viva-tonal Grafonola Made in Australia

gramophones, phonographs, audio equipment

Music in punched tape format to be played on a "Player piano"

Paper piano roll in box

Broadway word roll 2807; Foxtrot (Friend-Olson). Played by Les Luscombe

piano rolls, music rolls, player pianos

Ship model mounted in triangular Haig's whisky bottle. Model is based on "HMS Bounty". Display model, possible a souvenir, although these models can be made as a hobby.

Ship model mounted in triangular Haig's whisky bottle

Ship model, Robin Hood's Bay, England label on screw top; John Haig & Co Ltd moulded on base; label with historical information on the Bounty pasted on bottle

models, ship models, impossible bottle

Framed pieces of slate rock used for erasable writing. Used for writing by school students

Slate, two-sided, in wooden frame

slates, writing slates, blackboards

Game played by small children where the top is made to spin on its point by wrapping the leather thong around the top and flicking the thong.

Turned wooden top; round stick with red-painted handle and leather "whipping" thong

spinning top, games, toys

Used for rolling out pastry

Plain turned pine rolling pin

rolling pins, baking utensils, woodcraft

Table croquet game set, comprising four wooden mallets and balls, 2 wooden markers and two wire hoops.

Cardboard box containing table croquet set ( four wooden mallets and balls, 2 wooden markers and two wire hoops)

Faded sepia photograph of kittens on lid; "Grandma" written in ink on back

games, croquet game

Musical number recorded on plastic "Edison" cylinder. 'Blue Amberol Records' was the trademark name for cylinder records manufactured by Thomas A. Edison, Inc. in the US from 1912 to 1929.

Plastic gramophone cylinder in blue and gold cardboard case

Elizabeth Spencer and Irving Gillette. Edison Blue Amberol Record 1552

gramophone cylinder, thomas edison, blue amberol records

Used for beating eggs or other cooking mixtures

Egg beater, chromed metal with wooden handles

Swift Whip. A Propert product made in Australia Pat. Ball drive 9033/32

egg-beaters, whisks

Used, probably in a bedroom, to wash face and hands when running water not available.

Ceramic toilet set, comprising water bowl and ewer, blue and white with rose decorations

toilet set, ewer and basin sets, jugs, basins

Used in kitchen to measure quantities up to one pound.

Kitchen scales, painted cream with set of 5 weights and aluminium dish (not original)

1 oz, 2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, 1 lb

scales, kitchen scales, balances

Usually heated over a stove, used for ironing shirt collars and similar garments, this flatiron has a curved or rounded base.

Small black flat iron, rounded base

Silvester patent [No.] 1

flatirons, laundry irons

Used for ironing clothes, heated on stove. These irons came in various sizes, this is a number "7".

Black cast iron

"Silvester Patent Salter". "7"

flatirons, laundry equipment

Used to iron clothes, heated over a stove. These irons came in different sizes, this is a large iron, number "9".

Black cast iron

Silvester [no.] 9

flatirons, irons, laundry equipment

Cast iron kettle, with steel lid, painted black, for boiling water, usually over a fuel stove or open fireplace.

Cast iron kettle, with steel lid, painted black

T & C CLARKE & Co. Ltd ENGLAND Rd 665875 3.0 QUARTS FIRST QUALITY

kettles

Used in laundry to transfer "dippers" of water from one vessel to another

Galvanised steel container with handle.

laundry dipper, laundry equipment

Used to warm feet: ancestor of the hot water bottle.

Stoneware foot warmer, treacle and off-white glaze

foot warmers

Used in shoe repair as a work stand, shoe lasts come in various sized depending on the shoe size.

Cast iron triple shoe last

shoe lasts, bootmaking tools

Starch is used to stiffen cloth when ironed, eliminating creases and giving a smooth finish . Now seldom used

Two cardboard packets containing "Silver Star Starch" Box 1 Blue, light blue printed on white. Box 2: Multicoloured on white

Box 1: Net weight 12 ounces when packed. Box 2: 300g Net. The very best since 1890

starch, laundry starch

Tin issued in celebration of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Made by the Pascall confectionery company, the tin is now used to house cotton threads for mending. Of interest is the thread used to mend nylon stockings.

Pascalls confectionery tin, with design in red blue and gold on pale yellow, containing collection of coloured mending thread

EIIR Coronation 1953 Long may she reign. Pascall, Cadbury Fry Hudson Ltd. Portrait of Elizabeth II with Lion and Unicorn rampant

confectionery tins, mending kits, queen elizabeth ii

Made for home repair of shoes with worn soles.

Kit comprises pair of Kromhyd (rubber compound) shoe soles, with bottle of glue, mounted on plastic and cardboard packaging

"Kromhyd shoe repair outfit, waterproof nonslip"

shoe repair kits