Monday, September 2, 2013

Museum Mystery on Monday

On Saturday at work I tried to stay in my office and accession in items that have been accumulating on my shelves.
I was making progress and was able to discard two big boxes that held “stuff.”
Then a little old lady showed up with a huge box full of WWII items.  Some are very interesting but I saved them for another day.  Luckily her husband wrote little tags with great descriptions and told some history of the items…gotta love people like that!
Museum Shelves
I have four weeks to clear off these shelves.  I might make it.  See those sticks off to the side, it is an old croquet set that doesn’t have a stand.  I don’t know exactly how I will display that yet. Maybe I will put them in an old wooden box if I can find one…or an old bucket.
Everyone is frantically bringing items into the museum before we close. Every item must have duplicate paperwork, a number, a photograph and be entered into our computer system and a thank you letter must be written.  It all takes time.  It is detail oriented work so it is impossible to pass on to a volunteer.
Now for the mystery item!
Mystery Item
What do you think it is?  Did you ever have one?  I didn’t and I did not know what it was, but I figured it out.  It looks the same on both sides and it has a battery compartment on the bottom.  I think it takes two larger batteries maybe D cells. 
You would rarely need such a device today. I will update this post tonight about  6 PM with the correct answer:)

Update:  It is a battery operated machine that cleans LP Records.  The slot has a kind of fabric with fine hairs and the record is cleaned while rotating. 

23 comments:

Pauline Persing said...

I will check back this evening. Never saw anything like it.

linda m said...

Never saw anything like it. Can't wait to find out what it is.

DJan said...

Stumped. Hmmm. I'll wait, too. Never had one, that's for sure. :-)

Unknown said...

Here is a wild guess - is it a knife sharpener?
Shirley H.

lisa said...

Sharpener for scissors? Hmmmm, that is hard to guess.

Beth said...

I will be waiting for the correct answer.

Anonymous said...

No idea!

Muffie said...

I guessed knife sharpener, too, or maybe a metronome?

Harriet said...

I don't know.

Patty said...

postage meter?

Travels with Emma said...

Looks like a battery powered toaster for very skinny pieces of bread. ;)

LindaG said...

I think it's a broken Metronome. The older ones had a... an arm? That swung back and forth...

Maybe you could find an old barrel - or maybe get someplace to donate one of those little ones - to put your croquet mallets in.

I can't wait to see the pictures of your WWII stuff!

Anonymous said...

Does it imprint something on paper? *shrugging*
~Laura

Rae said...

I haven't got a clue, but I recognize the Ouija board behind it.

Red said...

It's good that people will donate things especially if they are documented.
I think the object is a knife sharpener or maybe a card reader?
Have a great day.

Leilani Schuck Weatherington said...

I was about ready to say knife sharpener but then "rarely need one today" makes me think that isn't it. My husband sharpens his knife on a stone just about every day, so we definitely would need one of them if that is what it was. Will check back.

Jacqi Stevens said...

I'm with Muffie. My first thought was a metronome, but that isn't quite right. The slot going through the top all the way through is the key. Well...guess I'll be back in a couple hours :)

NCmountainwoman said...

Well, I didn't know what it was, but I am quite familiar with the Ouija Board behind it. My cousins used to scare the bejeezus out of me with a Ouija board.

Dreaming said...

I would never have guessed that at all!
Isn't it interesting (scary) that things we have owned are often now considered museum worthy!

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

I didn't have a clue but I got here after you had posted the answer.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I had no idea what that was.

Good luck with clearing those shelves.

Terry and Linda said...

I had no idea what it was. Kinda neat really!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com

Rita said...

OMGosh! I learned something today. We just used a soft clean cloth to dust them off.
I hope you get to the end of the shelves! Countdown time! :)