In the 17th and 18th centuries, pewter was the preferred material for place settings. The alloy was cheap, durable, and plentiful. The discovery of tin mines in Australia, South Africa, and North America effectively spelled the end of tin mining in England.
Out of the Attic: This powder flask is a remnant of the Civil War
Julie Martineau
Des Moines County Historical Society
This object dates to the Civil War. It is made of patinaed copper and brass, with steel fittings. It even still has traces of its original contents inside.
It’s worth noting the artifact caused some confusion among the experts that we consulted about it, as it has been heavily reproduced from about the mid-20th century on. It was especially popular in the 1960s, and the reproductions are remarkably good copies. However, ours was eventually determined to be an original.
Out of the Attic: Copeland sugar and creamer, once the property of an elite Burlington family, made of bone china
Julie Martineau
Des Moines County Historical Society
This pair of objects are thought to date to around the turn of the 20th century, and they once were owned by a very prominent family.
According to the provenance in the accession books, the set originally was owned by Anna Squires (nee Hedge), of Burlington. While Mrs. Squires is credited as being the original owner, the pieces actually were gifted to us by Ruth Taeger of West Burlington in 1990. Unfortunately, our records don’t tell us how the pieces came to be in Taeger’s possession.
Family Story Gallery
Once inside, visitors will find a new upper-level Family Story Gallery exhibit celebrating some of Burlington s early families, complete with photos and items they would have used. We try to tie artifacts to actual people if we can to make (the history) more real, said Schneiderman.
Space dedicated to clothing merchant Solomon Herschler, who headed the initial wave of Jews to Burlington in the 1850s, and became a prominent citizen and alderman who established a Jewish cemetery here, includes items from Temple Israel including a menorah, a men s prayer shawl, a velvet-embroidered shawl case, and a close to 100-year-old children s prayer book that belonged to Schneiderman s great-grandfather.
Out of the Attic: Mother of pearl opera glasses a remnant of Burlington s Opera House thehawkeye.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thehawkeye.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.