Mount Prospect Historical Society shows off items from Victorian era
We recently asked the Mount Prospect Historical Society staff to consider which artifacts on display in the museum's closed galleries they would most like to share with the public when the doors reopen after this socially distant time.
Cindy Bork of the museum shared these favorites.
Cast iron bird cage style yarn/string holder, circa 1900s
A yarn/string holder was used to do exactly that - hold a ball of yarn or string. A simple, yet very necessary, tool that allowed the user to continue using the string without getting it tangled. This was a huge convenience to people, especially women, who spent a lot of time crocheting, knitting or tatting lace.
Stereoscopic viewer stereoscope, circa 1900s
A stereoscope is a device for viewing a pair of separate images, depicting left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene as a single three-dimensional image.
Drop candy making machine, Victorian era
Drops are a traditional small, round confection made from a mixture of boiled sugar and flavorings. In the 1840s, drop roller machines came on the market. These machines took the hot, 120 °C, cooked sugar and molded it into shapes between two hand cranked brass rollers.
Chamber pot, Victorian era
Chamber pots were stored under the bed in case people needed to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, rather than going outside to the outhouse. Chamber pots were emptied every morning by the children of the house.
About the society
The Mount Prospect Historical Society is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization that is committed to preserving the history of Mount Prospect through artifacts, photographs and both oral and written memories of current and former residents and business people.
On its campus, in the heart of the village, the society maintains the 1906 Dietrich Friedrichs house museum, the 1896 one-room Central School, a replica of the late 19th century John Meyn Blacksmith shop that is housed in the carriage house and the ADA-accessible Dolores Haugh Education Center.
For details, visit www.mtphist.org or call (847) 392-9006,