Messages

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: February 03, 2012, 07:43:51 am »

I'm afraid I misspoke in respect to the dimensions...it's slightly taller than it is wide. But not a lot. Even with the lenses removed I have a hard time picturing how a microscope could fit in there, even a small one. Unless it was disassembled even further to fit inside.

My husband suggested digging his old microscope out of the basement to see if it could be disassembled to fit.

I agree that the number on the box suggests that it had to be signed out to be used, or maybe assigned to a specific student for the year or the semester.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: February 02, 2012, 07:53:44 pm »

No, the marks are toward the top of the box, both sides. [scratching head] Odd. If it's not a microscope, like someone else said, it must be some other kind of equipment. The latch doesn't look sturdy enough to hold up to heavy outside field work.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: February 02, 2012, 08:36:29 am »

fancypants, the holes in the rack are perfectly round, about an inch in diameter. Most standard microscopes, I believe, have three lenses, and taking them off the body of the device would allow you to crank it down short enough to fit inside the box. I'm still a little mystified by the wear/scrape marks inside. If it was the platform where you'd place the slides, you'd think the marks would be lower, not toward the top. Unless you had to detach the table as well as the lenses... or maybe the scrape marks are from the knobs you'd to focus?

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: Old Trunk Questions

« on: February 01, 2012, 07:26:34 pm »

I wonder if it was something like a postage stamp?

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: February 01, 2012, 07:23:17 pm »

Ha! I like the way you think!

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: February 01, 2012, 05:27:07 pm »

Hm, maybe...but look at the picture of the inside of the front door on my box. If you hang a pipe in the hole, there's no way you can shut the door. I guess it could slide in bowl-down, but I don't see any evidence that there was a support underneath. No residual glue, no scratches, no screw holes. You'd think it would have left a mark. You could be right, though! I'm certainly no expert.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: February 01, 2012, 12:52:10 pm »

Mystery solved! Now I wish I knew what kind of scope went in it.

A friend of mine suggested I use the box to store a shrunken head. 

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What to do when you find something disturbing but historically significant?

« on: January 31, 2012, 09:37:08 pm »

Many local universities have archives for any kind of written material - diaries, journals, manuscripts, etc. You might contact a major college near you and ask about donating it.

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Antique Questions Forum / Re: What kind of box is this?

« on: January 31, 2012, 09:00:25 pm »

Thank you...that was one of my other ideas, as well.

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Antique Questions Forum / What kind of box is this?

« on: January 31, 2012, 08:44:56 pm »

Hello,

I just picked up an interesting little wooden box at the local antique "mall". It's basically a cube, about 6 or 7 inches wide/tall, tongue and groove construction. There's a brass handle on top but the box opens in front like a door. It's held shut by a tiny latch. On the inside of a door is a sort of rack with three places for what might be vials. At the back of the box is a small, 1" wide shelf or bench. There's a number carefully hand-painted on the front of the door, "24".

There is a small square of felt on the inside of the door, center bottom. The little pedestal under the "bench" in back is also covered in felt. On the inside side walls are scrape marks as if something had been pulled in and out of the box. On the bottom outside of the box, the numbers "2 8 5" are stamped into the wood.

My son thought it might be a communion box, but I don't know. I'm thinking a small apothecary box. A few pictures are attached. Thank you!