A few days ago one of my friends here in the bloggosphere posted a article with a picture of something that they had had for a good number of years and still had on display in their home today, and kinda issued a challenge to others to post about the oldest thing in their houses that were still in use. This is my reply to the challenge.---
The year was 1956, September to be more exact. It was during my "Starving Student" period. I was a Sophmore at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colorado (Go Buffs!!). I and a friend of mine, who I had met the year before when we both lived in the on campus Dorm Houseing, had opted to rent an apartment and live off campus (this showed how daring and sophisticated we were). In anycase we needed to furnish the place and make it compatible to our needs, mainly build a desk, put some posters on the wall for ambiance etc.
The desk we constructed was made from a plain panel door, with four study metal legs on the four corners, to allow it to be desk height, One side of the desk was my area, the other half was my roomates. in the center of this (mentally picture the dividing line between the two halves, we decided we could make use of a place to keep all the various writing emplements students use, pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, paperclips etc, etc, etc., and so we went out looking for something to put all that crap in to sit on the desk.
In our search we found a hole in the wall 'antique' (aka junk) store, and in that store for the PHEEnomenal price of $1.00 (an outragous waste of money by a starving student) we acquired the needed accommodation to our desk/study station., a large china bowl-----the rest as they say is history.
The year was 1956, September to be more exact. It was during my "Starving Student" period. I was a Sophmore at the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colorado (Go Buffs!!). I and a friend of mine, who I had met the year before when we both lived in the on campus Dorm Houseing, had opted to rent an apartment and live off campus (this showed how daring and sophisticated we were). In anycase we needed to furnish the place and make it compatible to our needs, mainly build a desk, put some posters on the wall for ambiance etc.
The desk we constructed was made from a plain panel door, with four study metal legs on the four corners, to allow it to be desk height, One side of the desk was my area, the other half was my roomates. in the center of this (mentally picture the dividing line between the two halves, we decided we could make use of a place to keep all the various writing emplements students use, pencils, pens, erasers, rulers, paperclips etc, etc, etc., and so we went out looking for something to put all that crap in to sit on the desk.
In our search we found a hole in the wall 'antique' (aka junk) store, and in that store for the PHEEnomenal price of $1.00 (an outragous waste of money by a starving student) we acquired the needed accommodation to our desk/study station., a large china bowl-----the rest as they say is history.
Here is a pic of that very same bowl, as it currently is displayed in my house today (2008), you may have to enlarge the pic, but there it is on the top shelf on the right hand side---
To give you a better perspective of what this little pot looks like, here is a close up (as you can see its full of potpourri at the moment)---
, so-o-o-o thats the oldest thing I have had for some lengthy period of time, and still make use of. I look forward to reading what others might post.
How wise of you to keep that bowl. I'm one of those people who throw things with abandon, but only due to a severe lack of house space. One thing in, equals one thing out.
ReplyDeleteIf I'm not mistaken, isn't that a chamber pot? Or a "thunder mug" as they used to be called.
Dana: your exactly correct in identifying the original purpose of said bowl---a real "catchall" (lol)----and you can't hardly get them anymore.
ReplyDeleteThat potpourri looks like broccoli... I was all excited when you said that this post was about something that still worked and you were talking about a desk you built in the 50s - and then you show me a pot. I feel shafted! :p
ReplyDeleteOk, Sadie and I were thinking the same thing. Is that broccoli?
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing that has been around that long. Interesting subject to post on!
Jeez, I could not even think of the oldest thing. We have furniture handed down now for over 175 years we still use. My great, great uncle, who moved to the Bay Area in the pre-Gold Rush period from this area became a ships chandler and ships carver out there. Some of his work is on display in the Maritime museum. Anyway I just spilled a drink on the table he made and carved on many years ago. Yeah, this one would be impossible for me to figure out.
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