A Glamper’s Dream: The Dream House Bell Tent
The idea of “glamping” is probably not something our ancestors had in mind when they started using bell tents. In fact, the use of canvas bell tents dates way back …
Stories
From Battlefields to Glamping: The History of Canvas Bell Tents
The canvas bell tent glamping trend has taken over campgrounds overnight. But did you know canvas bell tents have been around for ages? From housing military soldiers on the battlefield …
19th Century Recipes for a Hearty Breakfast
When we were young, Mom and Dad used to send my brothers and I to Grandma’s house for a few weeks at a time during the summer. My Grandparents lived …
Hotel Advertising: A History of Guest Welcome Amenities
There was once a time when hotels lacked television or booking websites to advertise. Instead, providing well-designed guest welcome amenities that were hard to pass up, guests did the advertising …
6 Dark Stories Behind Classic Childhood Games
Nothing seems as innocent as a family gathering around the table to play their favorite game. Yet, many childhood classics rose from dark tales or suspicious circumstances. So, if you …
Mind Your Own Bee’s Wax: Old-Timey Sayings Part II
(This is Part II in our series about the meanings of Old-Timey sayings we still use today. Check out Part I here). As I wrote earlier, my Grandparents lived on a …
The Well-Appointed Antique Desk: 11 Essential Items
I’ve always been a sucker for stationary stores. So is my Mother. I grew up in a small town in northeast Ohio near Oberlin, where Oberlin College is. Mom and …
Ice Breakers: 5 Vintage Ice Tools for the Old-Timey Bartender
Ice has always been a sought after commodity. In the early days, ice was collected from frozen lakes and rivers during the winter, chipped into huge blocks and stored underground …
Decanting History: Learning More About Drinking Vessels
For wine and liquor enthusiasts, using a decanter is often the preferred way to serve their drink of choice. A decanter is a decorative vessel for serving and storing alcohol …
The Typewriter: Evolution of a Newfangled Writing Machine
In 1875, Mark Twain described the typewriter as a “new fangled writing machine”. In this post, we look at the earliest models and recent innovations.