Weird Iron Thingy

[mlw67]

I found this weird X-looking thingy. Does anyone know what it is?

The circle part is marked "CHICAGO & NEW YORK", and also there is the number '4' on there. What can be seen on the broken piece is the markings "A. H. AND". Keep in mind there could be more text before or after that text on this piece.

Another clue to what this is may be on the mechanism on the back:

The feet on this are designed with 3 holes for screws or bolts or whatever. Also we found a small piece that looks like it may have come from another one of these things, as if there were two sets of legs. A stove that we found in the area seems to date to 1840-1870, but I am no stove expert, and of course it could have been an old stove at a newer site, for all I know.

Thanks for looking!

 

Amazon Forum Fav 👍

Treasure of Victoria Peak - Grab it through Amazon!

[UncleTom]

I think it is the side of a old school desk.

 

[PBK]

UncleTom is right on target! I served a lengthy sentence in an elementary school equipped with such instruments of torture.

 

[mlw67]

Thanks you guys! You rock.

 

[Michelle]

AWESOME EYE D ING............

 

[mlw67]

Hey PBK, or anyone who might know,

How old do you think those desk parts are? Does it match the timeframe of the stove we found (circa 1840 to 1870)?

Thanks again!

-Matt

 

[PBK]

It might come in at the end of that date range, but it's probably around 100-120 years old. The desk shown below, made by the Minneapolis Office & School Furniture Company, is from that period, as is the catalog shown from the Sidney School Furniture Company. Records indicate that the American School Desk Company was making similar desks at least as early as 1889, and as late as 1913.

Is there a company name or a patent number?

 

[mlw67]

Thanks PBK.

The only thing I have to go on as far as a name is on a broken part, and it isn't complete. It is broken on both sides of "A. H. AND" so it could be a lot of things. Anderson? And sons? I was thinking something might have prefaced the first 'A', but then there probably wouldn't be a period after it.

Also, the round section is marked "CHICAGO & NEW YORK", plus elsewhere there is a number '4', and whatever that 'Z' 'V' mark is on the back of it all.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[PBK]

Bingo!

A. H. Andrews Co., Chicago— school furniture and supplies. Check out the following listing on eBay, which indicates that they were still selling desks of this type in 1927. However, they do not have the same ornate scrollwork shown on yours; so, I still think it probably dates closer to the turn of the last century.


http://cgi.ebay.com/1927-ANDERSON-CO-SCHOOL-FURNITURE-AND-SUPPLY-CATALOG_W0QQitemZ7023439514

 

[mlw67]

Holy Cats, you found them?! I had done some googling with "A. H. AND", but I came up empty.

How odd that my very first guess was the correct name?!?

Thanks a lot, PBK. You rock.

 

[PBK]

How odd that my very first guess was the correct name?

Well, almost. On closer examination, it appears that the eBay seller made an error in his listing. The name is actually A. H. Andrews Co. I found a patent reference which indicates that they were manufacturing furniture at least as early as 1877.

Anyway... mystery solved!

 

[mlw67]

I can't believe you noticed that was 'Anderson' ?! Good eye!

I was just searching myself, and 1877 was the earliest reference I found, too. Probably the same one.

Thanks again for your help.

 

[stefen]

These bring back old memories...used these desks when attending elementary school in Ohio and that was in the early 50's.

AKA, knee busters. Had an ink well bottle hole on the right side as I remember! Thats fading too

 

[Noodle]

And a slot across the top middle for your pencil. And if you were REALLY lucky you could find a spot to lay a piece of paper and write without busting your pencil lead through the paper as you wrote because of the CARVINGS underneath! Man, the names that were carved on mine! Pocket knives were in every little boy's pocket in those days. And in the afternoons when the heat was rising and the air still, in spite of the open windows, and the last thing you want to do is listen to that teacher drone on and on, out came the knife and down went your initials. You had to pay a 50 cent fine for damaging the desk. It was worth it!

Ahhhh, the good ole days!

- Noodle

 

[stefen]

Noodles,

Absolutely right on the button.

As a side story having to do with initials being carved in desk tops, I recall an incident thats a real hoot.

Although I went to an all dutch school in my High School years, we had to take a foreign language (duh, most everybody already spoke several languages in addition to English). Well I took Latin instead of the some other more obvious choices.

Moving on, we had a visiting Italian teacher for the second semester who socially was dumber than an ice cube. One day he wrote a four-letter 'F-word' on the board and then turned and asked a girl to stand and explain what it meant.

She turned every shade of red and probably peed her pants as well. Embarrassed, she just shrugged her shoulders.

He then proceeded to state that she should know what the word meant because she carved it in her desk.