–
For our first Show & Tell I’ve chosen a group of items I won, kind of by accident.
They are the oldest items in the house which is my only reason for choosing them first – there’s unlikely to be any kind of order to the objects, however, this is Random Scottish History, after all.
Just so you’re aware, FargoKat was lying behind me the whole time and kept poking me in the back with his wee paws. You may see hints of it in my expression throughout.
I hope you guys enjoy the first installment.
For today’s show and tell video we have items relating to the metal detecting discussed last time. These are a couple of things I found myself out in Glasgow Green.
Just getting over the yuk side effects of the first covid innoculation, so I hope that doesn’t show too much during this wee short video.
In today’s show and tell video we’ll be making a start on Yvie, our corpse’s, garb. It’s her belt we’ll begin with.
Includes our Hallowe’en introduction video to Yvette.
Today we’re continuing with Yvette’s garb and it’s her top hat we’ll be taking a wee look at.
FargoKat also joins us for this one.
Haven’t been well so I apologise for sounding euch throughout but I couldn’t leave you guys hanging about wondering what happened to your Friday morning Show & Tell video.
Today we have a Victorian mourning locket (pocket-watch) fob made from human hair. I’ve tried to track down information on it without too much success so far. Should I find out more I’ll do a follow-up video.
We also have a ZaraKat joining us today, for a couple of minutes, which was nice of her.
Looking at some pieces of 19th century fabric; a velvet cape and a length of lace. I’m afraid I don’t know too much about who made them or where they originated as there are no labels or markings on either piece. Both appear to be handmade.
I’m afraid ZaraKat is in at the vets, so there was no chance of her making an appearance and FargoKat has been hiding out. I think he’s confused about his missing sister.
Today I have Mauchline Ware, as promised last week.
This is one of the easiest types of items to collect, though some objects can set you back a fair amount, as collectors will pay through the nose for certain pieces.
Sorry there were no cats making an appearance again, for those hoping to see them. ZaraKat is recovering from serious surgery on her ear and FargoKat is hiding from her, as her cone collar freaks him out.
Picnic Hamper today – sorry it was so dark to begin with.
We’re joined by a ZaraKat today with FargoKat kicking about around us as we go.
The set of books it contains, ‘International Library of Famous Literature‘ (1898), can be found in Non-Scottish Publications under the Miscellany tab – nice clear images of the picnic hamper, too.
We have a 1791 Edinburgh Ha’penny today.
Have included pictures as the camera wasn’t picking it up in real time so well.
For volume 1 of James Grant’s ‘Old and New Edinburgh’ (1880) head to: Text; and for Scans.
We cleaned a bit of scrap melted metal that was found buried in Glasgow Green.
It’s copper or brass by the green patina, which got super green at one point. Polished up brilliantly with the help of a Dremel with wee wire brush attachment.
Today we look at some things found in the pre-20th century publications within the collection.
Today we have a couple of vellum documents, the first of which has been uploaded Here.
A wee visit from future Jen and ZaraKat.
We start with a wee bit on bookbinding and preservation, then go on to talk about one of the better known popular tales from a rebound set I obtained a while ago.
End with Fargo and sleeping Zara in the background.
Links:- Select Views on the River Clyde (1830); Nights of Straparola; Thousand and One Nights; Popular Tales:- Introduction covering popular tales etymology; Sanscrit/Gaelic.
This ended up being a wee bit too long to have as 1 episode so it was split into 2 parts at short notice after most of the editing and pictures had been added. Hope no-one minds.
Thank you to Random Scottish History supporters & followers, but especially to my Patrons, who are mainly responsible for my being able to provide these wee videos to the interested out there.
All this information can be found on the site Here.
Welcome to part 2. This ended up being a wee bit too long to have as 1 episode so it was split into 2 parts at short notice after most of the editing and pictures had been added. Hope no-one minds.
Thank you to Random Scottish History supporters & followers, but especially to my Patrons, who are mainly responsible for my being able to provide these wee videos to the interested out there.
All this information can be found on the site Here.
Due to unforeseen passport issues – I happened to be in Glasgow & off work to be able to attend my first Bridgeton History Group meet in about 3 years.
I, of course, brought some show & tell items to see what group members thought of them.
The mourning jewellery, along with some I purchased for my Italian friend, are showcased at the end of Scottish Death Traditions & Customs Pt. 2 video [above].
A thank you to the Bridgeton history Group for having me back.
Thank you, too, to Raymond for agreeing to film the thing on my phone after I took the notion that it might be nice to have.
Brought a couple of books home from the recent trip to Venice & thought I’d show them off and talk about them a wee bit.
Paolo Olbi & in Atlas Obscura; Chambers’ ‘Book of Days,’ 13th of September – Rood E’en, with excerpt regarding Girdle Books; Same publication for the 3rd of January with excerpt regarding horn books.
I decided to do a video show & tell of my collected Victorian mourning jewellery items, including a couple that didn’t make it into previous videos and a new Mauchline Ware acquisition, after someone online had made a post encouraging folk to talk about what they collected besides Little Apple Dolls. Most people answered with other types of doll, but I could only think of the Victorian mourning jewellery.
I had begun taking photos of them to back up my answer with & especially when someone else commented to say they had been gifted a mourning brooch. It was difficult to get pictures of all the wee intricate parts of each piece, so I videoed my response. I was going to make that video public but I realised, after the fact, that I had missed the addition of a couple of items.
I apologise for how tired I look, &c. I had been contending with a lot of background noise & when the video overran it led to tech difficulties (as always) and the destruction of the condenser mic mp3 audio file for the video. Audio is, therefore just my phone, which was recording the close-up details of each item.
The mourning jewellery pieces are showcased at the end of Scottish Death Traditions & Customs Pt. 2 video. Also at the Bridgeton History Group (June, 2023). The first hair pocket watch/locket fob from Ireland. The previous Mauchline Ware show & tell video. With items seen at New Lanark. Also, at the Glasgow Tenement House.
I thought I’d take a minute to talk about what I use as a background. So intricate, the details are beautiful, & really extensive. I’d love to find a permanent use for it.
Newly acquired publication for you to have a wee look at. Thought I’d take a wee moment to do a bit of a show & tell. It won’t be scanned into the site or uploaded at all for a wee while due to my workload.
Thought I’d delve into the RSH collection to see what could be added to the online archive and felt it was a good time to set in about this framed map of Scotland, created by John Speed in 1610.
Any framed piece is impossible to scan on a flatbed scanner as the frame lifts the image away from the scanner glass, leading to blurry, low-resolution failures. The only option, if set on obtaining a scan, is to liberate the item in question. This is what we’re doing here.
The backboard composition made me doubt the veracity of the 1610 date of publication for our copy of this map. There was every likelihood that it was the 1610 map reprinted at a later date for framing.
On finally freeing the map itself from the frame and backboard, I was left more convinced of it’s authenticity with regards year. It’s so thin it’s near transparent. If I were to take it in my hands and crush it, it wouldn’t crumple up, it would crumble into a million flaky shards.
It may have been added to the backboard and framed at a later date, but I have no way, at present, of aging the component parts.
I took the notion to obtain an antique spinning wheel. I was lucky enough to be the only bidder for this one making it far cheaper than it should have gone for. My intention is to attempt to make wool from a bag of shorn Elphie fur. We’ll see how it goes. Just awaiting a couple of bits for it and time to give it a good clean and polish.
Once again tech issues strike! Joy! On stopping the recording, on my main computer camera, it shouted at me and told me it wasn’t for playing. All associated files, visual & audio, were corrupted to the point they wouldn’t open or play. So, there we go.
I actually enjoyed cleaning the spinning wheel. It allowed me to get more familiar with it, meaning the discovery of yet another wee bit that is removable.
It looked much shinier afterwards & left me looking forward to seeing how it would come up after the wood had been oiled a couple of times.
Getting intae a wee bit of oiling. This was a far quicker task than I had thought it would be and the spinning wheel came up looking amazing after just the one coat. One step closer tae getting the thing working & on the go.
Part 3 of our renovation project. This was less fun, more messy, and with a more dubious outcome, than the former stages. Ye cannae tell until ye try, and here we are.
This was the exciting bit I was looking forward to the most. It was a bit hairy in places, much was uncertain. It didn’t help that I hadn’t found video tutorials on how to put together a wheel quite like ours, not too dissimilar in practice, but enough that I was concerned we’d perhaps not meet with success. I needn’t have stressed about it. It came together beautifully (with a bit of luck).
I wasn’t sure if this would be worthy of a video. I really just wanted to show that collecting old books, especially if going for information contained over aesthetics, can involve some amount of work, on occasion.
I had to wash my hands half way through because they were so grimy. I couldn’t believe the amount of dust and debris that was collected at the end, though it is the first time they’ve been dealt with since arriving.
They’re now safely housed in my new (old) rotating bookcase – as I needed a table that would prove useful for the Singer sewing machine to live. Great to have them in with me in the RSH room, now. Far more convenient.
I had a wee spot of random luck.
A friend had discussed doing a photoshoot, suit & top hat style, & a cane was the only thing missing. My local auction house happened to have one, which I succeeded in winning.
But… It didn’t come alone.
Also managed to snag a, not so old, Hunterian Art Gallery print.
It was created by painter, print maker, & former Hunterian Gallery deputy director, Chris Allan, in 1981. As an aside, the phone number on it, starting with area code 041 (Glasgow), shows it had to have been created prior to 1995 when a 1 was added after the first 0 of phone numbers in the countries within the UK.
A quick wee video put together on my phone. Also posted to socials, if you think you’ve seen it before.
3 thoughts on “Show and Tell (Originally Patron-only)”