Vintage Jewelers Blow Torch

Check out this wonderful vintage jewelers blow torch in the original box.

The Super Jet blow torch has instructions and 3 fuel tablets in the original tube.
Manufactured by Birk MFG. Co. Niantic Conn. USA.
The Super Jet Blow torch is model #113FT and the fuel tablets are #113F.
The blow torch was intended for soft and silver soldering.
Good for small parts as it has a slim design.
The blow torch is listed as uncommon in the Vintage Torch Guide, which means it is not commonly found everywhere.
The instructions are visible from the bottom of the plastic storage box.
The manufacturing information is on each piece-torch, fuel and box.

I probably will not use it so I have offered it for sale at my online store SundayHistorical.com    

blow torch, fuel tablets & original box

place tube in mouth and .....

BIRK MFG  CO. NIANTIC, CONN. USA

Directions

Model Number

Fuel Tablets

It really is cool

See it now at shop.SundayHistorical.com

I thought some of my co workers would enjoy this!

                                   

My Art Work

My Art Work Past & Present

1977 pencil drawing of Joni Mitchell

                              Reflections from the glass showed up in photo, may try again later

1977 water color:  Hikers enjoying the view

2009 water color :cemetery on Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge Kiptopeke Virginia

1978 Oil on canvas unfinished work: Tribute to Diane Arbus

Historic Guest House Dinnerware Service Rediscovered

PAIR (2) of Antique Edwin M. Knowles China Co Covered Serving Dishes blue transfer set from Historic Guest House

              

Here is an extremely nice PAIR (2) of antique covered vegetable or serving dishes by the Edwin M. Knowles China Company with a history. This pair of dishes was part of the dinnerware service used at the Hallett`s Guest House in Historic Cheriton Virginia on the Eastern Shore which operated from 1943-1968. The house was purchased from the Upshur family in 1943. The dishes have been untouched, wrapped & packed and stored since 1970. They were just rediscovered in November 2012 and now put up for auction. I have not cleaned them so my photos show some dust on the handles. Please see photos for condition details.These two covered dishes were manufactured between 1901-1909 according to the makers mark and are marked  semi vitreous. They are in very good condition with minor gold loss, no chips or cracks. The finials and handles are intact and very ornate. I have included in the photos, a copy of a postcard from the Hallett`s Guest House and a photo of the sign that hung beside the front door when it was in operation and will include them with the purchase. The Hallett Guest House was listed by Duncan Hines as seen on the sign below. This is a chance to own a piece of vanishing history. Please ask questions before bidding. There is a little history on the Edwin Knowles China Company provided by Robbins Nest below. Thanks for viewing.

                                               SundayHistorical.com

History: "Edwin M. Knowles ( 1869-1943) was the son of Isaac Watt Knowles (1819-1902), a founder and partner of the firm Knowles, Taylor, and Knowles Co., which by the turn of the century had become the largest pottery in the world. Edwin Knowles' father had helped pioneer many inventions that revolutionized American dinnerware manufacture.

Edwin M. Knowles entered the pottery business after receiving his education at Allegheny College and Harvard University. He took control of the Potters Supply Company of East Liverpool, Ohio in 1890. By 1900, he became founder and president of the Knowles China Company, which soon changed its name to the Edwin M. Knowles China Co.

The Knowles facility, located in Chester, West Virginia, was described as a "model plant of the highest order." Edwin Knowles determined that his firm would manufacture only the finest semi-vitreous ware. One year later, product from the plant was lauded by the Crockery and Glass Journal as the highest grade ware: "weight is light, its finish the finest, its shapes graceful, its decorations artistic, and its body and quality most durable." Knowles' reputation for creating quality product became known throughout the industry. Demand for Knowles product grew. It wasn't long thereafter that plant No. 2 was erected, just two miles south of plant No. 1 along the Ohio River in Chester, West Virginia in Newell, West Virginia."        

PAIR of covered serving dishes 1901-1909

Gold painted accents 

Edwin M. Knowles China Co. Semi Vitreous

Ornate gold paint

Sign at front door of guest house

Hallett Guest House Postcard

                                      

Richmond Before Concrete

This post is dedicated to my favorite folks in history, the forgotten but oh so important.

   James Netherwood was born in Yorkshire England in 1834.  In "The City On The James" The Chamber of Commerce Book published by George W. Engelhardt in Richmond Va in 1893 James Netherwood is listed as a "contractor for stone work of all kinds, on a large scale, maintains yards of two acres area, lying on the water front of the city, at the foot of Virginia Street, between the river and the canal, and upon the line of the Richmond and Danville Railroad, which affords him transportation facilities direct". The article states that he was established in Richmond for more than thirty years and had used more more stone than all the other contractors for stone masonry here together. Netherwood did work in the South, but mainly in Virginia, the Carolina`s and Florida. Netherwood`s home was at 2612 E. Grace Street.

   He put up the Lee monument, The Soldiers` and Sailors` monument, and the Howitzers` monument. He executed contracts for stone work on the "new" Planters National Bank, "new" City Hall, Masonic Temple and the "new" Chamber of Commerce building.

(The City on the James)

   James Netherwood`s quarries on the south side of the river were at present day West 42nd & Riverside Drive and near the Granite Station north of Forest Hill Avenue (known then as the Granite Road) at the Richmond Danville Railroad Line. Stone from surrounding quarries was shipped as far north as New York. The largest shipments went to Washington where the State, War and Navy Building was constructed entirely from stone from the Forest Hill area quarries.

Granite Station (LVA)

Here, I will include a passage from the book "Chesterfield-An Old Virginia County" by Francis E. Lutz 1954, which gives details about an 18th century house owned by Netherwood`s stone cutter and was owned by William Byrd III `s associate James Patteson.

   "Before James Netherwood`s death he had a life-sized figure of himself carved out of granite from his quarry by Edward I. Schutte, a master stone cutter and owner of extensive tracts between the James River and Midlothian Turnpike west of the Belt Line Railroad and whose residense was the former Patterson manor house with huge hand hewn girders and fastened with wooden pegs, which still stands near the Granite Road. After Mr. Schutte had completed the figure, it was found that a hat had been omitted and Mr. Netherwood declared that no one would recognize him without it. Mr. Schutte thereupon carved alone a hat which was fitted realistically on the head. After Mr. Netherwood`s death in 1899 the figure, having as its pedestal a part of one of the massive granite columns from the old Jefferson Hotel in Richmond, which had been made of Netherwood granite, was erected over his grave in Oakwood Cemetery."

Mr. Netherwood did not believe in wasting material. The foundations of the homes at 308, 312 and 314 North 25th Street were built from scrap tombstones. There is street named for him in the neighborhood south of Forest Hill Ave bounded by Powhite Parkway and Stratford Hills.

Pedestal is old Netherwood granite column from Jefferson Hotel

Oakwood Cemetery: A forgotten Cemetery

James and wife Nancy`s graves

Notice resemblance to the Soldiers & Sailor`s monument below

Soldiers & Sailors monument  Libby Hill, put up by J. Netherwood

Margaret Smith, great-granddaughter of Edward I. Schutte (German Master Stone Cutter) died. Her son Michael K. Smith age 56, fell from a ladder while working on the beloved family home and died on June 15, 2004 as a result of his injuries.


Here are photos of the Patteson-Schutte House that I took along with Jim Mullins & Trip Tender in July 2005 before anything was done to the house or property. The house was covered in aluminum siding. Trip Tender  practiced music at the house with Michael Smith on many occasions. There is a cemetery near the house, but we could not locate it that day.

Drive to front of house

Old kitchen

The granite stone industry quietly died with the age of concrete and steel.
The Historic Richmond Foundation bought the house to clean up and sell as residential property with restrictions. The subdivision was built on the surrounding 5 acres of the property.

Sources from my private library:
Virginia Cavalcade  Summer 1954
Chesterfield-An Old Virginia County by Francis E. Lutz William Byrd Press 1954
The City On The James The Chamber of Commerce Book published by George W. Engelhardt in Richmond Va in 1893
Richmond Times Dispatch 2005, 1977

Research & Photos:
Laura Smith unless indicated

Kneeling Nude Potter Mark: Keeling & Co. Ceramic Bowl

My Latest Find

Keeling & Co. Late Mayers York Bowl

                     

K&Co B

 Keeling & Co. Bowl

Kneeling Nude Potter mark

From the Keeling & Co ( K & Co.) of Burslem, Staffordshire, England. Beautiful bowl with two handles and scalloped rim.  Nice gold paint around handles & rim, very minor gold loss around rim tips. York pattern. Excellent condition. Mild crazing on inside bottom of bowl. The bowl measures 9.5" at widest point, 11.5" from handle to handle and 3.5" tall.  Please examine photos for condition details. Manufactured between 1886-1890 according to the makers mark and available information.  This company was in business from 1886 -1936, but the mark was changed in 1891 to include the the word "England" by law for trade purposes.  There is no impressed mark or "England " stamp on this piece. See British ceramic history info below.

Kneeling Nude potter - "Late Mayers" 1790

"The extensive works at Dale Hall (or Dale Hole, as it used to be written), founded in 1790 originally belonged to Joseph Stubbs - a successful manufacturer of earthenware during the 1822-5 period, who having retired from business, died in 1836. He was succeeded in about 1843 by Messrs. Thomas, John & Joshua Mayer, who from 1855 traded as Mayer Brothers & Elliot, and from them the works passed through the firms of Mayer & Elliot, Liddle, Elliot, & Co., Bates, Elliot & Co., Bates, Walker & Co., and Bates, Gildea & Walker to the firm of Gildea & Walker during the 1881-6 period."

"The marks of Messrs. Mayer were T.J.& J. MAYER; MAYER BROS, etc. Those of the later firms were BATES, WALKER & Co.
PATENTEES (or other successive changes), on an oval ribbon, with date, etc., of registration inside; and a nude figure kneeling and holding a ewer in front of him, on a tablet with the date 1790. 
This device was introduced in a variety of ways, with the initials B.W. & CO., B.G. & W., or G. & W„ LATE MAYERS, and the name of
the pattern, etc. On some, the device is surrounded by a circular ribbon, on others by a triangular one.
Messrs. Gildea & Walker continued to 1886. The Dale Hall Works were subsequently worked by Keeling & Co. (Ltd.) from 1886 to 1936. They used the above mark with the initials K & Co. B."

Jewitt's "Ceramic Art of Great Britain 1800-1900"

See it on my website & online store www.sundayhistorical.com 

see it on www.shop.sundayhistorical.com

Does anyone have one of these or have you seen one?

Origins of R.T. Sunday Company

                                                        R.T. Sunday Company 1912-2004

     This post is dedicated to the history of the R.T. Sunday Company. I had started out in the blueprint industry in 1980 and worked with a young man in 1990 who would eventually take over R.T. Sunday Co. I had the privilege of working for the R.T. Sunday Company for 9 years beginning in the mid 1990`s. The new owner told me to think of it as if it were my own company and that is what I did. Coming in there and finding all the treasures, some of which I have posted here, awakened an interest in history. First it was the history of R.T. Sunday, then Richmond Virginia and later onto the Eastern Shore of Virginia and my own roots in Southwest Virginia. I got to work with the former owners before they turned the company over to the young man who bought them out. These fine gentlemen were Wade Curtis and Roy Brill. Mr Brill died of cancer in 1997. Mr. Curtis is still living and I talk to him occasionally.

The blue in blueprint pretty well died out during the digital revolution in the industry in the early to mid 1990`s. When I came to work at R.T. Sunday, there were 2 worn out 1960`s blueline machines that used anhydrous ammonia to develop the prints. It was a painfully slow process, having to change the speed for each and every drawing run through the machine.
 
All photos posted here are owned and protected by copyright laws. They are not to be used without written permission. Please contact Dementi Studio regarding the electric blueprint machine photo. Please contact Laura Smith at sundayhistorical@gmail.com for anything else.

   The company was named for its owner Roy T. Sunday. Mr. Sunday was working for W.A Childrey Draughting and Pattern making Company at 919 1/2 E. Main Street as early as 1908 according to the book Richmond Virginia 1917.  I have included an invoice dated August 1, 1910 in photo#1. By December 1, 1910 the company was called Childrey-Sunday Company Draughtsmen & Blueprinters- see invoice in photo#2. These precious invoices were given to me by Tom Cook who worked for Drytac, a vendor of R.T. Sunday Company. They are all made out to the American Heating & Ventilation Company and were purchased at the estate sale of the former owner of American Heating & Ventilation Company on Grace Street.

photo#1 W.A. Childrey Company 1910

photo#2 Childrey-Sunday Company 1910

  Alice Jellie was the daughter of Nannie Bell Jellie and Alexander Jellie (b. 1845), who were married 4 March 1867 in Raleigh NC. Alice was born in the superintendents house in Glendale Cemetery, 8301 Willis Church Road in Henrico County, Va., approximately 13 miles southeast of Richmond. Her father, a native of Ireland, was superintendent of the cemetery. He died in 1888, when she was about four years old and she went to live with her older sister,  Lovie Jellie Whitlock at Curles Neck Farm. Alexander Jellie was a Private in the U.S. Cavalry and is buried at Section G Site 688 in the cemetery. He has a 15 yr. old son buried in Site 690.
   Glendale National Cemetery was established May 7, 1866, on land purchased from a local resident, Lucy C. Nelson. The cemetery name is taken from the farm located on this property, which served as a Union headquarters during the Civil War. Original interments were the remains of Union soldiers recovered from Malvern Hill, Frayer’s Farm, Harrison’s Landing and other areas in the vicinity.

   Alice Sunday was the book keeper for Mr. Aubrey Childrey and Roy Sunday. She married Mr. Sunday on October 26th, 1911 and I have included a photograph taken on their honeymoon in Niagara Falls. Photo #3

photo#3 Mr & Mrs. Roy T. Sunday honeymoon 1911 

R. T. Sunday Co. 1917



          In a book called Richmond Virginia 1917 by Virginia Illustrating Company,  R.T. Sunday`s operation was featured along with other prominent Richmond business men. There is a photograph of Roy Sunday and his electric blueprint machine. I have the original photograph. It was taken by Dementi Studio www.dementi.com , a fabulous historic photographic studio and archive located in downtown Richmond VA at 2nd & Grace Streets. I have included the photograph and the back with Dementi`s negative file number.

R.T. Sunday and his electric blueprint machine

Back of electric blueprint machine photo

Roy T. Sunday

Roy T. Sunday`s obituary in the Richmond News Leader for Wednesday November 16, 1921

   Roy Sunday died suddenly of a heart attack on November 14, 1921. Wade Curtis said that it was believed that Mr. Sunday`s heart attack was brought on by an abscessed tooth.
  Alice Sunday ran the business until somewhere between 1964-1966. She sold it to the two young men who were working for her, Mr. Roy Brill and Mr. Wade Curtis on the condition that they never change the name of the business. Alice Sunday died February 28, 1971. Both R.T. and Alice L. Sunday are buried in Oakwood Cemetery in the east end of Richmond VA.

    The Virginia AIA Richmond Chapter has an award named for Alice Sunday:  Alice Lehman Sunday Prize
Awarded to intern architects with fewer than 10 years’ professional experience for excellence in technical, sketch, and presentation drawings.

   Mr. Wade Curtis told that Alice Sunday extended credit to the architects in town for long periods. Several of them were still in operation and using R.T. Sunday when I came to work there. She did not use a delivery vehicle, but had the delivery man use the city bus system to make his deliveries.

    Some of the older firms I had the pleasure of serving were Boynton Rothschild Rowland, Carneal and Johnston, Lee King Poole & White and Freeman and Morgan, some having been with R.T. Sunday Co. since the 1920`s.

Alice Jellie Sunday

Written shortly after Alice`s death in 1971 by one of the nieces that shared a house with her at 4013 Hanover Ave. Richmond VA

Lorine Whitlock was born in 1896 and died in 1988 and is buried in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Richmond VA. She was the daughter of Lovie and Charles Whitlock and was a teacher.

        Signature of Alice L. Sunday on a work permit form for an employee, Edward R. Dalbey, a 16 yr. old messenger boy from Hillside Court in 1956.   R.T. Sunday was located at 606 E. Main St. at that time.

Keys to 606 E. Main St. location. The building was demolished to make way for Main Street Center which takes up most of the block

Complimentary rulers given to customers

International Association Blueprint Allied Industries Membership Directory 1957 with R.T. Sunday listed in the page below. Proprietor Alice L. Sunday

Booklet with measurement conversions, tables & other pertinent information in the year 1957

Stickers that were attached to the back of the blueprints for advertising

R.T. Sunday Co. Seal used on certain  architectural drawings and other documents

Back of blueprints were stamped with this stamp

sample from the stamp above

1969 & 1977 Real Estate Tax bills for R.T. Sunday Co. at 214-216 E. Main St. This location was an A&P store in the 1940`s

Former owner Roy Brill`s Thalhimers Department Store charge card

These items came out of the Empire Safe which was used to store valuable architectural drawings and cash. The safe was given to me, but I could not get it in my house. I sold it to one of our delivery drivers. Wade Curtis told that it took 6 men to push the safe up Main Street hill when the company moved from 606 E. Main to 214-216 E. Main.

Oakwood Cemetery. R.T. Sunday and Alice Lehman Jellie Sunday are buried in her sisters family plot

Mrs. Charles Whitlock was Alice L. Sunday`s sister

Alice`s brother in law Charles Whitlock`s footstone

Grave stones for the Sunday`s

Alice never remarried after Roy died. She became a well respected business woman.

Oakwood Cemetery is a very old cemetery that was once very well kept. There is a Confederate Burial section in this cemetery near the entrance from 34th St. on Church Hill. The Sunday`s are buried closer to the Nine Mile Road entrance.

                             Lovie Jellie b. 1867 was the oldest sister of Alice and was the wife of Charles H. Whitlock. This is their daughter and grandson.

214-216 E. Main Street,  Downtown at 3rd & Main St.

The company would move one more time. This time to 1915 N. Hamilton Street in 2001. It was a costly move for the company. By late 2003 the owner could not maintain the success of the company and it went out of business in early 2004. R.T. Sunday Company will always be dear to my heart and I miss it very much.