Showing 129 results

Archival description
129 results with digital objects Show results with digital objects
.22 Short Bullet
CA ON00428 2022.13 · Item · 2022

Item is one lead .22 caliber bullet. Typically, this item was used with small pocket pistols and mini revolvers.

Apple peeler
CA ON00428 2021.07-2021.07.01 · Item · ca. 1900
Part of Howard and Mary Louise Ashbourne Collection

Item is an apple peeler. It has a clamp on the bottom that would allow the user to secure the device to a table or counter. An apple would be placed on the spikes, through the core. Turning the crank with the wooden handle causes the subsequent gears to spin allowing the arm with the razor to peel the apple. There is a patent stamp on the peeler, however due to age and storage conditions the text is illegible. It definitely reads "PAT JAN" but the year is unclear.

Apron
CA ON00428 2021.50 · Item · ca. 1900

Item is a linen apron. Sometimes called a waitress apron or a maid apron, it features delicate embroidered details, two pockets and a scalloped hem. The item likely dates to the early 20th century.

CA ON00428 2017.06-2017.06.01 · Series · ca. 1863 - 1981
Part of British royal commemorative dishware collection

Series consists of objects donated by Howard and Mary Louise Ashbourne, and Linda Tyrrell. Included are mugs, small pitchers, saucers, a goblet, and a teacup.

Some notable pieces in the series include a possibly stoneware pitcher dated 1863 for the marriage of the Prince of Wales and the Princess Alexandra; a mug dated 1902 for the coronation of King Edward VII, that features a lithophane portrait of him; and various mugs celebrating the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and her wedding to Prince Philip, as well as a mug commemorating their 1959 visit to Canada.

Baby Point Plaque
CA ON00428 2021.54 · Item

Item is one temporary plaque made of corrugated plastic. The design of the plaque replicates other heritage plaques around the city of Toronto that detail local history. Titled “Baby Point Crescent, Baby Point Road, Baby Point Terrace”, the contents of the sign explains the history of Jacques “James” Baby, who the area is named after. It highlights the Baby family’s ties to slavery, citing they were responsible for enslaving at least 17 Black and Indigneous people. The creator of the sign is unknown, it is one of several signs placed around Toronto to draw attention to the involvment of prominent historical figures in slavery.

Bed warmer
CA ON00428 2021.25 · Item · ca. 1920

Item is a ceramic bed warmer or foot warmer. Originally, bed warmers used hot coals from a fire to warm the bed before use. This example, however, could stay in the bed as the user slept and would be filled with hot water.

The warmer is designed to replicate a small Gladstone bag and features faux stitching patterns along the seams. The original handle has been replaced with a leather tie, but the item still has the original wooden stopper.

Bourne Denby
Bickle fire extinguisher
CA ON00428 2021.35 · Item · ca. 1940

Item is one tin fire extinguisher. It was filled with sodium bicarbonate which would be thrown onto the base of a fire to smother it.

Boudoir cap
CA ON00428 2021.44 · Item · ca. 1900

Item contains one crochet boudoir cap, or sleeping cap. The pink thread is crocheted in a small net pattern with a scalloped edge. Boudoir caps became popular in the 19th century as a sort of hairnet to protect the user’s hairstyle as they slept. By the early 1900s, caps like this lace example became popular for their femininity.

Boudoir cap
CA ON00428 2021.45 · Item · ca. 1900

Item contains one boudoir cap, or sleeping cap. It features crocheted ecru lace and a pink, silk panel. Boudoir caps became popular in the 19th century as a sort of hairnet to protect the user’s hairstyle as they slept. By the early 1900s, caps like this silk and lace example became popular for their femininity.

CA ON00428 2022.01 · Item · 1873

Sir Hugh Allan, Sir John A Macdonald, Alexander Galt, and WP Howland as well as other prominent Canadians are all depicted on the left while a group of young men is depicted on the right. In the centre is Miss Canada who declares “"I am quite ready to hear your pretensions, young people. You say you object to Imperial distinctions being bestowed on Canadians, yet these are my great men. Can you replace them?".

Canadian Illustrated News
Carving set
CA ON00428 2013.02-2013.02.06 · Item · ca. 1900
Part of Dillow family fonds

The carving set has a matching fork and knife with plastic handles. The fork has a retractable hinged safety guard. W.W. Harrison & Co. stamps make the manufacturing date of the set in the late 1800s. The inclusion of a "z" date hallmark on the handle of the items could suggest a manufacturing date of 1892.

Chamber pot
CA ON00428 2013.04 · Item · ca. 1902 - ca. 1926

Item is one chamber pot, or portable toilet, with lid and handle. Produced by Dudson Wilcox & Till Ltd. It features embossing and the floral "clio" print from their range of transferware patterns. The pot itself has a green design, whereas the design on the lid is in dark blue and the floral pattern differs slightly. This may suggests the lid is not the original.

Chamber pots were often kept under a bed or in a nightstand. They remained a common household item until the mid twentieth century, but variations of the chamber pot are still in use today.

Cherry pitter
CA ON00428 2021.07-2021.07.02 · Item · ca. 1900
Part of Howard and Mary Louise Ashbourne Collection

Item is a cherry pitter or cherry stoner. It has a clamp on the bottom that would allow the user the ability to secure the device to a table or counter. Whole cherries were then placed on the protruding plate that angled into the punch which removed the pit. The punch is operated by a crank and wooden handle. These kinds of kitchen gadgets became popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a way to create more efficiency in the home.

Child's dress
CA ON00428 2021.24 · Item · ca. 1800 - 1900

Item is one machine sewn child's dress. It features lace detailing on the collar and sleeves.

CA ON00428 2021.13-2021.13.04 · Item · ca. 1880
Part of André Wagner collection

The item is a chromolithograph of a young woman in a woodland setting holding a book, beads, and sprig of flowers.

Established in the mid 1800s, chromolithographs were popular for their low cost of production and ability to be mass-produced. They were used in advertising, various illustrated books, and home decor. However by the 1930s, offset printing had become the more favoured method in comparison to chromolithography.