The Virtual Corkscrew Museum's Weekly Newspaper

Magic Lantern

1889 Advertisement for Magic Lanterns

In The Book of the Lantern published in 1889, author Thomas Cradock Hepworth attributes the conception of projecting images to Athanasius Kircher, a Jesuit of the 17th Century. He notes "... For in one of these books, Ars Magna Lucis et Umbre, we not only find descriptions and diagrams of numerous optical contrivances, but several which show that Kircher quite understood the main principle upon which the optical lantern depends." Others attribute the idea to a much earlier time citing the work Liber Instrumentorum by Giovanni de Fontana from the early 15th Century. And in 1589 Giovanni Baptista della Porta published Magiae Naturalis Libri Viginti which outlined his method of projecting images.

Whoever had the original idea can certainly be recognized as the one who created the forerunner to the modern slide projector. The early instruments used a glass slide which could have multiple images. The "show" was projected on a wall or screen by sliding the glass past the light source (oil lamps early on) which illuminates it through the lens.

Readers may be surprised to learn of the "Magic Lantern Slides" that were created showing corkscrews.

In this slide, a fellow struggles to pull a cork with the bottle anchored between his knees. He gives up and hooks the cellarman's corkscrew handle on a coat rack hook. His effort fails when the bottle breaks in the middle.

In this example, a trader has arrived by ship and he offers his wares to the natives in exchange for fruit and horns. He has cellarman's corkscrews and a funnel. The deal is done. One native is wearing the funnel as a hat and three natives are wearing the corkscrews on necklaces and as earrings.

Anyone else have a Magic Lantern Slide with a corkscrew tale?

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Advertising Bows

Ron MacLean submitted photos of his Taylor and Whelan folding bows. He notes "These are the two similarly made interesting 2" long (closed) harps with the flattened rod handles with advertising on both sides." On the reverse of the "G. O. Taylor Whiskies Are Pure" is "Drink Hub Punch". On the reverse of the "Whelan & Co. 1060 Wash. St." is "Liquor Dealers".

Taylor Whiskies and Hub Punch were products of C. H. Graves & Sons, Boston, Massachusetts. In 1893 Graves advertised the Taylor Whiskies with "There is no better medicinal Whiskey sold in this country of any other country." In an 1880 advertisement for Hub Punch, Graves wrote "The Hub Punch is good at all times and just the thing for use military encampments, picnic, yachting and excursion parties, clubs, hotels, and families." And this appeared in a 1904 advertisement "A shelf at home devoted to storing hub punch makes the householder feel as one feels with his family about him when well insured against fire, accident or death."

These two additional pieces are "J Darrow's Wine Store / 1146 Washington St." and "Old Buckingham Whisky / John Horn."

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German Wier - another follow-up

Last week reader Ron MacLean submitted a photo of three German Wier's. He submitted a photo of the mark on one of them for identification. Reader Reinhold Berndt responded with " The one on the left was made in Thuringia and sold by Peres, Solingen. The W & R mark on the one in the middle is the trademark of Wesche & Ruppelt, Zella-Mehlis* in Thuringia. The one on the right was made in the 1960s by Carl Breitford (EXUS), Solingen.

*Reinhold submitted the photo of the handsome above by Wesche & Ruppelt, Zella-Mehlis.

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Buyer Beware - Reproductions

Reader Wally Mellors advised us that U. K. eBay seller momarcella is offering a number of corkscrew reproductions. Each listing has the word "Reproduction" in the title. Our concern as always is for when these turn up eventually in the aftermarket and are sold for high prices to unwitting bidders. Among the twenty current listings are a Lund Lever, an Empire, a Coffee Grinder, a Woodman, and a two pillar. We suspect our readers will recognize that the quality of these pieces is not like the originals.

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Buyer Beware - Fakes

Here we go again! Remember the past whistle stories in the Weekly Screw including the July 6, 2008 "Buyer Beware"? An altered Converse and an altered roundlet are now up for sale on eBay and closing next week. And YEP - from Argentina!

Left: Listed as "Rare Patented May 9th 99 two prong corkscrew whistle"

Right: Listed as "Multiuse corkscrew, screw driver & whistle (the whistle does not sounds well). No visible marks. Condition good for its age. It shows some wear and loss of patina."

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