Show us your Vintage Office Supplies.

[Shangas]

The oldest piece of office-equipment that I own is this writing-box from the 1880s:

 

[Red Tractors]

An Interesting thread, I'll be adding too it soon, I promise. It appears I'm not alone in my fondness for this stuff.

As a note, many of the vintage desk and drafting lamps will be marked "Fostoria" for the small city not too far from me where they were made. The plant sadly closed about two years ago.

 

[Shangas]

Hi Red, I look forward to seeing what you have to offer.

By the way, for any interested parties *crickets chirrup*, I've done extensive research on my writing-box (see above) and have revised the manufacture-date to ca. 1901. This would make it early Edwardian.

 

[jkingrph]

No picture, but wishing I had this. Back when I was in high school in the early 60's, dad was in the office equipment business. He brought home a Underwood portable noiseless typewriter for me to use. The shift for capital letters moved the entire carriage up. The noiseless feature was accomplished by a double link on each typebar which stopped the type from striking the platen just as it hit the ribbon and paper, or at least softened the blow. Dad told me it had been owned by a pilot in WWII, serving in the CBI theater and he had carried the typewriter with him on several flights across the hump. There was no longer a carrying case for the typewriter. After I started college dad sold it to a neighbor for $25 so he could get me a better one for school reports. Wish I still had it.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Bumpin'... (So that I don't have to sort through 2,000 threads next time!)

GOTTA have this table lamp...

From modernism.com.

EDIT: $2,900! (But they take lay-away!) $29/mo...

 

[Peregrine]

The oldest piece of office-equipment that I own is this writing-box from the 1880s:

That's glorious!

 

[Zemke Fan]

This guy seems to make some SUPERB art deco lamps: Terry Tynan Classic Lighting

Example:

 

[Shangas]

That's glorious!

Thank you! After additional research I found out that it was from ca. 1862. The company that made it (Toulmin & Gale) went under in 1876 and had the dubious honour of showing up in the London Gazette (famous for printing bankruptcy notices).

 

[The Soph Gent]

Thought I'd resurrect this thread. I recently remodeled a spare room and decided to put in a small antique desk and decorate it with some antique office supplies. I had to use a small desk since the room is small and already it is almost filled. I'm going to need a bigger house
Items:
GE Fan 75423 (1920's)
Bakelite Desk Lamp (1940's)
Boston Ranger Pencil Sharpener
Fostoria Ink Well
Easterbrook Fountain Pen
British Pyramid Phone
Deco Style Perpetual Calendar (1900 - 2000)

L C Smith Typewriter to be placed next to desk

 

[MissMittens]

I love your fan

 

[The Soph Gent]

I love your fan

Thanks, I got lucky. I found it in an antique store. It was in bad shape but I knew it had brass blades. When I got home to start restoring it I found that it has a brass cage also. Works great, got it for $60.

 

[MissMittens]

Thanks, I got lucky. I found it in an antique store. It was in bad shape but I knew it had brass blades. When I got home to start restoring it I found that it has a brass cage also. Works great, got it for $60.

Wow, that's a huge difference! Very nicely done

 

[Shangas]

Thanks, I got lucky. I found it in an antique store. It was in bad shape but I knew it had brass blades. When I got home to start restoring it I found that it has a brass cage also. Works great, got it for $60.

It's a very beautiful fan and those blades are so very shiny!

I just hope, for your sake, you've not got kids around the house during the summertime, or else they might be short a few digits and you'll have a lawsuit on your hands...

 

[LizzieMaine]

Pretty snazzy typewriter too. I used an L. C. Smith for years, and they're really smooth -- lots of ball bearings. The only weak point is the shift lever -- it's a pot metal casting, and is very brittle. A good knock will snap it right off, so be careful.

 

[1930artdeco]

I am looking at the beautiful desk sets and they have 'blotters' which I have seen in movies and on t.v. What does a blotter actually do?

Mike

 

[1961MJS]

Hi

Back when you signed documents / checks etc with a real pen, you used the blotter to pick up the extra ink right Lizzie?

later

 

[LizzieMaine]

Yup. Fancy people used those rocker ones you see on Edward Arnold's desk in any movie with a scene in a banker's office. The rest of us would have used a complimentary paper blotter with an ad for a garage or an insurance company on the face.

 

[Shangas]

Rocker-blotters and desk-blotters were used to soak up ink to prevent smudging, smearing and feathering of the ink. I still use both of those things on my desk. I'd be lost without them.

 

[TomS]

Bumpin'... (So that I don't have to sort through 2,000 threads next time!)

GOTTA have this table lamp...

From modernism.com.

EDIT: $2,900! (But they take lay-away!) $29/mo...

What a deal!

 

[deco_droid]

It's a very beautiful fan and those blades are so very shiny!

I just hope, for your sake, you've not got kids around the house during the summertime, or else they might be short a few digits and you'll have a lawsuit on your hands...

Nice fan! I'm more of an Emerson Silver Swan type of guy myself, but I love seeing any vintage fans in use. And I'm sure there were isolated cases of kids hurting their fingers in fans, but in general I bet they had more common sense than kids today do. I just hate the CYA policy businesses have to adopt to sell products these days.