Celebrate the changing of the season with a look back at some antiques used in homes during the colder weather, including andirons needed for those warming fires, tools to keep candles burning bright, and apple peelers to help people enjoy fall’s bounty.
Jewel Tea Company sold groceries door to door, first from horse-drawn wagons, then after 1926 by truck, then in stores or by mail. Buy enough coffee, tea, spices, or other staples, and you could earn a set of Autumn Leaf dishes. So, of course, thousands of households used pieces like this Autumn Leaf teapot in the Aladdin shape. Collectors can still find pieces at antique shops or online.
This is a combination candle snuffer and wick trimmer. Wicks were trimmed to keep the candle burning steadily and to prevent it from smoking. The snuffer puts out the flame. The point on the end was used to ease the wick out of the melted wax before it was trimmed. The first snuffers were made of iron, but brass, bronze and polished steel were used by the middle of the 18th century. This brass candle snuffer and wick trimmer is valued at about $30.
Homemade feed sack or flour sack vintage apron with rickrack, $24. Aprons served two purposes — they kept your clothes clean and were very decorative. This one has pockets in the front to hold tools, glasses or extra cleaning cloths. Today you can put your phone there. Photo: Ebay/chicksandbees98
The focal point of 18th-century homes was the fireplace because it was the primary source of heat on cold days and nights, and also where most of cooking took place. Logs rested on the iron supports of andirons, and the air circulation they permitted made the fire burn brighter. They were made of iron and sometimes had brass accents that reflected light and made the room brighter. Ancient Roman, medieval European and 17th-century American andirons still exist. Iron was used for those parts of the andirons that became very hot. Andirons sell for $100 and up. We found out the hard way that the andirons need to fit your fireplace opening, so measure before you buy.
Vintage kitchen apple peeler, Reading 78, cast iron, $29. Buy a vintage or new reproduction apple peeler and use it to make your apple pie. We do. Photo Ebay/thebomshelter1