Saturday, August 5, 2017

what i love this week

If you've been following along with my Etsy shop or Instagram you'll know I'm on the road. Which, incidentally, is one of my favorite places to be, particularly if it means Pennsylvania and Vermont! So of course the first find I have to share came from our speed shopping through Renninger's Adamstown market. I could have spent lots more time (and money!) but we had many miles ahead of us, and it just meant more opportunities for great things in Vermont.

But THIS. I love old game wheels and carnival items, and when they come with a story, even better!



This fabulous antique Pennsylvania game wheel is made of lightweight aluminum, circa 1900, a great piece of vintage Americana with a rustic industrial luxe vibe.

Marked in the middle Baumstown Footpath Association, Baumstown is located in Berks County in Eastern Pennsylvania. I have found references in the Reading Pennsylvania newspaper archives as early as 1893 and as late as 1918 to the Association; an August 20, 1893 article talks about their peach and ice cream festival being a big success, and a game wheel such as this would have been exactly the kind of thing they'd have had in use. There are references other events held to raise funds for the maintenance and upkeep of the footpath, or walking trail if you prefer.

It so rarely happens that you can trace the history of a piece, it makes this wheel even more special. You can find it in my Etsy shop through this link.

The second thing I want to share isn't something I have in my shop, rather it's something I encountered in my travels. Look how marvelously this wall in a hotel lobby is decorated with vintage silver trays. Wonderful to see folks appreciating and utilizing vintage in such creative ways. If you have a chance to visit the Essex Resort & Spa in Essex, Vermont (you can go there for half price wing night on Thursdays as we did!), you'll enjoy all the creative touches you'll find!


Still on the road, shopping as much as possible. Tune in for next week's finds!

Happy Trails - marilyn

No comments:

Post a Comment