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This collection brings together museum grade historical objects prepared for visual storytelling. Rooted in Detroit’s industrial and domestic past, each artifact is curated within a larger material system and preserved for camera ready use. Objects are available for editorial, stage, film, and institutional loan, offering authenticity that cannot be replicated.
Durabilt Travel Iron
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, domestic technology study, or mid-century consumer innovation interpretation. Durabilt “A.C.–D.C. Companion” Travel Iron United States c. 1940s (with replacement electrical cord, c. 1960s) Chrome-plated metal, plastic (handle), electrical components, replacement cord, leatherette case, textile cloth Dating and Identification This compact electric iron is identified by the stamped marking “Durabilt A.C.–D.C. Companion” o
Armour Quality Products Wooden Toy Bank
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, toy history study, or mid-century consumer culture interpretation. “Armour Quality Products” Wooden Toy Bank United States c. 1950s Wood, printed ink, rubber stopper Dating and Identification This wooden toy bank is identifiable through the printed inscription “Armour Quality Products,” prominently displayed within an oval decorative frame on the side of the vehicle. The phrase is associated with Armour and Company, a
Taylor Meat and Poultry Thermometer
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, or domestic material culture interpretation. Taylor Roast Meat and Poultry Thermometer (Complete Set with Box and Insert) United States c. 1940s–1950s Metal, glass, printed paper, and cardboard Dating This example can be dated to the mid-twentieth century, most likely the 1940s to early 1950s , based on a combination of manufacturing details, company identification, and graphic design. The label id
Pyrex “Butterprint” Bowl Set
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, or decorative arts interpretation. Pyrex “Butterprint” Cinderella Bowl Set (Three-Piece Group) United States, Corning Glass Works c. 1957–1968 Opal (milk) glass with screen-printed enamel decoration Dating This set dates to the late 1950s through the 1960s , a period when Pyrex expanded beyond utilitarian kitchenware into highly stylized, mass-marketed consumer goods. The “Butterprint” pattern , int
Willson Welding Goggles
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on industrial safety, occupational health, or approved placement. Willson Welding Goggles United States c. 1930s–1950s Plastic (early polymer), glass lenses, elastic or fabric strap, metal fittings Dating These goggles are best dated to the mid-twentieth century, circa 1930s–1950s , based on their materials and form. The use of molded plastic frames, rather than earlier leather or metal-on
General Electric Employee ID Tag
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on labor history, corporate identity systems, or approved placement . GE Employee Identification Tag United States c. 1940s–1950s Metal, paper photograph, celluloid or plastic covering, metal ball chain Dating This identification tag is best dated to the mid-twentieth century, circa 1940s–1950s , based on its materials, photographic style, and construction. The small circular format with a
Worker's Lunch Pale and Universal Thermos
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on industrial labor, working-class daily life, or approved placement. Worker’s Lunch Pail with Thermos United States c. 1940s–1960s Painted steel, aluminum, glass vacuum bottle (interior), plastic, enamel coating Dating This lunch pail and accompanying thermos are best dated to the mid-twentieth century, circa 1940s–1960s , based on their materials and construction. The pressed steel body
U.S. Military Tool Box - Plumbing
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on mid-twentieth-century military logistics and material culture, or approved placement. Plumbing Tool Chest (Harbor Craft) United States, c. 1940–1955 Painted wood chest, stenciled identification markings, metal latch hardware, turned wood handle Dating & Attribution This object is identified as a mid-twentieth-century military plumbing tool chest , dating approximately to circa 1940–1955
Carpenter MFG Light
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on mid-twentieth-century industrial lighting systems and safety equipment, or approved placement. Carpenter-Light Industrial Signal Lamp Manufactured by Carpenter Mfg. Co., Boston, Massachusetts United States, c. 1950–1970 Cast metal base, red ribbed glass dome lens, wired electrical assembly, riveted manufacturer plate Dating & Attribution This object is identified as a Carpenter-Light ind
Worker Gloves
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on labor history, industrial safety, or approved placement. Worker’s Gloves Worker Gloves United States c. 1940s–1960s Leather, cotton knit (ribbed cuff), thread stitching Dating These gloves are best dated to the mid-twentieth century, circa 1940s–1960s , based on their construction and materials. The combination of split or grain leather palms with extended ribbed knit cuffs became espe
Johnson & Johnson First Aid Autokit
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on domestic medical preparedness, automotive safety culture, or approved placement. First Aid Autokit United States c. 1930s–1950s Painted metal tin, paper booklet, paper-wrapped gauze and bandages, glass bottles, plastic screw caps, mercurochrome antiseptic Dating & Attribution This object is identified as a Johnson & Johnson First Aid Autokit , a compact automobile first aid kit made in
Bausch Lomb Tripod Magnifier
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on optical instruments and scientific education, or approved placement. Bausch & Lomb Tripod Magnifier United States: Rochester, New York c. 1930-1940s Object Description and Dating This object is a tripod magnifier manufactured by Bausch & Lomb , an American optical company central to the development of precision lenses and scientific instruments in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
American Red Cross Field Trunk
Status: Available for Loan Consideration for exhibition, institutional study, research on wartime and postwar relief systems, or approved placement. American Red Cross Field Trunk Issued to John W. Boomer, Field Director United States, c. 1940–1955 Painted steel trunk with stenciled identification Dating & Attribution This object is a mid-20th-century American Red Cross field trunk, clearly stenciled with the name John W. Boomer , identified as a Field Director within the or
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