HEATING AND LIGHTING UTENSILS IN NATIONAL MUSEUM 103 



curfew as a material fire cover are thus brought together. (PI. 

 92, fig. 5; Cat. No. 289435, Holland; Anton HeitmuUer; 9.8 inches 

 (25 cm.) diameter, 4.7 inches (12 cm.) high.) 



LAUNDRY IKONS ' 



At one time, as mentioned, the use of a heating iron was quite 

 prevalent, as in the hot-water urns (p. 93) and even in a trivet 

 (p. 102) . It is found in the laundry irons of the colonial period when 

 heating an iron and keeping it clean on the open fire was practically 

 impossible. Several of these quaint old irons are in the National 

 Museum. In one of these the heating iron is Avedge shape with a 

 hole in the base for drawing it out of the fire. This iron was slid 

 into the hollow body of the laundry iron and closed in by a sliding; 

 door. (PI. 93, fig. 1; Cat. No. 206401, Pennsylvania; Barton A, 

 Bean; 4.7 inches (12 cm.) long, 4.9 inches (12.5 cm.) high, 3.2 inches 

 (8 cm.) wide.) A heavier iron, the shell and bottom joined on, 

 appears also to be a product of the Pennsylvania iron workers, 

 probably from the Bethlehem Valley. It is wrought except the heat- 

 ing iron. The latter, when placed in the iron, rests on an S-shape 

 piece riveted to the bottom. The back of the iron is closed by a 

 pivoted door with knob. (PL 93, fig. 2; Cat. No. 298361, Penn- 

 sylvania; Dr. P. B. Johnson; 7.9 inches (20 cm.) long, 5.5 inches 

 (14 cm.) high.) A third iron of cast brass is of unknown locality. 

 It is cast in one piece and the handle is riveted on and held in 

 position by a screw. The handle also is of turned brass with a 

 wooden grip projecting forward in the direction the iron would be 

 pushed. The heating iron, which is missing, ran on two ridges cast 

 in the bottom of the hollow of the iron. The door was pivoted and 

 moved in a slot. (PI. 93, fig. 3; Cat. No. 298362, probably English; 

 Dr. P. B. Johnson; 7.9 inches (20 cm.) long, 7.1 inches (18 cm.) 

 high.) 



IBON BESTS 



With the use of the fiatiron rests became necessary. They come 

 almost invariably cast either of iron or brass and were always artis- 

 tically treated. The range of folk art displayed in iron rests would 

 correspond to that of the glass bottles so assiduously collected by the 

 present generation. Often the rests were commemorative of some 

 celebrity or had a political or humorous slant. A yellow brass trivet 

 iron rest from England is perforated with crown and plumes de- 

 sign and is of excellent workmanship. (PI. 92, fig. 1; Cat. No. 

 168329, S. B. Dean; 8.5 inches (21.5 cm.) long.) Another specimen, 

 of bronze, has an elaborate rococo design. (PI. 92, fig. 2; Cat. No. 

 289463, England; Anton HeitmuUer; 9.5 inches (24 cm.) long.) 

 A cast -bronze specimen commemorates Jenny Lind posing as goddess 

 of music. (PI. 92, fig. 3; Cat. No. 289462, United States; Anton 

 HeitmuUer; 10.2 inches (26 cm.) long.) 

 54261—28 8 



