Milton Bradley Operation Game original 1965 history

Quick!  Can you name the guy on the operating table in the Milton Bradley classic game of Operation?   

Sam!  More specifically “Cavity Sam”, who in 2004 came down with an additional affliction, Brain Freeze (you know, from drinking a slurpie / slushie to fast?).  It tallied more votes than either Tennis Elbow or Growling Stomach in the naming contest.

Game History

The game was born in 1962 when student John Spinello designed a very simple version for an industrial design class project.  Fortuitous circumstances had John selling the design to a small firm who developed a game from his concept, “Death Valley”, in which players went on a search for water in the desert.    When Milton Bradley got their hands on the game in 1965 it was redesigned, and became the game themed in a hospital operating room we know today.

The original 1965 version is the “holy grail” of Operations games.  For starters it has a doctor smoking on the box, tapping his ashes in Sam’s face.  Imagine how this would go over today!  The original game has a slanted key through the Milton Bradley Logo rather than a key lying horizontally underneath the logo.  The original game instructions were printed on the inside cover of the box, not on a paper insert.  Additionally the first version has “Electric Game” in green lettering, and later versions say “Skill game” in black. 

The body parts

Adam's Apple: in the throat; The Adam's apple is a colloquial term referring to the thyroid cartilage surrounding the larynx that becomes more visually prominent during puberty. Worth 100 points.

Broken Heart: a heart shape with a crack through it on the right side of the chest. The phrase "broken heart" refers to an emotional feeling in which someone is very sad for some reason. 100 points.

Wrenched Ankle: a wrench in the right ankle. 100 points.

Butterflies in the Stomach: a large butterfly in the middle of the torso. The name comes from the feeling in the stomach when nervous or afraid. 100 points.

Spare Ribs: two ribs fused together as one piece. "Spare Ribs" are a variety of meat. 150 points.

Water on the Knee: a pail of water in the knee. Colloquialism for fluid accumulation around the knee joint. 150 points.

Funny Bone: a play on the anatomical name for the upper arm bone (the humerus), and a reference to the colloquial name of the ulnar nerve. 200 points.

Charley Horse: a small horse resting near the hip joint. A play on the real charley horse, which is a sudden cramp in the leg or foot, that can be cured with massage or stretching. 200 points.

Writer's Cramp: a pencil in the forearm. Refers to the real writer's cramp which is a soreness in the wrist, and can be cured resting it. 200 points.

The Ankle Bone's Connected to the Knee Bone: This is not a plastic piece, but rather a rubber band stretched between two pegs at the left ankle and knee that has to be unhooked. 200 points. The name is taken from the African-American spiritual "Dem Bones".

Wish Bone: located on the left side of the chest. A "wish bone" is a chicken bone which is traditionally used by two people to make a wish on. 300 points.

Bread Basket: a slang word for the stomach, this is a difficult piece to remove. It is a very small slice of bread, with only a small notch taken out of the top for grip. 1000 points.

Dem bones

The toe bone connected to the heel bone,
The heel bone connected to the foot bone,
The foot bone connected to the leg bone,
The leg bone connected to the knee bone,
The knee bone connected to the thigh bone,
The thigh bone connected to the back bone,
The back bone connected to the neck bone,
The neck bone connected to the head bone.

Vintage operation game 1968 SOLD.

More?

Milton Bradley

Operation game

Bones

Surgery

How to become a doctor

Orange glass piece - MYSTERY

So here is a new mystery.  At first glance one might think this a juicer of some sort, however I am not convinced.  I personally have never seen a smooth sided juicer, though I am told they are available to reduce pulp.  However there are 2 valleys in the side where the juice would just run out, no where to collect and pour.

This piece is about 4 inches in diameter, and while trying to clean it i discovered the orange will actually rub off the glass. 

So..... what is it?  All guesses welcome!  By the way, the kids aren't around, so have at it ;)

This one is for honor.... unless you lead me to very convincing evidence of it's true use!

Vintage antique Dundee Orange Marmalade stoneware jar MYSTERY

The Marmalade

The Keillers have been making Dundee Orange Marmalade in the town of Dundee Scotland since the early 1700’s, and opened a marmalade factory in Great Britain in 1797.

As the story goes, familiar with many great products,  this one sprang from a bit of an accident.  In 1700, Dundee Scotland grocer James Keiller, took advantage of a Spanish ship taking refuge from a winter storm in the harbour carrying a large cargo of Seville oranges. The price was dirt cheap so he bought bushels full.  Expecting to turn a quick dime young James was disappointed when he discovered the Seville oranges were way to bitter for most peoples tastes and they didn’t sell!   

His wife, Janet, went to work on a simple recipe utilizing sugar and thick chucks of Seville orange rind to make some preserves.  Apparently this marmalade was just right for peoples tastes and the Keilers couldn’t keep the stuff in stock, eventually ensuring a regular stop for Spanish ships full of Seville oranges, and in1797, another generation of Keiller’s finally built a marmalade factory, and a British staple was born.

The Jar

With over 200 years of history, you’d think tracing dates on a jar would be pretty straightforward.  Well, not for me, apparently I haven’t looked in the right place… yet!

I know their newer jars are made of white glass.  I found plenty from 1862 touting their prize medal for marmalade, grand medal merit Vienna, Some jars say Dundee and Croyden on the bottom, some do not have the heart with 1797.  Every other one I’ve come across has some reference to England impressed into the bottom. 

This one has a few small chips on the foot rim and a few minor pits, but overall this piece is in stellar condition.  There is crazing throughout and the bottom is white, rough and unmarked.  It is about 4.5 inches tall and 2.5 in diameter.  

The challenge

First person to lead me to a definitive answer as to a time frame of when this particular jar was made will get a coupon good for %25 one item in my Etsy shop.

THIS ITEM HAS BEEN SOLD

UPDATE

Viking Sweetheart below (who bought a 1973 Western Electric Bell phone from me a few months ago that I swear, it’s throaty ring would shake the floor!), happens to be a friend of mine named sparrowandbloom on Etsy.com, who contacted me via Etsy and pointed me to good info about these jars.   

  Maling Collectors Society  “Maling” was the name of the pottery that produced most of the Dundee Marmalade Jars.  The September 2000 Newsletter shed some light on my mystery. 

Two interesting facts stand out:

 1.  “…By the 1870 the Keilers were purchasing millions of pots annually from Maling…”

 2.  “…America – something of an oddity perhaps, given that Keilers had no US trade worthy of mention before 1880…”

 (Which reminds of the old collector adage, “just ‘cause I ain’t seen it, don’t mean it’s rare!”)

So I pulled the jar out again and could be easily convinced it is ca. 1897 - 1940.  The lines are tight on the body, and having thrown some pots in my younger days having more rounded shoulders makes sense, especially if you're doing tons of 'em by hand, straight sides are much more difficult, at least for me.

There is a clear spinning motion to form the bottom, an easy press to manufacture I would think, though it is still relatively rough.  The font, and particularly the layout of the measurement seem more modern than my original guess, and would fit I think into the above.  Additionally the crazing is similar to other items I've seen from the time period, though as a counter I haven't seen enough earlier pieces (yet!) to know if crazing from a 1796 piece looks any different.

I could see this design being uses as a centennial perhaps?  Which would put it at it's earliest of 1897, though it's questionable whether it's to "clean" design wise for that.  Until I know differently it's open to possibility.  I would think that by 1940 or so the process would have been more exact and not quite as rough?   It seems the most modern of the stoneware is a bit brighter, or could just be my weird photography ;)

 

However my one concern is the lack of marking on the bottom.  I can’t see anything being scratched off, it’s too rough and fit to form, and there is nothing there.   If I recall by 1897 most all mass produced goods at least had the country of origin imprinted.  This threw me off considerably and had me leaning towards a much earlier piece even though the design didn’t match .  However I’ve yet to read of any of these jars without a potters or country mark.  No one fakes $5 items and it’s clearly not a modern repro. 

Mysteries yet to be solved

When did they stop making band tops? 

When did they switched to glass, and if that killed production of stoneware?

Why no mark?.

Want more?

Dundee orange marmalade

Flowers

Scotland 

Jars

1960s Anholt Ashtray, lessons in American History

The Item

It’s like I was back in the bowling alleys with my folks on league night as a little kid! 

This 1960s plastic ashtray is made by the Asholt-Ashtray company, and is a patented piece:  US PAT. #2352756 DES. 196351. 

Here is a 4.3 MB PDF link to a copy of this patent-

Would you like a professionally made version of this patent or any other patent?

 

This pieces measures at it’s longest point (over the holders), 6.5 inches.  I would say it is more of a “Salmon” color then the pictures present.  The bottom is clearly imprinted with company name and the patent numbers.

The Patent date

The patent was issued on September 17, 1963, a seemingly innocuous day in American History.

Until you consider that on September 17, in the year:

1630 The city of Boston was founded, eventually to become a bastion of American revolutionaries and become a foundation place in American history.

1814 Amateur poet, Francis Scott Key put the finishing touches on his poem, “Defence of Fort McHenry”, eventually becoming the lyrics of “The Star Spangled Banner”, which officially became the national anthem of The U.S.A. in 1931.

1862 Beginning of the civil war, more specifically the one day battle of Sharpsburg, AKA Antietam, bloodiest day in American history with over 23,000 casualties.

1920 The NFL is organized, home of the De Facto American holiday, Super Bowl Sunday.

2001 The New York Stock Exchange opens for the first time since 9-11

2010 After a 54 year run, the soap opera, “As the World Turns”, broadcasts it’s final episode.

Perhaps this piece of Americana knows much more than we think!

This item has been sold.

Spark an interest?

American history

911

NYSE

NFL

Boston Massachusetts

What is breakable, shaped like a leaf, and has 4 holes in it? MYSTERY

The Mystery

What is breakable, shaped like a leaf, and has 4 holes in it?

I don’t know…. That’s why you’re here!

 

The item

This little gem has been stumping us.  It measures about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide.  It has four holes in it which point at differing angles.  A pencil will fit through 3 of the holes, but not the fourth.  It does not sit flat.  The glaze on this ceramic piece is stunning.  

 

Win big  (well, win anyway…)

We’re at a loss to explain it’s use, so why don’t you try? 

  

All ridiculous comments appreciated!  In fact, the most entertaining comment(as voted on by the three judges, Wes, Renee, and Shyla) will get the backup prize, and the first person to point me towards fairly credible evidence of what this actually is, gets a choice of two gifts explained below.   

 

The Prizes

Three fascinating brass leaves, kinda a mystery as well, or two colorful woven coasters.

 

 

But wait, there’s more!

As a thanks for visiting our blog, stop by our shop through March 1 2011, and use coupon code  “mystery1” to receive %18 off any purchases.

Search Amazon for:

Leaves

Brass

Mysteries

Coasters

Ceramics

Some Guesses?

UPDATE
I feel like MythBusters.  We ran some experiments and are awarding a prize to the most plausible case.  The flower frog seemed like a forerunner, but no matter what size vase we used or how we tried to sit the thing on top, it never really balanced right.  The flowers in the holes are what kept it in place.  It clearly didn't strike us as being built for such a purpose.  Incense holder?  It was damn near impossible to get four sticks balanced in the holes without then touching each other or falling out.  Several other ideas held intrigue.  However the one that actually seems the most plausible is "The Tea Bag Holder" .  It actually fits nicely on the rim of the mug and the main area sits parallel with the floor in this configuration.   We found that with it on the inside, the bag actually sat under the water, but then you could lift the bag and with the back of a tea spoon press all the water out nicely.    

Cograts to Inge, your brass leaves are on the way!

The intriguing baroque style spoon & fork from Italy

This set of ornate baroque style utensils is beautiful and intriguing.  Measuring about 7 inches each is boldly marked “Italy” on the reverse of the handle terminal.  Interestingly they are not written in the same direction and upon closer inspection it seems they are written by different people, most notably the “Y”, with the spoon having a 2 stroke unsymmetrical “Y, and the fork being a symmetrical 3 stroke “Y”.  Additionally each letter has slightly different lines to it.

 

I’m guessing it to be high grade pewter, with more of a tin, rather than lead content.  They definitely appear dinged up as soft pewter might, but I’ve personally not seen such a good shine on pewter before.  There seems good evidence of being hand made.  There is a wide fluctuation of thickness through out each piece, and the holes through are varied in design, with no two being an identical shape.  There is one, and occasionally 2 facets of vertical striations on the edges, which sometimes switch directions and tilt. 

 

The terminal has what appears to be 2 lions surround the same pattern of 6 dots used in the bowls, and at the shoulders of the bowls is a male figure with a long mustache.  A crown is at the drop into the bowl as well as at the terminal.  The stem is a more indistinguishable filigree pattern with sections that are completely open.  The spoon weights 2.2 ounces and the fork, 1.8.

I’m also guessing this pair was made around the turn of the 20^th century.  Knowing Italy wasn’t a unified country until 1870 or so, it seems more likely if it was prior to that time that the local state / regional name or personal mark would have been used.  Knowing also that though it’s not a hard fast rule, most items made after about 1920 or so typically include “Made In” before the country name. 

 

I do have a theory that this set was not made together, but combined later.  The decoration on these two pieces, though seemingly identical do have variances that might be indicative of a latter run, most telling is the difference of the quality / wear in the man’s face on the shoulder, and the 6 raised dots between the lions. 

 

Comments, suggestions, corrections?

This item is for sale here

Looking for even more?

Silverware

Baroque style

pewter

Italy