If asked to think of a countertop kitchen appliance, its likely that the toaster would be up there in most people’s top two, alongside the kettle. There are few kitchens without them, for since the mid-twentieth century, toasters have been an essential part of the daily breakfast routine. But how did they come to be such an integral part of domestic life?
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From humble beginnings in a small grocery shop in Reading, England in 1822, the biscuit-making firm of Huntley & Palmers became a global success story, exporting to all corners of the globe including into the heart of Africa and the mountains of Tibet. But they weren’t the only firm to exploit the success of the novelty biscuit tin.
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When Christmas pudding originated in the 14th century, it was as a form of porridge called frumenty. And it wasn’t quite the fruity treat we know today, although it did include raisins, currants and spices – along with prunes, wine, beef and mutton. It was the
consistency of a soup as opposed to something more solid, and was eaten as a fasting meal in preparation for the forthcoming Christmas festivities.
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For the 1950’s housewife one of the most trusted household helpers was the Merry Maid Laundry Sprinkler Bottle. In the 1940s and early 1950s the sprinkler bottles came in the shapes of ceramic and glass irons, elephants, cats, a Dutch girl, rooster,
clothespin and the (now politically incorrect) Chinese laundry boy.
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From the martini to the manhattan, the festive season is the perfect time to shake yourself a naughty little cocktail, and what better to use than an elegantly classic cocktail shaker?
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The spice of nutmeg first reached Europe, caravan to caravan across the Asian ‘silk roads’, in tiny amounts in medieval times, when it was worth more than its weight in gold.
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The coffee industry is one of the world’s most valuable and the second most traded commodity… Debra Palmen explains why so many people love it and its beautiful and functional collectables.
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Are they toys? Are they ornaments? Milk cans are usually thought of as being large enough to hold about eight to ten gallons, although cream cans are much smaller…
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You’ve probably never heard of Lionel Suttie, but it’s equally likely that you’ve got – or have had – something designed by him in your home…
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When Kylie Richards met with a collector at the Morpeth Antique Centre at the start of Covid, she had no idea she was about to embark on a new learning curve. ‘He’d brought with him his collection of milk bottle caps and all his spares he thought I might like to re-home,’ she says. ‘It became my latest research project.’
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Hard cheese was an important part of the diet in the 18th and 19th centuries. Its consumption was recommended to keep the digestive system running smoothly and for the promotion of healthy teeth, and it was eaten daily in wealthy households.
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These delightful little animal porcelain figures were commonly used in homes during the 1920s and ‘30s (before the arrival of teabags) and were used mainly to catch errant drips from the teapot spout as well as to decorate teapots.
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The image of the typical milk can is a designer’s dream come true when it comes to small containers. Both old and new, the variety of containers in the shape of a milk can is truly remarkable.
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Friction matches were invented in the late 1820s, by the 1830s there was a demand for small containers to
keep these unreliable matches safe but handy. The match holder reflects the changing art styles of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, social changes, historical events, business interests and places of popular appeal.
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Jelly-making is an art that dates back to medieval times, when early cooks first learned how to extract and filter gelatine-rich stocks from collagen-laden meat and fish swim bladders. Unexpectedly, jelly also proved to be the perfect art form for showing off.
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Innovative, functional and quickly seen as a ‘must have’ kitchen appliance, the bench mixer – generically referred to by many as a ‘Mixmaster’ (the Sunbeam Corporation’s brand name) – has long been a domestic icon. It’s possibly the most popular and sought after appliance of its generation.
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Everyone knows what they are, but has anyone made a study of dairy cans, let alone assembled a collection?
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In the era when inventors liked to name their discoveries after themselves, a young man was serving an apprenticeship with an apothecary in the UK, with the intention of becoming a chemist. He opened his own shop in 1837, and had an excellent idea.
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In the mid-1920s less than half the homes in Australian capital cities were connected to mains electricity, yet within a decade a mass market had been created for the mass manufacture and sale of electric kettles. How did this happen?
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For generations, the leading brand for domestic scales has been Salters, a company that has been in business for over 250 years. But the history of scales dates back much further than that…
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