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Curiosities

8/22/2023

Cabinets of curiosities, sometimes called cabinets of wonder, have a long history as a collection of notable objects. Check out this TED-Ed video on the history of museums. They were a way to display collections and spark interesting conversations. Instead of a cabinet, I have a shelf... or rather the top of a shelf to display a few stationary related artifacts.

This small collection contains:

A variety of vintage wooden rulers. Some are school rulers and some are advertising rulers. All were made in Canada.
2 ASPCO pencil sharpeners, a Giant and a Chicago, both made in Canada during the late 1930s or 1940s.
Several pencils made by the Canadian Pencil Company, a short lived Canadian manufacturer from the 1960s. The pencils are held in Schwartz "mustard glasses". In the 1950s, Schwartz & Sons began selling mustard in reusable glass jars. The spice company was based in Halifax, Nova Scotia and these glasses became common drinking glasses.
A pack of Planet playing cards which were made in Canada and still has the excise stamp tax on it. The stamp was orginally issued in 1947.
Three different Acme cribbage boards. All were made in Canada by the Acme Ruler and Advertising Co., Ltd. of Toronto, Ontario. They are all the same board from different time periods.

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A Shared Anniversary

8/17/2023

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The Eagle Pencil Company, with its factory in Drummondville, QC was established in 1931 and celebrated its 60th anniversary in 1991. The Alberta Parks Service also celebrated their 60th anniversary at approximately the same time. When Eagle printed special anniversary boxes of pencils, the Alberta Parks Service also had pencils created to commemorated their anniversary.

"The Provincial Parks and Protected Areas Act was passed at the 1930 session of the Alberta legislature. In spring 1930, the Provincial Board of Management for parks was established. Establishment of Aspen Beach Provincial Park in 1932 signalled the official beginning of Alberta's provincial park system. Gooseberry Lake, Park Lake, Sylvan Lake and Saskatoon Island provincial parks were also established at this time."

Alberta Parks Service - 60 Years

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Pencils, eh

Curiosities

A Shared Anniversary

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