Antique(s) of the Week #4: A Family Heirloom & A Weird Doorbell

It's a Two-for-One Special!

Hello, everyone. It's been a long time.

My excuse at first was moving to a new house, but that was way back in July and I've since gotten pretty comfortable. To be honest real quick, I've had a hard time writing for myself since my job is to write for others. I have blog ideas and short story ideas just sitting in my brain waiting around to leave. Motivation is difficult to come by. Maybe I'm just lazy? Anyway.

I figured antiques are a comfy way to get back into the swing of things, so I'd like to share a housewarming gift my mom passed down from her grandparents:

Lamp.

Delightfully frosted pink glass, floral patterns and gold finishes that don't scream mid-century Victorian revival, but gently announce it. She's cute, isn't she? And as a hand-me-down from my great-grandparents, she's sweetly sentimental, something I'll cherish always.

Oooo.

This lamp is from the 1960s according to a few online sellers, though I think it gives a distinctly 50s vibe. Who knows. The top and bottom tiers can light separately or together for just the right glow, which is nice. When I turn it on, my dining room is bathed in warm, considerate light; it feels like a hug.

Now, the next thing. This house I moved into was, my dad says, built in the late 1940s/early 50s. And like many older St. Louis buildings left to the mercy of tenants by apathetic landlords, she has some...quirks. Many of those aren't so fun for me, but this one is.

In the hallway between the two bedrooms, I found this:

An ancient fire alarm?

It was mounted on the wall and connected to frayed copper wiring, so I did what any discerning antique hobbyist would do and cut it down. Oop. It clearly didn't work anymore, and the landlord clearly didn't bother to remove it after all this time, so finders keepers yo.

After a lot of research (i.e., Googling and looking at eBay posts), I realized this thing is a mid-century doorbell that's likely been here since the house was built. The wiring would've connected to a button by the front door that isn't there anymore, and its cover is missing, so you can see its copper guts.

This is what it looks like after a good cleaning:

How far we've come in doorbell technology.

So yeah, I guess mid-century charm is the theme of this post. I just wanted to share the happy little ways we stumble upon happy little things, whether it's gifts from loved ones or treasures from a bit of exploring.

I can't promise a consistent schedule from here, but I can promise my next post won't be four months from now. As I rediscover the habit of writing for me and nobody else, I hope to put out more awesome content for you all. Thank you for sticking with me.

-Jenna