Housewares

White Cap Company, est. 1926

Museum Artifact: Vapor-Vacuum Jar Cap Opener, 1950s

Made By: White Cap Company, 1819 N. Major Ave., Chicago, IL

If you want to start a successful business, invent a solution to one of mankind’s great conundrums. If you want to stay in business, be ready to fix all the new problems your solution creates.

Back in 1930, a small Goose Island start-up called the White Cap Company introduced its “Vapor Vacuum” lid sealing system—a revolutionary new steam-based method for preserving the freshness and flavor of bottled commercial foods.

Bersted Manufacturing Co., est. 1924

Museum Artifact: Bersted Electric Toaster No. 74, c. 1932

Made By: Bersted MFG Co., 5201 W. 65th St., Chicago, IL

The toaster of the future! The toaster for all times! The apex of toasterdom!

Looking like a miniaturized attraction from the “Century of Progress” World’s Fair, this majestic creation by Chicago’s Bersted MFG Company was actually a bargain basement brand for its day;

Republic Molding Corp., est. 1946

Museum Artifact: Polly Flex Tumblers / Plastic Cups, c. 1950s

Made By: Republic Molding Corporation, 6465 N. Avondale Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Dexter Sewing Machine Co., est. 1956

Museum Artifact: Dexter Sewing Machine and Booklet, c. 1957

Made By: The Dexter Sewing Machine Co., division of the Grant Company, 2735 N. Ashland Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Triner Scale & MFG Co., est. 1903

Museum Artifact: Triner Precision Postal Scale, 1910

Made By: Triner Scale & MFG Co., 2714 W. 21st St., Chicago, IL

It’s a rare treat that an artifact from the Made In Chicago Museum can actually introduce itself in its own words, but such is the case with our Triner “Precision” 4LB postal scale. When this design was first patented and sent to market in 1906,

VAL-A Company, est. 1932

Museum Artifact: VAL-A Egg Scale, c. 1930s

Made By: VAL-A Company, 700 W. Root St., Chicago, IL

Weighing a hundred eggs one-by-one on a galvanized metal doohickey might seem crazily inefficient, if not entirely unnecessary. But for any humble farmer / chicken coop owner of the early to mid 20th century, egg scales like this one were must-have tools of the trade. Today, they can pass for intriguing modern art pieces.

L. Wolff MFG Co., est. 1855

Museum Artifact: Metal Sink Drain Cover, c. 1910s

Made By: L. Wolff Manufacturing Company, 325 N. Hoyne Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Weber-Stephen Products Co., est. 1893

Museum Artifact: Weber Barbecue Accessories Starter Set 8801, 1970s

Made By: Weber-Stephen Products Co., 100 N. Hickory St., Arlington Heights, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Solo Cup Company, est. 1936

Museum Artifact: “Dairy Treat” Paper Cups, 1967

Made by: Solo Cup Company, 1501 E. 96th Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Reliable Paste Company, est. 1917

Museum Artifact: Reliable Cold Water Wall Size Paste, c. 1950s

Made By: Reliable Paste Company, 3560 S. Shields Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co., est. 1855

Museum Artifact: OVB No. 2 Kerosene Lantern, c. 1920s

Made By: Hibbard Spencer Bartlett & Co., 211 E. North Water Street

“Hardware seems to those who sell it to be more human than any other kind of business.” That’s how journalist Fred C. Kelly sized up the stock and trade of Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett in 1930, on the occasion of the wholesale company’s 75th anniversary.

American Metal Ware Co., est. 1883

Museum Artifact: Electric Hot Water Urn, 1920s

Made by: American Metal Ware Co., 368 W. Huron St., Chicago, IL

It’s 18 inches tall, has a 6-pint fill capacity, and looks like a leftover evil robot prop from a low budget sci-fi movie. Rest assured, though, the “American” hot water urn is not to be feared. In fact, you might consider it the patriotic,

Northwestern Terra Cotta Co., est. 1878

Museum Artifact: Terra Cotta Dog Premium, c. 1920s

Made By: Northwestern Terra Cotta Company, 1701-1711 W. Terra Cotta Place, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Case-Moody Pie Corp., est. 1929

Museum Artifact: Case-Moody Pie Pans, c. 1940s

Made By: Case-Moody Pie Corporation, 1807 W. Walnut Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

A.L. Hansen MFG Company, est. 1920

Museum Artifact: Hansen Tacker / Stapler, c. 1940s

Made by: A. L. Hansen MFG Co., 5037 N. Ravenswood Ave., Chicago, IL

The vintage Hansen Tacker pictured above looks and functions much like the manual staple guns of today—it’s spring-loaded, uses tough wire staples (also made by Hansen), and has an upturned squeeze-trigger handle for one-handed efficiency. It was used for the same sorts of handyman tasks,

Page Boiler Company, est. 1905

Museum Artifact: Chicago Stadium Boiler Room Blueprint, c. 1940s

Made By: Page Boiler Company, 815-819 W. Webster Avenue, Chicago, IL

In 2015, the Page Boiler Company shut down its last Chicago plant at 2348 N. Damen Avenue in Bucktown, and I guess I can say I attended the funeral.

After 110 years of designing, building, installing and repairing the finest water-tube boilers in the Midwest,

Hanson Scale Company, est. 1888

Museum Artifact: Hanson No. 24 U.S. Family Scale, c. 1900

Made By: Hanson Bros. Scale Company, 427 W. Randolph St. / 525 N. Ada Street, Chicago IL

“Judging from the large increase in orders reported by the Hanson Bros. Manufacturing Company, 18-30 Randolph street, dealers and jobbers are finding the U.S. family scale a very profitable, quick-selling article to handle. The Hanson Brothers manufacture a high grade family scale,

Art-Rite Products Co., est. 1958

Museum Artifact: Tarnishproof Tinsel Garlands, 1960s

Made By: Art-Rite Products Co., 1355 Blue Island Ave., Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Chicago Electric MFG Co., est. 1902

Museum Artifact: Sterling Desk Fan, c. 1940

Made By: Chicago Electric MFG, Co., 6333 W. 65th Street., Chicago, IL

Some time in the early 1970s, the singer/songwriter Gram Parsons—pioneer of the genre later known as “alternative country”—was hanging out with his buddy Keith Richards, talking about song ideas.

“I’ve been writing about a guy that builds cars,” Parsons said—this according to Richards’ own account in his 2010 memoir,

National Washboard Company, est. 1903

Museum Artifact: The Universal No. 134 Washboard, c. 1920s

Made By: National Washboard Co., 72 W. Adams Street, Chicago, IL

Long before “upcycling” and “repurposing” became part of the antiquing lexicon, it was the washboard that practically invented re-invention—evolving from a contrivance of laborious laundering practices into a peppy and versatile musical instrument.

The artifact in our own museum collection,

Wm. Meyer Co., est. 1906

Museum Artifact: Eagle Speed Salon Hair Dryer, c. 1930

Made By: The Wm. Meyer Co., 1644 N. Honore Street, Chicago, IL

Research is underway on this one and a full write-up will be coming soon.

Hanson 500 Gram Dietetic Scale by Hanson Scale Co., 1930s

Hanson Scale Company, 525 N. Ada St., Chicago, IL

“This is the authoritative scale for individuals whose safety requires that they accurately weigh each portion of their food in grams. Any Hanson Diet Scale is easy to use, and so sturdily constructed that it may be carried from room to room and still retain strict accuracy.” —Hanson Scale Co. catalog, 1936

Sold throughout the ’20s and ’30s,