Falcon Minette Bakelite Camera by Utility MFG Co., c. 1940

Utility MFG Co. / Spartus Corp, 711-715 W. Lake Street, Chicago, IL

The Falcon Minette was, in theory, just another of the many cheap bakelite camera brands produced out of Jack Galter’s Lake Street factory during the late 1930s and early 1940s. You can get the full crazy story of this photo industry phenomenon on our main Spartus Camera history page.

As for this model,

Jas. P. Marsh Corp., est. 1880s

Museum Artifact: Marsh Pressure Gauge, c. 1940s

Made By: Jas. P. Marsh Corporation, 2073 N. Southport Ave., Chicago, IL

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

The Cable Piano Company, est. 1880

Museum Artifact: “One Hundred and One Best Songs” Songbooks, 1910s

Made By: Cable Piano Company, 57 E. Jackson Blvd., Chicago, IL

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

Pelouze Family Scale by Pelouze MFG Co., c. 1930s

Pelouze Manufacturing Company, 232 E. Ohio St., Chicago, IL

Here it is. The one that started it all.

This was the faded green Pelouze “Family Scale” that caught my eye at a junk shop in the first week of 2015. As explained on the About Us page, for whatever reason, this finding lit the proverbial fuse of discovery / obsessive compulsiveness within me, and eventually laid the imaginary foundation for my imaginary museum.