Old collage piece... Can you identify everything?

This is a photo of a collage piece that I inherited from my Grandmother when she died a few years back. We never really looked at it in detail until today. I started looking up some of the pieces and realized that this was an interesting collection of history. So as a fun challenge (at the request of my wife), I have posted it up here to see if anyone can identify all of the pieces.



Full size image

reply to post by rogerstigers


What the hell is with that spiky thing??? Looks rather like an old fashioned ice pick or one hell of a weapon.

Whatever it is, I wouldn't mind having that close to my front door.

reply to post by tribewilder


Not really sure.. it looks to me like it is made out of varnished wood, although my wife suspects it might be bone. I don't want to open the frame as yet. I would rather keep things as they are, so it's a look and not touch for the moment.

My first thought is that it's a handmade hair-stick, especially if it's bone, but it looks like it' might be too long, unless Grandma had very long hair...?

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ETA: ah, well if it's 4" long then it could be a small hair stick...

reply to post by LadySkadi


She did indeed. This would have been put together in the early 40s or maybe the 50s (given the fact that some of this stuff is plastic).. The item in question is 4 inches from tip to back of cross piece.

reply to post by rogerstigers


It looks to me like a gigantic thorn but from what I would not have any idea. But if not, I am very curious as to it's purpose.

The phonograph needle I have seen and actually have a couple of those.

The feather I am guessing was used as a fan, but that is interesting indeed and makes one wonder what the significance of some of those things are..

reply to post by tribewilder


Hmm.. well, if it is a thorn, the best guess I would have is from a Mesquite tree. The feather strikes me as a quill, but I am not sure. It has some remnents of gold paint along the top edge of the feather.

I am no expert on phonograph needles. I used to have a record player as a kid, but never had to change the needle. There is a needle in the package, but I have not opened it (obviously) to see what condition it is in.

I find the political buttons interesting.. Alfred E. Smith ran against Herbet Hoover in the 1928 Presidential Elections.

Apparently the "They gotta quit kicking my dawg around" slogon was a song lyric that was adopted by the James Clark presidential Campaign in 1912.

The red cross button looks like something from WWI -- such as something Florence Nightengale might have worn.. but that is a guess only.

I am intrigued by the casino chips.. I cannot identify them, but I am no expert on the history of gambling.

hmm.. noone else has an interest? What a shame. I knew I should have titled this thread "Ancient artifacts!!! Help me Identify!!!"

The hanger looks like it's for doll clothes, maybe Barbie? The red sword like thing is a toothpick. The green thing looks like a belt buckle for woman's clothing. I see a magnifying glass. What looks like a Red Cross button. I see a woman's handkerchief, and a broken comb. Someone mentioned the record needle. I don't think that's a hair stick, it looks too sharp at the end--unless it doubled as a weapon.

One button is:
Palmer Method Celluloid Button. Palmer method was a method of handwriting.

Cool stuff .


We should have a thread called " What is it?" .to see who can guess what an item is.

reply to post by virraszto


Ooh.. kewl idea! I love it!