Vintage Fan and the Violas

Hi! Can you come for a walk with me? I’m just walking around the block. I want to show you the Violas.

First a short-cut down the path, past the old church and then into the neighborhood.

 

 

I want to show you this old bed of Violas. At first, it is just a bunch of tiny flowers, but look closer.

Aren’t they exquisite?

Okay, Happy Face, we see you!

Now a short walk home and back to work.

The owner of this house, our village president, went to the trouble to find new roofing shingles that look like they are original. He also built a new garage that looks like it has been there for one hundred years.

I am re-juvenating an early 1960’s aqua blue fan today. It is just for my own use in the kitchen. The top was rusty and it is too much trouble to try to match the paint and then cover all the knobs so they remain paint-free. I decided to sand off the rust and cover the box with a band of fabric. I cut this fabric, from the same era, with my pinking shears so it wouldn’t unravel. After spraying adhesive on the wrong side, I worked the fabric around the control knob and made a handle using the original twill handle inside to give it strength. These handles are screwed on which makes it easy.

Just click the picture to see close-up details.

 

United Electric (Adrian, Michigan) began making the Eskimo line of fans some time around 1920. They can be easily found and I appreciate that the grills can be removed and washed under a faucet.

Aren’t those funny little Viola faces a joy to see in the spring? They are perennial and have recently been found to carry many important antibiotics.