This little note and pencil holder are from the late 1950s from my father's side business of repairing clocks, watches, and jewelry. He must have purchased a case or two to give to his regular patrons. My mom probably saved a few and now I have this lovely green one.It is 3 3/4" wide and nearly 7" tall. These holders came in green, blue, yellow (and possibly pink). It was originally made to hang on a wall from a nail but I've adapted it by putting magnetic tape on the back so we can hang it on our refrigerator.
It's become fragile through continued use and has been repaired several times. The little Dutch couple are attached to the holder by only their shoes and the connections between the tops of their shoes and their dress/pants are very thin.
There are three things I love about this little treasure.
1) The color: truly a 1940's green.
2) That it was made in America!
3) And the phone number on the advertising:
LEE DOYLE -- JEWELER
16 FURNACE ST. MINERAL RIDGE, OHIO
OL. 2-7979
I doubt I will ever forget the phone number of our home -- the same from the time I was a child until my mother passed away in 1997 -- but should my memory fall short I now have it on hand. Of course, the area code has changed.
Anyone who was a child of the '50s will probably remember that phone numbers were a combination of letters and numbers. Those first two letters stood for a word. In our case, it was "Olympic." My best friend's exchange was "Liberty." The letters were eventually exchanged for numbers. I don't know what difference it made since we dialed the same numbers.
I think my father hoped that one day his watch repair business would become a full-time means of providing for his family. It didn't work out that way: he continued to repair watches and clocks as a side business while working at Copperweld Steel 40-60 hours/week.
--Nancy.
Copyright © 2014 Nancy Messier. All Rights Reserved.
I see why you love this note holder. Who wouldn't? I was thinking about phone numbers just yesterday, as a matter of fact. My childhood phone number was EX (for Export) 3-5443 and was changed to 393-5443 when we went to all numbers. The only phone number I can't remember is the one Barry and I had for our first 3 years of marriage.
ReplyDeleteYou've got a good memory, Wendy, if you can remember all your phone numbers. I would be hard-pressed to come up with about ours in several homes. I suppose recording phone numbers might be an interesting thing for future generations to know, huh?
DeleteHi, Nancy,
ReplyDeleteHave you heard that they've stated demolition on the back part of the Copperweld complex?
Mike
Hi, Mike. I've seen photos of Copperweld in a state of deterioration but did not know that it was purposefully being demolished. It did not have a very long life. I think it first began operation in 1939.
DeleteHello Nancy, I love your little note holder, but you’ve sent me into a panic – I can’t remember our old ‘phone number. I was born in the late 40s but even so, I thought it would be imprinted on my mind for ever. I ‘think’ the number was made up of letters and digits, but that is about all I can remember. Thinking cap on – again! Thanks for this very enjoyable post. Barbara
ReplyDeleteIsn't it funny, Barbara, how we forget things that we think we never will? I doubt many people think to write down phone numbers in journals. Maybein a letter, though.... I hope you remember.
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