Old Thimbles Put Ads at One’s Fingertips
Question: I inherited a rather large collection of thimbles, ranging from examples of thimbles of the early 1900s carrying advertising to a number of ornate thimbles of European origin. What can you tell me about thimble collecting? --T.P.
Answer: Collectors appear to specialize in thimbles containing advertising and political messages, or the ornate variety, some of which have hefty price tags.
The history of thimble production has its roots in the 19th Century. Thimble production on a larger scale, however, didn’t take place until the early part of this century in the United States, an era when we lived at a slower pace and, hence, when people took time to mend their garments at home. Hand sewing generally required the use of thimbles.
A dominant American thimble firm of this time period, whose products are prized by collectors, was the Simons Brothers Co. of Philadelphia, founded in 1839. Its thimbles manufactured for the 1893 Columbian Exposition and the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair are coveted by collectors.
Additionally, the Simons company designed a special gold thimble for Nancy Reagan as a gift for diplomats’ wives who visited the White House during the Reagan Administration.
Collectible thimbles range in price from a few dollars each to more than $200 for a rare ones, or for those made of precious metals such as gold or silver. Collectible thimbles also can be made of ivory, leather and bone.
Several thousand different advertising thimbles were produced during the early part of this century. Many of them were designed by advertisers to attract women to their products.
The history of thimbles with political messages in this country appears to have begun in 1920 with the ratification of the constitutional amendment giving women the right to vote.
A collectors group is Thimble Collectors International, P.O. Box 2311, Des Moines, Iowa 50310.
Mailbag
The Discovery Museum of Orange County will hold its fifth annual Victorian Fair this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The three-acre plaza surrounding the museum’s Kellogg House will be the site for more than 70 displays, exhibits and booths featuring turn-of-the-century crafts such as quilting, spinning, weaving and scrimshaw plus antique automobiles, cameras and more.
Theme of this year’s fair is “Under the Gazebo.”
The museum is at 3101 W. Harvard St., Santa Ana. Admission: $2 for adults; $1 for children under 12. Information: (714) 540-0404.
W.R. of Tujunga wants to know if any readers can provide information on an old fire extinguisher made by the General Pacific Corp. “It is in excellent condition, stands 24 inches high and holds 2 1/2 gallons,” he writes.
For those collectors who have inquired into information on walking sticks, there is Walking-Stick Notes, a free newsletter published by Cecil Curtis, 4051 E. Olive Road, No. 231, Pensacola, Fla. 32514.
