close iframe icon
approved icon 1Ernesto avatar
1Ernesto
Banner

Antiques - Foot Warmer, Shoe Stretcher, Clark Carbon Brick and Steamer Trunk

A number of companies manufactured carriage heaters (foot warmers) and advertised in newsletters and magazines. Lehman Brothers (not to be confused with the pr...
Read more

A number of companies manufactured carriage heaters (foot warmers) and advertised in newsletters and magazines. Lehman Brothers (not to be confused with the present day, recently bankrupted financial firm), the Chicago Flexible Shaft Company, and the H.T. Hearsey Vehicle Company were among those who advertised on a regular basis in the early 20th century. The companies often also sold coal for use in the heaters, arguing of course in their ads that only their brand of coal worked the best in any heater.
The type of foot warmer photographed was used in buggies, sleds, carriages, and many gas powered vehicles well up until World War II depending somewhat on where you lived. The big feature of the Clarke heaters was that the company had developed a carbon coal block (see photograph) from natural dried hardwoods that when heated in a brisk fire would stay hot for ten to twelve hours under the most cold conditions. They claimed the brick would last up to twenty five percent longer than any competitive fire block. A full cake or briquette, as we would know them today, would last up to twelve hours which was long enough to cover any trip to almost anywhere you would want to go. Indeed, the briquettes did reduce the need to stop at neighboring farm houses along the way to add hot coals or ashes to the heater tray. The heater in this photo most likely is a Hearsey heater is in excellent condition and features a slide out tray which still holds an original Clark Carbon brick. In practice, you would place your feet on the heater and cover your legs with a blanket – actually a buffalo robe was preferred. The Smithsonian Institute has the exact same foot warmer (without cover) in its collection, it that had been used by a postal worker in the early 1900’s.

The most interesting heater advertisement from the early 20th century came from the Novelty Manufacturing Company of Jackson, Michigan. Their advertisement offered something much better than the old coal standby. Novelty advertised its “X-Radium” heater as the best and latest heating technology. An advertisement boasted that “one of its chief advantages is the fact that it requires no fuel. . . . the heating pad consists of a stamped steel receptacle filled with a substance which will attract itself heat rays and retain the heat attracted for several hours. The substance they used was radium. Radium was an intriguing new material to manufacturers, who found a spot for it in a number of products, even toothpaste! In the first years of the 20th century the deadly power of radium was not yet understood and the idea of resting one’s feet on a container of radioactive material did not sound as terrifying as it does to today’s consumers.

Read less

Views

847

Likes

Awards

Peer Award
Steeevn LookSee
Superb Composition
kimmedlong Bex81
Top Choice
barbaranelson

Categories


See all
It’s your time to shine! ☀️

Share photos. Enter contests to win great prizes.
Earn coins, get amazing rewards. Join for free.

Already a member? Log In

By continuing, you agree to our Terms of Service, and acknowledge you've read our Privacy Policy Notice.