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Thursday, June 30, 2011

Installing Floor in New Art Studio

The Art Studio is coming together.  We started building the two story garage/woodworking shop - lower level in August 2009.  Then in May-June-July 2010 added the second story creating space for the art studio. 

Here's my darling Mom, Lorraine removing brass hardware from one of the 120 card file drawers, getting it ready to sand each box to remove old crazed varnish finish, followed by primer coat, then two coats of black satin enamel.  Mom cleaned all the brass hardware fixtures with fine steel wool.

By the way, Mom is sitting in the garage below the studio, sitting on one of the 5 vintage chairs I purchased at a vintage/antiques shop called Reflections. 

This is the East Dormer under constructionin May 2010.  To the right you can see shaft opening for the elevator, and the ladder sticking out of the floor--our makeshift entry/exit during the studio build.

Well this is bare bones, isn't it?  It is the East Dormer walls being framed.  Nice view of the old barn.

Looking South is the Balcony Doors.  To the left is the East Dormer.


The walls are gray, dark floors, the woodwork will be off white.  This is the view looking north.  The north end of the studio will have a 12' wide countertop with storage below for canvas art frames. To the left is the West Dormer (my sewing space).  I bet I've moved those vintage chairs dozens of times during the build.  We just ran out of room in the garage below to store easels, chairs, conference table, boxes of flooring, etc. 
Sunday, I sat on the floor and re-installed all the brass hardware on the 120 card file drawers.

Here are four sections, each section contains 15 drawers.  Two boxes stacked equals 29"--just the right height to add a laminate countertop.  I'll sit (sew) facing the west double windows with two care file boxes on my left, and two boxes on my right. 

Last summer when Mom and I worked a couple of weeks restoring the two old credenzas, here are some photos showing the drawer dimensions, and how I plan to use them in the sewing room for notions, and in the north end of the art studio for paint tubes/brush storage.


In this photo, just behind this credenza is another matching credenza.  As I mentioned before, I removed the vintage legs, and unbolted the four sections making up this unit of 60 drawers.

At one point during the card file restoration I took some photos showing how I plan to use the 17" deep drawers by 5" wide.  This will work out so well in the sewing room.  I'll be able to keep the sewing supplies organized.
 

The north end of the studio we will use the other card file storage sections to support a standard countertop height 35".  We'll have to elevate the sections by means of a 3-4 inch wooden base (platform).  Here is a photo showing how I'll use the card file storage in the art studio.




Jon is doing a great job of laying the flooring.  Note, middle of photo at the left in the floor is the now boarded up temporary entrance/exit, without the ladder sticking up through the floor.



Once the proper lighting fixtures are installed, I think you'll see more definition in the wall color.  I'll be using 5000K color lighting.  There will be three ceiling fans with lights for ventilation and comfort.  Let's see how long we can get along without a/c. 

Above is the East Dormer, and our new temporary exit/entrance with a ladder in the elevator shaft.

The building exterior siding will arrive soon.  It is the same style of wood planks as the old barn.  The color we're painting the exterior is a beautiful shade of . . . .

Monday, June 27, 2011

Fluted Glass Holophane Shades and 1907 Harvey Hubbell Pull Chain Light Socket


I removed these two antique Holophane Glass Shades from upstairs bedrooms, and replaced them with larger vintage light fixtures for better lighting in the bedrooms.

These awesome fluted shades I'll re-wire with new fixtures and use over my sewing table in the west dormer of the art studio.

The pull chain socket fixture on the left turns out to be an antique as well.  The label markings seem to fit the description of a manufacture date of 1907. 

See link below for more information about this pull chain socket invented  in 1896 by Harvey Hubbell.






Discussion about the Birds Eye Maple Desk (more photos)

I received some great comments from Mark, Richard, and Ann about the Birds Eye Maple Desk I posted a couple of days ago.

Mark, Richard, and Ann have wonderful websites I follow.  Be sure to check them out!

Richard's
http://www.myoldhistorichouse.blogspot.com/

Mark's
http://www.althingsruffnerian.blogspot.com/

Ann's
http://www.asentimentallife.blogspot.com/

Birds Eye Maple Desk:  Richard and Mark agreed the desk was Eastlake.  I added some photos to confirm Richard's review that the desk once had a top to it.  Here are more photos noting peg holes and a cleat.  I'm hoping to hear more comments from them about what the top might have looked like. 




Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Summertime - Marinating Cucumbers and Onions

Last night we made a Chicago style grilled hotdogs for dinner.    I started with 8 for $2.29 Aldi's Angus beef hot dogs grilled in a hot pan on the stove (raining outside, so didn't use the gas grill).

Grilled the buns in a bit of butter.  Chopped a tomato, green pepper, sweet pickes and added "1 hour quick marinated cucumers and onion slices."  Here's how.  I chopped up the last 10 bread and butter pickles and saved the juice.  Sliced one half of a large cucumber, and one half of a white onion.  Stuffed 'em into the pickle juice for an hour. 

Last night we punished the marinated cucumbers and onions.  So, this morning I chopped up the remaining cucumbers and onions and tossed them into the juice.  Tonight we'll eat them for a side dish.  We're having Baked and BBQ Sauced Chicken Drumsticks, and Buttered Rice with Broccoli.
And, we're having Lemon Pie.  Jon will take one to work, and we'll eat the other one. 

Lemon Pie 3
The best part of being retired is having time to cook, bake, and go to the Fitness Center. 

1906 photograph of Ragnhild Bertine Quien

I came across this photograph--The 1906 Scandinavia Academy graduation class, with teacher R.B.Q. Ragnhild Bertine Quien--daughter of the second owners of our old Queene Anne Victorian.

 The smaller ovals are students, and the larger ovals are the instructors

Detail of Ragnhild Bertine Quien

I found the 1906 photograph mysteriously August 27, 2010.  Here is my journal telling how I found it.


August 27, 2010

Wednesday at noon I walked downtown, and stopped in at an antique shop. I spoke to the shopkeeper and though we'd had nearly the same conversation before about my house, this time she said . . . I have something for you to look at . . . a photograph that may have come from your house.

The 14"x16" photograph is a class graduation from the Scandinavia Academy. Second row from the bottom, at the left, the second person is Ragnhild Quien.

Ragnhild and her parents and siblings lived in my house. Ragnhild taught at the Scandinavia Academy 1906-1910. The Quien family (second owners) owned my house for 90 years.  I believe the gentlemen front and center is Principal Elmer H. Westgor.

I bought the photograph from the shopkeeper and brought it home--very pleased to have it.

Postscript:  I always work through my lunch hours.  So it was quite strange for me to suddenly decide on Monday of that week to take a walk downtown.  I don't know why I just did.  On that Monday when I walked past the antiques shop, a gentlemen, shop owner from the lower level of the building was outside the store.  I said hi, and then mentioned I stopped by to speak with Ingebret (lower level antiques shop).  The man said, she is closed on Mondays. 

I don't know why, but I decided to stop by on Tuesday.  I returned on Tuesday during my lunch hour, entered "Ingebret's Cupboard", and I could hear her on the phone.  Not wanting to interrupt her I waited for 10 minutes.  She was still on the phone so I left, but again it was just a gut feeling that I should return Wednesday to speak with her.  So I returned on Wednesday. 

Since this event I acquired Ragnhild's black leather briefcase.   To see photos of her briefcase and read about how it mysteriously made its way back to the house, read my blog of Sunday June 19, 2011 - Finding Things Originally From Our Old House.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Finding items that were originally from our old Victorian

Items originally from our old Victorian seem to be finding their way back to the house!

Item: Ragnhild Bertine Quien's Teacher's Briefcase
I received an email from Laurie at Reflections, a beautiful antiques shop in Nelsonville, Wisconsin.

Here's Laurie's June 2 email to me:

I think I may have a couple of pieces in the shop that may have come from your house!  I have a Black Suitcase with the initials R.B.Q. and a Black Iron Plant Stand.

I had been thinking about you . . . and had an opportunity to show Elbert your website, he thinks he recognized it as a house auction we went to. Give me a jingle, or stop in and I'll show you the items!
Take Care,
Laurie


I was so happy Laurie contacted me.  What a pleasure it is to bring home items like this stunning black leather briefcase that belonged to  Ragnhild Bertine Quien--a person who lived in my house. 

We closed on our old Victorian April 16, 2007--and agreed to let the Quien grandchildren have an auction at their family homestead  a week later to sell the furniture and household items.  That is how Laurie and Elbert acquired Ragnhild's black leather teacher's briefcase.
The condition is excellent, as you will see in the photos I took today.





The metal tag indicates the black leather briefcase was purchased at George R. Thiss, Leather Goods, Minneapolis.  I wrote to a relative of George R. Thiss, asking if they could determine the age of the case. 
Ragnhild acquired her teaching degree in 1906 from St. Olaf's in Minnesota.
Do you think it is possible the case is as old as 1906?  I hope to find out.
The leather is clean and supple.  Very nice "inside and out"
There are two pocket compartments for documents.  The snaps are clean and function well.
The leather straps on the inside work well, and the outside latches are in good working condition.  I will not be disappointed to find out the case is newer than 1906.  I'm just making a guess.




The upstairs hallway is where I display Ragnhild's 1902 Academics Diploma she received from The Scandinavia Academy.  The Academy opened in 1893 and closed in 1937.
Here are some detail photos of her 1902 diploma



And, her 1902 Scandinavia Academy graduation class photo.  Ragnhild is the only girl in the second row down from the top row.  From left to right she is the fifth person.

After Ragnhild graduated from St. Olaf's in Minnesota, she returned to the Scandinavia Academy--this time as a teacher.