09/13/2025
Well, well, well. What do we have here? Take a good look at these photos and see if you can determine what this piece might have been used for. I'll give you some hints to try to misl... I mean, to help you find the right answer. And so, here are a couple of possible descriptions to guide you. All you have to do is pick one. Is this thing:
A.) I recognized this immediately! This is an EDWARDIAN HAIR PRESS. Ladies once had to use handheld metal crimpers, held over a stove in order to produce heat to make a crimp (tight curly waves) in their hair. A status symbol, ladies with longer hair could get their hair done in an Edwardian Salon, simply by ironing (with a literal iron) their long hair at once to produce heat, and sandwiching the strands between the two layers of the press. Much faster than hand crimping a few locks at a time!
B.) This is a CONFECTIONERS' PRESS! Sugary confections, such as taffy, could be spread along the main forming plate of the Confectioners' Press, and once the top plate was carefully placed and compressed, the candies would form into small tube-like shapes, just the right size to accompany a cup of tea in the parlor, or to work the kids into a sugar-indued frenzy right after Lord Worthington's dinner party. A modern marvel... for 1914!
C.) It's clearly a WOODEN CIGAR MOLD! Most people would discount this theory, given the image of a big, fat, hand-rolled Cuban cigar. But back in the day, many preferred a much smaller, "less filling" stogie. These molds still required a fair amount of hand work to form the to***co leaves just right, and add just the right amount of to***co, but if you get these things just right... the mold produces compacted ci**rs to extend the burn rate, perfectly sized and shaped, every time.
D.) You all are wrong, as this is absolutely an Edwardian era CANDLE MOLD! How do you not see this? Before electricity, candles were the hero of the less wealthy. Beeswax candles were expensive, and hand-dipped candles were time consuming to make. These wooden molds enabled common folks to use a mixture of beeswax and soy to pour wax candles at home. A wick was inserted through the small hole, and wax was poured from the bottom. Voila! Separate the two halves of the form, and 20 candles at once!
So, you think you have the right answer? Let's hear it! :)
Ellicott City Main Street Historic Ellicott City
