Forged from the Folly - ShardArt - First Shard Ladies from the Folly

 

    A gift to Bron Ogle when she left Jeppe - 2020

Forged from the Folly - ShardArt "Collar's Rose

 

               Name of Artwork "Collar's Rose" (I used the collar's of bottles to make some of the petals)

                        

Found on the Folly - Very old Marmite Jar!

 I found this little 4oz jar on the Folly "MARMITE".  

Sides of the clear Marmite jar with "Marmite 4oz" embossed

                            Bottom of the Marmite jar, the number "47" appears here

"Marmite" originated from?  Translated from French it means an earthenware cooking container.  That is exactly what appears on the Marmite label.  The first Marmite ever produced in 1902 was sold in earthenware containers.

An original earthenware Marmite jar that was in use from between 1902 and 1920

Marmite is a concentrated yeast extract, a by-product from brewing beer.  That's why there was a shortage of Marmite in South Africa during lockdown (all those home-brewers, shame!). 

https://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/food-drink/sa-is-experiencing-a-shortage-of-marmite-heres-why-c96456e6-3a0b-4e55-b147-3367c9af6926#:~:text=Marmite%20lovers%20who%20have%20not,a%20shortage%20in%20brewers'%20yeast.

I am very intrigued, this jar is clear not amber. I wanted to find out why and also how old the bottle was.

I did some research,

I tried to find other products that could've been bottled in clear jars.  Vegemite, Marmite Peanut Butter even some kind of honey spread.  

I could find no reference of a clear bottle.

I then stumbled upon a website, https://www.marmitemuseum.co.uk/

There I found a post where someone else was also enquiring about a clear jar.  They explained that when amber glass was in short supply, Marmite was bottled in clear jars.  

These clear jars could be valuable if they have labels on both sides and have a lid, which this jar unfortunately does not have.

I have sent them an email to enquire what the age of the bottle might be.  I will keep you updated!

Found on the Folly - Shard - Beautiful pink Depression Glass shard found

 Found this shard at the bottom of the Folly, on the bank facing the Hockey Astro.

Gigantic pink glass shard found on the Folly

Shard Identification

Found it!  It's a shard from a Pink Old Cafe Depression Glass Vase.  This vase dates to 1940 making this shard 81 years old.  I wonder who owned this vase?

What is Depression Glass?

I have found many shards of depression glass on the Folly.  They date mostly from 1929 to 1939, from the Depression Era.  This type of glass was very cheap to make because it was moulded.  It was made in interesting colours and patterns.  Cheap to buy, sometimes the items were given away for free.  It was produced in America and Canada.

How to spot Depression Glass? Air bubbles in the glass and visible seams. 

                                                      Depression glass vase made by by Anchor

                                                      Hocking, circa 1930-1940

                                                      Design:  Old Cafe (Clear)

https://www.depressionelegantglass.com/cafe-depression-glass-hocking-ribs-wide-thin/

Or the shard could be from this lamp below

                                                      Vintage Anchor Hocking Old Cafe Pink

                                                      Depression Glass Electric Lamp Circa

                                                      1938-1940

https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/vintage-anchor-hocking-cafe-pink-1830994878

                         

Which one do you think?

Interesting Jeppe History - The Payne Hall, a time capsule Part 4 - Silhouette's of the Payne Hall

 Would you like to meet Mr Trump on the Payne Hall Landing?

Snapped this photo today.  It's on the lower panel of the swing door in front of Mr de Villier's classroom.

Weird! No one created it there, it just appeared.

       Mr  Trumps profile, Payne Hall landing

Jeppe Architecture - Friedenheim - Sir Julius Jeppe's house that was demolished

 I found the plans for Friedenheim, Mr J Jeppe's Mansion at Belgravia.

Unfortunately this beautiful building was demolished in the 1960's.  

All that is left is the ornate gates and some steps.

                                                            Friedenheim Gates - Drawings

                                                        Photographs of Friedenheim 

This is a snippet from the caption

"Belgravia." The handsome house at Johannesburg where Lord Roberts stayed on his way South.

On his return to Johannesburg Lord Roberts stayed at Belgravia, the house which belongs to Mr. Julius Jeppe, who was taken prisoner at the battle of Graspan."

Interestingly they have given Sir Julius Jeppe's house another name.  They have changed it from Friedenheim to Belgravia

https://johannesburg1912.com/2012/10/07/164421564/

                               Drawings by Mark de Lange

https://bedfordviewedenvalenews.co.za/342251/kensington-heritage-celebrated/

Floor plan for adjoining houses with stables and a coach house

Date taken 3 May 1905

https://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-floor-plan-of-adjoined-houses-with-stables-and-a-coach-house-104177187.html

Forged from the Folly - Do you know what a vulcanite stopper is? No, not an army protecting Mr Spock's home planet!

 

I also didn't know until I found these,

Vulcanite bottle stopper from Stag Beer Bottle

found on the road (Hockey Astro parking area)

                                            Stopper top left, from a SAB Beer Bottle, found 

on the bank behind the hockey supporter seating

Vulcanite Bottle Stoppers

The stoppers are made by heating India rubber to 115 degrees together with linseed and sulphur.

This creates a strong and durable material.  The process is called "vulcanization".

I created this piece of ShardArt for Dave when he left Jeppe.

                        

Please check out this link - my favourite Mudlark from the UK, NICOLA WHITE

http://www.tidelineart.com/tideline-art-blog/my-story-of-vintage-vulcanite-screw-bottle-stoppers

Found on the Folly - Inkwell and bottle stopper and plug fuse

                        Inkwell and bottle stopper and plug fuse

    The word 'PRETORIA 41' embossed on the bottom

                        It still has blue ink and the cork inside
 

I think that this bottle is from 1941.  I haven't identified the glass stopper, the one lying on it's side is a plug fuse dating to 1940

Interesting Jeppe History - Old black and white photo album photo's found

I found these whilst searching for old photo's of Jeppe.  I found them by chance, I've tried to look for them again but I haven't been able to find them.

They are from the Jewish Digital Archive

They are my favourite photo's because they depict the life of an average Jeppe family and there are some awesome photo's of the School and the War Memorial.  My Favourite, the photo of "Impala House".

 

1930 to 1935

See if you can spot the boys in Jeppe uniform

The boy was in Impala House.  I can make out the names HAYMAN, FRANKEL, STEIN L, ALLEN, LITTLE, ALEXANDER, ROSEN, MIKE, BURD, GADOM, LEIBOFF, STEIN M OR H

 

Interesting Jeppe History - Old Drawing of Facade and War Memorial by L Martyn

 

      Drawing by L Martyn

I'm not sure where I found the photo.  I think L Martyn was an Old Boy.  I will investigate.

Forged from the Folly - ShardArt "Glass Winged"

                      Name of ShardArt, "Glass Winged"
 

Fungi of the Folly - Collared Mushrooms on Collard's Folly

 Earthstars, apparently these mushrooms can move

 I didn't find any "treasures" TODAY, but I spotted these yesterday and decided to investigate.  

My first impression upon seeing them was that they look like 'shrapnel'  from a biological explosion.

I haven't ever seen mushrooms like these before, apparently they are inedible.  Non toxic but they taste very bad.

They don't like flat ground, they like slopes and that's exactly where I found them (on the bank facing the astro near the refuse collection site).

    Photos by Jean Meintjes

Collared Earthstar (Geastrum triplex)

This is a description from the Department of Biology / Utah State University website

https://herbarium.usu.edu/fun-with-fungi/earth-stars

'Earthstars belong to a group of fungi called Gasteromycetes, or "stomach fungi". Their fruiting bodies are a stomach-shaped sac filled with dry spores. They are related to puffballs. Young, closed earthstars are onion-shaped. Their peridium (skin) is made up of three layers. The layers allow the earthstar to do something no other fungus can do. Earthstars can move! When it rains, the outer two layers of the peridium split and uncurl, forming a "star" with 4 to 12 rays. The inner layer of the peridium remains a closed sac.

The rays spread with enough force to push aside leaves, raising the spore-filled sac above surrounding debris. Sometimes the rays even lift the earthstar high enough to break the connection to the parent mycelium. The rays close when they dry, and the sac lowers. Some sacs release their spores when the tender inside peridium wears away. Other sacs toughen and form an opening at the top. When a raindrop strikes these sacs, it pushes in the tough wall, puffing spores out of the opening. After the spores are dispersed the sac breaks down, leaving only fragments attached to the rays. In these older specimens, the star-like rays remain open. Earthstars are found from early June to mid-September.'

Found on the Folly - I though it was a coin from 1939 - It ended up being a token from 1969

I was walking past Mr Stegman's house on my way to the Folly.  I saw a coin on the top of the bank behind the  fence.  I was very excited when I picked it up, I saw the date 1939.  

Shell had a promotional campaign in 1969.  Every time you filled your tank, they would give you a token.  You could collect the whole set, Shell would give you a mounting board to mount them on.

ttps://en.numista.com/catalogue/exonumia59049.html

This particular token was #11 in the series "Man in Flight".  It featured a helicopter the Sikorsky VS-300 to honour Igor Sikorsky aviation pioneer and developer of helicopters 1889-1972. This token was also minted by the Franklin Mint as a bronze and solid sterling silver coin.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.icollector.com%2F343-Igor-Sikorsky-Aviation-Pioneer-Developer-of-Helicopter-1889-1972-Proof-Bronze-Medal-1-1-2-d_i20189659&psig=AOvVaw34kdNPHgkm9AxQlTi_5Rbt&ust=1620803388273000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAMQjB1qFwoTCLCX2auJwfACFQAAAAAdAAAAABAU

Couldn't I have found the silver one?

Maybe  this token is from the Shell on the corner on Queen and Robert's Avenue .........

It doesn't seem to be that old, but it has been on the bank for 52 year's ..... It's older than I am, it's very old!!