Monday, 17 May 2021
Saturday, 15 May 2021
Found on the Folly - Very old Marmite Jar!
I found this little 4oz jar on the Folly "MARMITE".
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!).
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!
Thursday, 13 May 2021
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.
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.
https://www.depressionelegantglass.com/cafe-depression-glass-hocking-ribs-wide-thin/
Or the shard could be from this lamp below
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.
Wednesday, 12 May 2021
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.
https://johannesburg1912.com/2012/10/07/164421564/
https://bedfordviewedenvalenews.co.za/342251/kensington-heritage-celebrated/
Floor plan for adjoining houses with stables and a coach house
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,
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
Tuesday, 11 May 2021
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
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
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).
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!!
Old Boy and his Dad saved rare tiles from Old Tsessebe House
Jeppe Old Boy, Mark Thomas grew up in Friedenheim (Old Tsessebe House). His father Mr. D. Thomas was a past Deputy Principal and past Head ...
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Below: Aerial photograph - another angle (bottom part) of the School and Grounds taken in May 2023 by Ross Olive.
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Recognize anyone? Photograph by: Rosemary Acton Is the gentleman on the right perhaps Eugene Stolk?