Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Circa 1915 Photograph. |
So what does that have to do with metal detecting. Well, for one thing, it was my grandmother that got a metal detector and took me metal detecting for the first time. I don't remember exactly when that was but it must have more than fifty years ago. That is one thing.
The metal detector, I think, was maybe a Radio Shack. It would pick up big iron things, like horse shoes, but I don't think it would detect a coin, as I recall. We went out to a home where she once lived as a child. It was mostly gone, but the chimney remained.
It didn't catch on with me at the time, probably because of the inability to detect coins. If I knew then what I know now, I would have had a great time with it even if I could only find iron, and I probably would have gotten a better metal detector before long.
It seems my grandmother's family had a lot of photos taken back then when it was a much bigger deal. And she kept the photos, as did my mother, so I have a lot of photos, with a some going back to my great great grandparents. I think it was my grandmother that put names on the back, so I know who most of them are, but the internet and genealogical research has filled in some gaps.
Here is something that was unexpected.
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| Back of the Same Photo. |
Besides the names that are printed on the back of the photo, there is also the name and address of the photo studio, which in this case, was in a casino. Even though I have a lot of historic information on the city, I had never heard of a casino being in that city. That was new information for me.
My main point is that you can get good clues from photos. Sometimes from the front, and even sometimes from the back.
I feel very lucky that my grandmother labeled so many old photos and kept the photos and other old things, and my mother kept them too.
You might consider making prints of some of the photos on your digital devices and safely store them for future generations. Don't forget to label them.
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I took a little walk last night to do a little eye-balling. I found more than expected. I didn't have time to inspect them last night but gave them a quick rinse this morning.
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| Four New Bottle Finds. |
Included are a Mr. Pibb bottle. See http://www.pibbthug.com/history/. I think it will look good when I get the moss and barnacles off.
An embossed Dr. Pepper bottle. Mr. Pibb was created by Coca Cola to compete with Dr. Pepper.
A Titusville Coca Cola bottle. A few cracks.
And a unidentified blown bottle with bubbles in the glass. The only reason I picked it up was because of the bubbles in the glass. There are no other markings on it.
I found more than expected, but nothing as good as I hoped.
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I and many of the readers of this blog enjoy looking at finds and like to identify finds and determine their age, but sometimes critical information is missing. Here are some things that can be helpful.
Include measurements. Sometimes a object for size comparison in the photo will do. Notice for example, the dime included with the photo of the spoon in yesterday's photo. Sometimes more than one measurement can be helpful. Weight can also be telling.
More than one view of the object can also be helpful. Often there is important identifying information on the back of an object. That is very true for buttons. The shank and back marks often tell the story. You might not think something is important, but some small thing might be exactly what someone else needs to make a positive ID. More views are better than less.
Consider the lighting. Before taking the photo, check the angle of the lighting to see it brings out the details.
Tell what the item is made of or looks like it is made of. You might not know for sure, but give your best guess.
Where the object was found or what other objects were found with it can help too. Sometimes you won't want to tell where the object was found, but give what information you can.
Things that might seem obvious to you when you are holding an item in your hand might not be evident at all to someone who is trying to work from a two dimensional photo.
You don't have to do all of these things, but you don't want to leave out some clue that might be exactly what someone else is looking for.
Here is a quick check-list (PMOC).
1. Photo(s).
2. Measurements.
3. Observations of Object.
4. Circumstances of find.
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I enlarged the photo of the earring-like object bearing trident and water symbols that was shown yesterday. ---
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| Source: MagicSeaWeed.com |
Looks like we'll get a little bump in the surf around Thursday.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
