Artifact Articles Archive

This is an example of an antique cast iron hand drill from an unknown time period. As with their modern, electrified counterparts, the human-powered hand drill was used to bore holes in materials (typically wood) and fasten them together. This particular device would have been an absolute necessity on any 19th-century Canadian farm, just as it is today. It is believed to have been invented in 1816, and operates via a simple mechanism. The hand crank is attached to a drive gear which turns a...

This is a handheld cast-iron corn sheller in remarkable condition. Designed to shell corn kernels to produce feed for livestock, the corn sheller utilized a simple design to save countless hours of tedious labour. It operates first by feeding a whole cob of corn into the machine. Then, by turning the hand crank, the cob is pulled between two metal-toothed wheels spinning in opposite directions. The kernels are pulled off the cob and fall through a screen into a bucket placed below the...

This is an example of an old-fashioned wooden rat (or mouse) trap from an unknown time period. Obviously, the purpose of this device was to lure in and kill those pesky rodents who have from time immemorial been the bane of country and city folk alike. Unlike the spring-loaded bar trap design that we might be more familiar with today, this particular device utilizes the older jaw design. While this type of rat trap was first patented in 1879, it is clear that the design predates this by...

This is an example of a mechanical hammermill, designed to crush grain used for livestock feed into smaller pieces or powder for easier digestion. This particular model was produced by S. Vessot & Co. out of Joliette, Quebec, most likely between 1890 and 1913. It consists of a wooden box frame and a metal rotary drum attached to several striking rods. Having no power source of its own, it features a leather belt that could be affixed to an external motor. The use of ground grain for...

This is an example of a late-19th century draft-powered potato planter. It is unclear when this particular model was produced and by whom. The mechanical potato planter, also known as a “bell planter”, was invented in the mid-19th century to alleviate the tiresome and tedious labour of planting potatoes by hand. Even with the help of the planter, the process still required quite a bit of preparation. Prior to planting, the farmer had to cut up the potatoes that had sprouted eyes,...

This is an example of a hand crank-operated circular knitting machine known as “The Auto Knitter” in excellent condition. The particular model featured in this photo was manufactured by The Auto Knitter Hosiery Company from Toronto in 1924. The original price of the machine in 1924 was $60.85, which adjusted for inflation is equivalent to nearly $1,400 in 2018! Because they were typically used to knit socks, these machines are also often called “circular sock...

This is an example of a dolly pin, a device used to launder clothes in the pre-washing machine era. Like with most laundry equipment from the depths of antiquity, the dolly pin was known by countless names across region and country. These included “dolly-legs”, “dolly-pegs”, “dolly”, or “maiden.” The basic operation of this device was simple: it would be used on clothes soaking in the wash tub to agitate the cloth and move it throughout the...

This is an example of an antique stump extractor used to expedite the process of removing tree stumps, or even large stones that would be too difficult to remove by hand. The model pictured here originated from Tweed, Ontario during the 1880s. It uses a relatively simple mechanism and large, powerful frame to to extract stones or stumps from areas that a farmer would like to use for more productive purposes, like building or planting crops. A rope on a winch is attached to the stump or...

This is an example of a metal cream can that would have been familiar on many dairy farms prior to the invention of the mechanical cream separator in the 1880s. Before the separator, cream was made at home on the farm using simple inexpensive devices like the cream can. The basic cream can design involved letting milk sit in the container until the cream rose to the top, where it could be skimmed off by hand. Variants on this original design, such as the one featured in this picture,...