Posted 7 years ago
kaygur
(1 item)
Hi everyone,
I have the opportunity to purchase this box but cannot seem to find any history on it to verify it's authenticity. I was told by the seller that it is a box that would have been hooked onto the back of a carriage in the late 1800s. Apparently, the box was used to carry light bulbs. I can't seem to find any information or photos on similar carriage boxes. Any information that others have would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!
The dimensions of the box are 47"L x8"W x 12"H. The seller is asking $250
It does seem to be made to hook onto something but 1) Those hooks seem short for hanging on a vehicle that will be bouncing around on unpaved roads 2) WHY would there be a specially labeled box just for light bulbs? It's not marked as a shipping box would be, with an address; and it's not decorated with advertising such as a store display or a piece meant to be seen by the public while it was traveling around. It looks genuine in your pics but I've seen a lot of counterfeit old wooden signs and they can be very authentic looking. I would contact one or more of the Edison museums to see if there is any logical reason for this piece to exist before investing a lot of money.
Thank you very much for your detailed response, UncleRon. I really appreciate it! I will try to contact some of the Edison museums as you suggested. Thanks again.
I wonder if the "EDISON LIGHT" lettering could have indicated a (the?) power company name, and if it might have been intended as a toolbox for a service vehicle of some sort?
Now THAT makes a lot of sense!
Hi! Did you end up buying this item?
Thanks for the interest! I did not end up purchasing this item. I did contact the Edison Museum in Fort Myers, FL and got a response from their chief curator! His response below:
"I have done some digging but can't really find anything similar to this. It is possible it was made by a salesman or a local person for their own use as opposed to something made by one of Edison’s companies. I have seen items made for carrying phonograph cylinders that were made by door to door salesman to safely carry the fragile records, so this could be along the same lines."
That is sooo interesting! I actually saw it at a flea market in MA yesterday and the seller wanted $250 for it as well. I was hoping to make an offer but he left before I could return.
Hmm...I can't believe it's still available. It makes me wonder- if it truly was legit, wouldn't someone have snapped it up already? Legit or not, it's still interesting to think about the life that this old box had! Hope you enjoy it if you end up buying it. My husband and I thought about putting it on hair pin legs and making it into a front entry table : )