Carlton World

[CarltonHendricks]

Thanks John...will do on those answers but not so easy...

Below a cool little piece...









This was an interesting little eBay snag I got last week, that came yesterday…Cruising eBay at my usual speed…something flashed by that caught my eye…put in reverse…found and clicked on it…the heck is this chingadera I thought…anything with Victorian lithography like that want to know more…turned out it was an exercise invention for home use…and American!…bingo…it was sitting at $1.00 I think it was with one bid and a few days to go…I wanted it for $20 or so but it was pretty cool so I put a “just in case” snipe of $38.88…So what happened?...some wack job like me went and bid $37.00…can you believe that!!...but once I opened it no problem…I found a great story on Whitely on Stack.com…below an excerpt…click the link above it for the full story…

https://www.stack.com/a/1800s-home-gym-trx
EXCERPT
In the mid-1800's, strength training and fitness began to emerge both in business and popular culture in America.

By the late 1880s, Dudley Sargent, an assistant professor of physical education at Harvard University, had designed several free-standing pulley machines to exercise the back, chest and abdominal muscles. These machines relied primarily on weight stacks, making the resistance level adjustable. But the machines were large and didn't gain wide use beyond Harvard's gym.

In 1894, Alexander Whitely unveiled a pulley-driven exercise machine for the masses. With just a single pulley that could be attached to a wall or doorframe, it was suitable for in-home use. By changing the position of the pulley, the Whitely Exerciser allowed users to perform a full-body workout—one that purportedly could be completed in less than an hour.

Since the device was portable, the Whitely was marketed to business folks and travelers, and to those subjected to stress or "nervous energy." It was also aimed at women, proclaiming itself capable of "making weak women strong" and suitable "for every member of the family," young and old. - Maddy Lucier
END EXCERPT

[pedodds]

Great pickup! Very Victorian in appearance. I have a similar system to rehab my shoulder. The thing is it generates so much heat as the rope moves through the gear quickly and the pulley itself bangs up against the door.
My theory why yours is in such great shape is because when your athlete started using it to muscle up in the house and his wife saw what it was doing to her doors she got pissed and that practice stopped right away. Lol! 😃😂🤣🤪
I also think the heat that those little pulley’s generate would have deteriorated the finish/look in a few uses. Anyone that has ever rehabbed a shoulder could probably vouch for what I am saying. My wonderful, loving wife makes me go down in the basement and use a door that nobody sees to use the pull system to loosen up my shoulder.
Great addition to your collection C!!

Originally Posted by CarltonHendricks

Thanks John...will do on those answers but not so easy...

Below a cool little piece...









This was an interesting little eBay snag I got last week, that came yesterday…Cruising eBay at my usual speed…something flashed by that caught my eye…put in reverse…found and clicked on it…the heck is this chingadera I thought…anything with Victorian lithography like that want to know more…turned out it was an exercise invention for home use…and American!…bingo…it was sitting at $1.00 I think it was with one bid and a few days to go…I wanted it for $20 or so but it was pretty cool so I put a “just in case” snipe of $38.88…So what happened?...some wack job like me went and bid $37.00…can you believe that!!...but once I opened it no problem…I found a great story on Whitely on Stack.com…below an excerpt…click the link above it for the full story…

https://www.stack.com/a/1800s-home-gym-trx
EXCERPT
In the mid-1800's, strength training and fitness began to emerge both in business and popular culture in America.

By the late 1880s, Dudley Sargent, an assistant professor of physical education at Harvard University, had designed several free-standing pulley machines to exercise the back, chest and abdominal muscles. These machines relied primarily on weight stacks, making the resistance level adjustable. But the machines were large and didn't gain wide use beyond Harvard's gym.

In 1894, Alexander Whitely unveiled a pulley-driven exercise machine for the masses. With just a single pulley that could be attached to a wall or doorframe, it was suitable for in-home use. By changing the position of the pulley, the Whitely Exerciser allowed users to perform a full-body workout—one that purportedly could be completed in less than an hour.

Since the device was portable, the Whitely was marketed to business folks and travelers, and to those subjected to stress or "nervous energy." It was also aimed at women, proclaiming itself capable of "making weak women strong" and suitable "for every member of the family," young and old. - Maddy Lucier
END EXCERPT

[CarltonHendricks]

Foremost I’m into speed boats but I just couldn’t pass up this cabin cruiser trophy…I’m not sure if it was a one off custom made…or a stock one you could order from a catalog. The boat is certainly not cast but assembled which would require much more soldering, fabrication, and design skills…Since I’ve never seen another…I lean toward custom…Perhaps someone from this community would have it in a catalog. For me what really sets it apart are the perfect crisp details of the boat…born on horseshoe cradles…combined with that well defined ebony base…Plus the engraved shields…Occasionally you see engraved shields like those on American trophies…but mostly it’s an English thing…Initially I speculated Dieges and Clust might have made it since they were in NYC close to Staten Island where the presenting yacht club was…now that I have it in hand I’m also including John Frick Jewelers NYC…and Black, Starr & Frost, also in NYC as other contenders…If I removed the black wooden base I would probably find the maker stamped under the base of the upper brass part. But I hate disturbing a ninety eight year old piece like this…The mast looks bent but I’ll live with it for while till I figure something out.



In 1922 it was given as a contribution by the Princess Bay Yacht Club to the Raritan Bay Yacht Racing Association. The Raritan Bay Yacht Racing Association was an association of numerous yacht clubs from the Raritan Bay vicinity, which is located off the southern end of Staten Island and extends across the sound to New Jersey. From what I can gather it appears the Raritan Bay Yacht Racing association was formed for the purpose of organizing regattas and social functions between neighboring yacht clubs. Initially when it formed in 1922 the founding clubs were the Raritan Yacht Club, the Sewaren Yacht Club, the Rah-way Yacht Club, and the Princess Bay Yacht Club. Other clubs were anticipated to join as well.



One thing about yacht clubs is they exist for pleasure…it’s all about fun. I can imagine some of the shindigs they put on…4th of July BBQ’s…Christmas parties, etc…The one photo I found of the Princess Bay club, posted above, certainly looks like the kind of place members enjoyed with their families and friends. Previous to this trophy my research of yacht clubs was of ultra-exclusive ones like the New York Yacht Club and Eastern YC…Somehow I get the feeling these Raritan Bay clubs were made up of the middle class. From what I read their regattas were full on robust affairs that featured races for quite a number of classes of boats…speed boat, sail, cabin cruiser, and others…To me these modest clubs represent the opportunity and prosperity a God blessed America offered for the hard work of the fortunate.



As for this trophies lifespan…it appears to have been intended as a perpetual…since we see the three boats that won it… Why it stops after three years is certainly curious…Somehow it eventually migrated from Staten Island to Muncie Indiana where the seller is located without any damage besides the mast…Below our exchange once I got it…

Sent:Oct-16-20 12:55
got the trophy fine...Q where the heck did you find this thing???....please elaborate on everything you might know...come from antiques store?....flea market?...auction?...family heirloom?...I'm wild over it!!!!!
-carlton
SportsAntiques.com

Received:Oct-16-20 23:40
Carlton, Glad you like it. Not much to tell. I have a guy here local that calls me when he needs money. I know he bought from a local auction. You'll have to make up a good story on this one. Sorry,

[ooo-ribay]

Great thread, Carlton! What amazes me most, besides your pickups, is the amount of info you are able to find on your acquisitions. Old ads, newspaper articles, etc. How do you find all the background information? You must be using more than just Google...

[CarltonHendricks]

Originally Posted by ooo-ribay

Great thread, Carlton! What amazes me most, besides your pickups, is the amount of info you are able to find on your acquisitions. Old ads, newspaper articles, etc. How do you find all the background information? You must be using more than just Google...

Thanks Rob…I have a subterranean research facility of four square blocks I access by elevator. Once down there I use a moped to get to the section I want…Just kidding…I have a fair amount of reference material I’ve collected over thirty plus years…but mostly I use the internet….

[ooo-ribay]

Originally Posted by CarltonHendricks

Thanks Rob…I have a subterranean research facility of four square blocks I access by elevator. Once down there I use a moped to get to the section I want…Just kidding…I have a fair amount of reference material I’ve collected over thirty plus years…but mostly I use the internet….

You had me going, until I got to the moped. I thought you were gonna say you worked for the intelligence community.

[CarltonHendricks]

A month ago I went out antiquing on a Sunday afternoon…last store of the day I saw this 12 foot boat sales sign…great folk art but where was I gonna put it...It was so cool I hated to not get it…the worn blue lettering had me…But I had to think hard where I could hang it…the store was closing so I told them I’d have to give some thought and the dealer gave me his best price to ponder…After racking my brain I thought of a spot that might work…got home and measured, just barely fit but I could make it work…I called the store the next day and they delivered it for $50.00...It's from the San Francisco Bay Area...too bad it's not inscribed on the back "New London Boat Sales, Purveyor to Yale Crew Team"....has that look...

So we set up a delivery time…and I started thinking…I got non-sport antiques to move….he’s an antiques dealer…why not sell him some stuff…I had a great folk art bread sign with gold paint displayed in my kitchen for years…but I got a porcelain NYC Municipal Railway sign I wanted to put there…so it was time to move out the bread sign…He bought that and a locker room bench I got at Alameda but ended up not wanting…thank the Lord I paid for the boat sales sign plus got rid of stuff….win-win for everybody…Once I get organized I’ll get it hung…