Article Archives: What’s in the Attic?

A Gift From the Heart

February 7, 2019 | by Linda Hamer Kennett

It was a small metal box, dented and slightly rusted from the passage of time. Tucked in among the antique quilts and family heirlooms, it seemed out of place with Grandma’s keepsakes until we opened it. Carefully stacked in the box were 64 Valentines, one for each year of her … Read More

The Big Boy of Plastics — Texas Ware

January 31, 2019 | by Linda Hamer Kennett

Arguably the most innovative decade of the 20th century would have to have been the 1950s. Cars had tailfins, sofas became angular and the dishes dinner was served on went from porcelain to the new wonder plastic, melamine. Melamine, often referred to as Melmac, was first produced in the late1930s … Read More

Sailor Jack and America’s favorite treat

January 24, 2019 | by Linda Hamer Kennett

The World’s Fair of 1893 offered visitors a strange concoction of popcorn, nuts and maple syrup. This confection, unnamed at the time, was an instant hit with the public. For the next three years the inventors of the popcorn treat, William and Louis Ruedkheim, worked to find a way to … Read More

SYROCO — the wonder plastic

January 17, 2019 | by Linda Hamer Kennett

For many years placing anything in our homes made of plastic was taboo. It was considered to be a cheap replacement for quality products made of wood and when we came across it while shopping, we quickly went in the other direction. No more! IKEA and Wayfair have elevated plastic … Read More

And the answer is . . .

January 10, 2019 | by Linda Hamer Kennett

My greatest fear in starting this column 21 years ago was that I would run out of subject matter. Thanks to you, my loyal readers, that has never been an issue. You arouse my curiosity, challenge my memory and send me scurrying to the computer for research on a regular … Read More