BY SY SCHRECKINGER DURING THE LATTER portion of the nineteenth century, several foundries primarily involved in the manufacture of cast iron mechanical banks also produced various still banks. These banks closely resembled their mechanical counterparts in both design and appearance. The following examples, and ones that are considered by mechanical bank devotees to be worthy of display adjacent to their [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER THE LEGENDARY locomotive, with passenger or freight cars in tow, has long been a worldwide symbol of freedom and expansion. These wood burning, steam-belching behemoths enabled nineteenth century travelers and industrialists to span vast distances with greater speed and safety than ever before. Artisans of that era immortalized the railroad with folklore, fables and ballads. Producers of [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER REPRESENTING ONE OF nature’s majestic creations is a most rambunctious farm dweller – and the subject of this article. “Crowing Rooster Bank” features a proud multi-colored rooster perched atop a brightly lithographed cylinder adorned with various barnyard fowl. In an earlier and less-complex time, children were delighted and entertained by pictures, tales and songs pertaining to their [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER HUMILIATION AND SUFFERING were the fates of the unfortunate blacks unwillingly brought to this country from Africa. Thrust into a world of slavery, their music and dance provided a measure of solace and maintainment of cultural identity. The soul-stirring melodies of the slave eventually evolved into a form of musical entertainment enjoyed by the non-black public. This [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER MAGIC, IN THE FORM of illusions, slight of hand, and “disappearing” coin tricks have amazed and fascinated young and old alike. Nineteenth and early twentieth century designers and manufacturers of novelty items, including mechanical banks, were well aware of the public’s beguilement. This became evident by their introduction of various “magical” apparatus. Amongst these items was the [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER GRAND AND GRACEFUL are those wind-activated structures so aptly termed “windmills”. One can imagine wispy sails slowly turning in the gentle morning breeze. However, their internal power is revealed by the rotating, weighty granite millstones hidden deep within their structures. (Eloquently capturing this scenario is a poem penned by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow entitled “The Windmill”.) Our subject, [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER THE “MAGIC” OF projecting a three dimensional image onto a two dimensional or flat surface has fascinated scientists, theologists and the simply curious throughout the ages. The birth of photographic cameras is attributed to the “Camera Obscura”, a device dating back to ancient China. A box-like room with a pinhole or lens in one wall was utilized [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER THE WORLD OF MECHANICAL banks encompasses a multitude of subjects and a variety of themes. Over the years avid collectors have been known to discuss and, occasionally, ponder over the intricacies of individual examples. In many instances, color variations of particular banks have provoked interesting theories and speculation. Those variations exhibiting highly chromatic differences are often favored [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER ONE OF THE MOST popular categories of both still and mechanical banks is the representation of a building, whether it be a commercial, residential or historical structure. Interestingly, the very first patented, commercially produced cast iron mechanical bank was introduced in 1869. Its subject was a bank building familiarly known as “Halls Excelsior”. In contrast, those mechanicals [...]
BY SY SCHRECKINGER OUR SUBJECT, this article, features the image of a frog, bearing testimony to the majesty of Mother Nature. Who, after all, could create a more appropriate creature to grace a penny savings bank? During the latter portion of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, this whimsical, cavernous-mouthed amphibian proved to be a popular subject for the plethora [...]
