another whatsit

[jhamner]

I bought this at a thrift store the other day, not having a clue what it is! I guess that qualifies me as the consummate pack rat! Anyway, there is no identification whatsoever on this device. The plunger pushes down and the sharp point at the other end appears to punch or hole something beneath it. I don't think it would be a hole punch for paper because the sharp end which would make the hole is tapered like a knife point instead of being round. Leather punch? Something else? Please enlighten me if you know what this is so that I can add it to my ever mounting pile of neat things that I love but will never use! Thanks.

 

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[creskol]

That is a McGill's Paper Fastener Press, Patented 1867 US Patent No. 67,665 by Holmes, Booth & Haydens, New York, NY

 

[creskol]

I may have spoken a bit prematurely .. I think this one is actually the one you have:

 

[jhamner]

I may have spoken a bit prematurely .. I think this one is actually the one you have:

WOW--You NAILED this one--no question whatsoever! Thanks so much! P.S.---I like your quote about ridding oneself of possessions as one gets older--hopefully I can follow that advice!

 

[ANTIQUARIAN]

Holmes, Booth and Haydens Company

In February 1853 the company of Holmes, Booth and Haydens, was founded in Waterbury, Conn as a manufacturer of photograph cases, lens, daguerreotype silver plates and other photographic apparatus. The company was named after its original founders except for Hotchkiss. The founders included Israel Holmes, John C. Booth, Hiram Washington Hayden, Henry Hubbard Hayden, and Henry Hotchkiss. Israel Holmes became the president of the company having extensive experience in the brass industry through many experiences including his time as an employee of the Scovill Manufacturing Co. and president of the Waterbury brass company. Henry Hayden became the vice president and John Booth the first treasurer. [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular]Hiram W. Hayden was the most inventive of the group. He was a Daguerreian photographer and held numerous patents. In 1851 he claimed to be the first to successfully take direct positive photographs on paper. The Waterbury American Newspaper reported the event as “Mr. Hiram Hadyen, ingenious artist of this village, has shown three landscape views taken by the unusual Daguerreian apparatus upon a white paper surface, all at one operation…” Some of his patents included a breech loading rifle, a magazine rifle and a daguerreotype mat,. He is also credited with cutting the dies for the “Calmady Children” plastic daguerreotype case after the the painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence. Henry Hubbard Hayden opened a sales office for the company in New York City at 37 Maiden Lane. Shortly after establishing the business, Holmes, Booth and Haydens began producing a key product which secured their success, silver daguerreotype. Henry Hyden was able to bring August Brassart a Frenchmen from Paris to help improve the companies production of silver plates. At the time, the only American company manufacturing a usable daguerreotype plate was the Scovill Manufacturing Company, of Waterbury, Connecticut. They were soon followed by Holmes, Booth & Haydens, and for some time these were the only two American manufacturers of the copper plates. [/FONT] ​

 

[A2coins]

Great ID cool relic