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Toy tool chest

Chicago, Illinois

1890-1900

Maker

Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. (1882-1962)

Measurements

4-5/8 in x 13-1/2 in x 6-3/4 in

Materials

Ash and white pine, paper label

Credit Line

Historic Odessa Foundation

Accession Number

2017.35

Inscription

“THE BOYS STAR TOOL CHEST” and “assortment / tools” and “80 A” are printed on a fragmented label pasted to the inside of the lid.

Condition Notes

The tool chest is missing its bottom board and one molding strip on the top left and another on the bottom right sides.  The paper label on the underside of the lid is fragmentary.  Some of the tools that came with this chest are missing.

Provenance

Found in collections.

Comments

The small, rectangular chest with a hinged lid and lift-out wood tray has machine-made dovetail corners.  The chest was marketed to young boys as “THE BOYS STAR TOOL CHEST” with an  “assortment of tools.”  The tools still remaining with the chest are a maple mallet, maple square, maple plane, handsaw with mahogany handle, pine miter box, and a fragment with mitered ends.

Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. was a hardware supplier.  It is associated with this tool set through the “Star” brand referenced in the label.