Friday Night = Mystery Artifact Night! See if you can guess it!

We had a winner last week! Thomas correctly guessed that this cumbersome machine was a hand-operated, non-electric vacuum cleaner! Yay!

I should say a Pneumatic Cleaner, as they were known, made by Regina. Regina is still in business a century after this vacuum was made--the company started out with music boxes. Dusty D is a tad unclear as to how they made the jump from music boxes to pneumatic cleaners, but no matter.

One or two people operated this machine. Your helper pumped the handle while you swept, or you pumped AND swept...after heaving this hefty metal device onto the carpet. Dusty D is tired just thinking about it.


The 1910 ad at far left shows the electric version (top) and the hand-pump version of their cleaners. The 1911 ad at right extols the cleaner.

Now. It's time for this week's challenge. It's a leather object that fits over one's index finger and thumb and straps around your wrist. There is a metal bar attached to the area of the first row of finger joints just above your palm. This bar is curved, like a long canoe. Metal studs line the top of the item, along the left side of your right index finger and the inside curve of your thumb. Take a peek and a guess! Answer and new Mystery Artifact posted next Friday night!