Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

[Rmhisteach]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Matt,

I was in KC on Buisness and made a side trip to the Arabia Museum. It is an absolute must see for anyone doing living history events in our time span. I enjoyed it so much that I bought the picture book so I could share stories.I also bought my wife a bottle of reproduced perfume from the boat. My pard Rick Gath ( Steamboat Willie) used to work at the museum I have a feeling that he will chime in on this disscussion.

RM

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Patrick,

Thanks for the clarification. So if a tinner today could get the "mechanical wipes" going with the dip plate process, we'd have the process down? The hot dip stuff I see for sale today has so many runs in it and a mottled finish instead of the smooth shiny surfaces seen in your and my photos. Is getting mechanical wipes a hard thing to do?

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Matt,

Other than a few period references to wipes being around, I still have no clue how they were employed. I have never come up with detailed descriptions or illustrations to design a system.

There are various companys that produced hot dipped tin in rolls today, that use either a mechanical or air system to smooth the flow. Problem is that they can't handle the thickness of coating called for in period manufacturing. Several folks are have started using it in the last few years rather than electroplate. It is better, but still lacking five to six times the period tin coating.

The stuff I make meets up on the tin thickness, but the crystal pattern tends to show to much. Problem is I am not using the tallow vat since I wood fire my vats right now and don't want to mess with that much of a fire hazard. When that operation is in place the sheet looks darn close. What I can't copy is the cooling striation that shows up on some of the mid 19th C tinware that comes from some of the wiping systems.

The back side of one of those really shows the striation effect, see below. The pie plates seem to come from a different batch of material than most of the other products that were found on board.

It is all a matter of picking the best of different "evils" right now. At least there are better options than just using electroplated tin these days.

Patrick Cunningham

[gilham]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I've heard people debate about what pocket knives should look like. That some knives look too modern. So what did they look like? These below.

Some of those knives look like they are out of the Case/Old Timer collection.

[FlatLandFed]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Wow! Nice knives (and tinware). I visited a local antique show two weekends ago but forgot to bring information I'd culled from Orchard Hill and the CRRC2 -- bought two knives anyway based on my ever-faltering memory, hoping these purchases would fit our period of interest.

They should pass muster but now I see that I overlooked several larger pocket knives priced at $3-5 that would have been even better! Live and learn.

Thanks for sharing. I hope to see the Arabia museum this summer.

Hmmm -- I have family obligations that conflict with "colorful stand" event held in the KC area later this month. I couldn't justify driving 150 miles for just Sunday morning but if I piggybacked a trip to the museum for Sunday afternoon, this would become worthwhile.

I'll check their web site for visiting hours. Thanks for the kick start.

Paul Hadley
Look Out, 1st Minnesota, another reserve may be on the way

[Mudslinger]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

The matches are interesting indeed. I'm going to go our local sternwheeler museum and see if the have anything similar to the period, and compare the match cases. Great pics! Keep'em coming!

Nick Miller
33rd O.V.I.
Mudslinger Mess

[Agate]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

This is great stuff Matt, thanks very much. Were there any smoking pipes on board per chance?

[Silvana Siddali]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

I had the chance to visit the Arabia last year & almost had to be dragged out of there. The owners are incredibly welcoming and seem to love talking with living history enthusiasts.

My photos aren't very good, because I was in a huge hurry (imagine having only one half hour to see the place!) but they'll give you an idea. The first is a display of earrings, the second is a knit shirt, and the last is just a shelf full of household goods.

[Arthur Stone]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Matt,

I've heard a few things about the boat ,and what was on it when it sank. Do they have a collection of Calico buttons there. I heard it's one of the bigest collections in the world. If so , didyou get any pix of them. Hopefully someday I'll make it west again. Thanks for the pix you posted.

Art

[Charles Heath]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Matt,

When Bev and I visited in June 2000, we felt the same way, especially about the "myth busters" in plain view. Two of my favorite busted myths was the "small rivet theory" when it came to knives, and the "no round stock" theory of "only square" wrought iron. If you'll think back to your own childhood, you'll remember when fish hooks came in containers very much like those match cylinders, and they aren't all that uncommon in antique stores today. Yes, they do look like oversized needle cases, and are often labeled as such for around two dollars.

Note to Paul: The entire family would most likely enjoy a visit to this museum. The excavation video is enough to interest kids, and anyone who likes "old stuff," will admire the condition and SHEER VOLUME of relics on display. You will also see plenty of items similar to those used by your parents and grandparents, and that enameled cast iron "apples & collards" kettle is a prime example -- at least for me.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Art,

Calico buttons. Yes, they have an absurd amount. Dave Hawley told me at the time of the sinking in 1856, there were 109 different calico button styles. He has 101 styles on display. He thinks what he brought up from the Arabia was a salesman's sample kit. Some photos are below.

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

John,

They did have a large number of clay pipes. All the same mold as I recall. They also brought up reed stems for them. They are on display, but I don't have any close up photos.

[BobbyHughes]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

Matt,

Great post. If we can ever get there, thats a must see. Simply amazing, and the pics are incredable, and informative.. thank you!

[stubbynick]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

John,

For a look at the pipes go to the site given in post #1 (www.1856.com). Go to Arabia's Exhibit and click on collection. Pipes are shown in row two.
Gerald Smolik

[Matt Woodburn]

Re: Steamboat Arabia - Everything you want to know!

OK, no myths to be busted with these photos, just some cool clothing and yard goods. In the first shot you'll see clothing, bolts of cloth - they have wool on the back wall and the shiny fabric in the center foreground is black silk, skeins of red wool for knitting, hats, etc. They have some nice coats, a couple of which are nicely trimmed. One had nice Goodyear hard rubber buttons with great maker marks. They also have a pile of Goodyear buttons that were headed to somebody's store. The first burgundy wool work shirt has a unique angle for the opening in the front. Haven't seen that before. And notice the two tabs with a button closure on the front of the collar. Just a cool style. The second burgundy wool overshirt shows a close up of the front placket. It's give a pleated look with only one real knife pleat. The wool where the buttons are sewn on extends under the placket and there is one pleat to the right in the picture that we pulled up to show the construction. Would love to see Speedy, Daley, Wambaugh, Hanes, Clark, etc. make a few of these. There is a lot more clothing there including a knit wool undershirt. Silvana posted the knit shirt above in this thread. So what do you think about these items?