Rations

[John E. Tobey]

Re: Can Openers?

Rick,

Good thought, and a definite possiblity. It brings up an amusing image of a puzzled soldier sitting in camp, a can in one hand and a newfangled can knife in the other.

I alluded to the cross-section of the can knives in my previous post -- I don't know about Art's research, but in my own experience the slices in the original cans appear to have been made by something with a much thinner cross section than the can knives I have seen. I went through my original cans last night, and this is true for the examples that are in good enough condition to have well-preserved terminal points on the cuts or single "punctures" to study. For example, in the can that I pictured, an errant cut shows the "opener" to have a very thin blade, finely tapered, and only about 3/4 wide. The can knives I have seen have heavier blades to withstand the abuse.

Again, I doubt that I have a large enough sample group to make any definitive conclusions; that is why I pointed to Art's research which I would consider superior to my own observations. In his opinion, if a durable item could not be identified as being excavated (with a firm provenance) from a CW site, photographed in period photography, or definitively documented with period records of some sort, then it should not be considered in a living history context. I'm not sure that I buy this totally, but it's the severest litmus test that I know of!

John Tobey

[JKfifer119]

Re: period frying pan

Frank is the only way to go. His work is top notch. :D

Based on the recommendation of this forum I ordered and today received my
Frank Ellis frying pan thank you all for you r input ...it is really great!!

joe korber

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: period frying pan

I was just wondering if the pans with the "Cold Handle" on them are authentic or if they came later.

Jason,

I see that you asked this question months ago. The Cold Handle pan is a post-war product.

[Virginia Mescher]

Re: period frying pan

I was just wondering if the pans with the "Cold Handle" on them are authentic or if they came later.

The earilest "Cold Handle" frying pan that I could find was patented on Feb. 5, 1878. The patent # is 200,033 and was issued to J. Edgar & A. Bardell. It is classified in 220/753 which has handle patents in it. There were some other cool handles but they were applied to coffee and tea pots along with popcorn poppers but the frying pan was the first one for a cool handle on frying pans.

After the 1878 pan, there were other cool handled frying pans patented in the 1880s and into the 20th century.

[hardtack1864]

Cook and cook ware photos?

I thinking about starting a cooks impression and I wanted to know if anybody could get those great close up photos of the cook's and cook ware. Any help will be appreciated very much and if anybody has accounts of cooks or know were I can find them "i.e. a link to a web site or a book" that will also be appreciated.

[markj]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

Hi,

Try the "American Memory" site. I used the key word "cook" and immediately came up with three photos:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/cwphtml/cwphome.html

Also use general key words like "camp," "mess," "hospital," etc. Also go to this thread and scroll down about half-way. You'll see a very nice image of a man dipping his cup into a camp pot:

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5773

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[hardtack1864]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

I just saw that one you were talking about on the AC, I was going to say that I had seen that one and thats an odd looking pot, were and when was it taken? Also, thank you mark for the links, now I just need to know were to pick up pots that big! LOL

[markj]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

I just saw that one you were talking about on the AC, I was going to say that I had seen that one and thats an odd looking pot, were and when was it taken? Also, thank you mark for the links, now I just need to know were to pick up pots that big! LOL

Well, you can try Wendy Osman. She offers excellent camp kettles:

calirvine@aol.com

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

The LOC is the perfect place to browse. Here are 5000 reasons; http://lcweb2.loc.gov/pp/cwpquery.html

Four hits from there. I lost the numbers during the cut and paste.

L to R

1)Camp of 71st New Vols. Cook house Soldiers getting dinner ready.
2)Fredericksburg, Va. Cooking tent of the U.S. Sanitary Commission.
3)City Point, Va. African American army cook at work.
4)Captain Ballerman's kitchen. Tasting the soup. Visit this thread;http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/...=Ballerman%27s

[Agate]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

Not to change the subject.

But..

In the "Capt. Ballerman's soup" image, anybody notice something strange about their blouses?

Found that a while back ago, been checking and so far not much luck. Any ideas?

Regards,

John

John Sarver

[hardtack1864]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

Thank you all for the photos, just what I've been looking for, I found another photo on that site of some cooks for a prince and was taken at Yorktown, May 1862. Also, if anybody has accounts from or about cooks, apart from Hardtack & coffee, Billy yank, and EOG.

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

Sean, here is another from the LOC, though it's pedigree is suspect.

LOC Title; Gettyburg? call #LC-B811- 4021

[courier]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

If that's not a modern image of reenactors,I'll eat the image!!!!!!
Regards,Rick Harris

[P. M. Cunningham, Tinner]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

Images so far posted all have similiar elements. Standard cooking pots according to the QM specs of 1865. My understanding is that QM specs from that point reflected what was already in the field and these images don't refute that. Finding the cast iron kettle could be an issue, not sure if any one has invested the capital to reproduce those. As far as the sheet iron kettles go though, they are produced by multiple folks. If I recall right, they were issued out in a set of three with a mess pan per twenty men (I maybe able to find that source). They seem to be a standard for mass cooking.

The other part of a good cooking demo though entails what is cooked. Years ago Nicky Hughes passed on a "reciept" book that was based on using Army issue kettles. Mostly cooking ingredients and meals but the appendix actually showed various ways by which to build "field stoves" in the ground and utilize the kettles. I have never seen photo documentation that any of the practices were used but it always seemed like a hell'va interpretation demo to present (as long as you could dig up the field that much! :wink_smil )I'll search around some but I think that research file got loaned and not returned.

There is evidince of simply hanging kettles over a fire and I seem to recall one image of kettles on a four foot diameter field stove (got the patent record but can't remember the name). To expand the discussion, what is the range of cooking sytstems that show up in image documentation of sheet iron kettles???

Patrick Cunningham

[Vuhginyuh]

Re: Cook and cook ware photos?

If that's not a modern image of reenactors,I'll eat the image!!!!!!
Regards,Rick Harris

Since this thread relates to eating...

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/D?ils:103:./temp/~pp_FIHf::

There are several images in the collection that look to be from the 1870's. Most of these odd images display soldiers wearing overcoats amongst trees in full summer foliage. Blazing cook fire too...