Curling Iron

[Old Reb]

Cavalry Equipment on display at the Brazoria Community Historical Museum. Augustus Buchel's 1st Texas Mounted Volunteers (Cavalry) were stationed in this area, as well as Ruben Brown's 35th Texas Cavalry and James B. Likens' 35th Texas Cavalry and others. (There were two Texas Cavalry Regiments with the number "35" and both served for a time in this area so the surname of the commanding officer is used to determine the specific "35th".)

Pardon my ignorance, but was the curling iron used for horses or humans or both?

[Ken Knopp]

Re: Curling Iron

Tom, Surely you jest.....

everyone here on this forum knows that cavalrymen NEVER leave home (much less go into battle) without looking their absolute best. No doubt this particular "Texas" pattern curling iron was used for both men and horses. Matching rider and equine hair styles was extrememly important for Texans.
(Just kidding....of course!)

Actually Tom, In all seriousness that is a good question. Did the museum suggest why this was displayed in the context of the war? I know nothing about pattern dating curling irons so can only guess this must be some sort of Texas "Femme Fatale" relic mixed in with other war time relics. Did females even have these back then? Certainly I am not aware of any period equine related useage. Anyone aware of such a thing for horses or military useage of the period?
LOVE those spurs with the jinglebobs! See those kind on ebay from time to time. Thanks for posting Tom. Your photos and comments are welcome!!

Ken R Knopp

[Spinster]

Re: Curling Iron

Yessir they certainly did have curling irons for ladies then. We have a catalogue showing such. I've also seen an original just slightly post war that was designed to be heated in the glass chimney of a lamp

Now, what Texas men did to pretty up honest horses is a whole nuther matter.:D

[Hank Trent]

Re: Curling Iron

Clearly it's a badly corroded and mislabeled lever-action pistol.

Seriously, when I saw the thread title, I expected it would be a firing iron. But that really looks like a curling iron to me. Did y'all notice the hoe in the same display case? I doubt the cavalry was either that poorly armed or stopping to grow their own fodder on the march.

Is it just a random collection of everything that was dug up in a particular location, whether connected with the cavalry or not? That would explain both the curling iron and the hoe, but the curling iron is a lot funnier.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@gmail.com

[Old Reb]

Re: Curling Iron

Well. I kind of figured they just dug stuff and put it on display. I like the spurs. Now, what were the round thing?

[Outrider]

Re: Curling Iron

Hey Tom, why of course they used curling irons on their horses. How else could they get this dapper look?:

[IMG][/IMG]

Seriously though, as Ken already suggested, surely that is a random grouping of "stuff".
The rings look to me like they might possibly be either cinch rings from off a saddle or from off a girth strap. Hard to tell from here though.
The horse BTW , in case anyone is wondering, is a typical example of a Bashkir Curly. The odd curlycue coat is the breed standard. Neat.
..and no it has nothing to do with the CW period other than to say it is believed there may have been specimens of the breed brought from Russia to the continental US possibly as early as the 1700's.

[English Doc]

Re: Curling Iron

Yeah, curly and cute - unless the horse has Equine Cushings Disease of course.......

[johnnie walker]

Re: Curling Iron

Tom, While I have enjoyed the posted comments on the "curling iron", I believe on closer inspection, that the object in question is the frame of a colt type revolving carbine.

John W Ryan