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Stove Door with Symmetrical, Organic Design American Midwest Ozarks culture Late 19th/early 20th century Cast iron, L. 17.5 cm x W. 2.8 cm x H. 32.5 cm Bonniebrook collection #2017.11

Metal Artifacts Associated with Wood-burning Stoves: Researched and Conserved by Emily McClain

March, 2019 by Ashley McLaughlin

This collection of metal artifacts was recovered from the grounds of Bonniebrook, the home estate of the illustrator, artist, and suffragette Rose O’Neill, who was also the creator of the Kewpie doll.  While this collection consists of relatively mundane objects, identifying these objects, the brands and types of objects used, and the dates for when they were produced and used can give us considerable insight into the time period and the quality of life led by Rose O’Neill and her family.

All of the objects in this collection consist of functional parts of cast-iron, wood-burning stoves, which were widely popular both for heating homes and for cooking until the end of the 19th century.  While they were eventually replaced with central heating and with electric and gas cook top stoves and ovens, these functional and decorative stoves continued to be made and sold throughout in the early to mid-20th century, with some even still being in use today.

In this collection, the gracefully decorated stove door and rectangular panel would have functioned as doors, either providing access to the interior firebox, so that coal or wood could be added, or providing access to an oven; the panel fragment, meanwhile, was more likely a non-functional decorative side piece on the stove.

The stove legs would have raised up the main body of the stove from the floor, creating a more graceful furnishing as well as perhaps protecting the floor, and allowing more heat to radiate into the room; the more elaborately decorated legs were likely placed on the front of the stove, while simpler legs would have been placed on the back.

Unlike the other pieces in this collection, the chimney flue damper was not decorative, but a part of the interior mechanism of the stove, serving to regulate the air flowing through the chimney.

 

Circular Chimney Flue Damper
American Midwest Ozarks culture
Late 19th/early 20th century
Cast iron, L. 14 cm x W. 2 mm x H. 14 cm
Bonniebrook collection #2017.15

 

Stove Door with Symmetrical, Organic Design
American Midwest Ozarks culture
Late 19th/early 20th century
Cast iron, L. 17.5 cm x W. 2.8 cm x H. 32.5 cm
Bonniebrook collection #2017.11

 

Encrusted Panel Fragment
American Midwest Ozarks culture
Late 19th/early 20th century
Cast iron, L. 12 cm x W. 3.9 cm x H. 10 cm
Bonniebrook collection #2017.17

 

Small Rectangular Panel with Symmetrical Organic Design
American Midwest Ozarks culture
Late 19th/early 20th century
Cast iron, L. 16.6 cm x W. 3 cm x H. 14.5 cm
Bonniebrook collection #2017.16

 

Fragmented Stove Leg with Ridges
American Midwest Ozarks culture
Late 19th/early 20th century
Cast iron, L. 7.5 cm x W. 4 mm x H. 13 cm
Bonniebrook collection #2017.14

 

Two Matching Stove Legs
American Midwest Ozarks culture
Late 19th/early 20th century
Cast iron, L. 9 cm x W. 5 mm x H. 13.5 cm
Bonniebrook collection #2017.12 and #2017.13

 

 

For more information, you may contact the researcher(s) noted in the title of this exhibit entry, or Dr. Billie Follensbee, the professor of the course, at BillieFollensbee@MissouriState.edu

Filed Under: 2017 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts Tagged With: american, american midwest ozarks culture, bonniebrook, cast iron, chimney flue, metal artifacts, organic design, panel fragment, sears, stove, stove door, stove leg, wood-burning stove

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  • 2014 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2015 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2016 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2016 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2017 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2018 Fall, ART 385: Art of the Americas
  • 2018 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa
  • 2019 Fall, ART/MST 488: Basic Conservation of Art and Artifacts
  • 2020 Spring, ART 386: Art of Africa

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