Edwardian (?) Ivory Aide Memoire. Itty-Bitty-Teeny-Tiny.

[Shangas]

Found this at my local flea-market. It was such a good price I had to grab it.

 

 

[sheeptotherescue]

So those rectangles are all made of ivory? Does the writing wash off or something? I'm not sure I understand entirely.. It looks gorgeous though!

[Joe in Seattle]

Wow

[inkstainedruth]

How big is that? Hard to tell from the photos.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Shangas]

So those rectangles are all made of ivory? Does the writing wash off or something? I'm not sure I understand entirely.. It looks gorgeous though!

 

Yes, the whole thing is made of ivory. You write on it with pencil, and then you erase it with a damp cloth when you're done.

 

How big is that? Hard to tell from the photos.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

It's very very small. The object next to it is a Zippo cigarette lighter.

 

Here's a comparison with my other Aide Memoire:

 

 

 

I have seen ones larger than these (2 - 2.5 times the size), but never in as good a condition as these smaller ones. At least, not yet.

[dgturner]

That is very cool. I have seen itmes like this in local(-ish) antiques stores, but had no idea what they were. Now I wish that I had picked one of them up.

[Shangas]

They're not too rare, but since you're in the 'States, I'd watch it if I were you. The U.S. Government has a hate-hate relationship with antique ivory.

[pen2paper]

oh! that is small. I thought that was a (larger sized) match safe.

not expert in necessaries objects, but have seen the aides, and also what are described as dance cards of this and Vic era, so used by both genders.

 

yes the ivory issue is a difficult one, but some don't get the ongoing abuse. Not appropriate to hash out here.

Think it would be ok to note, gingerly, a pet peeve, as example in history, when the Far North opened up to "tourist" trade, objects sold as Eskimo art and more specifically "Inuit art" where actually made in Seattle, by Template, and on what is most likely bad ivory. In truth, Inuit pieces are considered important ethnic "Art", and at that period in time, the tourist pieces literally took food off the table of the struggling Inuit. That's just one small example.

[thatotherguy1]

How big is that? Hard to tell from the photos.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

For a perhaps more common reference object, a standard Altoids Smalls tin (NOT the full size one) is almost exactly the same dimensions as a Zippo lighter.

[e-beth]

As soon as I saw the word "ivory" I thought, "is it legal to sell antique ivory in the US" which sent me down an internet rabbit hole where I found that the law is very complicated about what can be sold and it almost always says something about having documentation that the ivory came into the US before 1976. I doubt the average person could keep track of it all! In any case, while the issues surrounding antique ivory are controversial, I often feel like it would be a shame to destroy fine old pieces. These aide memoire are beautiful and I love that there is still writing on them.

[Shangas]

Lucky for me, I live in Australia. Our ivory laws aren't so insane down here.

[pen2paper]

guess what I saw in the current Time Biography issue, on Thomas Jefferson technology???

I think, (sleepy, and dropping off as I type), it was page 89, 98, 99.

[pen2paper]

guess what I saw in the current Time Biography issue, on Thomas Jefferson technology???

I think, (sleepy, and dropping off as I type), it was page 89, 98, 99.

mentioning this again, as the comments in the Time biography of Jefferson's early technology suggests his ivory aides, that look very like these, (the fittings), are very early pieces.