Wax Sealing Rig In "it's A Wonderful Life"

[NewPenMan]

Was watching this film over the holiday as I always do and in the scene where Mr. Potter makes George Bailey an job offer, you can clearly see a wax sealing "apparatus" on the left side of the desk (from the camera angle) or just to the right of George Bailey. In the linked photo, it's under Bailey's forearm.

 

It's a curious rig, actually. I'm sure that a man of Mr. Potter's wealth would have desk toys made of the absolutely finest materials..Silver? Platinum?

 

But it looks like a tablespoon sort of cradled over a cheap candle..more like a heroin user's "works"..the whole thing is on a nice stand with a beautiful seal off to the side.

 

Does anyone know anything about wax sealing rigs like this? I'm sure that in its day, a set like this was the bee's knees..would be pretty nice now, too..

 

https://imgur.com/3KKDLXN

 

 

Edited January 12, 2019 by NewPenMan

[bogiesan]

There’s a lot of weird desk stuff in that shot. Funny, I’ve watched that film a dozen times, never really paid that much attention to those details. There’s a blotter, a sander, a sand pot, lighter, cigarette box, phone, on the far right of the screen, is that a huge writing set that must include inkwells and different pens (imagine he needs different colors?) or is it a liquor set, there’s a brass and enamel tea cup, a pen holder, the sealing wax works, and the most amazing find: a silver skull. Gotta wonder which member of the set dressing crew found the skull and figured it needed to be there.

 

I may not watch Wonderful Life again till Xmas 2019. Do any of these things get used? I remember Potter uses the phone, probably lights a cigarette, may sign some papers.

[Kalessin]

A blotter, a sand pot, a wax sealer, and an inkstand. These objects harken back to 19th century banking and accounting. The items would be exactly at home on the desk of the remaining proprietor of Scrooge & Marley at the beginning of A Christmas Carol.