Throughout the remainder of the month, a collection of primitive antiques will be on display at Fort Bend County Libraries’ Mamie George Branch Library in Stafford.
From the collection of Meadows Place resident Jeannette Faris, many of the objects are examples of things her family used in daily life when she was a child growing up in central Louisiana. Cast-iron cooking utensils, a butter churn, a straight razor, a shaving brush and even a dried gourd are just some of the items that are included in the display.
“The small dried gourd was for darning socks,” Faris said.
NOW ON DISPLAY – These are just some of the antiques on display throughout October at the Mamie George Branch Library in Stafford. The items are from the private collection of Meadows Place resident Jeannette Faris.
She explained the gourd was placed in the toe or heel of a torn sock. With a needle and thread, the person would weave the thread back and forth to make a patch to fill the hole.
“Believe me, the patch was not a comfortable thing inside your shoe!” she recalled.
Another item in the collection is a little Hansel and Gretel house that was used to predict the weather. Faris says she did not learn until much later that the house was actually a barometer.
“The family would check it in the mornings to see if it was going to rain or if it would be a fair day. If it would be a sunny day, the children would come out,” Faris explained. “But if rain was imminent, the witch would come out.”
For Faris, the collection brings back childhood memories of a very poor, but very happy childhood. Friends and family often stop by her home to visit and reminisce about how times have changed.
“My grandchildren and nieces and nephews love to come look and ask questions and learn some of the family history,” Faris said. “They hear about the primitive times I lived in with no electricity, no plumbing and no IPods.”
The exhibit can be viewed during regular library hours.
