When you’re into vintage, you learn something new every day. We were today years old and right here on this page when we learned what Galalith is. It’s not a moment we will remember forever, like a first step or first taste of champagne, but we have absolutely tucked the Galalith info in this week’s fresh to market vintage away for future reference.
FYI, identifying Galalith uses the same method as identifying bakelite (which we wrote about). If you put bakelite in hot, but not boiling, water for 15 seconds and then sniff it, you will smell a sweet chemical smell similar to formaldehyde. If you put Galalith in hot water for 15-30 seconds and give it a sniff, it will smell like sour, burnt or rancid milk. Eww. Stinky but effective. You can also try rubbing it vigorously to get it warm and give it the sniff test.
You won’t need to immerse any of the other treats in this week’s fresh to market vintage, however one of them will keep you from being immersed by a downpour…
1930s Galalith Necklace
Galalith was an early form of synthetic material made from casein, which is a milk protein. It could be carved and dyed, but not molded. Used for industrial purposes as well as jewelry, it became obsolete during WWII as milk was needed as a nutritional source. This necklace features carved beads in shades of beige and orange. These colors were often used to mimic coral and ivory. The necklace retains its original clasp and is in original condition.
Orange and Beige Galalith Necklace, $60.95
Pam, Vintage Renude
Framed M & H Hanhart Lithograph
Our home is located on one of the longest migratory paths in North America, so it wouldn’t shock me to learn that a few “nymphalidea erisa,” which is one of the largest groups of butterflies in the world with over 6000 species, make their way through our backyard on their way to Mexico. This print of six “brush-footed” butterflies was drawn by W. C. Hewitson and produced by M & H Hanhart lithographers, a publishing house that operated between 1840 and 1888. Using a complex layering of tint stones, Hanhart printed elaborate works unique for their coloration and tonal values.
Litho of Six Butterflies by W. C. Hewitson, $125
Linda, Selective Salvage
1980s Sony Dream Machine
5:59…6:00…”They say we’re young and we don’t know, We won’t find out until we grow…” can you name the movie? (Answer at the bottom of the post.) The clock radio used in the movie scene was a Panasonic RC-6025. But the Sony Dream Machine was also iconic. In the decades from when the first model introduced in 1968 until it was discontinued in the early 2010s because the smartphone slithered in and replaced it on bedside tables, it’s estimated that a third of all homes had a Dream Machine.
This version, from 1988, might be just what you need to replace the smartphone on your nightstand if the temptation to check the weather, the socials or your inbox is too much temptation when you wake up at 3 am.
Sony Dream Machine AM/FM Digital Clock Radio Model ICF-C2W, $29.
Laurie, NextStage Vintage
Mid Century Plaid Umbrella
If it’s true that you need April showers to bring May flowers, one way to make the drizzly days bearable is to tote a vintage plaid umbrella. Dating from the 1940s-1950s, this beauty has a wooden handle with a lucite cap. Like many vintage umbrellas, it’s got mends and bends and other signs of wear, but that shows it has stood the test of time.
1940s/1950s Plaid Umbrella with Lucite Handle, $65.
Available from this week’s guest, Canned Ham Vintage
The answer to the movie trivia question about clock radios is Groundhog Day. Interesting tidbit: Bill Murray was supposed to smash his clock with his hand, but it barely cracked so the crew had to come in and clock it with a hammer.
Did you know we have vintage trivia quizzes on Vintage Unscripted occasionally? We consider ourselves a candy connoisseur and we were fantastically underknowledgeable when we took this week’s candy quiz. How did you do? You did see the post right? If you missed it, it was in the email you received today because you were a savvy reader and subscribed to our email newsletter. One email a week, links to all the posts from the previous week. And feel confident your info is safe. We would rather be smashed by Bill Murray every morning than to ever share it.
