We have always considered and collected these commercial masks and helmets as industries tribal art. Examples can be elegant in their simplicity or bazaar and complex. They are always unique, suprising and filled with personality.
American Plate Electrical Machine, ca. 1860
An elegant mid-19th century single-disc friction machine with turned hardwood pillars, brass fittings, and original clear glass plate—mounted on a classic cross-base with original aged patina. The green-painted collector shows flaking consistent with age, supported by a hand-blown glass pedestal insulator. While untested, the machine appears largely complete, retaining its original crank, rotating shaft, and collector arm. These early American electrostatic generators were used to demonstrate electrical charge and spark discharge in lecture halls and medical offices alike. A striking relic from the early days of electricity, ideal for display. $1400
