Two 1880s Blair Family Letters and Envelopes with Scrawls and Little Drawings painted wood blocks This fabulous birds in tree

This fabulous birds in tree puzzle /balancing toy /display piece I think perfectly encapsulates the spirit and philosophy of the wonderful design company that was Creative Playthings

as with old samplers

There is enough wear around the entrance to suggest a bird or two may have resided in it

both aesthetically and empathetically

Two 1880s Blair Family Letters and Envelopes with Scrawls and Little Drawings painted wood blocks This fabulous birds in treeMore things dug from piles, these two letters and envelopes chosen primarily for their aesthetic value I love the dense flurry of letters and flourishes on one of them, and most especially the envelope reading "I had a dag bay," a sort of pig latin I assume for a bad day. Then this great bust of a woman above it, and a little man with hat and horse on reverse. One of the letters is addressed to an Atkins Blair and dated 1888, and talks a lot about a