Comments on: In The Archives: Accidental Photographer

By: John

John — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:27:06 +0000

Okay–I’m amending my guess from the alliterative to a marshmallow toaster. What a mess to clean when it flames!

By: abc

abc — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:25:54 +0000

Its your own personal, appetizer portioned, interior heated, fondue pot! Oh but then why three forks? If this food is so small why am I sharing it? I now have only questions. Could it be a condiment heater for another plate of food? But I already suggested a butter melter.

By: suswhit

suswhit — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 13:45:50 +0000

Well, I still think it boiled water. Anything else would have left stains on the inside. And the darkening on the lid makes it appear that it has been used. The lid has little cutouts at the edge to hold the forks so I think it boils up to three of something (smaller than an egg) but I’ll be darned if I can think of what. Although I suppose it could hold nothing and just get really hot to bake three of something smaller than an egg that doesn’t stain. And you say it’s riculously dangerous. Oy. I give.

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:23:24 +0000

John: Interesting guess. I must point out that there are two original components to this item that are missing from the museum’s artifact: one electrical cord and 3 small two-tined metal forks.

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 12:21:41 +0000

Irma: That is a wonderful guess considering that more than one Ypsilantian patented a home coffee roaster; one was a combo coffee bean and peanut roaster, with a rotating barrel over a bed of coals. I can say, however, that this is an item designed for a food and not a drink item.

By: John

John — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:25:45 +0000

An individual marshmallow melter for smores.

By: Irma

Irma — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:22:40 +0000

My guess is a mini-roaster for one individual serving of coffee beans, a precious commodity during the Depression!

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 03:17:18 +0000

Lucy: Another good guess. The food item in question is a wee bit smaller than an egg.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 02:33:47 +0000

Is it a personal electric egg poacher?

By: Laura Bien

Laura Bien — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 19:47:57 +0000

ABC: hee hee. And yet you ask the perfect question, indeed: what would you cook that is so small?