Field Notes
The Journal
Stories from the archive — the history behind standout pieces, how we identify and document them, and what to look for if you’re hunting your own. Every entry links to the real object it describes.
August 28, 2026 · Field Notes
What Even Is This? A Mystery Object in Matrix — Part One
A careful look at a pale ridged structure attached to coarse matrix, the theories around it, and what the photographs can and cannot establish.
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August 27, 2026 · Tools & Instruments
What the 1-Ton Label on This A.B. Chance Hoist Actually Tells You
A closer look at the 1-ton label, condition, and limits of what can be claimed about a used A.B. Chance lever hoist.
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August 27, 2026 · Curios
A Closer Look at a Vintage Coca-Cola Door Push
Embossed script, original paint, mounting holes, and wear are the details that matter on this cast-metal Coca-Cola door push.
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August 27, 2026 · Glass & Ceramic
What We Can Verify on This Prats Dairy Gallon Jug
A close look at the red graphics, gallon size, bail, stopper, and the details visible on this Abita Springs dairy jug.
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August 14, 2026 · Tools & Instruments
What We Know About This Vintage Craftsman Machine
A stored Craftsman cast-iron woodworking machine with no motor and no confirmed operation. Here’s what the photos do and don’t tell us.
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August 14, 2026 · Art & Décor
Man-Made, Not Ivory: A Closer Look at a Carved Tusk-Form
How to describe a carved tusk-shaped decorative piece accurately when the material, maker, and age are unknown.
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August 10, 2026 · Curios
Inside a 1970s Metal First-Aid Kit
One dated item in a mixed first-aid kit doesn’t date the whole case. Here’s how we separate the confirmed details from the assumptions.
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July 31, 2026 · Glass & Ceramic
Two Embossed Soda Bottles From Bogalusa, Louisiana
Two embossed soda bottles tied to Bogalusa through the glass itself, plus the markings collectors should look at.
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July 30, 2026 · Art & Décor
How to Tell an Original Oil From a Print — Using a Swamp Painting as the Example
Five quick checks that help separate an original oil painting from a print, using our signed cypress-swamp painting as the example.
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July 1, 2026 · Curios
A 1990 Pantera ‘Cowboys From Hell’ Promo Cassette
A 1990 ATCO promotional cassette for Cowboys From Hell, plus a quick look at how label promos differ from standard retail copies.
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June 24, 2026 · Military & Surplus
A 1951 Faribault U.S. Army Medical Blanket
What the 1951 date, Faribault label, caduceus, and U.S. Army markings tell us about this wool medical blanket.
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June 18, 2026 · Glass & Ceramic
A Closer Look at CorningWare’s ‘Wheat’ Pattern
A look at the early Wheat pattern and the boxed set currently in the shop.
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