jbb

It worked! Mischief managed.

sounds like an ill-fitting J bar, probably consistent with your description "make shift". I would suggest replacing it for a new one, they are easy enough to come by

Thank you!!! I will try that.

Unless I'm mistaken, (with antique phones & electric fans from around the turn of century) brass was considered "tacky" and was painted/blackened in a process called "Japaned."  (Heavy enamel paint & coats of varnish to imitate Asian lacquerwork according to the wiki.)

 

So if it was from a very upscale place-- wonder if it was originally glossy black & someone "brassed it out" along the way.

 

Nice piece though.  And since it's brass-- very good to know it hasn't been soldered to someone's steam-punk crafts.  Nothing against them... Except when they start dismantling antiques just to make a fashion statement.  Ack!

 

Anyway, congrads on it!  Imagine you have quite a collection of penstaffs & ink wells.

 

--Bruce

Based on what you have said I would think this was a cheap give-away at the time.

Looks as though they had a nice address. Did a quick Google search and found that 239 would have been across the street from City Hall and just up the street from St. Paul's Chapel, the church that fed and comforted first responders after 9/11. I don't see a building numbered 239 today, however -- there's a famous old highrise at 233 (the Woolworth Building) but the next building over is a 1960s-era building numbered 250. The former 239 may have been demolished. There's a 239 W. Broadway (a different street) but it's not in the financial district.

The address is 299 Broadway, not 239.

...Stationer won't come down on price.  Buying her remaining inventory at 30 cents a sheet/envelope adds up!  Guess I'll have to go to... A-6 is next size down?

You can always have a printer (print shop) cut down 8½ x 11 paper for you. They only charge a dollar or so per cut  for cutting an entire ream.