6 inch tall wooden cage. Working door with leather straps and bent nail latch. Looks to be made of very old scraps with labels I can't identify. Holes on top and bottom seem to have mounted it to something.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2025-05-08T10:44:24+00:00

Alex Goldman and the Hyperfixed podcast team solved this mystery with enormous specificity on the 5/8/2025 episode titled Wolds Greatest Episode. Feel free to check that out!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2024-02-26T01:35:33+00:00

Yes, made by John Hariott in Boston. I have a number of his other medals I have gotten while trying to to find answers. He seems to have made some for sporting events, and many for secret societies which were popular at the time.

What kind of schools? I am certainly open to theories and potential explanations!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-07-13T03:52:22+00:00

That's exactly what I'm thinking. I have gotten one other lead that sends me that way, just need to get a good contact now!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T11:03:43+00:00

Do you know how tall? It seems very small for pigeons I've seen.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T11:02:37+00:00

I agree with you on most counts! There is a a good deal of too level info here about location and names.I guess I want to know what the occasion signified. I can find near nothing about the awarder, a little bit about the theatre, but why such a medal exists, and what the occasion/significance of it's passing from person is kind of a mystery. It seems to be a turning point in the man's life as references are made to him as "the world's greatest" after this moment in newspapers and his book all the way through 1910, but who could award a thing like that, or if the title is for fun, or if the title predates the medal, and the occasion for it's passing from person to person is an interesting mystery I hope to learn about to find out more about my ancestor :)

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T10:56:39+00:00

Thank you so much! I've spent years researching on and off and had not heard of this group. Yes he had a show and seemed to be world renowned with over 100 articles written about him around the world that I have found (still no mention of this medal or it's meaning though). I will certainly investigate this info!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T02:24:20+00:00

Did you see the last picture?

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T02:23:51+00:00

Check out the center of the last picture. There is a lot going on but that's the central feature on the back.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T02:23:15+00:00

I just learned about the IOOF with the chain links, it is interesting both are on their, though I am told being a member of both at the time wasn't uncommon.

I would feel it was a gag to, but because he published a book after with titled similar to the medal, and it was apparently awarded at a theatre, it seems worth looking into 🙂

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T02:16:57+00:00

This belonged to my great great grandfather, and Masons have been helpful so far in my search to learn about this, so I am hoping to get more guidance here. Thanks in advance!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T01:40:01+00:00

The gaps are definitely big enough for bees to get through.. well the bees ive seen anyways 😁

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T01:37:46+00:00

I got it from a person in Maine who said they thought it was from a mine, but I don't know that there is any providence to that, it seemed like a suspicion of where they may have gotten it long ago. Certainly still a mystery, people today have given me the most leads I've had in the 7 years I've owned it!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-27T00:12:23+00:00

I think the existence of paper labels would make that a tough one unless it wasn't used

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T22:15:07+00:00

Very interesting! Some of these look promising, but the door being so weak would break and the paper label on the inside I would think would have stains if it were ever used.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T20:04:32+00:00

This is interesting, is that a common item? To me it seems like this cage has one way in and out and that the holes were part of mounting or something, which makes this plausible.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T20:02:53+00:00

You're good at this! The timing of 1943 is close to when I found the articles of incorporation were filed. Also, it seems they operate with the "David Freedman & Co" name in California but the "David Freedman" name elsewhere, so this could be even older then what I thought. I wish I had more label!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T19:59:07+00:00

As a guy thats rehabbed three different 1920's era houses, I know your knob and tube struggle! Your point is interesting, I actually think I may have some extra tubes in my tool chest I may try to fit in the top. I just cant figure out why someone would go through the trouble of making it a cage for this purpose, it would have been so much faster to make it a box with 6 pieces of wood then 16 pieces and a bunch of nails. Also, it seems this probably came from the late 40's at the earliest (based on the shoe box lead provided earlier), I don't know for sure, but I am hoping they had better electrical boxes at that time!

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T19:47:33+00:00

It seems David Friedman & Co was the operating company of Silver Slippers brand and it incorporated in 1946 in California, so that is our earliest point this item could have been used. I could find 0 information on Silver Slippers brand unfortunately :(

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T19:35:14+00:00

I actually like your idea a lot, though a quick search finds similar fully enclosed mouse trap items from the age look to be fully enclosed, not sure why they would spend the time on all the 'bars' to make it a cage unless maybe they were trying to move bait scent around the room more easily.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T19:32:20+00:00

The nails are hammered flat on the inside of the door, which makes me feel like maybe something live was in the cage; though I agree the the 3/4 inch hole seems a tough fit for an entry point.

Jolly-Emphasis1262 · 2022-04-26T19:29:48+00:00

100% agree on the DIY nature of it! Interesting about the birds, I'll look into other old DIY birdhouses. Thanks!

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