Wheelah23
Posts: 4293
Joined: 8/9/2010
From: Glen Ridge, New Jersey
Status: offline
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Well, after doing some digging, I did a little bit of digging. For information, that is. Turns out the last privy was home to a (supposed) inventor of celluloid! That may explain the very strange nature of the privy's contents. Everything was covered in weird chemicals, and the privy was filled with it. Crazy inventor stuff I suppose. The house was built between 1867 and 1871. Seems for at least the 1870's, the house was owned by Dr. William Hugh Pierson. Found this online, in an 1878 publication:
"William Hugh Pierson (M.D.), born in Orange, where he practiced medicine for a while; was a surgeon of the U. S. navy, during the late war, lives at Bloomfield; married Annie Van Liew and has son John."
The Glen Ridge Historical Society did some research about the house, and published it online a couple years ago. Here's what they had to say.
"The New York Globe of August 4, 1902 reported the suicide by hanging of Anna Van Liew Pierson. Her son, John, found her dangling from a rope in the cupola. Earlier news accounts noted that the same John Pierson, a member of the Bloomfield Cyclers and the Glen Ridge Foot-Ball Eleven, ran for the position of County Clerk. Anna’s late husband, Dr. William Hugh Pierson, was a direct descendant of a founding family of Newark. In 1867 he was granted a patent for celluloid that was later rescinded because of an opposing claim. Under the wallpaper in one of the two parlors were strips of a plastic material that resembled tortoise shell."
The guy was a doctor. So this syringe makes sense:
The celluloid things:
Belt buckles
Curtain rods/teething rings/what have you
I didn't think these were celluloid, however online research has convinced me otherwise. Apparently the true creator of celluloid was John Wesley Hyatt.
"In 1870 Hyatt and his brother set up the Albany Dental Plate Company to manufacture dental plate blanks from the new material which they called Celluloid. In 1871 the Celluloid Manufacturing Company was established in Albany, transferring to Newark, New Jersey in 1872."
"For years hardened rubber had been used successfully as a denture blank material; however, when the Goodyear Dental Vulcanite Co. purchased the patent rights, they began to impose expensive fees upon the substance. In addition, the rising cost of rubber, due to the popularity of the bicycle craze and the demand for this commodity for tires, made Vulcanite an ever increasing expense for dentists who owned large practices. Thus the stage was set for the introduction of Celluloid dentures."
"Several pages of testimonials are found in an 1878 Celluloid Mfg. Co. Instruction Manual for dentists. The following are excerpts from the booklet:
'I have used celluloid as a base for artificial teeth for several years with great satisfaction. It is durable, and does not warp or change its form, provided the conditions are strictly complied with. My patients are delighted with it." I.J.Wetherbee, DDS, Boston, MA, Mar. 23, 1878'
'Celluloid is an excellent base for artificial teeth and has given excellent satisfaction to 200 of my patients who are wearing it. I use it for artificial palates and noses, and for the latter it is very much better than rubber." A.S.Dudley, MD, Salem, MA., Mar. 20, 1878'
'"Do you feel satisfied with celluloid?, I seem to hear you ask. I answer that I would not give $5.00 for a rubber license. I would not have rubber in my own mouth on account of the heated feeling. I have broken two rubber plates in the time I have worn one of celluloid. It is healthful, cleanly, strong, unchangeable and beautiful." B.B. Chandler, Boston, MA, Feb. 11, 1878'
etc. Anyway, this makes me think Pierson, the owner of the house, was a dentist. The research I've done doesn't indicate anything specific.
This is relevant to the "inventor", William Hugh Pierson.
"Patent battles ensued between Hyatt and those who imitated his inventions. Companies which started with inexperienced help frequently manufactured inferior products or due to the ignorance of the dangerous materials used in manufacture, burned to the ground. Even the Celluloid Manufacturing Company experienced several devastating fires, but they always recovered and went on to become the most important manufacturer of plastics in history."
Well these aren't celluloid. But I have a hunch that they are chemical related.
I don't know what these are, but someone said they are gutta percha.
So there you have it. If not for digging these weird items in the privy, I'd never have dug into the history of the house!
Credit goes to these sites for the general celluloid info.
 Attachment (1)
< Message edited by Wheelah23 -- 12/27/2011 9:42:23 PM >
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Looking for bottles from Glen Ridge, Montclair, Bloomfield, Orange, East Orange, West Orange, South Orange, and if I like 'em, any other bottles from Essex County NJ! Also Manahawkin NJ! Message me if you want to find them a new home.
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Celluloid - 
I save the old plastic items I dig solely for the purpose of fueling future pyrotechnic good-times, as they are generally too warped to be useful for other purposes. 
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