Several members of the Palmerton Area Historical Society brought things to show at the January meeting. President Jane Borbe started things off with a Harvest Fest newspaper. It was from Sept. 30, Oct. 1-2 and is filled with ads which might help determine the year date.

But Jack Gunsser of Jim Thorpe brought the most. He is expected to be a regular with his many collections.

Gunsser is a retired school teacher who taught science, math and German at Lansford. He met an antiques dealer in Pen Argyl when he was 8 years old. He accompanied her to auctions. In 1948 he bought 38 stereopticon cards and now has 700. He looked upon antiques as a job but his father felt otherwise, saying he needed a serious career.

His collections will go to the museum in Harrisburg.

"What would you do with a wax hand?" Gunsser asked. And then he pulls a second one out of the box. On June 18, 1910, they were the toppers for his grandparents' wedding cake.

He had two small wooden blocks - one square and one hexagonal - with markings on them. They were two of a set of 20 inlaid with markings for use in teaching geometry.

In quick order he showed a nut scoop, asparagus tongs, an olive spoon, sardine scoop and lemon pick. A small round tray with a glass bottom was a wine coaster. Gunsser also had cloth coasters that fit over the foot of a wine glass to protect furniture.

A kerosene lamp was known as a sparking lamp. When the light went out a boyfriend had to go home.

A glove with no fingers was known as a funeral glove. It was worn for six months as part of a mourning outfit.

A watch fob was made from his grandmother's hair. Hair jewelry has come back. "What greater love can you have than to carry a piece of her with you?" Gunsser asked.

A small knife with a shaped end was used to scrape ink off a page - an eraser of sorts. The gum eraser did not come into being until after World War II.

Sharpshooter glasses used in the Civil War were amber except for a circle in the center that was clear glass. They focused the view on a target permitting more accurate shooting.

Gunsser draped some eight-inch squares of cloth over his arm. They were napkins for a child's tea party and were matched with a tablecloth.

Ronald and Duane Frable were attending for the first time. They began the members' exhibits. Ronald brought pictures to donate to the historical society and Duane brought an old egg scale.

Mary Kocher said all her stuff is 100 years old. The first item she showed was a letter holder shaped like a pig. She had a shallow bowl which was made in Wellsville. It has a flowered exterior with smaller flowers on the inside.

The real name is a plateau, and it was used to hold centerpieces, said Gunsser.

Kocher also brought a stamp holder with a scale attached.

Pearl Snyder showed a plate decorated with blue that looked as though the blue color had run during manufacture. Gunsser said it was a flow blue plate and was export china sent from England for the middle class. He described the plate as being in pristine condition.

Dan Snyder, Pearl's grandson, showed a blowtorch which most people could identify. He was interested in how old it was (1915).

Mary Taschler said a man from New Jersey Zinc Co. used the blowtorch to thaw water pipes in the bungalows. On a cold morning he would go from house to house on his defrosting rounds.

Gunsser said white gasoline was used and occasionally exploded.

Bert Holczman had a sadly crumbled picture of an aerial view of his Ashfield farm. He said it was taken 46 years ago. When the photographer wanted to sell it, his family refused. In disgust the photographer crumbled it and threw it out the car window. Bert salvaged it.

Years later the same company still had it in its files and Holczman bought an enlarged copy. He has it framed but keeps the original because of the story it brings back.

The show and tell program is always popular and is held the second Monday of January in the Knights Gallery (second floor) of the Palmerton Library.