Page 38 - March 2022

ANTIQUES PEEK by Jessica Kosinski
ANTIQUES PEEK

Pull These Over

f you love the look and feel of old-fashioned unload cargo, as well as lifeboats. Many ships
barns, you are not alone. Many people love also used them to control sails.
Ibarn-related collectibles. Antique barn The use of the pulley is not limited to the
pulleys are near the top of the list of popular U.S. Pulleys also did not originate in barns. Vintage antique
barn items. The largest collection of them in The Ancient Mesopotamian civilization is wooden cast iron
the United States is housed at a specialty muse- the earliest known group to have used mini barn pulley
um in South Dakota, but you don’t have to pulleys, based on written records. However, 1870 with
start a museum to be a barn pulley collector. they may have existed in some form even his brother,
Collecting just a few of them can help you earlier than 1500 B.C.E., which was Philip.
recreate the feel of an old barn, and they when their use was recorded in Initially, the
even serve several useful purposes. Here Mesopotamia. The Ancient Egyptians pair was known
are some fun facts and history about also famously used pulleys for many more for producing
antique pulleys. purposes. There is speculation that water pumps. They even
they may have even constructed the had an exhibition of their
Pulleys Have Many Names pyramids using pulley systems. pumps in 1882 at the Ohio State
You may have heard pulleys called Fair. However, by 1902 the company had
by different names in the past. Some The Science Behind Pulleys and produced more than 260,000 pulleys.
other names for them include blocks Development of the Block and The Louden Machinery Co. in Fairfield,
and sheaves. Technically, sheaves are Tackle System Iowa was another popular producer of pulleys
specifically the round portions of A pulley is simply a wheel with a and other farm equipment. In fact. it was the
the pulleys that turn as ropes are rope pulled over it. It allows you largest manufacturer of farm equipment in the
pulled over them. The term to reverse the direction of force region from the 1880s through the early 1900s.
“block and tackle” refers to a on a rope. Pulleys are useful The company continued producing farm
pair or group of pulleys attached because they cut down the equipment until 1965.
to each other with wire or rope. amount of effort and time it
takes to move various materials. Collecting & Using Antique Barn Pulleys
Pulleys Are Ancient and Block and tackle pulley systems There are many reasons you may want to
Versatile Tools combine more than one pulley. The collect antique barn pulleys. You can simply
You may think of pulleys as famous Greek inventor, opt to display them like other collectibles. You
integral parts of early American Wood wheel barn pulley with Archimedes, is widely credited with can also choose to use them for the purposes for
barns, and they were. Pulleys original red paint inventing the multi-pulley system. which they were intended, if you happen to
were necessary to help farmers hoist hay up into In terms of early American barns, the use of have a farm or barn. However, antique barn
barn lofts for storage. What you may not realize multiple pulleys at one time revolutionized pulleys are also fun because you can re-purpose
is these pulleys were popular in many other things like hay and grain storage. The more them in a variety of ways. You can use them
places for various purposes around the same pulleys are working together, the less effort it to hang shelves or artwork, for example.
time. Most notably, pulleys were commonly takes to move items. Therefore, those systems Many collectors have also turned pulleys into
used on boats. They were used to load and made work far easier and faster for farmers. innovative and useful devices, such as lamps.

Barn Pulley Materials Where to Find Antique Barn Pulleys
If you want to start a barn pulley collection, Much like other
you need to begin with an understanding of the antiques, some of the
types of barn pulleys available and the materials best places to find
out of which they are made. Antique barn antique barn pulleys are
pulleys typically consisted of one or more of a antiques shops and flea
few specific materials. Those materials were markets. You might also
wood, cast iron, and steel. Often, wood wheels check with friends who
or sheaves were surrounded by cast iron. have barns to see if they
Sometimes, both the sheaves and their have any old pulleys
surroundings were made from solid steel. they no longer want. A
quick online search can
Popular Antique Barn Pulley Makers provide you with access
The makers of most antique barn pulleys to pulleys for sale all
are not easily identifiable. In some cases, they over the country, and in 19th century half pulley
cannot be identified at all. However, there are a other countries. selling for $280 online
couple of popular antique barn pulley makers. Other Antique Barn Pulley Resources
One is the Starline company. Sometimes It is a good idea to learn more about antique
Starline pulleys include images of stars on barn pulleys if you plan to collect them.
them. The Starline company originated in Antique farming catalogs provide a wealth of
Illinois as a company called Hunt, Helm, information. The United States Patent Office
Ferris, and Company in 1883. It was renamed also keeps patent records detailing different
Starline in 1931. antique barn pulley designs. You may also opt
Another popular antique pulley maker was to join groups of like-minded farm equipment
Antique Cast Iron Louden Caryy-All Hay Trolley Barn Pulley F.E. Myers and Co. Myers went into business collectors and share knowledge on the subject.
selling farm equipment from Ashland, Ohio in
36 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles