John A. Goewey Tea Kettle

Undoubtedly a very nice restoration which shows us what we can do if we put our minds to it.
Couple things....I would have thought that the kettle would have had some sort of handle rather than just the wire as shown. I may be wrong but if that thing weighs as much as I think it does it would seem like there would have been some sort of bending over the years of repeated lifting and pouring from it. It would have been a little cumbersome to handle with a small wire in your hand even with a pot holder. I'm betting there was either a wooden handle on it or perhaps an "Alaskan" type coil wire handle.
Food for thought....Have you tried searching the data base at the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division? They have thousands if not more of photographs dating back to 1815 when the library was established.
Again...Nice piece and good restoration.
 
According to the gray book: "..... until a wire handle with a wooden or spiral spring grip replaced it after 1880." This style teakettle (per the book!) was dated 1860 to 1900. So 50/50 on the handle.

Hilditch
 
W. Hilditch said:
According to the gray book: "..... until a wire handle with a wooden or spiral spring grip replaced it after 1880." This style teakettle (per the book!) was dated 1860 to 1900. So 50/50 on the handle.

Hilditch
Click to expand...

Thanks Hilditch....It was just a theory and nothing concrete to base it on. I was at an antique shop today and came across a similar kettle (different name brand) but quiet old, that had a wide lifting metal type strap where one would typically grab to lift it. Bottom was cracked and very rusty so I had no interest in trying to save it.
 
MDFraley said:
Undoubtedly a very nice restoration which shows us what we can do if we put our minds to it.
Couple things....I would have thought that the kettle would have had some sort of handle rather than just the wire as shown. I may be wrong but if that thing weighs as much as I think it does it would seem like there would have been some sort of bending over the years of repeated lifting and pouring from it. It would have been a little cumbersome to handle with a small wire in your hand even with a pot holder. I'm betting there was either a wooden handle on it or perhaps an "Alaskan" type coil wire handle.
Food for thought....Have you tried searching the data base at the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division? They have thousands if not more of photographs dating back to 1815 when the library was established.
Again...Nice piece and good restoration.
Click to expand...

Thank you for your comment on the restoration.

To your questions.

I did originally think that there was a wooden handle. But due to its age,( early 1860s) and also the fact that there are 2 marks / dents into the cast iron where the handle lays down on the kettle from repeated dropping the handle over the years. The other thing is its condition as found. No heavy rust of any pitting inside or out. I do not think this saw the use for its age.

If you look close under the letters G and O, but above the mold line you can see the mark in the cast from repeated dropping the handle. The mark is on both sides, right where the wire sits.

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This is an earlier tea kettle that I restored. You can see that it has no room for wood.


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I have seen Wood Bishop kettles with a cast iron handle insert, and some with just a wire handle like my John A. Goewey.

In reply to Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Division, I have not at this point, but something to think about.

Thank you, Jeff
 
Finished up the kettle this afternoon. Because of the end of the spout I do not think it would be a Tea Kettle, but a Humidifier Kettle. The swivel end of the lid was broke off when I got it. JB Weld and a clamp took care of that. It is strictly a show piece and my first go at trying to save a piece that wasn't a fry pan. It has the bottom gate, the off set for the stove eye and 3 small feet to keep the gate off a flat surface. Yes, it is painted, like it was when found but no scratches (yet). Note the 7 in the center of the star and the back of the spout.

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I don't think back when these were made or sold anyone was worried about 'humidifying' their house... they were tea kettles or at least hot water kettles... .the whole concept of using them as a 'humidifier' is a modern thing... probably from the 70's and 80's when heating oil got expensive and lots of people started using wood heaters in their houses... and using these old pieces to sit on top and humidify the dry winter air.
 
I believe your right. Did some more reading last night and the author of that particular book said there was no such think as a humidifier back then. It is a Tea Kettle or like you said, a hot water kettle. I remember Moms but don't remember what she used it for and in a much later time period also. Thank you for correcting that for me. Now to figure out just what the kettle or ?? is and its back ground.
 
Thank you D_Madden you saved me some typing. 100% agree. Fact up here in the cold north with the wood stove going not enough water in a kettle for a humidifier so we just put a SS bowl on the stove top and that helps much better.

RJ Ruchti, typically, but not 100% of the time the smaller kettles were used as tea kettles and never really held enough water to be called a Water Boiler. Also tea was never really brewed in the kettle, the hot water was poured over the loose tea in a smaller cup or what they were using.
 
Have you ever seen all the white stuff inside an old iron kettle?

When water boils down it leaves calcium or called limescale which exists as a dissolved mineral water. There is no evidence of this being harmful, however it may impact the taste. This is what helps to keep the rust at bay and also the metallic taste you ask about. Today we have better tools available to us to end up with clear and better tasting water. No I will not be using my kettles for a cup of tea or coffee, But to each his own.
 
All the kettles I've seen in antique mall are just plain rusty inside, mostly badly pitted.

My tea kettle is a Revere Ware stainless steel with copper bottom.
 
I would just season it like a skillet. Then a small shot of PAM to keep it from rusting I guess...very light coating of it, then try to wipe it back off.
 
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