MYSTERY OBJECTS

[Stanley]

I always remember one of my childhood mate's father. He worked for CPA at Manchester as a clerk for almost fifty years and during that time looked after the same set of ledgers, making all the entries by hand. See THIS for a potted history of the Calico Printers Association. I couldn't imagine what that would do to someone.....



The brush making industry makes specialised brushes for different purposes. What's this one intended for?

[Gloria]

Is it for cleaning between teeth?

[Wendyf]

No idea what that one is for but I used to love the brush shop on Victoria Street in Edinburgh. They made and sold every type of brush you could possibly want. Long gone now though.

[Marilyn]

Guess it is pipe cleaning brush?

[Tizer]

Whatever it's for, the pieces of wire sticking out the ends look like they could cause damage to whatever was being cleaned. Is it for cleaning a tap?

[PanBiker]

Bottle brush?

[Cathy]

Is it for cleaning the base around where the bottom of the tap handle sits on the sink?

[Stanley]

It's none of those but it would do for most of them. It's actually a specialised brush for cleaning bicycles. I just looked brushes up on Google and looked at the images.... More brushes than you could poke a stick at!

[Tizer]

Any guesses what's going on here?

[PanBiker]

They look like weather balloons but no idea why so many.

[Marilyn]

Bubble Gum Competition

[Cathy]

Their own individual internet clouds.

[PostmanPete]

Looks to me like they're all speechless...…

[Tizer]

Creative suggestions but no correct answers yet! They're not weather balloons. Have a closer look at the persons shown in the photo; that might help.

[Wendyf]

Balloon bombs? They look like soldiers.

[Marilyn]

Condom testers?

[Stanley]

I agree with Wendy, some sort of experimental beach defence in WW2. Most likely small bombs,

[chinatyke]

AA practice targets?

[Tizer]

Wendy got it! Balloon bombs is correct although there were two types in use - one carried incendiary bombs and the other carried a long wire that would short out electricity cables. The caption to the photo reads: `Women's Royal Naval Service personnel launch Outward balloons at Felixstowe (1942-1944). They were launched from a golf club (!) to float to the east, across the sea, and harass the enemy. Operation Outward was judged to have been a success. More details here: LINK

I wasn't familiar with Outward although I knew the Japanese used similar balloon bombs that were carried across the Pacific to America in the jet stream and caused some deaths.

[Stanley]

In WW2 the Germans dropped small brightly coloured 'butterfly bombs' that were booby traps. I remember being told at school not to pick them up. This was shortly after I walked in one morning staggering under the weight of a full clip of 20mm cannon Shells I had found on my way to school. It got everybody's attention immediately and the bomb disposal people were summoned.



Can anyone tell me what this is?

[Gloria]

1950s library adverts.

[Stanley]

Sorry Gloria, but no.

[Stanley]

You've all gone quiet. I'd better come clean. I thought Tiz might have been on to this one as he collects postcards. It is one of an enormous collection of postcards produced in California by Ashley Brilliant and called 'Pot Shots'. See THIS Wiki entry for full information. I first came across them in the 1980s when I was in California and I loved them. Actually they were syndicated cartoons but he published them as postcards. Google Pot Shots Ashley Brilliant for lots of examples in the images.
Next one?

[Tizer]

I didn't know about those cards but that's not surprising, there are millions of postcards and on every topic you can think of and all those you can't think of!

[Stanley]

Tiz. I'd never come across them until I went to California.
Try this one...