I Searched for a Toy and Got an Excellent History Lesson

Tuesday, November 11, 2014
      (Remembrance Day)
Sunny, no wind, and milder temperatures

I Searched for a Toy and

Got an Excellent History Lesson

(and Some Swedish Spelling)

  Today is November 11, 2014, the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. THis year's memorials will be more poignant (serious and somber) because of the the 2 crazy people who killed 2 of finest soldiers just a few weeks ago.. We're going to have beautiful weather to mark such a terrible event so long ago.

  A reader by the name of Bonnie Richardson, sent me a photo and asked if the item was a toy or an actual tool.  I wrote back to Bonnie and asked if she would please send me more photos and especially a close up of the name. The name on the bottom of the item was marked Lindstrum with the letter "u".  Oc course, every time I did a search for Lindstrum with a "u", th research engines kept asking me if the spelling was Lindstrom with an "o".

Bonnie Richardson

(A Collector)

Below is a close up of the manufacturer Lindstrum with the letter "u".

I can see why Bonnie would ask if this item was a toy or a "real" tool.

The height is 5 1/4" or 133 mm, which is very small for a tool. Perhaps it was used to make model ships? But the blade feel are quite course and spread out -not the best for cutting small pieces of wood, but then again, this blade could have been used for coarse cuts!

The item was made very simply, but again, this had-moving table bandsaw (or jigsaw) does not need many parts. Notice also that is has to small indentations on the bottom plate to secure the tool to a tabletop so that it will not move.

I wasn't having much success, so I thought of an idea - 

why not write to a Swedish Toy seller by the name of Mike Matuska.

Please click here to visit Mike Matuska's fine website

I had discovered Mike one day while looking for toys on the European continent. You can't find many European  toys in North America, so where else to look but on the Net for European  sellers and auctioneers than in Europe. I found Mike's fine site, and have written several posts. I even discovered that a  Swedish Company by the name of Skoglund & Olson made cast iron toys!

I write to Mike,and got a fine mini lesson about Swedish history and  the Spelling of the Swedish name Lindström with an "o" - the proper name, and with 2 dots over the o - ö.

Mike explained to me that in the mid -1800's a million  Swedish people left Sweden for a better live elsewhere. Of course, two of these places were the USA and Canada. Many Swedish immigrants settled in Minnesota.  As Swedes emigrated to other countries, their names changed slightly. 

Linström  changed to:

Lindstrum 

Lindsträm

Lindstråm

If you want to read about the Swedish immigration to the USA, below is a nicely written article:

Please click here to visit Augusta College in Rock Island Illinois

As for today's item, Mike believes that it is an actual working tool that was linked up to a steam engine.  He also thinks that with the spelling of Lindstrum with a "u", the toy was most likely made in an English-speaking country.

So if anyone has one of these Lindstrum jigsaws, please send me some photos to add to today's post.

Thanks for dropping by, and as always

have a great part of the day,

wherever you may be,

Stacey

toysearcher@gmail.com