An ongoing series that examines local historical artifacts.

Yesterday, readers without air conditioning got a taste of the past--and a demonstration of why local residents of a century ago often slept at night out on their porches, screened from the street of course. Home air conditioning didn't become common in local homes until after World War II. (At right is a late 19th-century ad promoting porch screens, from an Ypsilanti paper).

Another way to get a taste of the past, and to cool down, would be to make a shaved-ice treat with the block of ice in the icebox, maybe a little lemon juice and sugar, and, of course, an antique ice-shaver.

With the ice shaver closed, a few scrapes over the icebox ice block would fill the shaver with shaved ice. It could then be opened, as in the picture here, and the ice shavings scooped into a bowl and topped with fruit, preserves, juice, or sugar.

This week's winner is Larissa, who correctly guessed this object's function. You can see the ice shaver displayed on top of the Ypsilanti Historical Museum's wooden icebox in the kitchen.

This week's Mystery Artifact is very broadly related in theme to the ice shaver. It's found in the Museum's formal parlor. You can see it here, held by a Museum docent, in silhouette against the parlor's lace curtains. (I had to ask the docent to please hold it up, since if you saw the spot where it is displayed, you'd probably know right away!) Take a guess and good luck!

The answer, and a new Mystery Artifact, will be posted next Monday.

WINNER'S LIST:
8/3/09: erksnerks
8/10/09: Larissa

Mystery Artifact is published every Monday on AnnArbor.com.