On a recent trip along the Hudson River, I found a piece that had some writing on it. Knowing me, I had to take it home to do some research. What I learned was pretty cool! Here is said piece.
Cleaned up a bit
My first search was of the Victor Talking Mach. Co., which as you can see was based in Camden, NJ, about 2+ hours south. The company was a started in the very early 1900s and was a recording company and phonograph manufacturer.
From their website
My piece was one of the main parts to what is known as the soundbox (or reproducer). The soundbox is one of, if not, the most important part.
Complete soundbox
As you can see from the picture of a complete one, the needle is attached to the soundbox and extends a bit outward. This needle tracks the records’ grooves and transfers these vibrations to a diaphragm, usually made of mica, which is then amplified through the horn.
What a cool and unique small relic that tells such a big story. I can’t wait til my next enlightening find!
With the weather finally warming up, I was able to get out and do some metal detecting. I decided to go to a few older parks I’ve been to in the past to see if the harsh winter brought any targets to the surface or moved them around.
In one little area, where a house or two used to stand, I’ve found items dating from the late 1800s to the early 1900s. On this trip, I was digging any signal that repeated, regardless of (VDI) number, and on one of the last holes, I found this!
This would have been a piece to an old match safe, or vesta case. The writing looks to say “With Compliments of Emanuel Stern, 120 Broadway New York” and above that, in tiny letters, is the maker, Pyrophoto Company, a pretty bad ass name!
The building is located in Lower Manhattan, in the Financial District. I’ve been trying to find out who this Mr. Stern was, and someone was able to find a tiny little newspaper article about him with the same address! I’m going to see if I can find out more about him and how it might have ended up across the Hudson (if anyone has an Ancestry account, let me know if you’re able to find any info on the name, thanks)!
I’m sure I’ve said it before, but one of my favorite parts about mudlarking is the unknown and randomness of (potential) finds.
On a recent trip I saw a little white, oval shape sticking out from some rocks. When I pulled it out and flipped it over, there was a surprise waiting for me.
I believe it is some kind of (vintage) rubber souvenir charm or keychain. Atlantic City (A.C.) is a South Jersey resort town started in the mid-late 1800s. It is known for its boardwalk, hotels, beaches and casinos. And I happened to spend a Chanukah/birthday for the only time I’ve been there.
Side note: Time and time again, I step a certain way, flip a random rock or spot a non-natural shape. And this can lead to some amazing finds!
Thanks for reading and come back for another find!
Some time in the last two years I found a piece that I (initially) thought was bonfire glass along the Hudson River, and had it in my bonfire pile. Bonfire, or campfire glass, is glass that was melted in a fire, like a dump or beach fire.
During last weeks snowstorm (14 inches) I was home from work and took another look and feel of said piece. Something about it was telling me that it wasn’t glass. It was too light in weight, and just didn’t feel right.
I remembered someone on YouTube finding amber while on the beaches somewhere in Eastern Europe, so the first two things I Googled was if it’s possible to find any amber in New Jersey and how to tell if something is amber. While NJ does have amber, it is somewhat localized to the “Raritan and Magothy Formations of the Central Atlantic (Eastern) coast of the United States. It is dated to the Late Cretaceous, Turonian age” – Wikipedia. Not particularly close to where I found my piece.
Here are some points about the piece and some amber tests I did: like mentioned above it is very lightweight and fragile, seems to crack much easier than glass; it also seems warm to the touch; I did the hot needle test and I think I smell a sweet/pine smell; there is a little UV reaction with a black light and it sinks in salt water.
UV light reactionSalt water test result(s)
I posted it to a few rock and gemstone groups on Facebook and was amazed and fascinated by all the responses. Amber….agate….carnelian….chalcedony…..I learned so much and I think I was able to come to a somewhat scientific conclusion. Sadly/unfortunately, I believe what I found is either pitch or copal. Kind of like the first stages to becoming amber – if only it was a couple million years older. And if it is pitch, it makes sense since it is used for/on ships.
Only way to really know is to find a gemologist or geologist and have them look at it and run some more sophisticated tests. I did get in touch with some professors, and am hoping to take it to the lab and have it looked at professionally. I would love to know your thoughts and what rocks, minerals and gemstones you’ve found!
The start to the 2026 mudlarking season has been hot (this winter) to say the least. I’ve gone on 2 trips so far and have found some pretty awesome things: 8 marbles, 2 porcelain door knobs, a glass door knob and more! Included in that “more” is this cool piece!
Not much of a drinker, I still recognized the Pabst Blue Ribbon beer logo. It is (obviously) missing the word “Pabst” above the Blue Ribbon and almost looks like it was purposely scratched out. It is made of plexiglass, which most likely kept it intact all these years among the rocks, and measures about 7 inches.
Thanks to the writing on the bottom I was able to ID and match what this would have gone to. It would have been a panel to a vintage mid-1900s advertisement light/sign, that most likely would have sat on the bar or register.
Also, thanks to google, here are a some pictures of it in all its original glory.
