It has been a wild week of purging closets, cabinets, the china hutch, the file cabinet…ad nauseam. Although the cabinets were not scheduled to be delivered until the third week of July, we received notice that some of them were in this week. I have been carefully cleaning and packing the family heirlooms to take to my sister, nieces, and great-niece. While I know what belonged to whom, I did not always know the history of the piece itself, and I have have been researching the companies that produced the items and when they were in use. The lemon/orange reamer belonged to my Great-Grandmother. She was living with my maternal grandmother from the time I can remember.
Hazel Atlas produced the Crisscross pattern reamer from 1936-1938. It came in clear, green, pink, and blue. Some had the flat (or tab) grip and some had a tea-cup handle.
In 1946, they cost pennies. Now on ebay and etsy, they can range from $18-20 up to a hundred, depending on the color and quality.
Hazel Atlas also manufactured butter plates & covers and refrigerator dishes in the criss cross pattern. Great Grandmother’s butter dish has not fared as well as the reamer for juicing lemons and oranges, probably due to it being heavier.
And now, back to wrapping and packing–break time is over. 🙂
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Suzassippi's Lottabusha County Chronicles 
I am sure we had one of those reamers when growing up, and my grandmother likely had one, too. Who knows where it ended up? Good for you for taking better care. Good luck with your packing up!
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I think Mom has one now. I’ll have to check when we unpack her at the new place.
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My mom had a glass lemon reamer. I had one, too, and got rid of it. Wish I hadn’t.
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I have enjoyed using it a lot, but time to pass the torch before it gets broken. 🙂
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You are not alone in possessing these antiquities and knowing to whom they belonged. I also own a glass reamer (we called it a juicer), probably my mother’s) and a small glass refrigerator storage box (my grandmother’s). The reamer is used frequently as it is much more efficient than today’s versions and the box is used for decorative purposes because it reminds me of my grandmother. I wouldn’t part with either one of them. There are treasurers all around us, love these!
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Absolutely. I used the reamer occasionally, but I really feel the need to pass these along while I can. Whoever cleans out my house when I am gone will not know, nor care.
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I learned many lessons from cleaning out my parent’s house even though many of their possessions had meaning to me. Letting go now is thoughtful to those who come after us.
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Mainly, I learned I did not want anyone else to have to deal with it, or see or read things not meant for them. 🙂
I do have to say I have asked myself in the past few weeks, “Now why did I think I needed to keep that?” LOL
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Well, every now and then I need something and find it is a nice convenience to have whatever it is tucked away….somewhere. When my oldest grandson was in elementary school I would get calls from his mother, “Mom, do you have such and such? We need it for a project. Can we come over and work on it?”
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But you are also right; it was bittersweet, and made it easier to achieve closure and to retrace parts of their lives.
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Sadly, I learned a lot about my parents while closing their house. Daddy’s Ole Miss yearbooks showed me some valuable lessons in understanding their generation, just one of many things that spoke to me.
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If I knew he went to UM, I had forgotten. It no doubt showed you things that gave you a window. I have learned a few of those lessons here as well.
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All I have is a metal reamer that I use often. Have admired the green glass ones but thought I had enough stuff already. It is good that you are sharing your treasures. I need to find homes for some of mine. Good luck on the new cabinets!
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I find it helpful to clear things these days. Especially when I never or rarely use most of this.
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I remember using these glass orange juice reamers as a child. My mom likely still has one somewhere.As I recall, there was usually juice and squirt mess all over the place. Now, most people I know who make fresh orange juice use an electric reaming device.
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This one was actually quite functional. The little seed dams held them out of the juice trough pretty well, and it would hold the juice of about half an orange or lemon.
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