The other day I went to Goody to appropriate her kettles so I could take their photographs for this post. I could have used other kettles but I wanted hers. The usual "conjure" kettle was not in use, the "water kettle" (the kettle she keeps partially full of water "around" to "WHOM-i-FI" (humidify) with we dumped out. First she "I don't like it" and then she did like it and actually came up to the farm to "watch". The "watch" was poking around and around until my wife gave her a big box full of beets, carrots, potatoes and onions. Then she pressed for… and received… a small cabbage. "PAID IN FULL" for the photographs was she. She left. She drives. She drives a new Lexus.
Goody's kettles are both later, inferior made small kettles. The black fireplace kettle is the oldest, probably about 1800. It is heavier due to thick casting and has the typical bent wire handle of the era. It is not quite the low grade of a "trade kettle" for the amount of cast metal and slightly larger size lifts the quality above "cheap". Trade kettles were cheap cast, thin, light and small kettles that look good but quickly cracked under constant use. Goody's will last her whole life. Another small design notice is that the bent wire handle, when closely inspected, shows the handmade - hand forged qualities of this wire especially right around the bend at the handle eye. This, with the heavier cast, identifies an earlier kettle.
Her second "water" kettle is in the direction of the design demise of the original 18th century kitchen fireplace kettle. It is not all the way to the very badly cast, very cheap quality metal and clumsy form of the late 20th century 1950 - Bicentennial era kettles. (Since 1976, quality old style witch kettles have been revived and cast in small numbers so are real working kettles that "last". They are skimpy in number, a little awkward in form and very expensive "new". One may find one of these new ones "cheap" (or sort of cheap) by constantly hunting New England yard sales… but that will take a while.) This "water" kettle is good for what she uses it for and the life of it is extended by her NOT using it: She fills it with water, it evaporates, it sits empty until she chances on it, then the process repeats. Aside from the lightness of the cast metal, the manufactured feel to this cast, same manufactured feel to the wire handle, the quickest sign of the newness is that clean, large and crisp cast "ONE GALLON" on the side. Earlier kettles were not marked (especially this bold) and, as here, the print style of the marking looks like new lettering. As a nick on all of this; note that in the old days everyone knew what a gallon looked like. Today we like to be told.
Both of these type of kettles are the …most easily acquired… in antiques hunt. They move as a steady commodity from antiques shops, auctions and private sales. Keeping a vigilant eye, one may spy …and buy… one very cheap (a couple of dollars). Tagged in a shop, they are very high at $50.00 but do have a fairly regular move along price of $10.00. For use as minor decoration and for "WHOM-i-FI" water, they are perfect. If one expects to show their knowing eye of …an 18th century northern New England fireplace kitchen witch kettle… design… seek a real old one.
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