The Gems of Sharpless: August 22, 2012

Gems was on hiatus last week because I was moonlighting as a painter. Frankly, juggling work and work was brutal. Crazy stuff. I was totally destroyed by the time I finished on Friday. However, I am back to my regular schedule and slipped away for another lunchtime tour of Sharpless.

Yes, Iowa has style. Old Style, though? Not so much.

This was an interesting little item: an exhaustive and massive history of Lone Tree and all its founders and residents. It must have been published sometime in the ‘70s.

I found this interesting because I have never heard of a quasquicentennial. Nor has any dictionary I have.

Tons o’ rolling irons.

I believe this was a Kleenex box cover. Interestingly, when I picked it up two homemade Iowa key fobs made of the same material fell out.

This was kind of disturbing. A Miss Piggy piggy bank with her cleavage doubling as the coin slot.

I have no clue who this guy is but thought the album cover was interesting.

A label hat. Priceless in that stupid way.

I have taken pictures of these before but do not think I have noted their significance. In 1979, white on green plates were distributed to all Iowa motorists. Half received embossed versions (with the numbers and letters raised) while the other half received debossed versions (with sunken numbers and letters), like this. Weird, huh?