THE MIDWEST. Wood “Stash” Trinket Box, Souvenir, c. 1950s.
This uniquely shaped keepsake holder is a souvenir from the state historic site in Illinois that recreates a village where Abraham Lincoln spent his early adult years. “Lincoln’s New Salem, Ill” is a 20 minute drive northwest of Springfield. It takes visitors back to America’s early 1800s to recreate the place in which the Great Emancipator worked as a postal clerk and a rail splitter. The box, sold no doubt originally at the site’s gift shop, is made of cedar - the wood of which was no doubt NOT locally sourced or split. A great many such boxes were produced for the tourist industry and procured by different sites to be stamped with their name and sold as mementos. But again the shape of this one is not so common. From an elegantly rounded lidded body and scooped out interior compartment to an arc footed bottom, this small stash holder presents as something special. It makes a good souvenir for a site which honors Abraham Lincoln, who himself stood out in a crowd, and within whose care was placed very precious things … We label the condition as “Used Good.” There is some wear on the wood surface, with pencil marks on the bottom (along with a product stamp number “71”), and untightened hinges.
Condition: Used Good. Local / Regional Attractions. Dimensions: 4.25” wide x 3” high x 2.5” deep / 6 oz
