-Beauty- still bank c. 1910 - 1932

Curator: Well, I’m immediately drawn to the sheer weight of this little fellow, the "Beauty" still bank made of metal by the Arcade Manufacturing Company between 1910 and 1932. Something so solid, meant to be filled slowly, patiently. Editor: Yes, it's like a little black monolith. Imposing despite its size. Do you think children felt that weight when they held it? The promise and burden of saving? Curator: Precisely! And the act of production, of mass production specifically, is so critical. These banks, and others like it, weren't one-offs; they speak to an entire industry built around thrift, childhood, and the allure of accessible decorative art. They weren't just objects; they were tools used in the creation of responsible habits of economy. Editor: That’s fascinating. But it also strikes me as slightly melancholy. A miniature monument to deferred gratification. All that heavy metal for something so simple. Imagine all the lost pennies forever sealed within. What was that metal destined to be, instead of just being a place to collect spare change? Curator: Well, and think too, about Arcade Manufacturing Company’s place within industrial America at the turn of the century, their history tied to toys, agricultural tools, and later, automotive castings...each one speaking to the American spirit and industrialization and its own evolution and shifting cultural needs and landscapes. Editor: So much more than a cute horse sculpture then, with the name 'Beauty' branded across his side, haha! What an era it was! I'll never look at my piggy bank the same way again. Thanks for broadening the picture! Curator: Absolutely! The joy of really digging into what's hidden behind seemingly simple objects is such a joy!