-Conscience Fund- still bank c. 1920

This still bank titled -Conscience Fund- was made by Speer Calender Bank Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It's a delightful object! It's got this mottled green surface, like some kind of industrial folk art. The metal has a grainy texture, as if someone took a regular old metal box and decided to give it this funny speckled look. It reminds me of when you’re painting and you don’t want a flat surface, so you dab it with a sponge to get a little extra something. I bet the makers wanted to bring a bit of life to it, a touch of the hand. Then there are these slots, each labeled for different amounts – a “Conscience Fund,” even! I imagine someone dropping in a coin, feeling a little pang of guilt or maybe a surge of righteousness. It makes you wonder about all those little moments, all those little decisions adding up. How much is your conscience worth, anyway? It's funny how simple acts can become loaded with meaning.