When I saw the pink raffle ticket in the glass case at the auction house, I figured it was like any other ticket. Who hasn’t bought a raffle ticket to help out a church, group or other cause?
Curious, though, I asked the auction-house staffer to take it out so I could give it a better look. The words “Camera” and “Parlor Lamp” were in bold letters. As I continued reading, I saw that the object of the fundraising raffle was “for the benefit of W.H. Schaeffer for an artificial Leg.”
Selling raffle tickets to buy an artificial leg seemed surprising in 1906, but in the prism of today it isn’t. Plenty of folks use crowdfunding platforms to raise money for just about anything – both silly and serious. You can find a site to help finance your budding business, your trip to Hawaii, your wedding, your medical treatment and your drinking binges.
The granddaddy of fundraising efforts may be the raffle ticket, and the one at auction reminded me that they are nothing new. There were two tickets for 5 cents each, Nos. 455 and 456. The drawing was to be held on June 22, 1906, in Bridgeport, PA, at the corner of Depot Street and the railroad.
Raffles seemed to have been around since ancient times, first as games and then lotteries offering prizes. They eventually were used as fundraisers, apparently taking off in the 15th century after Margaret Van Eyck, wife of Flemish painter Jan Van Eyck – who mastered the art of oil painting – raffled the last of his works after his death. In some instances, raffles appeared to be synonymous with lotteries.
Raffles were and still are used to sell all kinds of things. Meat raffles – where the price is actually meat – are still held in some parts of the Midwest and turkey raffles were a hit in the 19th century. People usually engaged in both in a bar after a few drinks. Turkey raffles were won by rolling dice or tossing pennies.
Here’s my take on what the 1906 prizes may have been:
The camera
The ticket mentioned that the drawing was for a “4 x 5″ camera and parlor lamp. I assumed the 4×5 referred to the camera. These were large bellowed cameras that produced 4″ x 5” images. The famous Graflex Speed Graphic camera used by press photographers starting in the early 1900s was a 4×5.
When I first read the ticket, the 4×5 went right past me and I figured the ticket seller was offering a Kodak Brownie, which like other Kodak cameras was very popular. The camera used 117 roll film and produced pictures that were 2¼ inches square.
Eastman Kodak began manufacturing the boxy No. 1 Brownie in 1900 and sold it for $1. It came with a roll of film that took six photos. Since the camera and film were so cheap, everyone could afford their own camera and take their own pictures – freeing themselves from paying a photographer. The Brownie was followed by several other versions of the box camera, including the folding pocket camera.
The parlor lamp
The parlor or sitting room was an important space in most homes, whether a family was rich or poor, rural or urban. It was a place to welcome guests, hold weddings and funerals, and serve as the family’s sanctuary. A common table lamp in the room was the “Gone with the Wind” lamp, popularized by the 1939 movie of the same name – although this type of lamp was said to have originated a decade after the Civil War.
Around the early 1900s, most lamps were lit by oil and some by electricity. I assumed the ticket was referring to a table lamp rather than a chandelier, which was also popular as a parlor lighting fixture. One dry good store in Harrisburg, PA, in 1906 was advertising parlor lamps at closeout prices of $1.85 to $10.
Tiffany lamps with their decorative shades were also a hit in 1906. They could be had for $30 to $750, depending on the size and design.
The artificial leg
The raffle sponsor was not alone in his inability to pay for an artificial leg. Many people made their own at home using a chair or table leg, or other items. These were known as peg legs, which we normally associate with pirates. There were several companies making artificial limbs, and Schaeffer apparently wanted one that was professionally done.
It seems that the most prominent artificial limbs maker was James Gillingham of London, who fashioned one for a man who had lost an arm in a cannon accident in 1863. His company was still making them in 1906. Gillingham made his limbs from leather molded to the patient’s limb. He took photos of his clients modeling their new appendage.
By then, the price for an artificial leg had not changed much since the late 19th century. The U.S. Army paid $75 for a leg, and $50 for an arm or foot – the same amount it was paying during the Civil War. The A.A. Marks Co. of New York was charging $75 to $150 per limb.
