There are a number of these boxes at the Winterthur Museum in Delaware. They may have some information on them. Bob Cottrell, Director Remick Country Doctor Museum and Farm PO Box 250, 58 Cleveland Hill Road, Tamworth, NH 03886 Phone: 603-323-7591 or 800-686-6117 Email: [log in to unmask] Website: www.remickmuseum.org <http://www.remickmuseum.org/> . "Explore over two hundred years of self-sustained living as we preserve the agricultural way of life in New Hampshire." From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Candace Perry Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 11:07 AM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [MUSEUM-L] question regarding a trick box In our collection we have a mean spirited trick box that I know full well exists in other places (I personally have a couple of my own, being mean spirited myself). Anyway, the information with this little box tells me it is apparently Civil War era, and also said (which may or may not be true) it was a prison craft. It is a tiny carved wooden box, about 2" x 2" shaped like a little book. Apparently in one's mean-spirited-ness you were to hand this to an unsuspecting victim, who would pull back a slide lid, and a hidden arm with an attached spike would pop out and stab the poor soul but good. This box is particularly nasty. Mine are not so much - I have an old domino box with a hidden snake and a newly made box with a mouse. Both have the spikes but are not nearly as sharp as the book box. I have seen these in other private collections of equally unpleasant people who wish to do a little bodily harm to their friends. So.my question is this.what are these boxes called? Anybody know of any other information? Candace Perry Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center __________ Information from ESET NOD32 Antivirus, version of virus signature database 4204 (20090701) __________ The message was checked by ESET NOD32 Antivirus. http://www.eset.com ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes). ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).