When I was a boy, I remember the Fuller Brush Man coming to the house every couple of months. His range of items on-offer seemed endless, a brush for every conceivable household purpose. There were toothbrushes, toilet brushes, hair brushes, scrub brushes—even brushes to clean other brushes. My mother usually placed a little order with each visit.
We don't seem to use as many brushes today. Or as often. In the past, many households—working or middle class—had a "hall butler" near the door: a hanging mirror with hooks or a shelf to hold a few brushes, It was customary to take a quick look in the mirror before leaving the house. And one could brush-off any lint or dandruff on one's garment before going-out into the world.
The brush, shown here, is made for such a task. Bi-color horsehair bristles are set into a hardwood handle. Red velvet is stretched over the handle—whose nap is convenient for brushing-away lint. Handsome and useful, you can learn more about it by clicking on the photo above.
Though our Greenwich Village store is now permanently closed, LEO Design is still alive and well! Please visit our on-line store where we continue to sell Handsome Gifts (www.LEOdesignNYC.com).
We also can be found in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania, at The Antique Center of Strabane (www.antiquecenterofstrabane.com).
Or call to arrange to visit our Pittsburgh showroom (by private appointment only). 917-446-4248