Pith Helmet Provisions | Furnishing your Adventures

Napolean’s Necissities

Posted on April 9, 2012 by pithadmin

This gorgeous bar case will be available for purchase at the Steampunk World’s Fair, May 18 – 20, 20212, Piscataway, NJ. Come appreciate the craftsmanship in person – this case is every bit as beautiful to the touch as it is to the eye.

The original inspiration for Pith Helmet Provisions is the campaign furniture of the Napoleonic era. Imagine, then, our delight at finding glasses adorned with a golden laurel wreath surrounding a simple monogram- the letter N. Could these flea market castoffs have belonged to Napoleon himself? We like to think so. We paired them with gorgeous bottles from the Philadelphia Distillery, creating one of our most stunning cases. Sit down, won’t you, and imagine yourself in command of all you survey.

And please do take a moment to enjoy the etching on the case front. The case stays closed with rare earth magnets for greater convenience and portability.

Categories: Cocktail Cases | Leave a comment

Blackbeard’s SoundBox

Posted on April 22, 2012 by pithadmin

Perhaps that most famous of pirates preferred the screams and groans of his prisoners to actual music, but you prefer your favorite tunes whenever and wherever you want them. For this purpose we at Pith Helmet Provisions have invented the Sound Box, a gorgeous handmade case to play and charge your MP3 or mobile phone. Sound boxes can be made to play and charge any phone or music player. In addition, we can make a Sound Box that will play on battery power, so you can take your tunes anywhere, in style.

The Sound Box pictured here is styled after the classic pirate chest. Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, and even the fiercest pirate needs some down time. Experience the convenience of your iPod without sacrificing aesthetics. Surround yourself with beauty for eyes and ears. Ideal for home or dorm, this fetching treasure made of cedar and oak provides the soundtrack to your life. The Blackbeard Sound Box charges and plays your iPod and and its arched top is a perfect resonator. Every aspect of this piece, from the hand rubbed finishes to the warm etched copper fittings, is sure to charm.

We have made Sound Boxes from wine and cigar boxes, and we’re always looking for something new (or old) to try. What’s your style? We’ll make you a Sound Box to fit!

A wine box Sound Box with etched plates.

Categories: Sound Boxes | Tags: boom box, charger, iPhone, iPod, MP3, player | Leave a comment

Martini Case

Posted on April 9, 2012 by pithadmin

The Rough Rider Martini Case is ready when you are. Though it’s gorgeous enough to live in your dining room most of the time, this case has been designed to carry everything you need for the ritual of the cocktail hour wherever you may go. Shaker, jigger and four martini glasses are included.

The interior drawers have room for you to add your spoons, strainers and picks. Load in the gin, vermouth, and olives, and you are ready when adventure calls.

Here we’re using the sturdy Marlene Dietrich hat box as a coffee table.

Bully!

Categories: Cocktail Cases | Leave a comment

Steam at Harpers Ferry

Posted on March 18, 2012 by pithadmin

Pith Helmet Provisions are delighted to be part of a new exhibition, Steampunk Travel, at Steam at Harpers Ferry. Steam is a Victorian/Steampunk themed gallery and print shop in the heart of historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, located at 180 High Street, 1-B (on the stairs, next to the historic candy shop). Since the artists of PHP are dedicated to furnishing your adventures, most of our current inventory is ideally suited to a travel exhibition, and is gracefully ensconced in Steam’s cozy space.

If you have never been to Harpers Ferry, we recommend it. Both a thriving community and a National Historic Park, there is much to see and do there. The park offers excellent interpretive programs covering 19th century life, the industrial revolution, and of course, John Brown’s Raid. The town lies at the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers, surrounded by ancient mountains, worn down to hills by time. Thomas Jefferson opined that the vista provided by the confluence was a view worth the trip across the Atlantic. Since, at the time, that was a good 3-4 weeks travel, what’s your excuse?

Steam is nestled in one of the town’s many 19th century houses. The gallery is charming, with a marvelous selection of original art, prints, books, comics, and objects to delight anyone with a sense of whimsey. They also carry a solid collection of steampunk basics in comics, books, and DVDs.

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A stand out of the exhibit were the 3-D illustrations of Jules Verne scenes. Four vibrant floor-to-ceiling prints by Jason Edwards look great on the wall, but hold up your 3-D glasses and the tentacles leap out at you, the giant shark attacks! They are amazing.

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The exhibit runs through May 12.

Categories: Events | Tags: exhibit, gallery, Harpers Ferry, Steam, steampunk art | Leave a comment

Champagne Cases

Posted on March 3, 2012 by pithadmin

Pith Helmet Provisions is dedicated to providing you with those elegant necessities which will improve the quality of your life. To this end we have designed two cases for the easy transport of champagne. Whether a quiet picnic or a rollicking race day tailgate party, you will be dazzled by the beauty of the hand-crafted wood case and relieved by ease of transport. For intimate gatherings, we recommend the Sarah Bernhardt Champagne Case.

Instead of moaning about in your bedtime coffin, cheer yourself with a toast from The Sarah Bernhardt Champagne Case. Ready to follow the party at any moment, the champagne bucket is cleverly stowed while allowing access to the bubbly. Four saucer glasses are securely stored in the other end of the case.

For larger gatherings, we offer The Oscar Wilde Expansion Pack! You say the party has gotten out of hand? Stuff and nonsense! You are prepared for new arrivals because you had the foresight to purchase the Oscar Wilde Expansion Pack. Currently available to hold eight champaign flutes, we are ready to make one for Shirley Temple or Tom Collins.

Categories: Cocktail Cases | Tags: chanpagne, picnic, tailgating | Leave a comment

Catoctin Holiday Art Tour

Posted on September 10, 2011 by pithadmin

The artists of Pith Helmet Provisions are thrilled to announce that we will be Stop 5 on the Catoctin Holiday Art Tour. If your travels bring you near that beautiful country where Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia meet during the weekend of November 12-13, 2011, come visit! We are joining 6 other studios in this self-guided art and holiday shopping extravaganza.

We are busy as Santa’s elves, making an elegant bar box for the hard-to-please connoisseur on your list, unusual handmade toys, and unique vintage amusements.

We will have a selection of gorgeous, durable floorcloths available, and of course you may always custom order a design to suit your home or camp (although not in time for the holidays at this late date).

We will be joined by fiber artist Becky Baldwin, whose clever knitted creations make charming gifts. (What could be better than a baby in an eggplant hat? Nothing, I say, nothing!) Of course if the weather has turned cold, you should probably get something for yourself as well.

All the tour stops are within 5 miles or so, and most feature more than one talented artist. Visit catoctinart.net for details on all the participating artists and the variety of unique works of art available to you.

The tour is surrounded by gorgeous Virginia wine country, so make a day of it. Visit a vineyard, cut your own Yule tree, tour a historic plantation or battlefield. And come by the Pith Helmet encampment for a cup of punch!

Categories: Cocktail Cases, Floorcloths, Sound Boxes | Tags: Catoctin Holiday Art Tour, holiday, Loudoun County, shopping, Virginia tour | Leave a comment

Inspiration

Posted on April 6, 2011 by pithadmin

: Geologist’s Field Kit, 1833

We found this field kit on David Bressan’s History of Geology site. We love the aged wood and elegant red cloth. We love the multitudes of tiny glass bottles, each fitting into the perfect compartment. We love the drawers and drawers of specialized equipment. And we particularly love that this was made to be carried far afield, on the back of a pack animal. This kit belonged to Professor Angelo Sismonda (1807-1878), Director of the Museum of Mineralogy of the University of Turin from 1833 to 1878.

This is precisely the sort of portable elegance Pith Helmet Provisions intends to return to the world at large. Although at the moment we focus on the accoutrements of leisure, should any scientists out there need an elegant kit for your field use, we would be delighted to oblige!

I believe these photos were taken by David Bresson, but I do not know in which institution the actual case rests.

Categories: Cocktail Cases | Tags: antique, custom box, geologist kit, geology | Leave a comment

Cocktail Case

Posted on March 19, 2011 by pithadmin

Travel broadens the mind, challenges the senses, and stirs the heart. Must it also bring deprivation? Certainly not! Pith Helmet Provisions presents the Cocktail Case, or Portable Bar. The sample shown here is P. Phineas von Hedwig’s own Mad Science Mixology Laboratory, which we carry on expeditions far and near. Whether traveling or in our own parlor, the Lab stands ready to quench the thirst and restore the tissues of ourselves and our guests, packed to the brim with useful supplies.

Mad Science Mixology Lab

This Case carries four flasks for delicious beverages, a seltzer water siphon, six rocks glasses (beakers) and four champagne flutes (graduated cylinders). The handy drawers, each bearing an etched copper drawer pull, carry cocktail strainer, wine and beer openers, CO2 cartridges to charge the seltzer, and whatever accoutrements you require for elegant entertaining. (In our case, this includes absinthe spoons and sugar.)

The case is hand made from WOOD, edges finished with copper cladding, etched copper and brass decoration, brass hinges, clasps, and carrying handles. All of the glassware fits neatly into the case, which locks for travel, keeping it safe and ready to use after the most strenuous day on boat, elephant, or train.

Philadelphia Distilling cocktail case for absinthe and gin

cocktail case in progress

This particular case can be yours for $1,050*, but in all honesty, we would rather keep it and make you one of your own. Do you have a set of glassware you’d like a case for? Or shall we choose an elegant set of vintage or new glasses for your own case? And how many flasks might you require for your adventures? Do contact us at info@pithhelmetprovisions.com !

Here on the right is a case under construction, this one inspired by the excellent distillations and gorgeous bottles of Philadelphia Distillation, the first craft distillery in the state of Pennsylvania since prohibition. Also on the drafting table is our complete absinthe kit, built to hold a bottle of Vieux Carre, glasses, spoons, sugar, and an elegant absinthe fountain. Everything you need to enjoy the green fairy in style!

*seltzer siphon adds $200 to any case; your needs may vary

Categories: Cocktail Cases | Tags: portable bar | 1 Comment

What is a Floorcloth?

Posted on March 10, 2011 by pithadmin

Before vinyl, before linoleum, people still needed attractive, cleanable surfaces in the traffic areas of their homes. In the 18th and 19th centuries artisans made floorcloths out of heavy canvas, paint, and linseed oil to create durable — and portable — decorative floors, usually mimicking expensive tile work. This old idea — with modern materials — is perfect for today. Like a rug, a floorcloth can be made in almost any design or size. But you can mop it clean, like vinyl or linoleum, and move it where you want it, when you want it.

This floorcloth was made for a home built in 1809, but canvas floorcloths are a good solution for modern homes as well. They can be created in any design or to match any decor, are a portable, scrubbable, and environmentally responsible alternative to vinyl flooring.

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Above is a traditional floorcloth for a 19th century home. This is a relatively simple pattern available in many sizes, colors, and configurations. Pith Helmet Provisions is dedicated to bringing you the best in home furnishings from every decade.

Finished Clockwork-Patterned Floorcloth in Antique Tones. This pattern is based on clockwork gears, but lends an “Oriental Rug” type effect to your camp or verandah. This complex design is available in many sizes and can be color-keyed to your preference; the original depicted here is 6′ x 8′.

Categories: Floorcloths | Tags: colonial, environmentally responsible, floor covering, floorcloth, gears, oriental carpet | Leave a comment