Graphic 1877 DF & L Ventilator Grate in Original Paint knot Boston envelope

Boston envelope

3 3/8"  widest

And then those teeth

perhaps meant to hold letters--and it does look as if our rather lonely looking figure could use the lift of a handwritten letter from a friend

perhaps a mythological one

Graphic 1877 DF & L Ventilator Grate in Original Paint knot Boston envelopeJust a great looking thing. I've had one other of these and will always grab them when I see them because they're just so graphically satisfying and pretty fun to operate, too. Produced by DF & L with an 1887 patent date; I haven't found out most anything about the company, but believe they were New England based as that's where these seem to surface. The center dial on this one turns very smoothly to open or close it, and the original baby blue