The toaster on the far left is a "stovetop" toaster designed to be used on top of a stove. It was patented in 1898 by George Wilson of Austin, Minnesota. The object was designed to uniformly toast bread and to catch any crumbs. Today this model and other stovetop toasters are often used by campers.

The other three toasters are designed for toasting on a hearth.

The second from the left is hinged at the end of the long handle so the bread holder pivots, making it possible to toast both sides of the bread.

The third from the left is a toasting fork. The handle has a ring which when pushed toward the far end of the handle, a piece of bread can be placed between the spread tongs, one of which has a spike which further secures the bread on the toaster.

The final toaster is the most ornate. At the end of a long handle is a brass plate in the shape of a slice of sandwich bread on which the bread to be toasted rested. The plate has many holes that cause the bread to toast differently where there are holes than where there is metal. This would leave a pattern toasted onto the bread.

Similar Items in the collection:

• Electric Toaster (1920s)
• Electric Toaster (1930s)
• Toast Rack

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