Voting Boxes

[Chordus]

I've seen three or four antique voting boxes in my life– the kind with the black and white marbles– and recently acquired one myself. From what I can tell, they were all made in the 1800s or very early 1900s. What confuses me is that the marbles I've seen in all of them are glass– I thought that glass marbles like this weren't mass-produced until Akro, in 1910.

Anyways, the question is: how were these marbles made? Or have all of the marbles I've seen been replacements?

[lstmmrbls]

They still use those boxes in some lodges. Most of the collected types are pre 1950. The marbles get replaced over the years. I have found white and black, handmades, clays, chinas, benningtons, stoneware, and machinemades in the boxes. There are some amazing boxes in collections and museums.

[moremarbles4me]

Scott Mcbride wrote a book about ballot boxes, it has lots of information about them and great pictures. They can be found on Ebay.

Charles

[Steph]

I've seen three or four antique voting boxes in my life– the kind with the black and white marbles– and recently acquired one myself. From what I can tell, they were all made in the 1800s or very early 1900s. What confuses me is that the marbles I've seen in all of them are glass– I thought that glass marbles like this weren't mass-produced until Akro, in 1910.

Anyways, the question is: how were these marbles made? Or have all of the marbles I've seen been replacements?

Quick technical note: Akro wasn't producing marbles in 1910. When Akro started business they bought marbles from MFC. Their special gimmick was how they marketed the marbles. Akro put them in prepackaged sets of 5 with the Akro brand. This was a new thing. Akro started making marbles in 1914.

I've only had one ballot box. It had black and white bennington style marbles.

There were handmade ones in glass, with pontils, like mellonballs.

I have that ballot box book. Might be a good day to finally read it all the way through. p.s., it mentions lots of different kind of ballot balls. Even cubical ones. Materials included wood, rubber, composition, and more.

Here's a pic of ceramic ballot marbles:

[mmuehlba]

Scott Mcbride wrote a book about ballot boxes, it has lots of information about them and great pictures. They can be found on Ebay.

Charles

Early Ballot Voting Boxes

here is some info Mike

Early Ballot Voting Boxes (Using Marbles & Black Balls) by: Scott Rice McBride

I only have two now have had a few others but sold and kept most of the marbles . a lot of hand made with pontils white and black also white and black benningtons and of coarse the wood squares .

[Greatmacscott]

Ballot boxes were a fun side line of marble collecting.

I don't spend much time on the boards but can be reached at [email protected]

Scott McBride