Westport leads the nation in nail salons per capita.*
But our obsession with nails is not new.
Back in the 1890s, Westporters may not have had 27,915 salons to choose from. But they did have Victorian Nail Buffers.
The wooden blocks were finished with felt, covered with leather chamois, then topped with a sterling silver filigreed handle. They gave nails pleasing shines.
Victorian nail buffer
I didn’t know any of this. Neither did you (I’m sure).
But Laura Mozier knew what a Victorian Nail Buffer was. That’s why she’s the winner in the most recent Westport Historical Society Mystery Object contest.
It’s part of their ongoing “Westport in 100 Objects” exhibit. Every 2 weeks, the WHS displays something new. If you stop in and identify it, you — like Laura — can win something from the gift shop.
There are plenty of good items to choose from. Though they don’t carry gift certificates to nail salons.
*#FakeNews. But close.
Actually I did know what this is. I have my Grandmother Otis’s nail buffer. As a pianist her nails were always immaculate, never polished but always trimmed and buffed. She also played the organ. The mystery to me was how she managed to keep her nails and still be a gardener.