Spring Magic Auction
Sat, Apr 8, 2017 11:00AM EDT - Sun, Apr 9, 2017 11:00AM EDT
Lot 52
De Moulin’s Lung Tester.
Estimate: $800 - $1,200
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $5 |
| $30 | $10 |
| $100 | $25 |
| $500 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $200 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,000 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
De Moulin’s Lung Tester. Greenville: Ed De Moulin & Bro., ca. 1900. Fraternal order initiation device. The inductee blows into the tester to measure his lung capacity to his brothers, only to have black soot or corn starch blow back in his face. At the same time, a blank cartridge explodes inside the device. Cast metal stand. Wooden box with internal mechanism. Interior label in good condition. 17 ½” high. Case cracked and scuffed. The “goat factory” of the De Moulin Brothers has become famous – if not infamous – for the “side degree specialties” it manufactured from roughly 1890 to 1930. The world’s largest purveyor of hazing devices for lodges, clubs, and fraternal organizations, De Moulin built seemingly innocent objects that shocked, slapped, poked, and humiliated initiates in organizations like the Knights Templar, Modern Woodmen of America, and Elks. The lung tester was one of a host of props that was not what it appeared to be, and was among the firm’s most popular, along with a bicycle-like contraption made to resemble a bucking goat. It was from the latter product that the De Moulin factory derived its nickname.
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