This little curiosity sits on a Brooklyn Heights sidewalk and could be the home port of a 19th century sidewalk Roomba, or maybe it's the cover for a patented water faucet underneath. Alas it almost certainly is a rabbit hole into hours of April 23'rd 1878 patent searching.
DESIGN:
The type used is a nice mixture of sizes and all appear to be from hand carved dies. Notice the very slight sarif on the big P and T, and the gentle curve on some of the straight letters.
UTILITY:
There were no "pooper scooper" laws for horses in the 19th century.
RANGE:
This is the only one of its type I have seen, its on Pierrepont St. between Willow and Pierrepont Place.
