Once in, Dr. Parkinstine( or Edmondson, if you prefer), will display his large collection of vintage furniture, appliances, lamps, and clothing. He has researched and can tell those who are interested, more history than one could ever expect to know about almost everything in his vast collection of memorabilia. While he is currently most interested in the late 1800s and early 1900 items in his collection, he has been interested in antiques from an early age.
“ I used to like the 1950s era when I was young,” he said.“ I would listen to the music and really liked it. Now I am more interested in the Victorian age.” In the apartment where he currently lives, Edmondson cooks on a 1917 Electric stove that uses coils made of nichrome wire.
“ That’ s a cross between nickel and chrome,” he said.“ That makes it highly resistant for heating, much like an incandescent bulb.”
In storage at his grandmother’ s house, Edmondson also owns a Stone 1908 Home Comfort wrought-iron stove that is heated by coal. It gets too hot for summer use, and that is why he uses the vintage electric stove.
He uses a 1934 Monitor-type GE refrigerator to keep things cold; a model that houses the compressor on top.
For entertainment, Edmondson listens to a 1918 Edison diamond disk phonograph. As Dr. Parkinstine, he plays the music, and often sings along – and sometimes dances to the ragtime music.
“ Instead of the lateral cut of most records,” he said,“ these cuts
Fall 2025 | Jacksonville Progress 15