April 3, 2009
This article focuses on the lives, craft, and relationships of the Courtaulds, a family of Huguenot silversmiths that lived and worked in England in the 18th century. It originally appeared in the March 1947 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
Names may be merely a group of letters and as such have but little meaning. If for the sake of entertainment we turned the pages of any … (continue reading)
This article notes the inspiration behind Wedgwood designs, especially their Greek and Roman influences, and uses the items illustrated as examples. It originally appeared in the March 1947 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
Many years before his death in 1943, Grenville L. Winthrop decided to leave his art collection to his university, Harvard. His steadfast belief in the training that the Harvard Fine Arts Department gives … (continue reading)
This article notes the uses for antique pottery crocks and jars (both historically and at the time the article was published) and important potters who created them, and it describes the difference between stoneware and redware. It originally appeared in the March 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
“Five good old-fashioned stone crocks! Not a nick or a chip on any of them. Look at … (continue reading)
This article discusses the beauty and the magic of marbles, noting their popularity, their uses, the materials they are made from, and where collectors can find them. It originally appeared in the July 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
There is amusement for children of nearly all ages in such elemental manifestations as quick motions, bright colors, symmetry of form, smoothness and clashing of … (continue reading)
This article focuses on the history of pottery made in Somerset, Massachusetts (also known as Pottersville) in the 19th century, noting the items produced and important craftsmen. It originally appeared in the February 1946 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
Many times I had read the name “Pottersville” over the door of the little Post Office, but it was not until the hurricane and “tidal wave” … (continue reading)
This article focuses on the history of the oil lamp, describing multiple examples. It originally appeared in the June 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
When one considers that man is the one animal who depends on artificial light for getting about in the dark, it is surprising to learn how very slowly he developed this attribute of material civilization. For the lamps mentioned in … (continue reading)
In this article, the author discusses the various encounters she has had while collecting primitive paintings, noting where she found the best bargains. It originally appeared in the October 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
The start of a collection always seems surprising in retrospect. My collecting began because, over a sofa in our Connecticut farmhouse, there was a large space which clearly demanded an old … (continue reading)
This article describes American flasks depicting war heroes and presidents, noting the importance of each image. It originally appeared in the October 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
The popular feeling for men and the events they bring to pass which profoundly influence a nation’s development — politically, economically, and culturally — always has found expression in the arts and crafts. These embodiments of history-in-the-making form … (continue reading)
This article notes the production and design process of Chinese Lowestoft and its import into to Europe and America prior to and during the 18th century. It originally appeared in the October 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
“A sett of large blue and white China with the badge of the Society of the Cincinnati if to be had, ” wrote George Washington to his … (continue reading)
This article discusses the styles and influences of Victorian furniture, as well as acknowledging the notable cabinetmakers of the period and the materials that were used. It originally appeared in the March 1943 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
“Why do writers on antique furniture leave off right where my interest begins,” protests a man who has acquired an attractively situated house of good lines, built … (continue reading)
This article describes the patterns and characteristics of lacy glass goblets, also addressing the misconception that they are all French. It originally appeared in the May 1938 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
Whether or not Sandwich produced lacy glass goblets during its early period is a subject that interests collector and dealer alike. Excavations at the factory site have unearthed lacy goblet fragments of … (continue reading)
This article discusses female goldsmiths that worked in England during the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, noting how they learned, their makers’ marks, and their family relationships. It originally appeared in the May 1938 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
Until fairly recently, England was a man’s country and women as a class enjoyed few rights that their husbands and male relatives could not invade. Only … (continue reading)
This article discusses the history of marbles, including their introduction in England and the United States, and notes their popularity in a variety of games and the materials they were made from. It originally appeared in the July 1943 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
If we attempt to trace marbles back to the time in history when first they were devised and employed … (continue reading)
This article describes Rookwood’s origins, also noting the company’s firing process and characteristic designs. It originally appeared in the July 1943 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
The Rookwood Pottery has gone to war. This pioneer among American art potteries, founded by Maria Longworth Storer of Cincinnati, Ohio, in the last quarter of the 19th Century, has turned over that part of its factory where fine … (continue reading)
April 2, 2009
This article focuses on the history of glassware, especially pressed and flint glass, noting the first major manufacturers that produced the glass and where they were located. It originally appeared in the July 1944 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.
Many times I have seen people ask, with a smirk and a quizzical look in their eye, “Where does all the old glass come from? Certainly … (continue reading)
Hayden Peters Talks About Skulls, Hairwork, and the Fashion of Mourning
How Railroad Tourism Created the Craze for Traditional Native American Baskets
Being The Beatles: Untold Stories from the Fab Four's Legendary North American Tours
Murder Machines: Why Cars Will Kill 30,000 Americans This Year
Fun Delivered: World's Foremost Experts on Whoopee Cushions and Silly Putty Tell All
Mari Tepper: Laying it on the Line
Nice Ice: Valerie Hammond on the Genteel Charm of Vintage Canadian Costume Jewelry
How Jim Heimann Got Crazy for California Architecture
Modernist Man: Jock Peters May Be the Most Influential Architect You've Never Heard Of
Meet Cute: Were Kokeshi Dolls the Models for Hello Kitty, Pokemon, and Be@rbrick?
When the King of Comedy Posters Set His Surreal Sights on the World of Rock 'n' Roll
How One Artist Makes New Art From Old Coloring Books and Found Photos
Say Cheese! How Bad Photography Has Changed Our Definition of Good Pictures
Middle Earthenware: One Family's Quest to Reclaim Its Place in British Pottery History
Fancy Fowl: How an Evil Sea Captain and a Beloved Queen Made the World Crave KFC