Ceramics Used in America From 1830 to 1859

This article, written by the Brooklyn Museum’s then-Curator of Decorative Arts, discusses the global influence on American ceramics in the 19th century, using the china found at the Sunnyside house (Washington Irving’s home) as an example. It notes the types of china produced, the decorative characteristics, and the various manufacturers and production processes. It also describes public reaction to the introduction of the bath tub and details a typical 19th century dinner party. It originally appeared … (continue reading)

Candlesticks from Sandwich and Points West

This article on the Sandwich Glass Company’s glass candlesticks, made in the mid- to late 19th century, focuses on the production processes, the designs’ inspiration (Venetian glassblowers), and the various colors and styles that were most available at the time the article was published. It originally appeared in the December 1937 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

The dolphin candlestick and its various half brothers, the … (continue reading)

Finding Secret Drawers and Hidden Compartments

This article discusses hidden compartments found in antique furniture pieces, especially desks and secretaries, and describes some examples with multiple secret compartments. It originally appeared in the November 1939 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Secret compartments for money, securities, ancestral jewelry and silver plate, a missing will, or a carefully written confession of a crime committed years before, have served fiction writers well. In fact, … (continue reading)

Burglars Horror

This article focuses on 19th-century night lights known as fairy lamps, which were the first lamps that were safe to leave on without supervision. It describes advertisements for the lamps, as well as their multiple uses (from discouraging burglars to calming children afraid of the dark) and various designs. It originally appeared in the September 1940 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Some years ago a police … (continue reading)

Glass But Too Late

In this article, the author notes what she perceives as a decline in the standard of glass collecting at the time of publishing and addresses fads, the definition of “antique,” and reproductions. It originally appeared in the March 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

On a cycle as constant as the seven-year locust, though more frequent, magazines devoted to fashions and the home have published … (continue reading)

English Portraiture in Ceramics

This article on ceramic portraiture in the 17th and 18th centuries focuses on notable potters and artists, the various figures that were produced (from homely figurines such as courting couples to important people, such as Queen Anne and Sir Isaac Newton), as well as the history of the art form. It originally appeared in the September 1939 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Although English artists began … (continue reading)

The Silver of Captain Tobias Lear of Portsmouth

This article details the silver plate that belonged to Captain Tobias Lear, the father of George Washington’s secretary (and close friend) Colonel Tobias Lear. It describes the various pieces in the set and identifies the manufacturers using the makers’ marks. It originally appeared in the December 1937 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

It is a matter of general observation that in this country family possessions tend … (continue reading)

The Grace of Queen Anne Furniture

This article addresses the popularity of Queen Anne furniture in America in the first half of the 18th century, noting the major differences in design between the American and English styles. It originally appeared in the October 1939 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Whole books, and many of them, have been written about American furniture of various periods and special localities but one of the … (continue reading)

Pennsylvania Pin-Decorated Slipware

This article on slipware (pottery with pinpricked designs) made in Pennsylvania focuses on the processes and methods used to create slipware, as well as the history of the pottery and some of the most notable designers and manufacturers. It originally appeared in the December 1940 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

A goal for the collector is old pin-decorated slipware. Even run-of-the-mill slipware does not … (continue reading)

Colorful American Blown Glass in the Victorian Manner

This article discusses colorful blown glass produced predominantly at the New England Glass Company and the Mount Washington Glass Company (although also attempted by various other glass manufacturers) in the 19th century. It notes some of the most talented craftsmen and innovative colors of the time, and provides a step-by-step explanation of the process of creating colored glass, illustrating the differences in production compared with normal overlay glass. It originally appeared in the January 1940 issue of … (continue reading)

Lacy Sandwich Glass in Color

This article focuses on the history of the Sandwich Glass Company, established in 1825, and describes the wide variety of patterns that the company produced and their movement from clear flint glass to the production of as many colors as possible. It originally appeared in the November 1940 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Lacy Sandwich glass was one of the earliest, if not the first, … (continue reading)

Slat Back Chairs in Europe and America

This article discusses slat-back chairs throughout the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries – specifically the countries they were made in, the varying styles, and their evolution from a crudely-made country chair to an elaborately designed piece of furniture, and then back to a plainer, more simplistic utilitarian item. It originally appeared in the January 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

A winter or two ago … (continue reading)

A One of a Kind Goblet Collection

This article talks about the process and the benefits of one-of-a-kind collecting – collecting individual items that work together rather than looking for a full set in the same pattern. It originally appeared in the May 1940 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

There is twelve times as much fun in one-of-a-kind collecting, according to the devotees of the mixed dozen! Goblets, tumblers, sauce dishes – … (continue reading)

The Versatile Simon Willard

This article on the clockmaker Simon Willard describes the characteristics associated with Willard’s craftsmanship, detailing some of his specific clocks to illustrate. It also notes the French influence on American clockmaking. It originally appeared in the June 1939 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

The name Simon Willard has always stood for superior materials, whether metal or wood; superior workmanship, whether of the movements he … (continue reading)

Geographic Distribution of Early Clockmaking in America

This article, written by the curator of the James Arthur Collection of Clocks and Watches at New York University, discusses clockmaking in the 18th and 19th centuries, noting the rise and fall of the independent clockmaker, the movement away from quality items to clocks that could be sold cheaply, and the differences between public and domestic clocks. It originally appeared in the November 1937 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and … (continue reading)