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Category Archives: Family Items
Pitcher designed by Adolf Loos
Adolf Loos was a 20th-century architect who hated ornamentation. He wrote about his disdain for it in a 1908 essay; in English it was translated as Ornament and Crime. This pitcher is a perfect example of Loos’ aesthetic style. Straight lines, simple curves and smooth surfaces. Adolf Loos designed it in 1931 for Viennese glassmakers, [...]
Also posted in Household items Tagged 20th century modern design, famous Viennese architects, glass designed by Adolf Loos Comments closed
Mermaid Collection
I took the following pictures of my mom’s mermaid collection. I thought it would be nice to post this time of year.
4th of July Dandy Horn noisemaker
Here’s a holiday noisemaker from 1921. This Dandy Horn was found in my great aunt’s trunk. It now sits on top of the mantel at my house. I’ve tried to do some research, but can’t find anything about it. If anyone knows who made it, its rarity, etc. please let us know. In the meantime [...]
Also posted in Holiday Themed Tagged 4th of July collectibles, antique holiday noisemakers, vintage party horns Leave a comment
1970s Fender Stratocaster
This Fender Stratocaster was bought by an uncle of mine for $75. He bought it off a guy who found the abandoned instrument. It was only when my uncle brought it home did he realize the value — at least a thousand dollars. The serial number on this guitar shows it was made in either [...]
Also posted in Music Tagged serial numbers on Fender Stratocaster guitars, vintage guitars Leave a comment
Goebel Friar Tuck Monk Collectibles
First, there were Hummels. Then, came the Monks. The Goebel company introduced Hummel figurines in 1935. These handcrafted, decorative collectiblies sold by the millions. Collectors just couldn’t get enough. In the early 1950s the company introduced the Friar Tuck and Red Cardinal series. And before you could say, “Holy Smokes!” Monks and cardinals were flying [...]
Sheldon W. Peavey (1938-2010)
My dad passed away on February 23rd at the age of 71. He battled pulmonary fibrosis and fought the disease with courage and faith. He never smoked and never touched a drop of alcohol. These are two things on a short list of things he didn’t like. Here are a few things he did like: [...]
NASCO China set (USA)
I’m having a hard time finding anything about the NASCO company. If you know please send a comment and I’ll post it. In the meantime, here’s how this set ended up in the family. It was most likely the 1940s and Bendikte Olsen and her daughter Helen went to a neighborhood social in Brooklyn, New [...]
Also posted in Household items Tagged NASCO china set, NASCO silver garland and triangles pattern Comments closed
Patches from the 1970s
Patch or badge collecting is called scutelliphily. In Latin ‘scutellus’ means ‘little shield.’ ‘Phileein’ in Greek means ‘to love.’ Scutelliphily is a hobby world-wide and goes back hundreds of years. In fact, Geoffrey Chaucer mentions pilgrims and the various badges they acquired in his classic work Canterbury Tales. The patches in this posting were aquired [...]
Sessions Mantel Clock
As the year winds down, I thought it appropriate to write about this clock. It was made by the Sessions Clock Company in Forestville, Connecticut. The Sessions Clock Company has a long and sometimes confusing history, so let me tick off some of its more interesting facts: 1 – Opened for business in 1831 as [...]
Charlie McCarthy ‘The Detective’ Spoon
Seventy years ago this month The Detective hit the silver screen. This comic caper starred Edgar Bergen and his wise-cracking sidekick (both literally and figuratively) Charlie McCarthy. To commemorate the film’s release a silver plated spoon came out. As you can see the spoon has McCarthy dressed like Sherlock Holmes. This spoon originally belonged to [...]
Also posted in Household items, TV/Movies Tagged collecting silver spoons, famous ventriloquists, movie collectibles and memorabilia Leave a comment
