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AN-TIQUE (an-teek)
An object having
special value because of its age, especially a domestic item, piece of
furniture or decorative arts object esteemed for its artistry, beauty,
mechanical ingenuity, or period of origin. |
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The
Antiques Almanac, a five-edition-per-year online magazine for beginning and
intermediate antiques collectors and those just interested in finding out about
old things, is your first stop on the Web in your search for information
about antiques and collectibles. Here, you’ll find articles on a variety
of American and international antiques, including furniture, china,
glass, silver, and other decorative arts from the Colonial, Empire,
Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco Periods, plus vintage and modern
collectibles, interesting historical facts, antique tips, and
recommendations for caring for your collections. Come back often to see
what's new. And be sure to tell your friends about us.
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This
edition's
theme:
"Sears' Book of
Bargains"
Volume 14 No. 4
This edition will focus on the theme "Sears' Book of Bargains" and features
articles on items sold through the Sears Roebuck Catalogue.
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Keeping Food
Cold
The
traditional ice box dates back to the days of ice
harvesting, which peaked between the 1850s and the 1930s,
when manufacturers introduced the gas-powered refrigerator
into American homes. However, the ice box became such a part
of American culture that older people often refer to their
refrigerators as ice boxes. But the real story of the ice
box began in 1802.
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The Magic of Light
Back in the 17th century, entertainment was limited to live
musical and theatrical performances. But the invention of a
magical device that projected images on a white wall or
muslin screen changed all that and entertain would never be
the same. That invention was the “magic lantern.”
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Collectibles Articles |
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Luxury
on the Line
The Sears
Catalogue offered just about anything a homeowner could want
or need, including, the house, itself. Catalogue shoppers
could order a Sears kit house from 1908 to 1940. Customers
purchased and built upwards of 75,000 homes in 447 different
designs during that period
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Special Features
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The
Queen
of Pianos
In
the 18th century, many instruments, known as clavicitherium,
featured the strings of a harpsichord on a vertical frame. The
clavicitherium was the inspiration for the first upright piano
created by John Isaac Hawkins, an Englishman living in Philadelphia,
in 1800.
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Antique Spotlights
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Four Times the Beauty
Contrary to
popular opinion, quadruple plate silver isn’t the lesser
cousin of traditional silverplate. In fact, its plating
process uses four times the silver as the regular silver
plating. But many pieces of quadruple plate silver now look
dull and black, leading to one of the mysteries of antique
collecting—the extreme tarnishing of what were supposed to
be high quality silver plate pieces.
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Collecting Articles
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Caring for Quadruple Silver
The
process of silver plating is done by electroplating a thin layer of
silver over a stronger and usually less expensive base metal. With
its silver finish, improved durability and pricing that was more
affordable than pure silver pieces, quadruple silver plate soared in
popularity during the late 19th century.
More
Caring for Collections |
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Learn even
more about antiques with the oldest antiques site in
England.
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The
2021 Fall
Edition
featuring
"Sears'
Book of Bargains"
is here
Go through the menu and read all the
New!
articles. |
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A Salute to the Pioneers
by Bob Brooke
Smack dab in the middle of the United States stands
Harold Warp’s Pioneer Village, a true salute to
America’s pioneers. Jam packed with over 50,000 items
spanning over a 100 years of the country’s history from
approximately 1850 to 1950 and a bit beyond, it’s a
testament to not only one man’s passion for collecting
but to his determination to show the progress the
country has made over that time.
Read more.
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The Great Price Maker
by Bob Brooke
Before there was
Amazon.com, there was the Sears Catalogue. It was the
“Great “Pricemaker” that served as a mirror of its time,
recording for future historians people’s habits, customs,
desires, and modes of living. The roots of the Sears
Catalogue are as old as the company.
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The Most Printed and Read Book of All
Time
Johannes
Gutenberg invented the printing press and utilized movable
type in 1455. Books could now be mass-produced instead of
individually hand-written. The first book ever printed was
Gutenberg’s Bible in Latin. William Tyndale published the
first complete English translation of the New Testament in
Germany in 1526.
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How to Recognize and
Refinish Antiques for Pleasure and Profit
Have
you ever bought an antique or collectible that was less than perfect and
needed some TLC? Bob's book offers tips and step-by- step
instructions for simple maintenance and restoration of common antiques.
Read an
Excerpt |
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BREAKING
NEWS
Birdwatcher Stumbles on Roman Gold Coins
A birdwatcher in
England stumbled upon a hoard of 1,300 Iron Age gold coins
while out spotting a buzzard in a field. Dating to around
the time of the Roman invasion, the coins are believed to be
worth in excess of $1,070,480. |
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17th-Century Chinese Chair Brings $8.5 Million
A 17th-century huanghuali
folding horse-shoe back armchair, which sold for $8.5
million, more than five times its high estimate. From the
late Ming/early Qing dynasties, the chair is one of only a
few known surviving examples and featured the qilin motif,
suggesting its use by the imperial family and nobility. The
chair had come to market at Christie’s in March 2002, when
it brought $248,000. It was part of a collection assembled
over 20 years by the owner of Hevingham Hall in Suffolk
County, England. |
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