Sunny days, backyard barbeques, campfires, and pool parties - these are some of the hallmarks of the Great American Summer. Let's cap off the sunlit season with some "homespun" fine art: American folk art paintings. Recognized for their picturesque landscape scenes, harbor views, darling portraitures, or glimpses into the lives of early colonists, folk art paintings hold a special place in ... Read More
Finding Phyfe: America’s Elusive Furniture-Maker
July 3, 2019 Michelle Miller
Although having an acclaimed name within American decorative arts history, Duncan Phyfe furniture is extremely rare to behold. So, for an antique furniture appraisal, setting eyes upon a piece of Phyfe furniture would be like discovering the holy grail of American antique furniture! Scotting-born Duncan Phyfe (1768-1854) was the most sought-after furniture maker in the United States during the ... Read More
Dolls For Days – Part 3: France’s Beautiful Bisque Dolls
July 1, 2019 Michelle Miller
Antique European dolls, produced between 1850 and 1930, were originally designed to resemble the adult female form, rather than today's concept of the quintessential "toddler-looking" doll. These early dolls were called "Fashion Dolls" or Poupées (the French term for "dolls") as these dolls had the more mature female shape, and the purpose of these dolls was to showcase the latest fashions of the ... Read More
Dolls for Days – Part 2: Madame Alexander’s Delightful Dolls (United States)
June 13, 2019 Michelle Miller
Hailing from New York, the Madame Alexander Doll Company holds a special place in the world of dolls. The company was founded by Beatrice Alexander, along with her sisters, in 1923. The girls grew up around gorgeous dolls as their father owned the first "doll hospital" company in the United States! The Madame Alexander Doll Company initiated many new and lasting doll trends and innovations. ... Read More
Antique French Mantel Clocks
April 4, 2019
Tick-tock! Spring has sprung! What better way to welcome the arrival of springtime than with an antique French mantel clock! And with a color palette of gold, turquoise, Robin's egg blue, pistachio-green, cotton-candy pink and malachite green, the design and decoration of 17th, 18th, and 19th-century French mantel clocks incorporate all the trappings of spring. You're probably most familiar ... Read More
Are We In Agreement That Collectible Plates Are Junk?
February 18, 2019 Roie Vokey
As a child who grew up in the 80s, it didn’t seem strange to me that people had commemorative plates hung on their walls. The grandmother of a friend of mine collected Princess Diana memorabilia and had several plates overlooking the dining table. I distinctly remember shortly after she died, an infomercial ran, offering a limited number of these commemorative plates in honor of her death, and my ... Read More
Identifying Rare Books
February 6, 2019 Carrie Gough
Many of us have perused old book sales or flea markets and seen a plethora of old books. But could you potentially unknowingly be looking at a rare book or maybe have one shelved in your personal library? Identifying a rare book can be tricky. Just because you’ve got a 100-year-old book actually doesn’t make it rare. It could just be old! Here are some tips to get started on discerning ... Read More
Rookwood Pottery: An American Heritage
January 11, 2019 Michelle Miller
Rookwood pottery was one of the most illustrious American pottery manufacturers of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Winning awards at several international exhibitions and world's fairs, such as the 1893 Columbian Exposition of Chicago and the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, Rookwood pottery also garnered international acclaim. Pottery as an art form blossomed during the ... Read More
A Very Merry (Holt-Howard) Holiday To You!
December 16, 2018 Michelle Miller
Looking for a fresh way to bring that winter magic to your own holiday "tablescape?" How about giving some vintage Holt-Howard holiday ceramic decorations a try! Holt-Howard was a ceramics company that manufactured adorable (and cheeky) kitchenware during the 1950s and 1960s. The company popped with its "Pixieware" line: little imp faces decorated the tops and lids of a plethora of condiment ... Read More
Shopping For Vintage & Antique Silverware
November 21, 2018 by Roie Vokey
There are hallmarks of adulthood: voting, getting a job, and moving out of your parents' home are three that come to mind. But once you've passed those milestones, you start to find more specific, quirky things that make you say, "yep! I'm really a grown up now!" One of those is owning a full set of silverware. I'm not talking about the 4 setting stainless steel Walmart special, I'm talking ... Read More
