Tag: colour box
Random Collecting Feature
Collecting Shoes
In the 21st Century they put the finishing touches to any outfit and are a sign of status and adornment but shoes were originally the simplest way to protect the feet. Early shoes were made of large leaves, bark and grass tied together with vines. The decades have seen progression in the design of footwear so it is the modern shoes that are sought after by collectors. Boots were the favoured footwear for the 19th century, worn by both men and women styles varied from the front laced Balmoral boot to the button boot. Delicate shoes were also worn and made of satin, silk, reptile and leather. The styles were not too different from modern day shoes with mules being popular with both sexes for indoor wear and the classic court shoe being worn from 1860s/1870s onwards. Towards the end of the 19th century shoes with extremely high heels became fashionable, almost impossible to walk in. Known as “Barrette” because they were fastened with bars and buttons. The Northampton Museum houses over 12,000 pairs of shoes dating from 1620 to the present day. One of the highlights of their collection are shoes worn by Queen Victoria on her wedding day. Made of white satin and trimmed with bands of ribbon they were made by Gundry & Son, shoemakers to the Queen and are the epiphany of Victorian style By the 1920s and the “Age of Jazz” shoe design became more prolific. Bar shoes were still popular and brightly coloured fabrics were the height of fashion which reflected in the fancy footwear. The 1930s saw more innovative styles with radical modern shapes being introduced. The middle of the 20th century saw the biggest turning point for shoe design; the 1950s introduced the stiletto heel or “little dagger” as it was also known. A complete turn around from the chunky designs of previous decades, highly collected the retro 1950s is where most collectors start buying. Good examples can still be found around car boot sales and jumble sales for a few pounds – also vintage clothes shops stock many 1950s and 1960s shoes for as little as £50 upwards. From the Rock ‘n’ Roll years into the swinging sixties shoes became a fashion statement. Beatlemania saw the reintroduction of the elastic-sided Chelsea boot, which had been fashionable over 125 years previous. Fashion designers such as Mary Quant, started to experiment with plastics using bright psychedelic colours producing hip and trendy footwear for the fashion conscious. The platform boot dominated the mid 1970s with inspiration taken from the “Glam Rock” pop groups of the decade. The film “Tommy” was released in 1975 and starred “Elton John” as the pinball wizard. The famous boots worn by the star were modelled on “cherry red” Dr Martens, moulded in fibre glass they stand 4ft 6.5″ high. These boots can be viewed at the Northampton museum as they are on loan from R Griggs makers of Dr Martens who purchased them at auction when Elton sold them through Sothebys in 1988. The museum also owns a pair of Vivienne Westwood green mock crocodile super elevated Gillies. M ade especially for the museum they are similar to the blue ones worn by supermodel Naomi Campbell when she toppled over on the catwalk in 1993. Westwood is one of the top names in the collecting world and her products can make large amounts of money on the secondary market. Expect to pay from between £400 to £600+ for a pair, especially those dating from the 1980s. This may seem a lot of money but when you take into consideration a brand new pair of Jimmy Choo’s can cost up to £1,000 from a retail outlet, the vintage ones are a bargain. Modern shoe designer Patrick Cox is constantly aware of the collectors market and produces limited edition shoes for this purpose. Last year an exclusive pair of his Swarovski crystal-encrusted red stilettos was auctioned for “Art of Fashion” and raised £7,000 for Breakthrough Breast Cancer. Other lots included white stilettos by Stuart Weitzman customised by celebrities such as Dido and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, these raised £200 – £220 a pair. Shoes design has progressed increasingly over the last century with new technology and material available allowing shoe designers to become more innovative and experimental.. Rebecca Shawcross of Northampton Museum’s advice is “shoes will not make you a fortune but buy what you like, wear them and love them”. FACTS Judy Garland’s “Ruby Slippers” from the film “Wizard of Oz” made $666,000 at Christies in 2000. The first Dr Marten rolled off the production line on 1st April 1960 Shoes have been found in buildings where they have been hidden to protect the house and the inhabitants from evil and misfortune St. Crispin is the patron Saint of shoemakers. The oldest shoe in the world was made 8,000 years ago and found in the USA in a cave. For further information on the Northampton Museum and its shoe collection visit www.northampton.gov.uk/museums
Black Jacks, Bombards And Antique Drinking Vessels
In England from quite early times leather vessels were used very generally. The black jack was a kind of leather pitcher or jug always lined with pitch on metal, of massive and sturdy build, corpulent and capacious. It quite dwarfed all rival pots, mugs, or pitchers of leather. Pictured right: A Charles II Silver-Mounted Leather Blackjack Jug Unmarked, Circa 1682. The silver rim with hatched lappets, the front with oval silver plaque pinned on below the spout which is inscribed The Gift of George Barteram to Abigail 1682 11 in. (28 cm.) high. Sold for £2,750 at Christies, London, March 2009. Image Copyright Christies. In the fifteenth century they were called ” jacks ” ; New College, Oxford, in 1414 pur-chased ” four leather jacks two holding a gallon each and two a pottle each, the four costing four shillings and eightpence.” The vessels were not known as black jacks till the sixteenth century, being occasionally described before then as ” Jacke of leather to drinke in.” The word jack was used for various articles—there were ” kitchen jacks” to turn the roasting spits, and leather coats were ” jacks of defence.” This defensive coat was known in England for several centuries as “the jack,” and when adopted by the French archers was called ” jaque d’Anglois ” ; the prefix ” black ” was no doubt added to the drinking jack to distinguish it from this leather jerkin, which would generally be made of buff leather and as a rule of lighter colour ; the vessels were not known as “black jacks” jacks till the sixteenth century, the full title was used in 1567 when Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, purchased a black jack for one shilling. Pictured left: A William And Mary Leather And Silver-Mounted Black Jack, Circa 1690 Of tapering form 7½ in. (18.5 cm.) high. Sold for £1,375 ($1,907) at Christies, London, January 2009. Image Copyright Christies. The black jack was a feature of the cellars, butteries, and dining halls of our ancient hospitals, colleges and grammar schools till modern times. The chief reason for its survival in such places is that the jack was essentially a vessel for the refec-tory or the baronial hail; it held a high place while the ancient mode of living prevailed, and every man of substance took his meals in his hall with his family and servants. When more luxurious fashions came in and the lord took his meals privately in parlour or dining room, the leathern pot re-mained in the servants’ hall with the excep-tion of those that were silver mounted. These latter were small as a rule and more richly treated; they were edged with silver and often lined with that metal or with pewter in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and were highly prized. There exist to-day (mostly in private collections) quite a number of these silver mounted jacks; they were more numerous than the plain ones. They no doubt owe their preserva-tion to the fact of their greater value and the ornamental treat-ment and extra beauty of work-manship bestowed upon them. Jacks were not rimmed or lined with silver from a fastidious dislike to drinking from leather, for jugs and cups of various materials, earthenware, wood, coconut vessels and even china were habitually so mounted. Pictured right: Doulton Lambeth Black Jack Leather Silver Rim Beer Pitcher Motto Jug 1880s. Sold For Us $425.00 Approximately £271.05 on ebay, April 2012. The black jack did not require a lid and was seldom made with one, but occasionally lidded ones are mentioned in old inventories. At the Guildhall Museum there is an interesting jack which has a curious lid of leather, but it is obviously an addition that was made at a remote period in the jack’s history. The lid not only covers the top but reaches nearly an inch down the sides ; it was a hinge of iron which has a long strap over the lid itself in which is a thumb-piece to enable the person holding the ack to raise the lid with the same hand. Sometimes a wooden lid was used attached to the handle by a leather strap by means of which it could be fastened down to a buckle on the spout. It is probable that ]acks with lids were used when it was necessary to fetch drink from a distance, not every village having an alehouse. Besides the wooden cups, which were so numerous in past times, cups of horn, pots of pewter and other metals, would all compete with leathern mugs, and help to render them unnecessary. By the middle of the seventeenth century many of these were in general use and the necessity for leather pots of small size would not be great ; records of them are scarce. Pictured left: Doulton Lambeth Blackjack jug “The Landlords Caution”. Made from stoneware that’s impressed with leather when still wet and then fired. It gives a very convincing leather effect that’s complete with stitching detail and grain. 7 1/2″ tall and 7″ spout to handle. The jug has the words from the poem “The Landlords Caution” “THE MALTSTER HAS SENT HIS CLERK – AND YOU MUST PAY THE SCORE – FOR IF I TRUST MY BEER – WHAT SHALL I DO FOR MORE” written about it in an unordered way. I believe the idea is that as long as the landlord hasn’t drunk too much of his own product he should be able to work out the order (as a former Landlord I can relate!). This particular jug was stamped as made for Sidney W Allen of 39 White Rock, Hastings. It also has a Doulton Lambeth stamp as well as Doulton and Slaters patent stamp. Sold for £65 on ebay, April 2012. The warden of Win-chester College in 1897 remembered that when he was a boy at school the black jacks were in daily use, the beer being brought into Hall in them and transferred to pew-ter mugs. Thomas Tusser, the author of” Five Hundred […]
The Universal Appeal of Tea Collecting
For years, drinking tea has been an immensely satisfying ritual, especially for those who pride themselves in being a tea connoisseur. For tea lovers, tea is more than a simple drink after a meal. It is a customary way of communicating culture and style which is why it has expanded in popularity – and many have begun accumulating their own personal supply. So, with that in mind, read on to find our why tea collecting has gained such universal appeal. The background of tea In 1606, the first delivery of tea was shipped from China to Europe. People were fascinated by the aroma and taste that it quickly became a fashionable drink among the wealthy. Of course, a fashionable drink must be enjoyed in style, so teapots, teacups and other beautiful accessories quickly flooded the European market. Our previous article titled, English Teapots – Their Origin and Variety showcases exquisite examples from the eighteenth century. How to start collecting While there is no right or wrong way to collect tea, everyone can certainly start by tasting a variety of tea flavours to discover which ones they enjoy the most. The palatability and perception of the different flavours is a personalised experience, and the same goes for which ones to collect. Collections usually start off with gifts, and then later, as your experience grows and your palate becomes more familiar with flavours that are more palatable to your taste, your collection will grow with flavours of your choosing. Popularity of tea Tea is the most popular drink around the world, especially in Europe and here in the United Kingdom. Gala Bingo’s research on tea in the UK found that 31% of tea drinkers drank five or more cups of tea each day. This is a welcoming stat, especially with recent scientific research showing the many added health benefits of drinking tea. In one article, Today points out that tea may promote a healthy lifestyle, lower blood pressure, and live longer – so, it is no wonder that tea continues to increase in its global appeal. Varieties of tea Nowadays, there are many kinds of tea, and here are some of the most popular varieties: White Tea– Delicate in flavour, very subtle and elegant on the palate. Black Tea- Intense and bold in flavour, and typically malty on the tongue. Green Tea– Moderate in flavour, nutty, vegetal, and usually herbaceous. Oolong Tea– A very intense flavour with a bold roast and variety of notes ranging from milky to sweet and creamy on the palate. Earl Grey Black Tea– Beautiful blend of notes from mellow green teas to refreshing hints of orange and invigorating lime. Lemon Green Envelope Tea– A full range of exquisite aromas with a refreshing lemon hint and zesty green undertones. Storing tea Storing tea requires special care to preserve its unique aroma and freshness. If you don’t, they may dry out and you will end up missing out on the exquisite pleasure each bag potentially offers. Here are some tips on storing your precious tea: Keep them in a dry place– Moisture will destroy tea and cause them to develop mould. Keep them at a consistent temperature– Exposing tea to fluctuating temperatures can cause them to lose quality and flavour. Keep them separate– Teas absorb the flavours of its surrounding, whether it be other teas or BBQ crisps. So it is very important to keep them separate from other food. Tea will always have its global appeal due to its endless health benefits, cultural influences, and social value. And it is certainly never too late to taste this decadence and start your own personal collection.
Pomp, Pre-Fabs And Poodles – Dolls in The 1950s
Pomp, Pre-Fabs And Poodles – Dolls in The 1950s by Sue Brewer Just as a black and white film explodes into technicolour, this decade dawned grey, but ended in dazzling colour. This eventful ten years gave young people more power that ever before, and propelled Britons into a completely new lifestyle. Though the war had ended five years previously, many goods were in short supply and some rationing was still in force. Bomb sites scarred many areas, and thousands dwelt in ‘pre-fabs’ – prefabricated buildings designed as emergency accommodation for those who had lost their homes during the bombing. Britain needed something to cheer her up, and the Festival Of Britain was a great start. Held in 1951, on London’s Southbank alongside the Thames, and dominated by the Dome of Discovery, it featured all that was new in design. Towering above the site was the Skylon, a delicately-shaped edifice which was illuminated at night, and which entranced me as a child. Millions of people thronged the festival, which spilled over into nearby Battersea Park. One of the great attractions there was the Guinness clock, a marvellous timepiece which featured toucans and other creatures popping out of windows and doors on the quarter-hour. Ideas seen at the exhibition gradually filtered through into people’s lives – geometrical designs were in vogue, bright colours, and, conversely, black and white patterns. The most famous 1950s ceramics’ range is probably ‘Homemaker’, which featured black and white drawings of coffee tables, cutlery, settees and lamps. Homemaker, designed by Enid Seeney, was made by Ridgway and sold in Woolworths stores throughout the country in the mid-fifties. Black pottery ‘African’ hands and figurines were in vogue, as was formica, spindly-legged furniture, coloured ‘atom’ knobs on small fixtures, ballet scenes on crockery, open-plan living, and poodles on everything! In 1953, patriotism was truly to the fore – Queen Elizabeth II was crowned in Westminster Abbey. Union Jacks fluttered from lamp posts, commemorative mugs were give to school children, and street parties were held throughout the country. Young and old sat down to enjoy cakes, sandwiches and jellies, and to raise a toast to her Majesty in tea or lemonade. People crowded the front rooms of those fortunate enough to own television sets to watch the beautiful young Queen ride in a fairytale coach along the Mall from the palace, and to see the Archbishop of Canterbury place the crown upon her head in Westminster Abbey. For one lady, Peggy Nisbet, the Coronation proved a career change when she was inspired to dress small dolls which were sold through the prestigious Harrods store. Little could she have known that those small dolls would be the start of a huge concern, which would go on to produce millions of Peggy Nisbet costume dolls over the next three decades. Naturally, other manufacturers jumped aboard the bandwagon, most notably Pedigree Toys, who issued an 14 inch hard plastic doll called Little Princess. Th is doll had blonde, curly hair, just like the toddler Princess Anne, and her outfit was designed by Norman Hartnell, the man responsible for the Coronation gown. Pedigree also issued a ‘Bonnie Charlie’ doll, presumably modelled on Prince Charles, and a slender, teen-type called Elizabeth. All these dolls are very much sought-after today by collectors. Hard plastic was extensively used in the world of doll manufacturing for much of the 1950s. Developed during the war, it was enthusiastically embraced by toy makers, being light, colourful and cheap to produce. It rapidly replaced the older-style composition dolls, and many beauties were made during this time. Towards the end of the decade, however, an even more revolutionary product, soft vinyl, was introduced. Vinyl enabled the hair to be rooted directly into the head, and didn’t crack when it was dropped. Soon vinyl replaced the hard plastic, though for a time, dolls often sported vinyl heads on hard plastic bodies as the new machinery was expensive to install. Barbie, the most successful doll of all time, made her debut in America in 1959, created by Ruth Handler. This sophisticated curvy teen in her black and white striped bathing costume, was a sensation, though she was scarcely known in Britain until the 1970s. Girls in the United Kingdom were less mature than their American counterparts, and although teen dolls were gradually arriving, they were softer-featured and tended to wear the everyday fashions of the time – flared skirts, blouses, smart coats and dainty hats. Even in their early teens, girls still read ‘Girl’ comic, filled with colourful comic strip adventures featuring nurses, schoolgirls or ballet dancers – children were unsophisticated in those days. Palitoy issued a tie-in ‘Girl’ doll, who wore a white dress patterned with the logo of the comic. Her knickers and hair-ribbon bore the same motif while her belt had a plastic ‘Girl’ head as a buckle. At the beginning of the decade, teen girls dressed like their mothers, often wearing twin-sets and pearls, but as the fifties progressed, they rebelled. Permed hair gave way to ponytails, and skirts were full, often with layers of net or ‘paper nylon’ petticoats beneath. ‘Pedal-pusher’ trousers, which ended at mid-calf. were in vogue for a while, as were ‘sloppy Joe’ sweaters, but, on the whole, girls still had a very feminine look – the love-affair with blue denim was not, as yet, widespread. Music-wise, Rock ‘n’ Roll was in – Bill Haley and Elvis Presley were listened to on large 78 rpm records which broke when they were dropped. However, Britain had its own teen stars too, especially Tommy Steele who appeared on the ‘6.5 Special’ tv programme every Saturday, rocking to the music. Teddy Boys loved Rock ‘n’ Roll, and wore narrow drainpipe trousers, long jackets and winklepicker shoes, combing their hair into a quiff. Skiffle groups, who performed on guitars, washboards and broom handles affixed to tea-chests, were also extremely popular. As the decade progressed, television grew to play a large part in people’s lives; programmes were followed so avidly that […]
Collecting the Three Stooges
In the past at WCN we have written about Collecting various classic comedy stars and acts such as Chaplin, Laurel & Hardy etc. With the recent TCM Presents … There’s No Place Like Hollywood (November 2014) auction and on reading about the Robert Edward Auctions amazing Three Stooges posters sale (April 2015), and with 2015 being the 85th Anniversary of their first film Soup to Nuts (1930) we decided to investigate and create a feature on the Three Stooges themselves. In this feature we have a brief look at who the Three Stooges were, take a look at some of the collectables available including some rarer and unusual items of memorabilia and ephemera. We also browse the official Three Stooges Store ‘knuckleheads’, and we check out the amazing prices being recorded for early Three Stooges trading cards. Pictured: The Three Stooges Monopoly – It’s time to wheel and deal with Curly, Larry and Mo, the kings of slapstick. Enjoy this classic game of risk taking and deal making as you compete to own memorable locations from the Three Stooges films. Laugh out loud as you buy Moronika and Mildew College; sell Rutentuten’s Tomb and the Los Arms Hospital; and trade Gypsum Goode Antiques and the Cannonball Express. Don’t be a “featherbrain imbecile” and go bankrupt! This hilarious trio is yours for the taking! “Step aside nitwit, I’ll show you how to do this.” Includes six collectible tokens: Derby hat, Mallet, Seltzer bottle, Pipe wrench, Cream pie and Violin. Slaps and eye pokes not included. “Woob, Woob, Woob!”. Available from knuckleheads.com. A selection of The Three Stooges Zippo Lighters About the Three Stooges The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the mid–20th century (1930–1975) best known for their numerous short subject films, still syndicated to television. Their hallmark was physical farce and slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: “Moe, Larry, and Curly” or “Moe, Larry, and Shemp”, among other lineups depending on the films; there were six active stooges, five of whom performed in the shorts. Moe and Larry were always present until the very last years of the ensemble’s forty-plus-year run. Pictured: A Three Stooges Pillsbury promotional poster 1937. U.S. promotional poster, linen-backed. Advertising the Three Stooges Moving Picture Machine, a Pillsbury’s Farina cereal promotional item; also advertising the Stooges’ Columbia shorts. Provenance: Estate of Moe Howard; Collection of Joan Howard Maurer and Paul Howard. Literature: Reproduced in The Three Stooges Scrapbook by Jeff Lenburg, Joan Howard Maurer, and Greg Lenburg (Chicago: Chicago Review Press, 2012), p. 117. The first Three Stooges promotional item, a set of hand puppets, appeared on the market in 1935; this advertisement was printed two years later. The Moving Picture Machine was a cardboard projector accompanied by frames from Stooges’ movies which could be cranked through it. Participating theaters ran contests for these machines at Stooges’ matinees. In 1937, the Three Stooges were at the height of their first wave of success at Columbia, producing such classics as Hoi Polloi, Three Little Beers, and Disorder in the Court. 27 x 41 in. Sold for US$ 4,000 (£2,636) at Bonhams, New York, 2014. The act began as part of a late-twenties vaudeville comedy act, billed as Ted Healy and his Stooges, consisting of Healy, Moe Howard, his brother Shemp Howard, and Larry Fine. The four made one feature film entitled Soup to Nuts before Shemp left to pursue a solo career. He was replaced by his younger brother Jerome (Curly Howard) in 1932, and the trio eventually left Healy to launch their own act, billed as The Three Stooges. Pictured: Heavenly Daze Columbia, 1948. Lobby card poster. Duotone lobby card showing the classic trio at the office. In this short, Shemp has died but returns to Earth to teach the other Stooges a lesson and gain entry to Heaven. Provenance: Estate of Moe Howard; Collection of Joan Howard Maurer and Paul Howard. 14 x 11 in. Sold for US$ 937 (£617) at Bonhams, New York, 2014. Thee Stooges Trading Cards The 1959 Three Stooges Fleer card set will be of the highlights for a fan and collector of The Three Stooges. This set is also noted as the most popular non-sports trading card set. There were 96 cards in the set and it was released in 1959 just as the Stooges were beginning to appear regularly on TV. The 1959 Fleer cards feature scenes from the comedic trio’s short films shown in movie theaters from the 1930s through the 1950s. Pictured: Curly single No #1 in the set the Holy Grail of the set The Professional Sports Authentication, PSA for short who have been responsible for grading over 23 million collectibles has a great feature on the Three Stooges cards: The 1959 Fleer Three Stooges set consists of 96 cards, each measuring 2-1/2” x 3-1/2”. Each card front bears a color drawing of the comedy trio – Moe, Larry, and Curly – individually or in a scene from one of their shorts. A thin border surrounds each stylish, horizontal image with a caption printed in black ink at the bottom border. Card backs have a humorous quotation that complements the comical adventure on the other side. Fleer published the cards on both a white and a gray cardstock, with the gray versions more difficult to find as most have deteriorated over the passing decades. However, the white versions are more sought-after due to their clean appearance. The scarcest individual cards are single print run variation that carried checklists on the revers (#16 “You Can’t Keep Your Money,” #63 “Curly The First Thing,” and #64 “You Won’t Fool Anybody”), with only slightly more than 200 total copies known to still exist. Not surprisingly, the other key cards in the set belong to the Stooges themselves – Curly (#1), Moe (#2), and Larry (#3) – with each vertical card consisting of a bust shot with biographical information on the reverse. Prime examples the card “Let Me Know When My Number Comes Up (#33) is difficult to find due to centering issues. The last card, […]
Alice in Wonderland and the art of Marie Louise Wrightson
At a recent exhibition at the Acorn Gallery, Pocklington we had the pleasure of interviewing a favourite artist of ours at WCN, the very talented Marie Louise Wrightson. Marie’s work and imagining of Alice in Wonderland has caught our attention and her clever use of props, novelties and frames for her art make her an artist to watch. Have you always been a fan of Alice in Wonderland? Being Dyslexic, I have always loved the illustrations in books, for me, they bring the stories to life in so many ways. Alice in Wonderland has always been my favorite book, I think it’s that mix of escapism, fantasy and the wonderful portrayal of the creativity of Lewis Carroll in his story telling. Who is your favourite character? My favorite character has to be the Mad Hatter, because of his love of tea and fabulous quotes. Do you collect Alice in Wonderland books? I have a large collection of of Alice in Wonderland objects and around 70 books, many favorites, but I do have a Russian copy with some amazing illustrations. I am constantly inspired by the drawings, paintings and illustrations from the books, a fabulous resource of imagery. You also create designs featuring wonderful hair arrangements. How did you come up with the idea and how do you select the items that appear? I started painting a grown up Alice with large cups on her head and long hair with all the related objects not long after I graduated from art school. I like creating that almost dream like effect with my figures, a head full of dreams. What else inspires you? I’m a bit of a DC fan and have painted many characters from the comics and films, would love to paint a Bane and Batman piece, many next year. Favorite comic characters has to be Harley Quinn and Cat Woman, always fun to paint. More about Marie Louise Wrightson Marie Louise graduated from Duncan of Jordanstone School of Art, in Dundee, in 2005, having completed her degree in Fine Art and then later her Masters. Marie’s modern twist on a very fine art style has gained her an excellent reputation. Marie was born in Lincolnshire but has lived in Scotland for the past twenty years. Further information You can find Marie on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MarieLWrightson/ Marie Louise Wrightson at the Acorn Gallery
Sampson Mordan Propelling Pencils
Every good, middle or upper class Victorian gentleman worth his salt would have owned one. A small silver propelling pencil, perhaps attached to an Albert chain with a fob watch on the other end and stored in a waistcoat pocket, or kept with a notebook for a day’s important jottings. These retractable, sliding pencils were not inexpensive, and as such were bought or received as prestigious gifts and kept for a lifetime. They were made in enormous variety, with the size, shape, materials and level of decoration being a display of both your wealth and tastes. A little like today’s mobile phones or handbags, I suppose. Pictured: A Victorian gold and hardstone mounted propelling pencil, by Sampson Mordan & Co. Estimate £250-£350. Image Copyright Bonhams. Although there were many makers and retailers, there’s one name that jumps out as being bound inextricably with these pencils, right back to their inception and development in the early 19th century. That name is Sampson Mordan, famed and (once) famous silver and goldsmith. However, having said this, all is not so clear. The precise details of the development of this indispensable writing tool lie with someone else. Pictured: A Victorian Sampson Mordan & Co, London 1895 propelling pencil – A good quality Victorian fully hallmarked silver sliding Propelling Pencil, the cylindrical body with deep foliate scroll engraved decoration, an engraved cartouche with the owners name, the screw-off seal terminal set with a bloodstone. The image is Copyright of Steppes Hill Farm Antiques who have a speciality in pens and writing equipment. Visit https://www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com to view their site. As with many important inventions, the name of the real brain behind it is not the one that is most widely known. In this case, the real inventor was an engineer called John Isaac Hawkins. An interesting and innovative man who shared his life between the US and UK, Hawkins was also responsible for developing a polygraph and an upright piano, as well as conjuring up the name ‘bi-focals’. Hawkins had seen that most pencils were made from a long lead bound in wax and rope or fabric, or cased in wood or metal. As they were used, they needed to be sharpened, requiring extra tools. Surely the lead could be placed in a mechanism allowing it to be telescoped out on a spiral as it wore down through use? This would also then allow all manner of elaborate cases to be developed, widening the market for his invention. So, in 1822, the twist-screw mechanism behind most propelling pencils was developed. Precisely what Mordan had to do with this is, I believe, as yet unknown, although he is credited as co-inventor despite apparently having had little experience of inventing or engineering himself. However, Mordan had studied under another inventor, Joseph Bramah, who also had a hand in developing writing instruments, so perhaps he met Hawkins and grew his knowledge this way. Pictured: A Victorian Sampson Mordan & Co novelty propelling pencil c 1880 – A rare Victorian novelty silver Propelling Pencil formed as a 19th century Golf Club, the pencil emerging from the handle with a twist mechanism. The image is Copyright of Steppes Hill Farm Antiques who have a speciality in pens and writing equipment. Visit https://www.steppeshillfarmantiques.com to view their site. Whatever, Mordan was able to acquire the total rights to the design in the same year. Quite why Hawkins sold them outright so quickly to Mordan is a mystery. Some say that Hawkins was primarily an inventor and engineer and was not interested in business, and there is evidence to back this up. To use two clichés, Mordan took the bull by its horns and really went to town. He built a highly successful business that, by the mid 19th century, was arguably unrivalled in terms of its expertise, skill and inventiveness. Many thousands of examples were produced with their cases ranging in form from simply decorated cylinders to novelty shapes such as owls and even people. However, by the early 20th century, people began to turn their back on Mordan’s costly confections. The development of brightly coloured plastics, and the rise of famous names such as Parker, Waterman and MontBlanc, sounded the death knell. People wanted more, for less, and they could have it. When the Mordan factory was bombed during WWII, the final end came. Even so, the company he founded lives on today, having been bought by traditional maker Yard-O-Led, part of the Filofax group. Despite what I have said above, and the precious materials used, the majority of examples found will have values of somewhere between £40 and £400. This really isn’t expensive for what they are, when you think about it. After all, these are made from solid silver or solid gold, and were made entirely by hand with skilled use of machines for certain tasks, including making the finely engineered internal parts. Just think how much similar work would cost today if you walked into, say, Asprey? There are four primary concerns when thinking about value. Firstly, there is the material. Solid gold is obviously more valuable than solid silver. It would have cost considerably more at the time, so is rarer today as fewer would have been sold. High (18) carat gold is even scarcer, particularly in fine condition as gold is a comparatively soft and easily worn material in high carats. Look closely too, as there are three colours of gold; yellow, green and rose/pink. The addition of precious stones is also a sign of rarity. Whilst small turquoise cabochons were often used during the 1860s & 70s, and seed pearls can also be found, precious stones such as rubies and sapphires are much scarcer. A pencil like the tiny one shown here combines all of these– three colours of solid gold, pearls and precious stones – rare indeed. In fact, only four have ever been seen by collectors. Other materials found on Mordan pencils include ivory, tortoiseshell and carved wood. Despite its humble origins, carved wood can be quite rare, particularly if […]
A look at Grimwades Royal Winton Chanticleer Series
The Grimwades Royal Winton Chanticleer series first appeared at the British Industries Fair in February 1936. The range of realistically moulded cockerels and hen, in warm colours, were a popular addition to the breakfast table and was produced for many years. Grimwades described the range as ‘distinctive novelties’ on their advertising leaflets. Chanticleer is French for cockerel and items from the Chanticleer series are sometimes marked on base with Chanticleer while others are marked Rooster. A few examples and smaller pieces such as cruets are unmarked. The range included various teapots, hot water jug, sugar and cream, milk jug, marmalade with cover, sugar sifter, cheese cover and stand, 3 and 4 piece cruet and condiment sets, 3 and 5 bar toast racks, jam, covered butter, mint boat and stand, and dessert plate. Except for the toast rack, the Chanticleer items produced were in the shape of the bird set on a grassy green base. They were also available in different colourways, with the hand painting adding variations to the pieces. The teapot, for example, can be found in streaked and speckled shades of a golden brown, with the tail and lower body feathers highlighted in soft green. Alternatively, a rich, dark blue combination was used with bands of scarlet emphasising the tail feathers. These tail feathers curve down to create the handle of the tea pot, with the spout being formed by the open beak of the bird. Sugar shakers were either golden brown or a pale yellow lightly streaked with red, the wings being a light grey and the breast cream. As mentioned the toast racks differed from the rest of the range by not being designed to be on a grassy mound. The toast racks were main in green and yellow and featured a cockerel decorating either end. Two toast racks were produced: a 3 bar toast rack and 4 bar toast rack. The cruet and condiment sets included: a 3 piece set featuring salt and pepper pots on a base and show the cockerel standing with his head held high, while the hen stares into space; whilst the 4 piece condiment set features salt, pepper and covered mustard pot on a base and has the cockerel in the same proud pose, accompanied by two hens, one as before, the other shown head down, pecking for food. The male bird always sports a large scarlet comb and scarlet wattle, while the hen has only the merest suggestion of a comb. The base resembles a grassy field, the carrying handle depicting a fence. The images below show some of the variations in colour. Grimwades Royal Winton Chanticleer Series Price Guide / Value Guide Prices for pieces with no defects and good colour. We have seen great variations in prices especially in online shops. The prices below Chanticleer Teapot £40-£80 / $60-$120 3 Piece cruet set £40-£80 / $60-$120 4 Piece cruet set £50-£80 / $75-$120
Troika Pottery – History, Designers and Troika Price Guide
Troika Pottery has become one of the most collected forms of modern British pottery with it’s distinctive colours, incised and geometric designs it has attracted many collectors. Early works from two of the company’s founders Leslie Illsley, and Benny Sirota are especially collectable with prices for rarer items reaching well into four figures. The third member of Troika was sleeping partner Jan Thompson. Troika Pottery was founded in 1962 and produced pottery until 1983 and was named by the three founders from the Russian тройка, meaning “a set of three”, or triumvirate. They took over the Powell and Wells Pottery at Wheal Dream, St Ives, Cornwall, where Sirota had previously worked as a decorator and driver. The group wanted to pursue their vision of pottery as art, without regard to function which ran counter to the aims of much of the studio pottery movement at the time, as epitomised by the work of Bernard Leach (see Bernard Leach the Father of British studio pottery). Illsley and Sirota wanted to create distinctive, individualistic wares and they were not afraid to experiment with unconventional production ideas, methods and materials including emulsion paint and melted broken glass. Fantastic designs began to be produced including Cycladic masks with Aztec-style decoration and the heavily textured monolithic wares that were to become a trademark, the pottery pillar vase, plaques with raised geometric patterns and geometric lamp bases. The Troika venture rapidly became successful, gaining both critical praise and very high sales through a combination of the summer tourist trade and contracts in 1968 with Heals and Liberty in London. The pottery moved from Wheel Dream for larger premises in Fradgan Place, Newlyn in 1970. In the mid 1970s sales began to go down as trends changed, Benny Sirota left in 1980, and with declining sales, the business closed in 1983. Troika at Auction Troika Pottery on ebay Troika Designers and Marks Troika Pottery marks were handwritten. Some designers have the same initials such as Avril Bennett and Alison Brigden. Selected examples below. New
The Murano Cenedese glass factory and its designers
For nearly 80 years, the Murano Cenedese glass factory has been renowned for its exquisite handcrafted glass creations. Founded in Venice, Italy in 1946 by master glassblower Gino Cenedese (1907-1973). He initially started the factory with several other glass masters of the time: Alfredo Barbini, Gino Fort, Angelo Tosi and Pietro Scaramal. Gino Cenedese took full control of art factory in 1949. Cenedese Glass quickly established itself as one of the most sought-after glass brands in the world. Gino Cenedese was a true visionary. With a deep respect for the artistic heritage of Murano glassmaking and an innate talent for creating beautiful and innovative pieces, Cenedese quickly rose to fame in the international art scene. His innovative designs captured people’s imaginations and earned him numerous awards and accolades over the years. Despite Gino’s early death in 1973, the legacy of Murano Cenedese lives on today through its stunning works of art. Whether you are admiring a radiant sculpture or sipping from a delicate goblet, each piece is a testament to Gino’s tireless dedication to beauty and craftsmanship. Cenedese’s Collaboration with Artists and Designers Over the years Gino Cedenese invited many of the most talented glass designers and artists to work at the factory including: Napoleone Martinuzzi, Antonio da Ros, Riccardo Licata, Ermanno Nason and Fulvio Bianconi. Though remaining closely bound to the ancient tradition of classical Murano glass – with hand blown glasses, vases, dishes, goblets and Venetian chandeliers – the production opened to the suggestions of contemporary art, pushed by a continuous research for new techniques and effects made possible by glass, and taking advantage of the collaboration with various artists and designers, each one bringing his personal interpretation of the material, colour, and light, each pieces marked out by the manual skill and the talent of the masters. Source ars cedenese web site. Napoleone Martinuzzi Napoleone Martinuzzi was a sculptor who worked for the prestigious Cenedese glass factory from 1953 to 1958. Throughout his career, Martinuzzi demonstrated a masterful command of the medium, creating striking glass sculptures with great skill and precision. Martinuzzi’s pieces were admired for their fluidity and grace, with many critics praising his use of color and texture to achieve beautiful effects. At the same time, however, Martinuzzi also had a deep appreciation for traditional arts like wood carving and sculpture and sought to incorporate these elements into his work. By blending modern techniques with classical forms and ideas, Napoleone Martinuzzi became one of the leading figures in the world of glass sculpture. When deciding what piece to display by Napoleone Martinuzzi we thought this piece The Creation of the World shows why he became one of the leading figures in the world. The Creation of the World designed 1953 for Vetreria Gino Cenedese, two illuminated columns each inset with applied glass scavo panels depicting Adam and Eve, human figures, flora, fauna and fish each column 80 1/2in (204.5cm); width 16in (40.5cm); depth 8 1/2in (21.5cm). Sold for US$ 50,312 inc. premium at Bonhams, New York, December 2021. Antonio da Ros Antonio da Ros was a talented glass designer who worked for the Cenedese factory in the 1960s. Throughout his career, Antonio was known for his innovative and creative approach to glass design. He is perhaps best-known for his unique “submerged” glass forms, which feature an asymmetrical shape that seems to almost vanish into thin air. Antonio had a unique ability to see potential in ordinary, everyday objects like vases and vessels, and his work transformed the medium of glass into something both beautiful and ethereal. a local artist fascinated by the decorative and chromatic possibilities of glass, who brought a fresh and enthusiastic approach that led to the search of unprecedented forms and chromatic effects. With Da Ros, the Sixties saw an important creation of the “submerged” glass forms among which the “Contrappunti”, fluids submerged playing on different tones of colours Source ars cedenese web site. Riccardo Licata Riccardo Licata (b, 1929) was a talented glass designer who worked for the prestigious Cedenese glass factory in Italy. Throughout his career, Riccardo focused on creating beautiful and intricate designs that brought out the natural beauty of glass. His most famous work is perhaps the glass fish aquarium block sculpture that he designed in 1952. This innovative piece captures the energy and gracefulness of swimming fish while also showcasing Riccardo’s remarkable skill as a glass artist. Today, Riccardo’s work continues to be admired and celebrated by artists and designers all over the world, and he remains an inspiration to aspiring glass designers everywhere. Ermanno Nason Ermanno Nason was a master glass-craftsman and artist who worked for the Cedenese glass factory from 1963 to 1972. He is best known for his innovative use of color and light in his glasswork. Nason’s pieces are characterized by their bold, vibrant colors and clean lines. He is best known for his “Nason e Vidal” line of stemware, which was produced by the factory. In addition to stemware, Nason also designed a number of other glass products, including bowls, vases, and Ashtrays. His work is characterized by its clean lines and simple forms. Nason’s work was influenced by the Italian Modernist movement, as well as by Scandinavian design. Ermanno Nason’s work is highly sought-after by collectors and enthusiasts alike. His pieces can be found in some of the world’s most prestigious museums, including the Museo di Vetro di Murano in Italy and the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. Fulvio Bianconi Fulvio Bianconi was a talented glass-craftsman who worked for the Cedenese glass factory from 1954 to 1962. During this time, he developed a revolutionary technique for working with glass that involved using both heat and pressure to create stunning works of art. Bianconi’s original pieces combined a number of different textured elements, each layer perfectly balanced against the next. His work quickly gained acclaim in the art world, and today his pieces are considered some of the finest examples of contemporary glass-craft. Pushing the Boundaries through Collaboration Over […]