“Small But Mighty!: Models, Toys, And Miniature Ships”
New Permanent Exhibition At Independence Seaport Museum To Open
The Napoleonic War Model (unidentified British Frigate) is attributed to an unknown prisoner (likely Dartmoor Prison, England), ca. 1790-1820, bone and stand made of paper-covered wood, 16-by-3-by-12 inches, was a gift of Elizabeth C. Blaisdell, 1969.091.
For centuries, people of all ages have been intrigued by model ships. Made for myriad reasons ranging from pure enjoyment to promotional tools, most are unique objects made by hand. Opening on Thursday, March 20, the Independence Seaport Museum (ISM) in Philadelphia will display nearly 50 rarely seen models from its collection dating from the early 19th century to the later 20th century along with related paintings and prints in “Small but Mighty!: Models, Toys, and Miniature Ships.” Primarily made of wood, the models were also fashioned out of paper, bone and metal. Among the examples to be displayed are extraordinarily detailed and realistic models, such as the Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis, as well as highly stylized toy models intended for adults and children.
“Guests to the ISM over the years have remarked at the amazing range of ship models, toys and pond models in our permanent collection,” said Peter S. Seibert, president and CEO. “This new exhibition has given us the opportunity to not only exhibit some of the public’s favorite examples along with many that have rarely ever been shown before. Young and old alike will love exploring these masterpieces of miniature craftsmanship.”
Over the centuries, ship models were used for various purposes. Some were design sources, known as half hulls, used
in building larger vessels, while others were used for sport, such as pond models that were raced. Model ships were made as toys for children, and highly crafted, expensive models were intended as toys for adults. Other models were made to commemorate new vessels and were presented to shipbuilders or owners; some that were made by prisoners were used to exchange for food. Model ships were also used as tokens of remembrance either made by those who were on particular boats or those who were simply avid towards certain boats.
Most of the models in the Independence Seaport Museum’s collection are “scratch built,” meaning that the craftsmen had to shape each piece from raw or lightly prepared materials rather than using pre-made parts. This method can be complex: metal casting is often used to produce the funnels, propellers, and other elements of a highly detailed model.
Among the most noteworthy ship models to be on view in this new permanent exhibit is the Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis. The legendary ship, launched on Nov. 7, 1931, at the New York Shipbuilding Company in Camden, N.J., to deliver the bomb to end WWII, was sunk by Japanese submarine 1-58 on July 30, 1945, after being hit by two torpedoes. Within just 12 minutes, the ship sunk and the majority of the crew was launched into the water; the remaining 300
Continued on page 7
Decorating With Vintage Kitchen Items
By Karl Pass
If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then it stands to reason why many collectors are drawn to nostalgic kitchen collectibles. The Haddon Heights Antiques Center
Set For April 3 To 5
By Carol Schurman
Do you have an interest in dairy collectibles? Looking for a special milk bottle? Plan to attend the National Association of Milk Bottle Collectors’ (NAMBC) 43rd Annual Convention at the Comfort Suites Hotel in Gettysburg, Pa., on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, April 3, 4, and 5. The event provides association members and nonmembers the opportunity to share their
The Tugboat Lizzie of Philadelphia by John Dene Benton (1824-90) Philadelphia, 1870s, is made of copper and silver alloys with gilding, 33-by-10-by-20 inches, was acquired through exchange courtesy of J. Welles Henderson, 1994.049,
The Protected Cruiser USS Philadelphia, W.S. Reed Toy Company, Leominster, Mass., ca. 1890, is lithographed paper glued to paperboard with wood, 31-by-6-by-21 inches and acquired through the generosity of friends of the museum, 1966.139.
Rare 1862 Nevada Territory Receipt Sells For $23,125
Western Americana Sale Was More Than 2,100 Lots
An exceptionally rare 1862 Nevada Territory receipt issued to Samuel Clemens (better known as author Mark Twain) for his work as a legislative reporter sold for $23,125, and a pair of 1871 documents appointing the melter and refiner to the Carson City, Nev., Mint, one of them signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, rang up $15,625 in a huge, four-day Desert Riches Auction held Jan. 31 to Feb. 3 by Holabird Western Americana Collections LLC.
The event was packed
with more than 2,100 lots in numerous collecting categories to include mining, gold, numismatics, scripophily, Native Americana, railroadiana, philatelic and general Americana. The first three days were live sessions, hosted in Holabird’s Reno gallery. The fourth day was a timed-only session, hosted exclusively on iCollector.com and LiveAuctioneers.com.
“We chose the name ‘Desert Riches’ to honor the gold specimens, stock certificates, mining artifacts and
railroad pieces in this sale from the California desert mining camps in Inyo County and Death Valley, as well as from Arizona and Nevada,” said Fred Holabird, the president and owner of Holabird Western Americana Collections LLC. “Overall it was a tremendous success.”
The Samuel Clemens receipt from the Territory of Nevada House of Representatives in Carson City, dated Dec. 20, 1862, reads in part, “To the Territorial Auditor, We hereby certify that Saml. L. Clemens is entitled to the sum of Two Hundred and Forty Dollars for forty days services as Reporter etc. for the House. [signed] John H. Mills, Speaker.” Clemens signed the reverse side.
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Also sold was a Pony Express Virginia City (Nev.) cover sent the same month Clemens arrived in town to work for the Territorial Enterprise, in September 1862. Wells, Fargo & Co.’s Virginia Pony Express began operations on Aug. 8, 1862, using the 10-cent fee for a half-ounce letter. The rate increased to 25 cents in January 1863, making this an 1862 specimen. It sold for $2,875. All prices quoted include the buyer’s premium. Online bidding was via iCollector. com, Invaluable.com and LiveAuctionbeers.com.
Day one had 434 lots of stock certificates and bonds (mining, oil, transportation, such as air, auto, railroad and steamer/marine, and miscellaneous, such as banking, Express and foreign) and philatelic (including postal covers, revenue and U.S. and foreign stamps).
Day two showcased 503
This 2007 American Buffalo $50 bullion gold coin, graded PCGS MS 69, .9999 fine, one of only 136,000
sold for $3,000.
lots of transportation, to include railroad (passes, lanterns, locks and ephemera); bottles and brewing; general Americana (geographic, U.S., foreign, books and maps, and miscellaneous, to include
gaming, sports and toys); and military, political and weaponry/militaria. A paroled prisoner pass written on April 10, 1865, the day after the surrender by General Robert E. Lee at the Appomattox Court
House, for Private John Harris of the Virginia Infantry, signed by Col. William Beal of Co. A, Provost, framed, brought $4,680. Also, a mounted original albumen photo from 1881 of 13 men who made up a posse sent from Tucson to Yuma (Arizona) to take over the goods from a suspected major retail goods swindle, changed hands for $2,750.
Day three featured 501 lots of Western art and collectibles (cowboy, Native Americana and art); minerals and mining (gold specimens, minerals, fossils, mining artifacts and equipment and mining ephemera); and numismatics (U.S. Mint and ingots, California fractional gold, U.S. and foreign coins, medals, currency and scrip, and tokens). A crystalline gold
from
specimen pulled
the Vulture Mine in Vulture City, Ariz.,
A rare 1862 Nevada Territory receipt issued to Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) for his work as a legislative reporter, signed by Clemens on the reverse, sold for $23,125.
Numismatics was led by a Carson City Mint treasure, a pair of 1871 documents appointing the melter and refiner for the Mint, one of them signed by President Ulysses S. Grant, selling for $15,625.
Mounted original albumen photo from 1881 of 13 men who made up a posse sent from Tucson to Yuma to take over the goods from a suspected huge retail goods swindle sold for $2,750.
A Stephen F. Molitor tin ingot from around 1884, produced in Deadwood (the Dakota Territory) and every bit as important as many historical gold ingots since tin in the 1880s was worth about as much as gold, 2.35 troy ounces, fetched $5,300.
minted,
Collector Chats With Peter S. Seibert
This Week: A Hedge Against Inflation?
By Peter Seibert
The other day, I purchased a large lot of ceramics at auction. I wanted a few items, and the rest I packed away to let my daughters figure out what if anything they wanted. As I was sorting things out, I found a note attached to a partial English Staffordshire tea service. It noted that the set had been purchased at a New England antique shop back in the early 1970s. The writer with great pride gave the history of the china and
Holabird
Continued from page 2
ended by saying that the reader should hold onto it as it would be a hedge against inflation.
Of course, the irony was that the owner had paid around $70 for the set, which I purchased at auction with a number of other more desirable items for around $50. So much for being a hedge; however, the note did get me to thinking about how we view antiques.
For decades, antiques were seen by nearly everyone as a hedge against inflation. They were solid, valuable commodities like gold and silver that always appreciated regardless of what was happening outside. Then came the 2008/09 recession, and the world came unglued. Since then, the great prices that began to be paid starting in the 1970s suddenly went the opposite way. Hedge against inflation? Sure doesn’t seem that way.
I have repeatedly written that I do not think the prices in the antiques marketplace reflect anything more than
.9999 fine, one of only 136,000 minted, found a new owner for $3,000, and an 1896-S U.S. Liberty Head $20 gold piece in F-EF condition, on a 26-inch chain that does not test for gold content, earned $2,875.
A Brunswick & Company (Chicago) token (“Good For / One nestled into the landscape of the state’s Sonoran Desert, 0.46 troy ounces, 1.25 inches long, went for $3,125. A 2007 American Buffalo $50 bullion gold coin, graded PCGS MS 69,
normalizing of prices. We have been in an upward push that was unsustainable, and now the market is righting itself. In time, prices will rise, provided there is demand.
But what about the question of the liquidity of antiques. There is not a collector or dealer alive who seriously believes they could liquidate their collection on any given day and double their investment. Why? Because you need a buyer as much as you need a seller. Recently, I have watched several world class collections of antiques assembled by major collectors over the span of their lives get sold for next to no money. Why? Because the buyers at the moment they sold were not there. I have also seen collections come onto the market, having never been seen, and watched collectors swarm to pay crazy prices. It is the fickle and odd nature of collections.
So while I still believe that good antiques will hold some value, I no longer believe that they are a hedge against
/ At N. 10”), 24mm, possibly the same “No. 10” saloon in Deadwood, S.D., where Wild Bill Hickok was shot, went for $1,625.
Day four, the timed session only, featured 716 lots, all with $10 start prices, in categories that included minerals and mining, transportation, general Americana, numismatics, and stocks and bonds (mining, transportation and miscellaneous).
For additional information, email fredholabird@ gmail.com or visit www.hola birdamericana.com.
inflation or that you can double your money if you are smart.
“Born to collect” should be the motto of Peter Seibert’s family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seibert’s writings include books on photography, American fraternal societies and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years’ worth of antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.
This crystalline gold specimen pulled from the Vulture Mine in Vulture City, Ariz., nestled into the landscape of the state’s Sonoran Desert, 0.46 troy oz., 1.25 inches long, went for $3,125.
A Pony Express Virginia City (Nev.) cover sent the same month Samuel Clemens arrived in town to work for the Territorial Enterprise, in September 1862, realized $2,875.
A paroled prisoner pass written on April 10, 1865, the day after the surrender by General Robert E. Lee at the Appomattox Court House, for Private John Harris of the Virginia Infantry, sold for $4,680.
A 1901 imprint type Jos. Lesher No. 17 referendum silver dollar for J. M. Slusher in EF-AU condition, one of 260 stamped, with a low serial number and a mining scene, sold for $4,500.
Factory Painted Red Earthenware Produced In The 1800s
By Justin W. Thomas
Nineteenth century red earthenware and stoneware that was later painted was a trend that happened in the 20th century, although there is no official record of when this first took place. But with some objects, the paint is more important than the object from a historical context.
For instance, found in the collection of the American Art Museum at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C., is a basic late 19th century stoneware jug that is said to have been used for whiskey, although it was later painted by noted 20th century folk
artist Clementine Hunter (1886/87-1988) sometime during the ca. 1970-80 period. The jug portrays the Three Wise Men bearing gifts to the newborn Jesus, as well as their accompanying angels.
Hunter was a self-taught African-American artist known for painting depictions of early 20th century plantation life in Louisiana. These colorful paintings did not rely on traditional perspective, and instead took a creative approach of dayto-day activities on plantations and done on ordinary plates, using discarded fabric and other readily available materials.
However, there were also
utilitarian red earthenware manufacturers in America and Ontario, Canada, in the late 1800s that employed artists or skilled workers at the factory to decorate unglazed objects. In some cases, the pottery is marked with a company stamp, whereas in other cases, it is not marked, and the painted decoration can be misinterpreted for pottery that was decorated outside of the factory at a later date such as what was just discussed.
Among the first American businesses to produce painted pottery was the Charles A. Lawrence (18291904) Pottery in Beverly, Mass., in the early 1870s. Lawrence
The Marquis de Lafayette And His Time In Lancaster
Event To Commemorate The Bicentennial Of Lafayette’s American Farewell Tour
On Thursday, March 20, presenters Bruce Mowday, Dr. Louise Stevenson, Ben Webber, and Sarah Alberico will join LancasterHistory for the panel discussion, “An Adopted Son of America: Perspectives on the Marquis de Lafayette.” Fifty years after fighting for the American cause in the Revolutionary War, the Marquis de Lafayette returned to the United States, visiting all 24 states on a 13-month farewell tour that included three days of festivities in Lancaster, Pa. Four local historians will explore who Lafayette was, what he believed, and what he did here when he passed through Central Pennsylvania in July 1825.
To commemorate 200 years since Lafayette’s American Farewell Tour, the American Friends of Lafayette’s Bicentennial Project has created nationwide excitement and plans for hundreds of events to trace Lafayette’s tour on the exact dates and in the exact order he visited in the 1800s. LancasterHistory is pleased to host the March 20 panel discussion with the Lafayette200 Bicentennial Planning Committee of Lancaster and Western
Chester Counties. This event is also part of LancasterHistory’s Regional History Colloquium Series, which features historians and other scholars presenting research on issues related to southeastern Pennsylvania and its wider borders.
“We’re thrilled to be co-hosting this panel discussion with the Lafayette200 Bicentennial Planning Committee,” said Mabel Rosenheck, director of education and exhibition planning. “It’s a great story and a great lens for exploring the history of Lancaster County. We’re looking forward to the presentation and everything else the committee has planned for this summer!”
Speakers for the panel discussion include the following.
Bruce E. Mowday, author and newspaper reporter, who will give an overview of the life of the Marquis de Lafayette before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.
Dr. Louise Stevenson, professor emerita of history and American studies at Franklin & Marshall College, who will discuss the statements of human rights that
Lafayette borrowed from the founding documents of the United States.
Ben Webber, civil engineer and local historian, who will trace the Marquis de Lafayette’s travels in Lancaster County when he visited during his farewell tour of 1824-25.
Sarah Alberico, curator at Historic Rock Ford, who will highlight the objects to be included in Rock Ford’s upcoming exhibit, “1825: Lafayette in Lancaster.”
This event will take place in person at LancasterHistory, located at 230 N. President Ave. in Lancaster, Pa. A reception will be held at 5 p.m. The panel discussion will begin at 5:30 p.m. The presentation will also be streamed to Zoom at 5:30 p.m., for those who wish to join virtually.
This program is free and open to the public. In-person attendance requires advance registration in order to guarantee a seat. Due to capacity restrictions, tickets may not be available at the door. Virtual attendance requires advance registration in order to receive the Zoom link. Register online or by calling 717-392-4633.
was a second generation American, his father having immigrated from Portugal. He trained at the Joseph Reed Pottery in neighboring Peabody (South Danvers), Mass. before establishing his own company in Beverly in the mid-1860s. He also employed an artist from Marblehead named Thomas Pitman (18481923) to paint some of the pottery, which included work inspired after ancient design. In one way or another, this type of production continued
until at least the 1890s, where Lawrence advertised that it was shipped all over America. Painted pottery bearing Lawrence’s company stamp is known in an 1870s context of ownership, as far west as Colorado, based on a painted vase owned by the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum. This type of production from Beverly has also garnered the attention of such museums as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in Manhattan, which
Continued on page 5
19th
possibly done in the
This was probably painted as a result of the iris taking the American gardening scene by storm in 1920. It became the new American flower and American gardeners everywhere were inquiring about varieties, where to buy them, and how to plant them, and flower shows dedicated to the iris were being held.
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OLD MILL ANTIQUE MALL, 1 S. Main Street. Open Daily, 11-5; Sat. 10-5. Antiques, glassware, records, coins, stamps, military items, collectible toys, trains, linens, books & ephemera. 08525
This plain 19th century stoneware jug was later painted by Clementine Hunter (1887-1988), ca. 1970-80. Courtesy American Art Museum at the Smithsonian Institute.
This
century stoneware jug painted with iris was
1920s.
Earthenware
Continued from page 4
displays an ancient style painted red earthenware jug bearing the company’s stamp.
Interestingly, it may just be a coincidence, but these ancient style wares made at
and
in the later part of the 1870s, which was accompanied with an antique pottery catalog published in 1877. Some of this production was then displayed at the 13th Exhibition of Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic
The ca. 1870s ancient style painted red earthenware vase was made at the C.A. Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Mass. The stamp can be seen in the inset photo and signed, Thomas Pittman, “T. Pittman / Artist / 877.”
the C.A. Lawrence Pottery may have also influenced other local potteries. For example, the Robertson family in Chelsea, Mass., hired John G. Low, a young Chelsea artist, to paint similar decorated wares at the Chelsea Keramic Art Works around the Centennial or shortly thereafter. Some of Low’s painted pottery is displayed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, which the museum acquired the year it was made in 1877. There is also a painted ancient style ewer in the collection of Historic New England.
The Abraham Hews Pottery in North Cambridge, Mass., also began producing some
Association in 1878. This type of production also took place at the John Farmer Clark (18321885) Pottery in Concord, N.H., around this same period. There were also a number of potteries producing red earthenware in America and Ontario in the 1880s and 1890s painted with flowers, landscape scenes and other decorative subjects. For instance, the Goodwin Brothers Pottery in West Hartford, Conn., produced more than 100 decorative shapes between the ca. 1877-85 period, some of which may have been painted at the factory by women artists. Very few of these objects are signed today, but there is a selection of painted objects owned by the Noah Webster House & the West Hartford Historical Society. The company later advertised more shapes in a price list that was published in 1911.
A ca. 1870s ancient style painted red earthenware jug made at the C.A. Lawrence Pottery in Beverly, Mass., and stamped on the base with the company
This 19th century stoneware urn was made at the Portland Stoneware Company in Portland, Maine, but it is unclear if the painted decoration was done at the factory.
Another potter, George Francis Hamlyn (1849-1923), was born in Philadelphia, and he may have trained there as well; however, his father and mother migrated to the city from England, and Hamlyn is listed as a potter working in Haddonfield, N.J., in 1880. In the 1889-90 Cumberland County City Directory, there is an advertisement that lists Hamlyn as the proprietor of the East Lake Pottery in southern New Jersey. He states that he is a “Manufacturer and Dealer in Stone, Earthen, Rockingham, and
Terra Cotta Ware, Wholesale and Retail. Artistic and Unique Designs in Fancy Pottery made to order.”
Furthermore, a variety of painted ancient style pottery and artistically decorated red earthenware was also manufactured in Philadelphia, such as the Galloway Terracotta Company, some of which was produced in 1881 and displayed today at the Cincinnati Art Museum in Ohio.
In southcentral Pennsylvania, Henry and Charles Speese operated a red earthenware business in
A 19th century Asian style shaped red earthenware vase possibly made in West Hartford, Conn., was recently found in a thrift store in Syracuse, N.Y. It has painted flowers (dogwood tree flowers), a decorative style often found on Japanese ceramics. By the 1870s, collecting Japanese ceramics was a central element known as Japonisme that was underway in Europe and the United States. Some American collectors went to Japan to shop, while some Japanese dealers opened galleries in major cities on both the coasts. This decoration may have been influenced by this movement.
Gettysburg, where they painted some pottery, but much of their production surrounded around the commemorative wares that they advertised as “Made from material (clay) taken from the most historical portions of the field (in Gettysburg), they are themselves relics.”
There was also painted wares produced elsewhere in Pennsylvania, and also at the potteries in Strasburg, Va., in parts of New York State and most likely elsewhere in America. However, one other notable pottery was a business owned by John A. Kennedy, ca. 1889-95 in Brantford, Ontario, Canada. In 1889, he opened the J.A. Kennedy Pottery at 159 Darling Street, located near the Brantford Stoneware Works. Kennedy owned the business until about 1895 when it was then taken over by a different owner, although the name of the company remained the same until roughly 1897.
Known wares produced at the Kennedy Pottery were red earthenware, usually unglazed with painted floral designs. Some of the larger forms included vases and chargers, handpainted with floral designs or scenes applied and imprinted with
Continued on page 9
A 19th century stoneware jar stamped “W.H. LAHEW & CO. / STRASBURG, VA,” ca. 1870. The painted decoration is not original, although done by a talented artist.
Courtesy Historic Beverly.
mark.
Courtesy Metropolitan Museum of Art.
All Wrapped Up: Sparkling Projects From Alcoa
Smack Dab In The Middle: Design Trends Of The Mid-20th Century
By Donald-Brian Johnson
Bored with board games?
Tired of television? Hallmark movies giving you the heebie-jeebies? If you’ve run out of ways to salvage your sanity during wintry days, Alcoa Wrap has the answers!
“Alcoa’s Book of Decorations,” released in 1959, is
chock-full of do-it-yourself decorations guaranteed to fill up all that free time, for as long as it takes things to get back to normal (and then some). All it takes is aluminum foil and patience. Lots and lots of both.
If you’ve ever thought of aluminum foil at all, you’ve probably focused on its basic usefulness: keeping warm foods warm, cold foods cold, and leftovers from spoiling. “Household hints” books offer up plenty of additional uses: sharpening scissors, cleaning cast-iron pans, even making a make-do funnel. But aluminum foil as a gateway to what the Alcoa book bills as “beautiful, festive decorations?” That takes some imagination. Fortunately, “Conny of Alcoa” (Conny von Hagen), who designed them,
wonders wait inside? Here the is cover of “Alcoa’s Book of Decorations,” Golden Press, 1959, est. $15-$20.
Olde Factory
had plenty.
“Get set for Surprises! Look for light-hearted beasts and birds, never seen on land or sea! Examine a glittering pleasure train that carries a covey of happy young passengers, yet never steams out of your living room! The directions are easy to follow, the results delightful to see: centerpieces, table favors, toys, seasonal displays, scores of charming decorations that bring a bright sparkle to special occasions. Pull out your scissors and join the party!”
Although Conny “travelled the country, showing children and grown-ups how to make things of foil,” most folks had to make do with those easyto-follow directions. Let’s take a look at one set, say, for that “glittering pleasure train.”
“A sparkling aluminum
For the “Valentine Candlestick” just “join spout ends of two kitchen funnels by forcing one inside the other and cover with foil.”
train provides a marvelous make-believe trip for children. Each passenger car is a rectangular cardboard box, covered with foil taped to it. Wheels are nine-inch foil pie plates painted black inside and glued to the car. The big locomotive is made with a longer rectangular box, the curved hood a rounded cardboard square. The front end is rounded with a crushed piece of Alcoa. The locomotive cab is a square box with two sides removed, and windows cut in for the ‘Engineer.’ Stacks are red construction paper cylinders held in place with tape. The front headlight is a small foil plate, and the cowcatcher is foil-covered cardboard with stripes of red paper.”
I don’t know about you, but I’d soon run out of aluminum foil or patience (or
Just “crush and crumple” Alcoa Wrap, and you’ve got a start on sending the Easter Bunny hippity-hoppin’ down the bunny trail.
All aboard! The “Alcoa Choo-Choo Express” is ready to head out for “points north, south, east, and west.”
NAMBC
Continued from page 1
knowledge and interests plus buy, sell, and trade milk bottles and other dairy items. The three-day event includes educational exhibits, a recognition dinner, educational seminars, and an auction of milk bottles and other dairy memorabilia.
Registration fees cover all events except for the dinner. The convention’s 43-year history is testimony to the popularity of the event. Preregistration is recommended by Monday, March 10. Membership in NAMBC incudes 12 issues of
“The Milk Route” the official monthly publication, with free advertising for members, and a printed directory of all members. Visit the club’s website at www.milkbottlecollectors. com for registration forms for the convention and application to join the club. Information is also available on the club Facebook page. Auction items will appear on the website of auctioneer Larry Swartz at a date closer to the event. Contact the hotel at 717-334-6715 for a room reservation and mention NAMBC. For other information, contact Carol Schurman at cjs4@psu.edu.
both), and that “Choo-Choo Express” still wouldn’t be ready to leave the station. Although Conny of Alcoa bills these as “great rainy-day projects,” some might take a monsoon to complete.
Still, there’s no denying the artistry that went into the creation of Conny’s Alcoa Wrap creations. A shimmering mermaid molded over a chicken wire base, a spaceman helmet crafted over an inflated balloon, a bridal shower “bride” constructed of such upcoming necessities
What’s up, Doc? A Halloween “Rabbit” mask. “Ordinary clothing can be worn. This is a special advantage for young children who must be dressed warmly for their Halloween parading.”
as a mop and a wastebasket. Those look like fun, particularly if someone else has done all the work.
Continued on page 8
A pipe, tie, and slippers, Father’s Day gifts for Dad in 1959, dress up a broomstick. Dad’s arms and crown are, what else, Alcoa Wrap.
It’s not just the tin foil that come in handy. When empty, the cardboard tubes (or parts of them) form the inner support for these Easter Egg Dolls.
This is a display at last year’s NAMBC convention.
04/23/2025, Shipshewana - Wednesday 9 AM. Antique toy auction. Shipshewana Trading Post
MARYLAND
03/08/2025, Historic Frederick - Saturday 9:00 AM. Advertising signs, wooden boxes, tins, trade card albums, early labeled medical & drugstore related items, juke box, slot machine & more! Howard B. Parzow Auctioneer
or so crew members were still onboard. Three days later, a pilot had a random sighting of the ship, which saved some of the sailors who were floating in the ocean. (Today, the USS Indianapolis is most famous because its story was recounted in a scene in the movie “Jaws”). This model of the Indianapolis, built in 1934-38 by Walter H. Gerber, a German mechanical engineer who originally worked at Cramp’s Shipyard in New York and then later transferred to Cramp’s Shipyard in Philadelphia, is massive in size: it measures 12 feet long by 17 inches wide. It was originally constructed as a radio-controlled, in-water model that had the capability to power its inside mechanics as well. The maker also has an interesting story: Gerber came under scrutiny from the United States government during World War II because he was fixated on the accuracy of the model and came from an enemy country. Afraid that information about the United States Navy would fall into the wrong hands, his actions were monitored and his home was raided, looking for cameras and other equipment supposedly to have been reported and/or voluntarily turned over to the government. Nothing of significance was found.
Another exquisite model that will be on view in the exhibition and exemplifies early shipbuilding is the Napoleonic War Model, a very
03/15/2025, Cogan StationSaturday 9 AM & Online. Firearms & related auction. Roan, Inc.
03/16/2025, PinevilleSunday 12 PM & Online. Fine art & furniture. Locati LLC
03/18/2025, MyerstownTuesday 1 PM, Online Only. Boutique online coin & jewelry sale. Kleinfelter’s Auction, Inc.
03/22/2025, Milton - Saturday 9:30 AM. Antique signs, neon, gas pumps, oil cans, stoneware, toys & more! David S. Brown Auction Service
03/23/2025, Cogan Station - closes Sunday 6 PM, Online Only. Online coin & currency auction. ROAN Inc. Auctioneers
03/28-29/2025, ManheimFriday & Saurday 9 AM. Lifetime collection from one of the most significant PA folk art collectors of his generation (Ronald E. Hammer). Hess Auction Group
04/04-05/2025, EphrataFriday 2 PM & Saturday 9 AM & Online. Cataloged antique auction. Horst Auction Center
05/06/2025, Glen RockTuesday 9 AM & Online. Firearms & big boy toys. Wehrly’s Auction Service
early model made entirely by hand out of bone by French prisoners in the British Dartmoor Prison who would have used it to trade for food. The prisoners were held on British prison ships during the Napoleonic wars; some may have also been made by American prisoners during the war of 1812. This model is of an unidentified British frigate with 50 guns and has a decorative paper-covered wooden stand, circa 17901820. It has no provenance, so it is assumed to have been French and made for the British. The model, considered a folk-art masterpiece, was presented to David Bruce Sr. by Commodore Charles Stewart, United States Navy, at Bordentown, N.J., in about 1820. Stewart was a Philadelphian who served in the navy for 63 years, playing key roles in the Quasi-War, Barbary Wars and the War of 1812.
On Aug. 10, 1893, the Steamer Priscilla, made by the Delaware River Iron Shipbuilding and Engine Works Company (John Roach & Sons) in Chester, Pa., for the Old Colony Steamboat Company, launched. Three years later, she was recreated as a child’s toy by R. Bliss Manufacturing Company in Pawtucket, R.I., known for making inexpensive but realistic toys. One of these large toy ships made of chromolithographed paper attached to a wooden frame is equipped with wheels for motion and is a highlight of “Small but Mighty!” Measuring
GEORGIA
03/06-09/2025, Atlanta, Thursday 10 AM - 4 PM, Friday & Saturday 9 AM- 6 PM, Sunday 10 AM - 4 PM. SCOTT ANTIQUE MARKETS - ANTIQUE
Atlanta Expo Center, 3650 & 3850 Jonesboro Road
04/10-13/2025, Atlanta, Thursday 10 AM - 5 PM, Friday & Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM, Sunday 10 AM - 4 PM. SCOTT ANTIQUE MARKETS - ANTIQUE
Atlanta Expo Center, 3650 & 3850 Jonesboro Road
MARYLAND
04/12/2025, Elkton, Saturday 10 AM - 3 PM, FROM THE FARMHOUSE SPRING ANTIQUE SHOW - ANTIQUE, Cecil County Fairgrounds, Edward Walls building. 4640 Telegraph Road
04/12/2025, North East, Saturday 8 AM - 2 PM, EAST NOTTINGHAM ANTIQUES BARN SALE - ANTIQUES, At the Barn, 211 Brick Meeting Road
NEW JERSEY
05/18/2025, Hammonton, Sunday 9 AM - 3 PM, HISTORIC BATSTO VILLAGE - ANTIQUE GLASS & BOTTLE SHOW, 31 Batsto Road
NEW YORK
04/12-13/2025, Binghamton, Saturday 10AM - 5AM, Sunday 10AM - 4PM, BINGHAMTON SHRINERS - ANTIQUE, SUNY Broome Ice Center, 907 Upper Front Street
03/22-23/2025, Columbus, Saturday 9 AM - 6 PM, Sunday 10 AM - 4 PM, SCOTT ANTIQUE MARKETS - ANTIQUE, Ohio Expo Centers, 717 East 17th Avenue
04/26/2025, Berlin, Saturday 9 AM - 3 PM, SIMPLE GOODS SHOW - EARLY COUNTRY ANTIQUES & PRIMITIVE GOODS SHOW, Heritage Community Center, 3558 US Route 62
PENNSYLVANIA
01/02-12/27/2025, Berwyn, Every Saturday & Sunday 9-5, Indoor/Outdoor Vintage Flea Market – Now Open Year Round! 270 W. Swedesford Rd
01/02-12/31/2025, Lewisburg, Every Sunday (Except Easter) 8 AM - 4 PM, RT 15 FLEA MARKET & FARMERS MARKETFLEA MARKET, 150 Silvermoon Lane
03/14-15/2025, Oaks, Fri 10 AM - 6 PM, Sat 10 AM - 4 PM, ANTIQUE & COLLECTOR FAIR - ANTIQUE, Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks 03/16/2025, New Oxford, Sunday 10 AM - 3 PM, ONE DAY ANTIQUE SHOW - ANTIQUE,
The Heavy Cruiser USS Indianapolis, Walter H. Gerber
Philadelphia, 1934-38, is made of wood, brass, mechanicals, wiring, 12 feet long by 17-by-26 inches and acquired through exchange courtesy of friends of the museum, 1984.089.
37-by-20-inches, it is in pristine condition and illustrates the color and beauty of late 19th-century ships. This faithfully executed toy offered children a duplicate of the type of vessels actively used on America’s waterways. Toys such as these were sailed on the floors of large Victorian homes and enjoyed by children and, likely, adults as well.
The racing of small model yachts began in England in the 1870s, spread across the European continent and eventually came to the United States. (New York’s Central Park Lake was built expressly for people to use in sailing pond models.) Organizations such as the Model Yacht Association determined rules and umpired regattas of two types: open water sailing and pond sailing. By 1950, five classes of model yachts were used, including the Marblehead or “M” Class (also known as the 50/800 Class). Their small, manageable size made this sport appealing to those who could not handle a fullscale boat or those with limited financial resources. One
such example of an “M” Class model made in 1949, the Pond Yacht Almary II, is featured in the exhibition. It was made by Albert Link (born in Fishtown, Pa., 1909-93) and is considered to be one of the biggest and best of its kind. Link worked as a machinist for Smith, Kline, and Beecham in Philadelphia. Link built approximately 15 model sailboats in his lifetime (the Almary II was his eighth) and raced them at Gustine Lake in Fairmont Park, Concourse Hunting Park, League Island Swimming Pool in Philadelphia as well as on Cooper River in Camden, N.J., and Long Island, N.Y. In 1950, he was a national prize winner at the New York Yacht Club and again in 1954 at Cooper River. He stopped racing that same year.
For children of all ages who are fascinated with model ships, “Small but Mighty!: Models, Toys, and Miniature Ships” will delight and inform. It becomes one of the museum’s signature exhibitions and one not to be missed.
I mages courtesy of Independence Seaport Museum.
Social Club Pavillion, 200 West Golden Lane
03/22-23/2025, Honey Brook, Saturday 10 AM - 4 PM, Sunday 10 AM - 3 PM, ELVERSON ANTIQUE SHOW & SALEFOLK ART, AMERICANA, FURNITURE, STONEWARE, TEXTILES, ADVERTISING & MORE! Honey Brook Elementary School, 1530 West Walnut Street
03/28-29/2025, Lancaster, Fri 10 AM - 6 PM, Sat 10 AM - 4 PM, MORLATTON POST CARD CLUB - VINTAGE & MODERN POSTCARDS, BOOKS & EPHEMERA, 48th Annual Postcard Show, Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road
04/03-05/2025, Gettysburg, Thursday - Saturday, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF MILK BOTTLE COLLECTORSMILK BOTTLE, Comfort Inn, 945 Baltimore Pike
04/05/2025, Lancaster, Saturday 9 AM - 3 PM, RED ROSE COIN CLUB - SPRING COIN SHOW, Lancaster Farm & Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road
04/05/2025, Marysville, Saturday 9 AM - 3 PM, INDIAN ARTIFACT SHOW (I.A.C.A.N.E.)AUTHENTIC INDIAN ARTIFACTS Marysville Lions Club, 102 Park Drive
The Independence Seaport Museum (ISM), founded in 1960 as the Philadelphia Maritime Museum, encourages visitors
to discover Philadelphia’s river of history and world of connections. Stewards of the Olympia, a nineteenth-century cruiser, and the Becuna, a World War II-era submarine, ISM is home to interactive and award-winning exhibitions, one of the largest collections of historic maritime artifacts in the world and a boatbuilding workshop. Accredited by the American Association of Museums since the 1970s, it is a premier, yearround destination adjacent to Spruce Street Harbor Park on Penn’s Landing. Visit daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and see a full schedule of programs and events at www.philly seaport.org.
(1900-86)
Alcoa
Continued from page 6
Paging through “Alcoa’s Decorations” brought to mind the one and only time I put Alcoa Wrap to a
decorative use. As a young fellow with a Polaroid camera, I’d round up the neighborhood kids to act out (in costume) favorite stories. Our “greatest hits” included “Alice in Wonderland,” “Peter
Foil-wrapped storks reign over
To infinity and beyond! A “spaceman’s helmet” is a real blast! The foil headgear is molded over a large balloon. The various
put on a
Pan,” and our final effort, “The Wizard of Oz.” “Wizard” of course requires a Tin Man, and my younger brother was recruited for the role. To get the right effect, we covered him with tin foil. The lawnmower’s gasoline funnel was borrowed for his hat. Then we went outside. It was a typical summer’s day in Minnesota: hot, with a blazing sun. My foil-clad brother (now the equivalent of a roasting turkey) managed to pose for a photo or two before keeling
over. Filming ended, and I received a roasting of my own from my parents. Where was Conny of Alcoa when I really needed her?
Photo Associate: Hank Kuhlmann.
All photos by Donald-Brian Johnson.
Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of numerous Schiffer books on design and collectibles, including “Postwar Pop,” a collection of his columns. Please address inquiries to: donaldbrian@ msn.com.
SESSION 1 - FRIDAY, MARCH 21ST AT 9AM LOTS 1-473Z - Selling
500+ lots of old advertising signs, clocks & thermometers. Displays, lighted signs, license plate toppers, oil cans. Plus much more. There is a nice selection of General Motors items.
SESSION 2 - SATURDAY, MARCH 22ND AT 9AM LOTS 474-1002
- Selling 500+ lots of old advertising signs, clocks & thermometers. Displays, lighted signs, license plate toppers, oil cans. Plus much more.
Selling the Tom Jardine Collection of Portland, OR Tom Dietz Estate of Elburn, IL - Richard Harry Estate
knobs are paper cups.
Let’s
show! A foilcovered cardboard box becomes a puppet theatre. The foil-faced puppets are mounted on dowels, with fabric bodies.
this Baby Shower gift display. The elaborate ribbon bows “can be taken home by the guest of honor to decorate bassinette, nursery, or even Baby’s sweater.”
Earthenware
Continued from page 5
Kennedy’s signature on the bottom, which reads,” J.A. KENNEDY / Brantford, Ont.”
Kennedy also hired women to paint various decorations on a variety of the pottery’s work ranging from simple flowers to more elaborate scenes. Additionally, I suspect the employment of women artists at these types of businesses in America and Canada in the late 1800s may have been a regular practice and more widespread than what is recognized today, whereas an object may appear like it was painted in the early 1900s, when it was actually painted at the
pottery business, and it was just never signed or marked by the artists or the company.
Sources
• Thomas, Justin W. “The Beverly Pottery: The Wares of Charles A. Lawrence.” Beverly, Mass. Historic Beverly, 2019.
• “A City on the River: The Early Red Earthenware of the Hartford, Connecticut Area.” Beverly, Mass.: Historic Beverly, 2023.
• “The Abraham Hews Pottery Of Weston & North Cambridge, Mass.” Antiques And The Arts Weekly, March 17, 2023.
is some of the type of
This 19th century ancient style red earthenware vase painted by John G. Low at the Chelsea Keramic Art Works in Chelsea, Mass. was acquired by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1877, the same year it was made.
Courtesy Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Ephrata, PA
“Horst Auction Center”
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2025 AT 2:00 P.M.
PREVIEW: FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 8:00 A.M. THRU 8:00 P.M. SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 7:00 A.M. THROUGHOUT THE AUCTION
SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 2025 AT 9:00 A.M.
Sale to be held at the Horst Auction Center, 50 Durlach Rd., EPHRATA, PA 17522
*Color catalogs are available by sending $30 to Horst Auction Center, 50 Durlach Road, Ephrata, PA 17522; or by pickup at the Auction Center for $20. Catalog is also available on our website www.horstauction.com.
*Live Online Bidding Available (See our website for details) Accepted Payments: Cash or PA Check; Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and Debit Card with 3% fee. No out of state checks without prior approval. NO BUYER’S PREMIUM FOR IN-PERSON BIDDING (FEES FOR ONLINE & ABSENTEE BIDDING WILL APPLY)
(The corner of Rt. 322 & Durlach Rd., approx. 2½ miles west of Ephrata, Lancaster County, PA)
The ca. 1885 painted red earthenware vase is stamped on the base, “SPEESE & SON / GETTYSBURG, PA.” Courtesy Crocker Farm.
Here
painted red earthenware produced at the Goodwin Brothers Pottery in West Hartford, Conn., in the late 1800s. Courtesy Noah Webster House & the West Hartford Historical Society.
Haddon Heights
will have a special sales display devoted to the small pieces that add charm and sometimes functionality to any kitchen. The sale will run through the month of March.
Think of antique and vintage implements like egg beaters and can openers; vintage linens like aprons, pot holders, and dish towels; mixing bowls and casserole dishes; metal pie pans and flour sifters; collectible salt and pepper shakers that come in an infinite variety of shapes, sizes, and even characters--they all will be there.
And despite the easy availability of recipes online, there’s still a demand for old-fashioned cookbooks and recipe pamphlets that
contain dishes that grandmother or great-grandmother used to make.
A shelf or cabinet devoted to kitchen collectibles adds interest to any kitchen, and the Haddon Heights Antiques Center is the ideal place to hunt for that special item. There are two floors full of a wide variety of antiques and collectibles with prices to suit every budget, plus the best discount policy around.
This multi-dealer shop is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours on Friday. It is located at 531 Clements Bridge Road in Barrington, N.J. For directions or other information, call 856-546-0555.
SEEKERS/SELLERS
OLD PAINTINGS WANTED American Impressionists, New Hope School artists, PAFA artists, European paintings. 40 years experience. Immediate payment. Call 215-348-2500.
Preview Times - Friday, March 14 from 2:00 P.M. thru 5:00 P.M. and
March 15 from 7:00
*The following is just a very general list of items to be sold. Photos representing the entire auction will be posted on our website www.horstauction.com on Friday, March 14. Sale to be held at the Horst Auction Center, 50 Durlach Road, EPHRATA, PA 17522
ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES; CLOCKS; WOODENWARE; CAST IRON; WALT DISNEY COLLECTIBLES, COLLECTION OF BANKS; OLYMPIC MEDALS & AUTOGRAPHS; NEW HOLLAND COLECTIBLES; COPPER & BRASS; SILVER; CHRISTMAS & SEASONAL DECORATIONS; CHINA & GLASSWARE; POTTERY; MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS; APPROX. 10 BANJOS; ACOUSTIC GUITARS; VIOLINS; MANDOLINS; APPROX. 10 CHILDREN’S BICYCLES, 4 ADULT BIKES & BICYCLE PARTS; VINTAGE & COSTUME JEWELRY; LINENS & TEXTILES; ARTWORK & PRINTS; BOOKS & PAPER; MODEL TRAINS & ACCESS.; SPORTS CARDS & MEMORABILIA; BARBIE DOLLS & ACCESS.; STUFFED ANIMALS; HOUSEHOLD GOODS; TOOLS; BOX LOTS & MANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE SOLD! ***Accepted Payments: Cash or PA Check. Visa, MasterCard, & Debit Card with 3% fee. No out-of-state checks without prior approval. JACK’S BIKE SHOP & OTHERS
“Horst Auction Center”
Friday, March 28th & Saturday, March 29th 9am Live & Online
Included in the 2-days are over 900 lots of rare Redware and Stoneware, Glass and China, Fraktur, Lehnware, Folk Art and Woodenwares, Paintings, Baskets, Metalwares, Miscellaneous, Quilts and Textiles, Oriental Rugs and Period and Painted Furniture.
*Heinrich Otto Fraktur Mounted in an Exceptional York Co., PA Frame
*“Schtockschnitzler” Simmons Folk Art Bird Tree
*Extremely Fine and Rare Pennsylvania Early 19th Century Painted Softwood Dutch Cupboard
*Rare Joseph Lehn 20 -Drawer Seed Chest
* Very Fine Snow Hill Nunnery 2 -Color Slip-Decorated Redware Bowl
