Ruby Read April, 2014

Ruby

April 2014

vintage begins here

Easter Egg Hunt Vintage Holiday

Published by

Mad Men Style Mid-Century Design

DISCOVER THE SHOPS OF

RUBYLANE

With that in mind, we dedicate this month’s issue to the lifeblood of Ruby Lane, our shop owners. With 2500 shops and items ranging from everything to antiques and furniture to porcelain, silver and vintage fashion, Ruby Lane has been home to the world’s largest curated marketplace for the past sixteen years. And with over two million visitors every month, a word to the wise -- don’t let things sit in your cart for very long!

Writer Elizabeth Hickman shines a light on the top five trends in collecting and receives a little advice from our shops while Candace Manroe visits with Washington, DC interior designer and Ruby Lane shop owner Paul Corrie. Honored as the favorite Young Traditional Designer in 2010 by Traditional Home magazine, his online shop is now one of my “go-to” stops for both classic and contemporary and most importantly, affordable treasures. And Ruby Lane staffer Courtney Sconza gives us a great history lesson on all things Dior.

April also marks the beginning of the series finale of one of my favorite television shows Mad Men. With its sixties visual styles, Mid-century modern sets and period perfect costumes, AMC’s award-winning drama on life at a Madison Avenue advertising agency has become something of a pop cultural phenomena. I personally curated a few Mad Men style items from our shops to celebrate the show and am sad to see it end!

And April wouldn’t be April without Easter. May your basket be filled with vintage Fabergé eggs, Herend chicks and a perhaps a bunny or two.

Letter from the Editor

Photo credit: Russ Harrington

Let’s face it -- we all love to shop. There is nothing like the thrill of the hunt, bagging a bargain or finding that oneof-a-kind item to get the adrenaline pumping. Shopping has always been a national pastime (and admittedly one of my favorite ways to spend an afternoon) and without stating the obvious, does it get any better when you can peruse a store in your robe at 2:00 in the morning?

Happy Collecting!

Cathy Whitlock Editor-in-Chief cathy@rubylane.com 3

Table of Contents 6 10

24 30

14 34 38

3 6

Letter from the Editor Marcia Sherrill Must Haves

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My Favorite Finds

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The Fab Five

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Shop Owner Spotlight

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History Lesson

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Mad Men Style

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The Calendar

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Finis

James Augustus Baggett, Country Gardens Editor

Top Trends in Collecting

Paul Corrie

Christian Dior

Mid-Century Design & Decor

Upcoming Events

Easter Egg Hunt

Ruby Lane is the premier online community of over 2,400 individually-owned shops from around the world offering antiques & art, vintage collectibles and jewelry. Š Ruby Lane 2014 | Š Ruby Read 2014

Marcia’s Must Haves

The

LIST

Ruby Read Brand Advisor and Creative Director, Marcia Sherrill, is both a fashion and interior designer.

A member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, she sells her accessories and home furnishings lines worldwide. Marcia shares with us her absolute Must Haves from the shops of Ruby Lane.

Herend porcelain blue fishnet pair bunny rabbits This precious pair of Herend bunnies fit perfectly with my daughter Anabelle’s extensive collection. These are two yummy bunnies.

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Antique Silver Plated Wire Basket with Bunny Rabbit and Cobalt Glass Liner Salt Cellar or Nut Dish This cute as pie antique silver plated wire basket is lined with a cobalt blue glass liner with a bunny holding on for dear life is the perfect nut dish.

Herend porcelain blue fishnet bunny rabbit Yet another bunny for Anabelle. She can start hippityhopping with joy.

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Tiffany & Co Sterling Silver Reticulated Handled Basket in the Raspberry Pattern Circa 1902

Tiffany is tops! Their sterling silver handled basket in their signature Raspberry pattern is the ultimate basket for my Easter egg hunt.

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German Paper-Mâché Rabbit This precious German papier-mâché is gi-normous.

I love the scale at 14 inches.

Vintage Hammerman Bros. 18K Gold Bunny Rabbit Pin with Rubies & Diamonds I am swooning over this Hammerman Brothers 18k gold Bunny pin with ruby eyes and diamonds for teeth. The teeth send me over the edge.

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Large David Andersen Enamel Sterling Guilloche Butterfly Pin This gorgeous extra-large sterling Guilloche butterfly pin in deep electric blue will be stunning. By the artist David Anderson, this pin is typical of the enameling process that he and his contemporaries pioneered including Faberge and Tiffany. This gem is stylish even a hundred years later.

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Vintage Baby Chicks Salt and Pepper Set Dig these cute chick salt and pepper shakers.

Easter Post Card Silhouette Bunny / Rabbit Artist K.W. Diefenbach This charming Easter Post Card illustration

by K.W. Diefenbach will make a lovely gift for someone even though the back is inscribed “from Max to Louise.” I could tell my child that I am changing my name to Max and hers to Louise. She expects nothing less from me.

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Rare Jane Hutcheson “Fleurs des Siecles” Jeweled Pansy in a Woven Gilt Ormolu Basket I am adding this drop-dead gorgeous, show-stopping rare Jane Hutchinson “Fleur des Siecles” jeweled pansy in a woven ormolu charmer to my basket collection. This is a cornucopia of the rare and the beautiful.

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My Favorite Finds 10

JAMES AUGUSTUS BAGGETT COUNTRY GARDENS EDITOR

Vintage Garden Books From Beverly Nichols and Louise Beebe Wilder to Elizabeth Lawrence and Henry Mitchell, vintage garden books filled with wit and wonder and sage garden advice fill my shelves and are stacked at bedside to inspire my dreams of a more perfect garden.

Vintage Watering Cans Galvanized watering cans in all shapes and colors and sizes greet visitors to my garden from the porch of my two-story Arts & Crafts bungalow. Look for a pretty colorful patina as well as an intact rose (the device like a cap with small holes).

Wallace Nutting Photographs Minister, furniture maker, and artist Wallace Nutting is most remembered for his estimated 10 million handcolored photos that were widely popular in the 1920s.

Check out his charming landscapes featuring birch trees and his flower-packed cottage garden scenes.

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Roseville Pottery From 1918 to 1954, Roseville Pottery in Zanesville, Ohio, specialized in floral patterns depicting pretty much every old-fashioned favorite to grace gardens in the early to mid-20th century. Apple blossoms, magnolias, freesias, columbines, foxgloves, gardenias, cosmos, dogwoods, and sunflowers are among the many blooms to dance across the pottery’s glazed surfaces.

Begonia Majolica Plates Etruscan majolica begonia leaf plates were manufactured in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, by the pottery firm of Griffen, Smith & Hill, beginning in 1879. The begonia-leaf pattern is ubiquitous with majolica. The actual leaves were impressed in the clay and the artists painted them realistically. They look great grouped as a wall display.

Vintage Seed Packets From hand-tinted lithographs in the early 1800s to modern photography, images of floral and vegetal perfection have adorned flower and vegetable seed packets for more than a hundred years. They look great framed or make a perfect botanical bookmark.

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Vintage Seed Boxes In the 19th century, seed packets were often displayed in beautiful wooden boxes adorned with colorful seed company labels. These boxes displayed several rows of seed packets separated by wooden dividers and were placed on general store countertops. Go ahead, use one to display your collection of natural objects.

Bulb-Forcing Vases Forcing spring bulbs to bloom out of season was first popularized by the Victorians, who displayed tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils in well-appointed parlors in cinched vases specially designed to hold a bulb at the surface of the water. Use these curious vases to grow a windowsill full of fragrant blossoms in the dead of winter.

Floral Frogs Although flower frogs reached their heyday in the United States in the mid-1920s and ‘30s during the flapper era, they can be traced back to 16th century Europe. First known as flower holders or arrangers, flower frogs were made of glass, bronze, lead, or pottery and offered a quick and easy way to easily arrange flowers.

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The Fab Five

TOP TRENDS IN

COLLECTING

By Elizabeth Betts Hickman

Here’s a snapshot of five areas that show a welcome warming trend this Spring:

PEARLS “Pearls are doing really well in today’s market,” says Barbara Nicholson, with St. Paul, Minnesota-based Mayfair Estate and Antique Jewelry. “I feel that the Downton Abbey effect in estate/antique jewelry has been huge. People are looking for pearl/diamond/colored stones with pearls in jewelry.”

She notes in particular that Edwardian or Art Deco items combined with pearls, diamonds, aquamarines or garnets, which remind people of what the women of Highclere might wear to dinner, are popular and sell well. “That is a definite trend I am seeing,” she says. In brief, pearls are a classic, they’re never going ‘out of style,’ and they’re a strong collecting focus, whether real or faux.

A FEW OF OUR SHOPS THAT FEATURE PEARLS Mayfair Estate and Antiques Jewelry, Little Creations, Jules Jewels, Rachel’s Designs, Scott Gordon Jewelry 14

Wedding Necklace Baroque Glass Pearls

Charming Cultured Pearl Sapphire 14K Gold Vintage Bracelet

Matinee Length Cultured Pearl Necklace, c. 1980’s

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MID-CENTU The AMC original television show Mad Men sparked a burst of interest in everything from vintage 20th century cocktail glasses and accessories to furniture, clothing, lighting, and even architecture.

“Mid-century is so popular,” says Nancy Vaitkevicius with California-based Cliffwood Antiques. “I know that kids love that stuff.”

Top pieces by known mid-century makers, whether in furniture or lighting, are strong sellers, and top quality holds its value better than the more mass-market items.

“The mid-century market is huge,” says Lynne Marzilli, with Marzilli Vintage in New Gloucester, Maine. In clothing, “mid-century” can stretch from the 1960s and 70s through the 80s and even in to the 90s. For furniture and accessories, it’s a little broader, from the 1940s through the 1970s, but most terms can be somewhat elastic depending on the style of an item in question.

For those who love mid-century and are looking for an emerging collecting area, cotton prints from the 1930s, 40s, and 50s are available and are a good value for collectors.

“They’re a good investment,” says Marzilli. “Those things are so undervalued because so few people can judge the age, and they’re very beautiful.”

A FEW OF OUR SHOPS THAT FEATURE MID-CENTURY The Era of My Ways, Colin Reed, McModern Goddess, TS Vintage, Mid Century Gallery, Bread and Butter, Butler and Butler, Green Country 16

URY John Widdicomb Sideboard

Pair of Mid-Century Modern Slip-Shade Sconces

Mid-Century Modern Italian Venetian Glass Murano Bowl

Mid-Century Modern Stacking Stools Footstools Danish

Mid-Century Blonde Mahogany Low Bench Cabinet TV Stand

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BRASS Look anywhere these days, from home hardware and accessories to lighting and you’ll see that golden hued metals have taken over from their cooler silvery counterparts.

According to Pennsylvania-based The Old Light Warehouse, condition is paramount when it comes to brass, and like furniture, it’s best to try to leave the original finish if at all possible.

“If it’s brass it’s not going anywhere,” says Cliffwood Antiques’ Vaitkevicius, who has noticed a lot of interest in nautical pieces and antique surveying instruments and also adds that brass from India, which is often hand-hammered, is undervalued at the moment. “Brass is beautiful, it lasts, and you get unique pieces.”

The professionals at The Old Light Warehouse note that it’s important that buyers understand the difference in brass alloys. Brass (an alloy of copper and zinc) is sometimes, though not always intentionally, misrepresented as bronze (copper and tin). Bronze is thought to be more valuable than brass, which is not always the case.

A FEW OF OUR SHOPS THAT FEATURE BRASS

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Cliffwood Antiques, Old Light Warehouse, Market Antiques, Pia’s Antique Gallery, Steffen Collection, Black Forest Antiques, Ornaments, Eclectic Art and Furnishings

Vintage Baldwin Solid Brass Candlesticks

Antique Brass Mirrored Candle Sconces

Pair of Victorian Gilt Brass Curtain Tiebacks

Antique Elaborate Solid Brass Large Drawer Pull

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ART DECO “I think the allure of Art Deco is that it encompasses style features that are timeless. From bold geometrics to delicate botanical forms, Art Deco has it all,” says Ruby Lane dealer Kathie Stafford with Deco Dreams in Spokane Valley, Washington, which specializes in slip-shade Art Deco era lighting and vintage sterling silver. “American craftsmanship at its finest is the hallmark of these light fixtures.”

The Downton Abbey effect, which has happily boosted various segments of the antique market over the last few years, has perhaps affected the Art Deco market the most.

“Art Deco clothing is much more desirable now than it was five years ago before Downton Abbey,” says Marzilli, who notes that the pieces with the highest value are going to be the most iconic, glamorous items. “It’s not the day dresses, it’s the wonderful beaded dresses. Anything that represents what that show is about,” she says. “Over-the-top is what sells immediately,” she says. Think fur-trimmed, feathertrimmed, and anything opulent, she adds, “and that’s really the trend right now.”

A FEW OF OUR SHOPS THAT FEATURE ART DECO

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Lofty Lighting, Musing Antiques, From Here to Victorian, Jack N Jill, Delton Garth’s Antiques, Oliver Fleury, Harp Gallery, Coyote Moon, Silla Antiques, Deco Dreams

Virden Art Deco 5-light “Rayburn” Slip Shade Starburst Chandelier

Art Deco Display Cabinet or Vitrine

Art Deco Double Light Wall Lamps / Sconces

1930 Art Deco Slip Shade Sconces (3) as seen in ‘Godfather II’

Macassar French Art Deco Sideboard Bronze Birds Eye Maple, ca. 1930

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DESIGNER V Almost every dealer, no matter their individual focus, tends to state a similar belief about today’s antique marketplace in general: top-quality items are in demand, hold their value the best, and are a strong investment. If something was expensive and of the best quality in 1814 or 1914, for instance, chances are the same will be true today, whether in furniture or clothing.

“Really what’s held its own are the wonderful pieces,” says Marzilli, referring generally to a lot of different categories when it comes to antiques and vintage items. “It has to be good and the value is there.”

For designer vintage items, Chanel and Christian Dior tend to lead the pack.

“Chanel stands out in a crowd. It’s the easiest to sell and the quality has always been there,” says Marzilli. To wit, Marzilli Vintage recently sold a circa 1949 Christian Dior gown for $13,000. It was a top-quality example of the fashion house’s iconic “New Look” that turned heads in the late 1940’s after the World War ended.

A FEW OF OUR SHOPS THAT FEATURE DESIGNER VINTAGE

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Poppy’s Vintage, All that Glitters, Sweetie’s Memorable Gemz, My 3 Ladies Jewelry, La Parisienne, Jody Vialy Jewlery, Cape Cod Attic, Marzuli Vintage, Scrutator, Alley Cats Vintage

VINTAGE

CHANEL, Vintage Chanel N°5 Belt, Circa 1980’s

Early 1960’s Pucci Silk Jersey Mini Dress with Cord Belt

Hermes Paris Silk Scarf & Box. “Sextants”

Vintage 1980’s Yves Saint Laurent Black Velvet Dress

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Shop Owner Spotlight

PAUL CORRIE

By Candace Manroe

R

Ready…Set…Refresh with D.C. designer and Ruby Lane shop owner Paul Corrie “April is the cruelest month,” T.S. Eliot famously brooded in “The Waste Land,” one of the most important poems of the 20th Century - and we have to agree, though on a lighter, brighter, decorate-your-home note that would undoubtedly leave the late great poet recoiling at such impudence.

But our breezy misappropriation of Eliot’s intended meaning is simply this: April is the time of year to focus on the home, and doing so can be brutal. Winter has passed, the snow is melted, and for most of us, it’s time to wash away the muddy remains, then move indoors for a thorough spring cleaning. That includes re-examining our rooms—winnowing the cluttery chaff from the keepers, then refreshing spaces to reflect the blossoming change of season.

Photos courtesy of Paul Corrie 24

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“Every year at this time my husband and I go through our home and reorganize, and that includes hitting both the attic and the basement,” says Washington D.C. interior designer and Ruby Lane shop owner Paul Corrie. “It’s almost like a detoxification or cleanse for the home, and it’s important for starting the new season.” That makes especially good sense for the designer who sums up his wide-ranging work in a single word: clean.

Once the detox is done, Corrie recommends a wedding-like recipe of “something old, something new” to revitalize rooms with a taste of spring. And because nothing captures the spirit of the season better than freshly budding flowers, they are “all my his jump-off point.

find most appealing.

Old candy or cookie tins, enamel ashtrays, and collectible stoneware or porcelain bowls or cups are other good options. Add a splashy floral vintage tablecloth to underscore the plant’s vibrancy and energy.

Vintage pieces “honor the past, and the patina, texture, and wear of old pieces add warmth and richness to a space,” he insists, adding that “all my designs reflect some element of vintage.”

It was his quest for appealing, old oddities that resulted in him setting up shop on Ruby Lane. “I’m always searching the perfect pieces for certain designs for projects. Because you can’t always reflect some immediately find exactly what you “I like to plant bulbs in containers want, I finally decided to establish element of my studio/shop as I found things indoors as a reminder of the new life that’s growing outside,” vintage.” I liked. It allows me to pull from he explains. For his choice of these for my own design projects, receptacles, however, he advises the older the but also allows anyone to purchase, knowing better. “For example, I like to take a great that each item is a reflection of my brand and vintage box or a drawer from a vintage sewing has my stamp of approval.” table and plant bulbs in it.”

His two best tips for decorating: “Invest in Juxtaposing fragile new life and a hardy one important piece at a time,” and “create vintage accessory creates a tensile effect an environment surrounded by the things that increases the visual interest of both the you love.” As a former lawyer, Corrie also emerging plant and its container. “It just takes values order in the home. “Your home’s a small touch to introduce spring,” Corrie appearance has a significant impact on says. your mood, productivity, success, and overall happiness. Having an environment Instead of restricting your choices of with a completed sense of order can only planters to his two examples, he recommends have a positive influence.” That order is scrolling through the vintage offerings particularly important in the spring, when on Ruby Lane with an open mind, then it transforms the ravages of winter into repurposing whatever useable pieces you hospitable warmth.

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FINDS FROM

PAUL CORRIE INTERIORS HOME Vintage Pedestal Side Table Set of 4 French Walnut & Leather Dining Chairs

Bronzed Brass Rooster

Vintage Wooden File Box with Brass Numbered Plaque

Set of 6 Primitive Carved Wooden Candlesticks Folding Top Secretary Desk with Folding Top

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History Lesson Credits: Photos courtesy of Rizzoli/Dior Glamour/Mark Shaw 30

Christian Dior

By Courtney Sconza

C

Christian Dior (1905-1957) revolutionized fashion with a modern return to femininity after WWII. Fashion during wartime had been hampered by fabric rations leading to boxy, fabric-conserving shapes - not ideal for accentuating the female figure! Rationminded women were ready for a change, and Dior, influenced by memories of his mother and her friends in their elegant Edwardian dresses with floor-sweeping skirts, indulged in more voluptuous silhouettes. Working in Paris, his full-skirted designs used up to 20 yards of fabric and characteristically cinched in the waist to further accentuate the bust and hips. The extravagance of these designs contrasted with bleak post-war Europe, and helped to invigorate and re-establish Paris as the fashion center of the world.

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Introduced in 1947 and dubbed the “New Look” by Harper’s Bazaar editor-in-chief, Dior’s new design became extremely popular and a welcome departure from wartime uniforms. The shorter hemline and fitted bodice were quickly copied and spread all over the Western world, influencing fashion designers well into the 1950’s.

Each of Dior’s collections had a silhouette theme - the first collection in 1947 was named “Carolle” or “figure 8”, 1953’s “Tulip” featured flowery prints, and 1955’s “A-line” moved to an undefined waist and smoother shape that resembled an “A”. By his final collections, Dior was designing narrow tunics, and sarilike wraps to accommodate a more casual lifestyle, yet the Dior look never lost it essential femininity and glamour.

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Dior was also the first to arrange licensed production of his designs. Licensing deals for furs, perfumes, handbags and stockings spread the Dior brand across the globe, generating revenue and making Dior a lasting household name synonymous with style and elegance. Considering how well known the name “Dior” is today, it’s amazing to realize he only designed under his own name for 10 years!

To read more on the life and designs, check out the book Dior Glamour by Mark Shaw (Rizzoli, 2014).

PICKS

FROM THE LANE

Vintage Christian Dior Basket Weave Clip Earrings Gold Tone

Vintage 1960’s Christian Dior Natural Straw Cloche Hat

Vintage Christian Dior Faux Pearls And Rhinestones Earrings

Christian Dior Door Knocker Earrings Rhinestones Gold Tone Twisted

Christian Dior Sliding Purse Mirror

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Mid-Century Design & Decor 34

MAD MEN STYLE

The smash hit AMC series Mad Men sadly begins its final season on Sunday, April 14th. From the perfectly tailored suits and Pucci frocks to the retro sixties dĂŠcor, no other television series in history has had such a direct impact on our pop culture.

As we say goodbye to Don Draper and the gang, here are a few Mad Men style items from the shops of Ruby Lane.

60’s “Mad Men” Mustard Felt Fedora

Vintage Rogers Peet 50’s - 60’s Tuxedo

60’s Tortoise Shell Look Cat Eye Sunglasses

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Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC

Art Deco 1930’s C Chrome Cocktail

Mens 1950’s - 60’s Charcoal G 42-44 G. Fox, “Mad Men” Er

Photo Credit: Frank Ockenfels/AMC

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Photo Credit: Michael Yarish/AMC

CHASE Ball & Tray

Gray Suit ra

Vintage Long Black Cotton Gloves With Dangling Beads

Circa 1980’s Ingrid Luhn Black Silk Cutout Cocktail Dress

Sterling Silver WELLS Movable Typewriter Charm

1970’s Fashions By Lee Jordan, New York Flames Cocktail Dress

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Calendar of Events

1-2

April

Joan Rivers Country House Auction Christie’s New York, NY www.christies.com

1-5

April

Marburger Farm Antique show Round Top, Texas www.roundtop-marburger.com

1-5

April

20th Annual Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show Philadelphia, PA www.philaifs.com 38

April

10

Dream Home Celebration 2014 Chicago, IL www.merchandisemartdesigncenter.com

April

10-13

Private Birmingham: Southern Tour Birmingham, AL www.classicist.org

April

11-13

Antiques and Garden Fair Chicago, IL www.chicagobotanic.org

April

12-13

April

26

Antique City Show Bethlehem, PA www.antiquecityshow.com

April

13

Decorator’s Show House and Gardens Through May 18 Atlanta, GA www.decoratorsshowhouse.org

April

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DC Design House Through May 11 Washington, DC www.dcdesignhouse.com

April

26-29

Philadelphia Antiques Show Philadelphia, PA www.editoratlarge.com

Decorative Antiques and Textiles Fair Through May 20 London, England www.decorativefair.com 39

Finis

EASTER

EGG

HUNT

Fabergé eggs and more…

Nothing says Easter like eggs.

Add a few vintage items to your Easter basket this season.

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1. Russian Guilloche Enamel Ball Locket Pendant 2. 1989 Franklin Mint Faberge Imperial Easter Egg Crystal Enamel Violets 3. Faberge Gilded & Engraved Glass Cranberry Egg 4. Enamel and Goldtone Egg Pendant or Charm with Coptic Cross Design 5. “Eggstravaganza” Pendant and 14K Gold Chain, c1990 6. Vintage Chinese Huge Cloisonne Egg 14” Tall 1960s 7. Franklin Mint Faberge Egg Pendant Watch Necklace 1988 8. Imperial Eggs Book from San Diego Exhibition

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