Archive for October, 2014

Recognizing the Stylized Look of Theorem Paintings

Recognizing the Stylized Look of Theorem Paintings

By Anne Gilbert Theorem paintings, that became popular in the early 19th century, began with the cutting of stencils into various shapes. Usually fruit and leaves were used, however rare examples have been discovered using bird shapes. A good example of what stenciled designs look like are antique Hitchcock chairs. The first step was deciding what the main subject, such […]

by · October 31, 2014 · 0 comments · Feature Article
What Is It? November 2014

What Is It? November 2014

We only had one correct answer to November’s What Is It. Our reliable guesser Charles Pheasant properly identified the object as a lady’s evening bag circa 1920’s. He added, “Hard to tell about scale, but my guess is small. Suitable for a lipstick and a derringer.” This item is a purse! This tiny party bag is of the 1920s era. […]

by · October 31, 2014 · 0 comments · What Is It?
American Advertising Treasures: HALLOWEEN  BLOTTERS

American Advertising Treasures: HALLOWEEN BLOTTERS

By Roy Nuhn One of the wondrous things about early 20th-century advertising blotters, those miniature billboards once handed out to customers by local stores and manufacturers of all sorts of goods, is their diversity.  Many topicals can be found, including Uncle Sam, automobiles, Disney characters, presidential, political and military.  The artwork of many American artists, such as Norman Rockwell and […]

by · October 23, 2014 · 0 comments · Feature Article
What Is It? October 2014

What Is It? October 2014

  We had one correct answer for our October’s What Is It. Dennis Thode of Broomfield, Colorado correctly identified the object as a holder for powder papers. It is a 19th Century pharmacy tool —a powder folder used to hold meds in the days before solid tablets. He is correct! It is a brass powder folder which was listed in […]

by · October 5, 2014 · 0 comments · Feature Article, What Is It?