By Robert Reed    The teapot in all of its remarkable forms has been courted by civilization for centuries. It is a romance that prompted one prestigious American museum to call the teapot “the most perfect of inventions.”    A love story which may have begun with the Chinese 500 years ago certainly has endured in countless countries and cultures. The forms […]

By Robert Reed    History records that a variety of cupboards were used in the kitchens of 19th century America. The story handed down for generations is that one of the smaller ones was the legendary jelly cupboard.    To this day not all of the would-be experts agree. Some contend the term jelly cupboard was only used in the Midwest, and […]

By Anne Gilbert    The chests and luggage that once traveled to faraway places or maybe just a nearby motel, have been a decorative item since the late 20th century. Ralph Lauren popularized using a single piece as a coffee table or stacking leather suitcases on top of each other as end tables.    Well, after all, there is a sense of […]

By Anne Gilbert    America’s firemen have a long and exciting history that dates before the American Revolution when they were volunteers. It wasn’t until after the steam engine came into use in 1852 that fire fighters became paid professionals. Fortunately for historians and collectors many of their early artifacts have survived. Surprisingly, when they make a rare auction appearance prices […]