By Robert Reed  There was a unique time in history when the search for finer craftsmanship merged with the emerging progress of lighting. The Arts and Crafts period came along just as the electric light came into existence.  Eventually the electric light which could provide the glow of 60 candles would be the object of home decor crafted by such […]

July 1 150th Anniversary of the opening of the Philadelphia Zoo, the first public zoo in the U.S. (1874) July 4 Independence Day July 8 Liberty Bell tolls to announce Declaration of Independence (1776) July 20 Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong takes historic first steps on the moon (1969) July 26 Congress establishes U.S. Post Office (1775) July 26 75th […]

By Mike Pearce  In the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries, thousands of brass bands dotted the American landscape. Those ensembles played music assembled in march size folios and band books. As those band books now find their way into auctions from attics and basements, they become attractive collectibles for a select number of band history collectors and performers. By […]

By Henry J. Pratt  Surely, trillions of words have been written and published about antiques and collectibles, as well as the men and women hobbyists across the country who buy, hold and sell interesting items from America’s yesteryear.  One dictionary definition of the word “collector” reads: “A person or thing that collects items…such as stamps.” That really doesn’t tell us […]

By Barry Krause  Letter openers have been known since the 18th century, but became a popular tool after envelopes were mass produced starting in the mid-19th century when postage rates were reduced for letters mailed inside envelopes.  Before that time, almost all letters were simply folded to leave a blank portion where the address was written and postmarks applied, and […]