July 31, 1998
Greetings Accumulators!
Hello from drizzly New York City. Actually, a
little rain is welcome -
we've had none in a month or so. I hope the sun is
shining where you are.
FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF THEY SHOULD SEE WHAT'S BEHIND
THE WASHING MACHINE
A builder renovating an old house on Main Street in
Osterville,
Massachusetts uncovered a secret compartment under
the stairs. The
compartment contained a revolutionary war-era
cannon. Unfortunately, a
fire in the county courthouse during the nineteenth
century destroyed the
house records, so the eighteenth century owner of
the house is unknown.
Theories of why the cannon was hidden in the
compartment abound. Some
think it may have been hidden there in anticipation
of attack by the
British during the War of 1812. Some think it may
have been confiscated
from a ship. Two other interesting and valuable
items were found in the
house. Ralph and Martha Cahoon, two noted American
folk artists, lived in
the house during the 1930's. Wall panels painted by
them were found hidden
behind a cupboard.
AND THE CANDLES WILL COME IN HANDY IF THERE'S A
POWER FAILURE DEPARTMENT
Looking for a great place to send the kids for a
week? The Storrowton
Village Museum in West Springfield, Mass is offering
a unique five-day
program for children, ages 7 to 12, at a cost of
$125 per child. There are
also opportunities for junior counselors, ages 14
and 15. Here's the program:
Day 1 - Old and New Day. Children wear nineteenth
century clothing and
learn about New England life in the 1800s.
Day 2 - Hands On Day - campers learn early American
crafts, including
candle dipping, tin smithing and pottery making.
They also learn
nineteenth century songs and dances (to live musical
accompaniment) and do
lessons on slates in a one-room schoolhouse.
Day 3 - Dairy Day - children visit a dairy, milk the
cows and churn butter.
They also make muffins from scratch - grinding the
grain and harvesting
herbs from the garden - which they bake on an open
hearth.
Day 4 - Wool Day - the kids watch sheep being shorn,
and then card, spin,
weave and dye the wool.
Day 5 - Show-Off Day - campers get to take their
parents on a tour of the
village, showing them what they've learned, and
performing skits on the
village stage.
Kids also get to write with quill pens, hear
traditional stories and play
hoop and sack games.
The program runs from August 10 to 14, 1998. For more
information, call
(413)787-0136
REPROS, REPROS, AND FAKES
It seems to be the law of the land. Any time a
collectible gains
importance in the market, someone will find an
inexpensive way to reproduce
it, which is fine, except that someone else will
find a way of removing its
identification as a reproduction and sell it as a
vintage item to
unsuspecting buyers. It helps to know ahead of time
what is being copied,
so you can be on the lookout. So here's a roster of
the latest faux
antiques to hit the market:
RS Prussia porcelains - being reproduced in China and Japan. Recently seen: mocha sets, hat pin holders, miniature shoes, two-piece eggs and ewers.
Milk glass - Summit Glass of Ohio is making pieces marked "McKee", some from old molds, some from new ones meant to look old.
Little Red Riding Hood cookie jars - some have a Hull Pottery mark and some have a McCoy Pottery mark. The new Hull jars are smaller than the originals, only 12 inches tall. Originals measure 13.25 inches.
Coca Cola collectibles - 1939 New York World's Fair
paper coasters, stamped
metal tokens marked "L.A. Stamp" and a tri-fold
trade card picturing a
woman in a bathtub. The first two are fantasy
items, so ignore them
whenever you see them. The third is a reproduction,
which can be
distinguished under magnification by the dots in the
printing, and also by
rounded corners.
Well, Accumulators, the rain has stopped, and it's
time to pack up and get
ready for The Great Paper Chase, a paper show Artie
and I are doing on
Sunday at Fairleigh Dickenson University in
Hackensack, NJ. If you're in
the nabe, stop by. It's amazing what you'll see at
this show. And bring
money. Happy hunting!
Best,
Judith
© 1998 Judith Katz-Schwartz. All rights reserved.
Antiques and Collectibles Newsletter #52
U.S. Library of Congress
ISSN 1520-4464
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