|
| |
AN-TIQUE (an-teek)
An object having
special value because of its age, especially a domestic item, piece of
furniture or decorative arts object esteemed for its artistry, beauty,
mechanical ingenuity, or period of origin. |
|
The
Antiques Almanac, a five-edition-per-year online magazine for beginning and
intermediate antiques collectors and those just interested in finding out about
old things, is your first stop on the Web in your search for information
about antiques and collectibles. Here, you’ll find articles on a variety
of American and international antiques, including furniture, china,
glass, silver, and other decorative arts from the Colonial, Empire,
Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco Periods, plus vintage and modern
collectibles, interesting historical facts, antique tips, and
recommendations for caring for your collections. Come back often to see
what's new. And be sure to tell your friends about us.
|
This
edition's
theme:
"The Sparkling World of Glass"
Volume 14 No. 1
|
 |
|
 |
The Gleam of
Americn
Brilliant Glass
American
Brilliant cut glass was a symbol of elegance in Victorian America from
around 1850 to the beginning of World War I. Middle class to wealthy
people liked to give pieces as wedding and anniversary presents.
Immigrants helped supply glass houses in the United States with skilled
cutters allowing them to develop a product rivaling European cut glass.
Prior to that time, most cut glass pieces came from England, France, and
Ireland.
More Antiques Articles |
|
|
|
 |
Fine Glassware for the Table
Wealthy
Victorians set their elaborate dinner tables with crystal glassware. A
typical place setting could have as many as six glasses, each for a
different use. And though that style of dining didn’t persist too far
into the future, the elegance that crystal tableware brought to the
table lived on well into the 1950s and 1960s as the American middle
class became more affluent.
More
Collectibles Articles |
|
 |
|
 |
Nothing to Get Depressed About
Of all the collectibles out
there, Depression glass is one of the most popular with
collectors, most likely for its rainbow of colors and its
myriad of patterns. Depression glass is far from a
depressing collectible. In fact, companies made it in such
bright colors to raise the mood of people going through one
of the worst times in their lives. They also made it
affordable so that this little bit of joy could reach as
many people as possible.
More
Special Features
|
|
 |
|
 |
Shining Like a Jewel
Ruby
glass is the dark red color of the precious gemstone ruby. This
popular Victorian color never went out of style and it’s still
cherished today as it was then.
Ruby glass has been around since Roman times. But the secret of
making red glass, lost for many centuries, wasn’t rediscovered until
the 17th Century in Brandenburg, Bohemia. Johann Kunckel, a chemist
from a glass-making family, re-discovered how to make gold ruby
glass around 1670.
More
Antique Spotlights
|
|
 |
|
 |
Identifying Antique Glass
Unlike
antique and collectible pottery which usually has a stamped or incised
mark on the bottom, antique and vintage glass oftentimes does not. This
makes identifying glass pieces a challenge, but not impossible.
More
Collecting Articles
|
|
 |
|
 |
Repairing Broken
and Chipped Glass
Everyone
has experienced the heart-stopping moment when glass breaks. Maybe it’s
a favorite glass that gets knocked off the table or an antique vase
that’s been in the family for years. Until recently, there wasn’t
anything to be done to repair these broken items.
More
Caring for Collections |
Read our latest Guest Blog
 Like
us on Facebook  Follow
us on Twitter
|
 |
Learn even
more about antiques with the oldest antiques site in
England.
 |
The
2021 Winter
Edition
featuring
"The
Sparking World
of Glass"
is here
Go through the menu and read all the
New!
articles. |
|
|
|
America's Museum
of Glass
by Bob Brooke
Glass is almost as
ubiquitous as plastic, and it’s been around for thousands of years. One
of the best places to get a good look at its long history is the Corning
Museum of Glass in Corning, New York. The story of glass is a story
about art, history, culture, technology, science, craft and design.
Read more.
|
|
 |
|
Glassmaking in America
by Bob Brooke
Glassmaking
was the first recorded industry in the New World, with "glasshouse"
factories built in the woods in 1607 and 1621 a half mile from
Jamestown in what was to become the Virginia Colonies. But
glassmaking existed for centuries before this.
Read more |
|
 |
|
Beauty in the Glass
I have always loved paperweights. I don’t mean the kind with
advertising on them but the ones with floral designs that
seem embedded in them. I started buying them here and there,
but I want to give some direction to my collection. How and
when did these beauties originate? And can you give me some
suggestions on building a collection?
Read more |
|
How to Recognize and
Refinish Antiques for Pleasure and Profit
Have
you ever bought an antique or collectible that was less than perfect and
needed some TLC? Bob's book offers tips and step-by- step
instructions for simple maintenance and restoration of common antiques.
Read an
Excerpt |
|
BREAKING
NEWS
Birdwatcher Stumbles on Roman Gold Coins
A birdwatcher in
England stumbled upon a hoard of 1,300 Iron Age gold coins
while out spotting a buzzard in a field. Dating to around
the time of the Roman invasion, the coins are believed to be
worth in excess of $1,070,480. |
|
Gray’s Auctioneers Offers Up a Century of World’s Fair
Memorabilia
Gray’s Auctioneers
offered up a century's worth of collectibles from world's
fairs around the globe. The fairs gave rise to
the popularity of many souvenirs, giving the public a chance
to keep a memory of the time spent in those grand buildings,
exhibition halls and their host cities. |
|
Authorities Recover 19,000 Artifacts in International
Antiquities Trafficking Sting
A joint
operation undertaken by Interpol, Europol, the World Customs
Organization and local police forces has recovered 19,000
artifacts from 103 countries. Objects recovered range from a
pre-Hispanic gold mask to a trove of ancient coins and Roman
figurines. Authorities arrested 101 people as part of the
crackdown.
Read more |
|
Read what our
readers are saying about
The Antiques
Almanac
Comments
Send us your comment |
|
|
