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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. |
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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 Wonders of the Industrial Age"
Volume 13 No. 1
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Asleep in
Luxury
Up
until the 1850s or so, people bought furniture piece meal,
one piece at a time. Because handmade furniture was
expensive to make and sell, pieces often performed more than
one function. But as mass production took hold, furniture
manufacturers discovered ways to cut costs by producing more
pieces of one design or style.
More Antiques Articles |
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A Penny Saved is a Penny
Earned
Collectors have sought after old mechanical banks for over
50 years because of their nostalgic look at America’s past
reflected in the interesting themes and animated action of
these toy savings banks, making them educational and
timelessly wonderful objects.
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Collectibles Articles |
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Titans of Industry
Before the start of the
Industrial Age in America, industry existed on a small scale. There were
no factories, no large-scale production, no super wealthy company
owners. In the 18th century, wealth came from owning land, the more
land, the wealthier the owner. But in the 19th century that all changed.
More
Special Features
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It's All About the Pattern
The variety of coverlets that have been produced since then
is astonishing. And the patterns produced were like no other
types of weaving. Individuals wove one-of-a-kind coverlets
as gifts for family members or in preparation for
housekeeping or to celebrate an important event. Then along
came the Jacquard loom attachment and everything changed.
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Antique Spotlights
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Riding the Rails to Collectibility
The
railroads were the dominant form of transportation in the
United States up through World War II. Most railroads were
large companies that required huge amounts of equipment and
material to operate. Today, collectors of railroadiana
actively seek the objects that made them run.
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Collecting Articles
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Maintaining Iron Antiques
Wood and
iron were the two most common materials used to make
everyday objects in the 18th and 19th centuries. Blacksmiths
turned wrought iron—grainier than cast iron and usually
marked by the forge—into tools, weather-vanes, fireplace
accessories, trivets, and keys. Ironmakers produced cast
iron—harder and more brittle but with a smoother surface—as
early as the 14th century, but it wasn't until the mid 19th
century that it became the virtually universal replacement
for wrought iron. Cast iron, too, was made into the full
gamut of objects from furniture to cooking pots to toothpick
holders.
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Caring for Collections |
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The
2020 Winter
Edition
featuring
"The
Wonders of the Industrial Age"
is here
Go through the menu and read all the
New!
articles. |
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The Museum of Early Home
Entertainment
by Bob Brooke
Tucked away
in a plain brick building on a side street in a quiet
neighborhood of Dover, Delaware, is the Johnson Victrola
Museum. It’s unassuming exterior belies the excitement
inside, for its two floors are packed with all sorts of
entertainment machines, from early Victrolas to more
complex and luxurious Electrola Fadiola.
Read more.
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Iron---The Material for the
Industrial Age
by Bob Brooke
Historians tell
us that the Industrial Age began with the invention of the
steam engine in the 1840s. But really it began a century
earlier with the founding of the iron industry in America.
Iron became the basic material of industry, eventually
helping to build the factories and equipment to make it run.
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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 |
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BREAKING
NEWS
Shipwreck With $17
Billion of Sunken Treasure ID'd in the Caribbean
When salvagers found a
300-year-old ship at the bottom of the Caribbean near the
coast of Colombia three years ago, they claimed it was the
“holy grail” of shipwrecks—the legendary San Jose galleon, a
Spanish ship rumored to contain up to $17 billion in
treasure. Now, the Associated Press
reports,
experts have identified the ship…and confirmed that it’s the
real deal.
Read all about it
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Rare
Roman Coin Found by Detectorist in
Farmer's Field
A rare
Roman solidus coin of the Emperor Constantine I was dug up
from a farmer’s field in Somerset and will be offered at Dix
Noonan Webb’s ancient coins auction on September 17 in
London with an estimate of £10,000-12,000. On the reverse is
a rare portrayal of Constantine riding his horse in battle
holding a spear and shield with two fallen enemy soldiers
below to commemorate a victory over Maxentius at Milvian
bridge outside Rome on October 28, 312.
Read more
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