Personal Effects the Column

That's a Good Question: 

Personal Effects Dickens April 2015

The little Dickens figures

Question: Jerry---Can you tell me anything about these little figurines that belonged to my grandfather? He was born in Scotland in 1890 but spent most of his adult life in America.  Pop was a great reader and all his life he preferred British authors. These figures represent characters from the novels of Charles Dickens. From left to right they are Little Nell, Mr. Pickwick, Sam Weller and Mr. Micawber. They are made of solid bronze or a similar metal, although two are much lighter in color that the others. They are approximately 4 inches high and are heavy for their size, with a lead weight in the bottom. They are quite detailed. I assume there were other figures in the series, but these are the only ones I have. Were they purely decorative? I keep them on my bookcase, just like my grandfather did. I look forward to an intriguing explanation!

Answer: I love these little figures. Something about small literary figures that just excites me. I guess it stems from my being a book dealer. There is nothing as classic, as the characters from the works of Charles Dickens. At first these were a puzzle, but I worked it out. They were made by the Jennings Brothers Manufacturing Company in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The company's earliest date is about 1890. They had a very successful business manufacturing metal clocks, candlesticks, silver plated wares and other novelties. Their goods were shipped all over the world including North America, New Zealand , South America and... Great Britain. Which is where your grandfather come across them. So from American to Scotland and back to America. In 1926 the company remained in the same family with Henry Jennings remaining president and his son Edwin Jennings becoming secretary. In 1937, both Henry and Edwin Jennings passed away and the company soon there after was sold.

This company made some incredible items, but I think that their bookends are my favorites. Some of these bookends can cost retail upwards of $400.00. I found several bookends with these same metal figures on them. I'd wager that this was a line of products for those not needing bookends, but still admired Dickens. In a stroke of merchandising, a figure that could have been on a bookend, instead was, filled with lead, and was touted as a curio cabinet figurine. That's what the lead weight was for, it kept them standing up. Many Jennings pieces are marked with the initials of JB in a diamond shaped shield for Jennings Brothers. I would assume, that like many other companies, smaller pieces didn't always get marked, as yours aren't marked. I believe that these pieces are actually brass with various patinas applied to them. A patina is a chemical wash that's applied to metal to give it an aged appearance. The first two figures, from the left, are in the Florentine bronze patina and the other two are in the Ormolu Gold. This gold patina used by Jennings, was very popular in its day, for its richness and quality. Ormolu means that its an alloy of copper, tin and zinc. So, I guess, roughly translated, it means gold gold. Be sure to dust these treasures with a dry soft cloth. Any polishes, dips or anything abrasive will strip off the desirable patina. It will also wreck the value. I'd think that at a good antiques show, that these would be priced at about $45.00 each. Thanks for sharing them with us. Be sure to write down their history for future generations.

Well I'll be damned ,it was one!

That's a Good Question:

 Phone rings I answer.

Woman: I have a painting I need you to appraise.

Me: Well, what kind is it?

Woman:  I think its on wood and its a black background. Really thin.

Me: How big is it?

Woman: About one by  thirty six.

Me:  One by thirty six what?? Inches?

Woman:  Yes, one inch by roughly thirty six inches.

Me:  One inch high?  OK, what's the design of the painting?

Woman:  I don't know what you mean?

Me:  What's it a picture of?

Woman: Ohhh. Its got all kinds of flowers and vines and a few butterflies and green leaves.

Me:  Uhhhh. It sounds pretty but I still can't wrap my mind around the size.

Woman: I think that it belonged to an elderly aunt or something.  So its old. I can bring it over in a few hours.

Me:  But that size is strange. I mean was it a yard stick or something?  

Woman:  I'll be over as soon as I can.

She brings it in in a few hours.

AND IF DAMNED IT WASN'T!

It was a gorgeous, folkly floral painting PAINTED  on a yard stick! It measured roughly one inch by thirty six inches.  I dated it to the 1890's to the early 1900's. Obviously was a handcraft of one the delicate lady painters.  It was beautifully done and I said that it would be priced in a store for maybe $75.00. I begged her to let me photograph it and put in one of the newspapers. But she didn't want other family members to see it.  So, I'm here to tell you that you never know what may come your way.

 That's a Good Question:
Personal Effects Tasha Tudor Books October 2014

Question: Dear Jerry, I love love love Tasha Tudor. I've collected her books, prints and everything I can lay hands. I enjoy her attempts to travel back in time to the 1820's with her clothing and home. I have a couple of her books that are signed. I bought them new and I'm not sure if they have any value aside from whats I paid. I have Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts and The Private World of Tasha Tudor. Both have the dust wrappers, are marked 1^st edition and are spotless inside and out. Both are signed but the crafts book is double signed and upside down. Why? Has her death increased their value? Keep the articles coming. I save them. Thanks and kindest regards.

Cover of Tasha's beautiful Heirloom Crafts. 

Answer: I too, enjoy the lifestyle of Tasha Tudor. Though some say that she was living in a bubble of her own fantasy. I think that's harsh. If you can afford to do it, if its what you want and no one is harmed over it, live in the 1820's if you want. However, the world that Tasha created and the one she illustrated are somewhat different from the true life she led. Tasha Tudor was an American author and illustrator. Known for her illustrations of quaint 19^th century farm / country life, featuring bonnet topped kids, New England styled homes and long lost customs and traditions. Born as Starling Burgess, in Boston, Massachusetts, in August of 1918. She, while still a child, was re-named Natasha, which was later shortened to Tasha. Following the first of two divorces, she legally adopted her mother's maiden name, Tudor. Tasha and her first husband had four children. Her second marriage was very brief. Tasha died on June 2008, at age 92, in Marlboro,Vermont. The bulk of her two million dollar estate was left to her oldest son Seth and her grandson Winslow. The remaining children were disinherited, due to what was called “their estrangement from their mother.” Though, it was cited that the other children were gifted millions of dollars, in the form of her original art work, during her lifetime. So see it wasn't all tea and cakes and ices.

Tasha Tudor's autograph

Tasha's first book, Pumpkin Moonshine was published in 1938. A mint condition first edition of this title will fetch upwards of $2000.00. More than one hundred other titles, either illustrated or illustrated and written by Tasha culminated her career. Tasha received many awards and honors in her career, including two Caldecott Awards and a Regina Medal. There was several ground breaking exhibits of Tasha's work and collections at such places as The Norman Rockwell Museum,the Henry Ford Museum and Colonial Williamsburg. Her writings, manuscripts and original art work are in collections all over the world.

Tasha is most well known for her children's books and that is where some serious value is. I wish that you'd told me what children's book you have. The two, lets call them “lifestyle books”, that you have are very collectible and beautiful. The addition of signatures is even more desirous. She'll not be signing anymore. The reason for the double upside down signature? Likely, it was during a mob packed book signing and someone just handed her the same book twice, upside down. A double signature does not add nor detract from it's value. I looked online and found that these two titles were being offered for up to $390.00. Realistically, I'd say that in a good book store environment that they would be priced between $75.00 to $100.00 each. You've done pretty well, as you probably paid $25.00 for them when new. Thanks for sharing them.

That's a Good Question:

Personal Effects Love Disarmed Feb 2014

Question: Hi J., These belonged to my Mom and we have no idea where they came from. They were found in the sideboard in a felt bag. I have a set of 12 all identical. Are they worth much. I took them to a metal scraper and they offered me $400.00 for the set of 12. But I wanted to ask you first. If they were valuable I'd keep them for the kids. Should I insure them? Love the radio show and the newspaper column. Keep it up. Thanks.

As an act of disclosure, I did do an appraisal for this gentleman on this property and gained his permission to print this in the paper. Names and other personal information was redacted from the original email, for my readers here.

Answer: What a treasure to find! You have a set of twelve large dinner forks, and the pattern is the highly coveted, Love Disarmed by Reed and Barton Silversmiths. Silver doesn't get anymore detailed,storied or sexy than Love Disarmed. Its at the zenith of the Art Nouveau movement. Art Nouveau was an art movement characterized by flowing lines and a riot of patterns and symbolic meanings, circa 1880 – 1915. A set of twelve dinner forks are very good to find. Its a good thing you you sought help in determining value before you sent these pieces to the smelters pot. That would be tragic. Save the scrapers for damaged beyond repair jewelry and and thin sterling from the 1950's. A common set of average dinner forks, would range something in this neighborhood, but a pattern of this quality, won't live in this neighborhood.

Love Disarmed

I want you to look carefully at the workmanship of these pieces. You'll see that there is a central womanly figure, some call her Venus or Diana, the goddess of love and beauty. She's got a little cupid, the god of love, tucked up under one arm. One of her hands holds his little bow. Her other arm is over her head and behind her back, holding, and hidden in the folds of her flowing gown, are what many speculate are Cupid's arrows of love. She's not going to be taken aback by the advances of this small, but powerful god. If you remember your mythology, anyone pierced by one of Cupid's arrow will fall head over heels in love with the next person they see. All of this and a bevy of poppy flowers. The poppy leaves and blooms that surround Cupid have for centuries been a symbol of sleep, the poppies that appear in the Love Disarmed pattern seem to suggest that Venus / Dianna used the drowsy qualities of the poppy to induce sleep then and steal Cupid’s bow and most of his arrows. The details are amazing. There are some reproductions, from the 1980's up til modern times. But you can tell from the razor sharp details, details that are lost on recast pieces, that your forks will date to the early 1900's.

I did a little online research and I found many examples across the board, price wise. A replacement value, a value in which you would have to go out into the marketplace and purchase these forks, would be to the tune of about $300.00.... each! So that would make your recent find have an insurance valuation of about $3000.00+ for the set. Get them out from time to time and use them and think of your Mom! Its OK to polish them but not too much. Use a good polish and a soft rag and never a silver / metal dip. You want to leave the dark patina in the nooks and crannies, that makes the details stand out. Congratulations! Thank you for sharing them with us.

   

That's a Good Question: 

A yellow ware jelly mold of a rabbit

Personal Effects Rabbit Mold 2014

Question: My new grand daughter in law found this in the cabinet the other day. I've not used it since my kids were little. I told her was the Easter bunny mold. My mother many years ago would make those jello salads in it. Some were sweet and some were savory. It used to be a big deal. All of us kids would be so excited to see what kind and color it was that year. Once it was a dessert and was chocolate. This must have been 70 years ago. How old is this piece? Does it have any value? It does have some nicks on the rim. Its heavy pottery. All the best and thank you.

Answer: You have a nice yellow ware gelatin mold. You're right, gelatin dishes were a huge deal on the dining room table. In fact, centuries ago, gelatine dishes had to be made from beef bones and pig skin. It was considered a status symbol, as it was very time consuming, to cook down all of those animal parts. The invention of Knox gelatine in the early 1900's changed everything. Now, suddenly, every household could have a giggling, sparkling treat on the table. The mold you show me is from the earlier period, dating to the 1860's – 1870's, maybe, a little earlier.

Yellow ware is a yellow to buff colored clay that was utilized in the kitchen for centuries. You'll find many, many examples in the market place. You'll find dinner plates, mixing bowls, pitchers, butter dishes and on and on. Almost everything was made in yellow ware. Think of it as the Tupperware of the nineteenth century. There were, at one time, dozens of factories that churned out yellow ware pieces. Its hard to tell who made yours. By the shape, it could even be European. The condition will affect its value. Some leeway has to be given. These things were used frequently and often roughly. Just consider how it was un-molded. It was turned upside down and shook or wrapped in hot towels or thumped on the edges with a spoon, all in an effort to get it to gently plop on a serving platter. Slippery hands make for chips and damage. Collectors will still love it and display it proudly in a home.

In regards to molds, its all about the subject of the mold. At the top of the heap are subjects like elephants, asparagus stalks and dogs. Towards the bottom, are subjects like geometric shapes. Your mold is going to fall in the upper middle of the line up. I have one just like it, here in the store. Those subjects in the upper category are going to be priced for $400. 00 - $500.00 and up! This is a nice one with a full figure and they are always desirable, though not terribly expensive. I did some research and found that one like yours in this condition will be priced in a store for $50.00 - $100.00. You should get it out and use it and let your grandchildren see something that laugh with excitement. Could make some great memories. Thank you for sharing it with us.