Posts Tagged ‘American’

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EAPG glass goblet, c.1880

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

Early American Pattern Glass goblet, also known to collectors as EAPG, in the “Wide Band Baby Thumbprint” pattern. Goblet stands 5″ high and is made of non-flint glass

It was not uncommon for goblets, which were used daily, to snap off at the base. And when they did, they were repaired at home with a carved wooden base such as this one, or taken to a tinsmith for a more lasting replacement

This is what the base would have looked like before the goblet slipped out of the original owner’s hands and on to the floor

Photo courtesy of Brey Antiques

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Finger jointed box lid, c.1890

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

American wooden pantry box lid from a Shaker style oval storage box with original, warm patina surface. When I found this lid at an antiques shop in West Stockbridge, MA a few years ago it was being used as a tray

Measures 10-1/2″ wide, 7-1/2″ deep, 3/4″ high

This type of crack stabilizing wood strip repair is quite common in household items and I have seen many examples such as this over the years

The stack of finger jointed pantry boxes below includes a large Shaker example at the bottom

Photo courtesy of Z & K Antiques

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“Early Moon & Star” oil lamp, c.1850

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) whale oil lamp in the “Early Moon & Star” pattern, aka “Old Moon & Star” and “Star & Dot” with brass ferrule collar, measures 8″ high

After the original glass base snapped off, a tinsmith created a simple conical form replacement base

The lamp below has a similarly shaped oil font and stands on a metal connector stem and marble base

Photo courtesy of Antique Investments

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Welding mask, c.1950

Tuesday, June 1st, 2010

Each year I look forward to stopping at some of the many Memorial Day weekend yard sales near my upstate NY home. I found the newest addition to my collection of antiques with inventive repairs last Saturday at a yard sale just a few miles from my house. This dark green hand-held welding mask made of glass-reinforced plastic by Oxweld measures 14-1/2″ high by 8-1/2″ wide

Mask appears to have been cut down from a flip-up helmet and converted to a hand held mask. A sturdy hand carved wood handle has been bolted on for easy gripping

A paper label bearing the name “BETHLEHEM” is partially obscured by the addition of the handle

“OXWELD, TRADE MARK” is stamped on the face of mask

Oxweld has been in business for almost 100 years, starting with the production of railway lanterns

Kitty Kalwasinski Markovich and Florence Josephs, “Rosie the Riveter” World War II steel workers. Welding mask has names of brothers marked with stars

photo courtesy of The Pullman State Historic Site

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Brass candle holder, c.1880

Friday, May 21st, 2010

Solid brass candlestick, made in America and measuring 10″ tall

Conical tin replacement base, constructed by bending a piece of tin and crimping the bottom edge

The base looks as if it were made from a funnel

Another brass candlestick shown with a square footed base

Photo courtesy of One of a Kind Antiques

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“Actress” glass jug, c.1879

Wednesday, May 19th, 2010

Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG) cream jug in the “Actress” pattern, featuring cameo portraits of Miss Neilson and Fanny Davenport, with their names indicated below each portrait. Pressed, non-flint glass creamer measures 6″ high. Made in Ohio by many glass companies including LaBelle Glass Co. in 1872 and Crystal Glass Co. in 1879. Adams & Co. of Pittsburgh, PA also produced this popular pattern starting in 1880.

Lillian Adelaide Neilson (March 3, 1848-August 15, 1880) was a pseudonym of Elizabeth Ann Brown. She was an English born Shakespearean actress, best known in America for performing the role of Juliet at New York City’s Booth Theatre in 1872.

Fanny Lily Gipsy Davenport (April 10, 1850-September 26, 1898) was born in London, England and brought to America when she was a child and educated in Boston. In 1862 at the age of twelve, she appeared in at New York City’s Niblo’s Garden as the King of Spain in Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady.

Replaced trapezoid-shaped wood base appears a bit clunky, but allows the jug to function once again.

This glass jug shows what the original base looked like before it snapped off.

Photo courtesy of Ruby Lane

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Glass oil lamp, c.1870

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

This American pressed glass oil lamp with tri-mold marks measures 7-1/2″ high and has a classic gadrooned body design. It is not uncommon to find glass oil lamps with replacement bases, as these were handled often over the course of each day and accidents did happen. Please check out my other oil lamps to see replacement bases created in various styles and made from an array of materials

A wood replacement base with silver gilt surface was probably made in the 1920’s-30’s, as is evident from its “art deco” look

The oil lamp below with a similar shape still has its original glass base, a lucky survivor of over 100 years of use

Photo courtesy of Antique Mystique

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Large stoneware crock, c.1890

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

When I found this large and very heavy American stoneware pottery wine jug in Maine, I was unable to pack it properly and take it with me on my flight back home later that day. Luckily, one of the friends I was visiting was a pilot and simply brought it on board his flight to New York the next day. The triangular remains of the broken clay handle leaves a distinctive maker’s mark

It would have been awkward to lift this 18-1/2″ tall jug with the absence of its handle, especially when full of wine. Rather than trying to replace the broken handle, a sturdy iron band with swing handle was attached to the jug

A close up of the iron strap and handle shows the work of the local ironsmith who made this East coast jug more functional

The small hole at the bottom is where a wooden spigot would have been inserted to dispense the wine

A similar jug shows what the applied handle would have looked like

Photo courtesy of Prock’s Crocks

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Primitive wooden shovel, c.1870

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

This wins the prize for being the largest antique with an inventive repair in my collection. I found this grain shovel, hand carved from one piece of wood, at an antique shop only a few miles from my weekend house in upstate NY. It measures 36″ long by 13″ wide and I believe the wood to be pine.

It was not unusual for large utilitarian pieces carved from a single piece of wood to crack. The farmer who repaired this piece was quite thorough, using a large piece of metal and dozens of small nails to repair the split blade.

Wooden “one piece” shovels of this design were first made by the Shakers in the early to mid 1800’s.

A pair of iron straps were nailed to the back of the blade to help secure the break.

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Glass covered compote, c.1870

Thursday, April 15th, 2010

This large pressed glass covered compote stands 13″ tall and was made in America during the Victorian era

It is not surprising that the original glass base did not support the weight of this heavy piece. A funnel-shaped tin replacement base, painted gold, adds “elegance”

A similarly shaped covered compote with frosted leaf pattern shows what the original base might have looked like

Photo courtesy of All Antique Glass

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