Columns
Street Clocks & Their Restoration
By Eric Ryback, restorer and owner, Saint Louis Street Clock Company “I never wore a watch. I always depend on public clocks, and stores have clocks, but that is strange.” ...
Interview with Glass Artist and Blown Away Judge Katherine Gray: What do You Collect?
Meet Katherine Gray. Her expertise in glass design is something to observe – it is at once infinite, moving, gracious, colorful, and an exploration of color, balance, and textural. Her ...
Great Collections: The Parker Pen Archive at Heritage House
Back in 1888, George Safford Parker (1863-1937) was working part-time as a seller and repairman of fountain pens. As he worked, he found that he could not find a pen ...
Antiques Peek: Decorate Your Desk
by Jessica Kosinski When talking about collectibles related to writing, it is impossible to ignore the topic of paperweights. Before computers existed, writing everything out by hand was the norm ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Acing the Autopen – Helping Collectors Feel More Confident with Mechanical Writing
by Kary Pardy Footage from a 1950s 9-second video shows a grey, boxy machine using mechanical levers to exactly mimic the slopes and angles of a person’s handwriting. Since the ...
Great Collections: Svalbard Global Seed Vault
Deep inside a mountain on a remote island in the Svalbard archipelago, halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole, lies the Svalbard Global Seed Vault, an underground, naturally preserving ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Leather Fire Buckets – Painted Americana at its Most Helpful
by Kary Pardy Imagine you lived in the 17th or 18th century. Chances are good that you would be surrounded by wooden buildings and that you would be very wary ...
Great Collections: The Yale Collection of Musical Instruments
The Yale Collection of Musical Instruments was established in 1900, when Morris Steinert, an entrepreneurial figure who played an important role in shaping New Haven’s music scene, gave his private ...
Great Collections: The Collection of Steve Martin at Julien’s Auctions
Emmy, Grammy, People’s Choice, and Academy Award Winner hardly begin to describe Steve Martin, who has entertained us for decades on radio and TV, in the movies, on music-hall stages, ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Science and Sparkles – Demystifying your Jewelry Collection
by Kary Pardy How many times have you looked through a jewelry display at your favorite antique shop and was just a bit unsure about the quality or elements of ...
Exploring Antique Technologies: Shaped in Steel – Dissecting the Technology Behind your Edged Weapons
by Kary Pardy There are lots of reasons to be drawn to edged weapons, and their beauty and history are chief amongst them. Each piece carries with it a complicated ...
Exploring Antique Technologies – Saving Scrimshaw: How it’s Made and How to Take Care of It
by Kary Pardy If you’re a nautical fanatic, a coast dweller, or a fan of early American arts, you probably know and appreciate scrimshaw. But what is it really, and ...
