Page 45 - JOAMay2021

By Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel

he earliest use of eyeglasses was recorded about 1300. Rock crystal
was shaped and set in round frames to wear and improve clarity. Collecting Tip:
TGlasses with temple arms that sit on the ears were not created until If your heavy cast-iron toy has rubber tires,
the 1700s. Glasses with dark lenses were worn for medical reasons by the display it on a partial stand so there is no pressure
late 19th century. Sunglasses that just cut glare were not used until 1929. on the tires.
President Theodore Roosevelt wore a monocle, probably the first Terry Kovel
president to admit he had trouble seeing. In 1784, Benjamin Franklin had
special spectacles that had bifocal lenses. Benjamin Martin (1704-1782) Q: I inherited a large original painting of Mickey and Minnie Mouse with
invented Martin’s Margins eyeglasses in the 18th century period. They “(c) Walt Disney Productions” pasted at the bottom of the drawing. It looks like
were round, had thinner and more accurate lenses set in two round frames it was an original painting used for reproductions. Is it valuable?
of iron or steel, trimmed with cattle horn or tortoiseshell and arms that A: Original production cels are one-of-a-kind pieces of art used to create
wrap around the ears. animated films or television shows. Each was hand painted by studio artists
Next came “scissors spectacles” that could be folded to fit in a pocket. on a piece of celluloid acetate and photographed on a background painting
The side pieces looked like those on a pair of scissors. They were first used to create a frame of a finished cartoon. Cels were either given away or sold
in the early 1800s. Once glasses could be made by machine, they became at Disneyland. An expert appraiser or dealer should see if it is authentic, but
less expensive, less of an ornament, and more an item used by working here are some things to look for: See if your animation cel has peg holes at
men and women. the bottom or sometimes at the top for color registration. This indicates that
The glasses here are Windsors, a style it is an original. Early Disney artworks have two pegs; later, Disney changed
started in Victorian times. This pair has to a five-peg registration. Your family history of knowing the artist and the
leather side flaps, a leather nosepiece, and a paper label is a good indication you have an original cel. The iconic Mickey
thin metal frame with round lenses and arms and Minnie also add to its potential value. A cel from Snow White and the
that wrap around the ears. There are many Seven Dwarfs (1937) sold for $3,750.
collectors of medical devices today, even
auctions that feature only medicines, original This is a very early pair of ***
containers and small medical tools. Prices are glasses with tinted lenses not Q: I’d like information about a Wilhelm Schiller & Sons pottery vase I recently
still low. used as sunglasses. purchased at a garage sale. It has an impressed mark with “WS & S” inside a
rectangle. Can you tell me about its history, antiquity and possible value?
ometimes a reproduction of an antique is worth almost as much as A: Schiller started in partnership with Friedrich Gerbing in Bodenbach,
the original antique. Wallace Nutting (1861-1941) was a collector, Bohemia, in 1829. Wilhelm Schiller & Son was in business in Obergrund,
Sexpert, photographer, furniture maker, author and an important Bohemia, from 1850 until about 1914, when World War I broke out.
part of the Colonial Revival in the U.S. He went to Harvard, married and After Gerbing died, Schiller moved to Bodenbach and opened his own
started taking photographs of the New England scenery. factory, where his son joined him in the business. They became the largest
Soon he furnished his home with authentic antique American manufacturer of majolica in Bohemia. The pieces had elaborate raised
furniture, using the furnishings as props in pictures he staged with men decoration and they sell for about $150.
and women dressed in Colonial clothes. The pictures were black and ***
white, but he hired colorists to turn the pictures into color photos. He Q: I once owned a glass Alaska green celery dish by Northwood. I want to find a
sold millions of copies that soon hung in the average home. The furniture replacement and have no idea how. What can you tell me?
was admired, and he soon made accurate copies to sell to the public. This,
too, was a success. He also wrote books about New England, furniture A: Northwood glass was made by the H. Northwood Co., founded
and history. in Wheeling, West Virginia, in 1901 by Harry Northwood. He and his
A 20th-century reproduction Nutting tavern table was sold by Garths brother, Carl, manufactured pressed and blown glass tableware and
Auctioneers and Appraisers a few years ago for novelties. Harry Northwood died in 1919, and the company closed in 1925.
$469. It is short, has an apron, turned legs and a The Alaska pattern was made between about 1897 and 1903. It was made in
box stretcher. This type of table was used as a several colors, including blue opalescent, emerald opalescent, green, and
serving table in the tap room of Colonial taverns. vaseline, a greenish-yellow glass. Some pieces are offered for sale in online
shops. Try contacting a matching service like Replacements.com. Many
Reproduction furniture sells for low prices when compared dealers who sell early glass keep a “wanted” list to help customers. Let them
to antiques, but there are still companies making useful,
accurate copies of 18th-century pieces. This tavern table know what you’re looking for and they will contact you if they find it. Your
cost only $469. dish would retail for over $100.

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States.
Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
CURRENT PRICES
Folk art table, ship’s hatch top, wood, three boards, Furniture, sugar chest, Sheraton, cherry wood, lift top, Clothing, sneakers, Dolce & Gabbana, red leather, red
metal ends, iron legs, curled feet, 17 1/2 x 59 1/2 x dovetailed construction, two lower drawers, two sections lace inset on top, black leather band around heel,
27 inches, $525. inside, Kentucky, c. 1835, 32 x 36 x 18 inches, $2,500. black cord trim, woman’s size 8 1/2, $215.
Jewelry, necklace, pearls, single strand, knotted, 18K Jewelry, cuff bracelet, sterling silver, two bands joined Paper dolls set, Lilly Beers, two Victorian girl dolls in
yellow gold bow-shaped clasp, marked, Mikimoto, together, raised rolled edges, inset 24K yellow gold square petticoats, 10 dresses, two hats, stand, McLoughlin
22 inches, $1,350. panels, Emilia Castillo, Mexico, 5 1/2 x 2 inches, $490. Series, 1859, dolls 4-inches, $360.
Pair of glass candlesticks, cylindrical stem with three Advertising sign, Wood’s Seeds, Dependable Since Silver plate sugar caster, paneled horn form, dolphin’s
rounded bands, flared top and base, marked Val 1879, embossed tin, raised letters over a stand of six head end, stylized star piercings on lid, S-scroll handle,
St. Lambert, 16 1/2 inches, pair, $95. trees, textured foliage, green trunks, framed, 24 1/2 x scrolled feet, Birmingham, England, 5 1/2 inches, $290.
32 inches, $895.

Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer questions sent to the column. By sending a letter with a question and a picture, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names,
addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The amount of mail makes personal answers or
appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, (Journal of Antiques & Collectibles), Kovels.com P.O. Box 23192, Beachwood, Ohio 44122.
May 2021 43