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on Antiques & Collectibles

By Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel

t’s probably no surprise that the tea trolley emerged in Victorian Collecting Tip:
England. Just the words “tea trolley” can conjure up an image of a Don’t write on the back of a print with either
Idelicate cart laden with floral china and shining silver plate pencil or ink. Eventually the writing will bleed Terry Kovel
(probably resting on crocheted lace doilies), pushed by a primly through to the front.
uniformed servant into an ornately furnished room where aristocratic
women perch on uncomfortably carved mahogany chairs. Q: I have a Florence Stove Company Model HR91D. I’m pretty sure it’s an oil
Like many upper-class English fashions, the tea trolley spread to the heater but I am not positive. I’m hoping you can help me identify it. And do you
United States, where it received a new spin in the 20th century: With know of people who collect items like this?
Prohibition ending in the 1930s, the tea trolley was repurposed as the bar
cart or cocktail cart. This was also when the style we now call mid-century A: The Florence Stove Company has its roots in the American Oil Stove Co.
modern emerged. Scandinavian design was particularly popular, with clean founded in Gardner, Massachusetts, in 1884. The company was taken over by
lines, simple shapes and light woods. Central Oil and Gas Co. in 1890, and it became the Florence Stove Co., named
This cart, made of birch with white enameled wheels, was designed in after the town of Florence, Massachusetts, where the kerosene burner was
1948 by Alvar and Aino Aalto, the Finnish husband-and-wife team that invented in 1872. The company’s stoves burned kerosene. They made ranges,
co-founded the furniture company Artek. heaters and burners. In the 1930s, they introduced an oil and gas combination
An Eldred’s auction described it as a “tea range and oil-burning space heaters. Later, they made electric ranges as well.
trolley” rather than a cart. The old-fash- Production in Gardner came to an end in the 1950s. And yes, there are
ioned name didn’t decrease its appeal, as it collectors of antique and vintage stoves! Contact The Antique Stove Association
sold at the auction for $2,650. (antiquestoveassociation.org) to get in touch with collectors and dealers of
antique stoves in the United States and Canada. Many antique stove dealers and
Teatime comes to modern times. Scandinavian restorers are also collectors. The Antique Stove Hospital in Rhode Island
modern design gives an Artek tea trolley (stovehospital.com) and Good Time Stove Company (goodtimestove.com)
a sleek, stylish look. have information available online.

***
vid readers, do you find yourselves in a pickle when you lose Q: Do you know of anywhere or anyone that buys old photos? I have an antique
your place in a book? All right, maybe that’s a little labored. Still,
framed black-and-white photograph with another photograph on the back of
Aa brightly colored pickle-shaped bookmark can get your attention the frame.
no matter what you say about it. And that’s exactly what the
Heinz brand counted on with advertising premiums like these die-cut A: Old photographs often sell for low prices at thrift shops and estate sales.
cardstock bookmarks. Some collectors will buy antique framed photographs just for the frame. If you
This set of nine was sold by Morford’s Antique Advertising Auctions want to sell your photos for a higher price, you could try contacting an antique
for $130. On one side, you have a bright green cucumber with a smiling photography collectors club like the Daguerreian Society (daguerreian
child or chef holding a Heinz product. On the reverse, there’s a reminder society.org) or looking up photography classes, clubs or shows in your area.
of how “Pure, Clean, Good” Heinz products are, along with a list of a Some used or antiquarian bookstores also sell antique photographs. In the
few of their “57 Good Things for the Table,” like (of course) pickles, 1990s, some dealers and art galleries started taking interest in “found” photo-
baked beans, tomato soup and various relishes and sauces. graphs, or antique photographs, usually of ordinary people and everyday life,
Heinz introduced the “57 Varieties” taken by amateurs.

slogan in 1892. It wasn’t exactly truth in ***
advertising; by that time, the company Q: I have an antique Pullman black leather recliner and ottoman. Can you help me
had over 60 products. There are a few find a value?
different stories about why the number
57 was chosen: because 5 and 7 are lucky A: The Pullman Couch Company was founded in 1906 in Chicago. They are
numbers, or because it makes a memorable best known for their Davenport bed or sofa that could be converted to a bed.
slogan. Considering that the company has They also made overstuffed furniture. Pullman became the Schnadig
Advertising bookmarks like these Corporation in 1954. Upholstered reclining chairs were made in the United
preserve your place in a book and been in business for over 150 years, with States by the 1930s. We have seen vintage leather recliner and ottoman sets sell
reminding you of how helpful the the slogan still easy to recognize, either
company that they promote can be. one may be true. for about $300 to $600. A maker’s label always increases the value of a piece of
vintage furniture.

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales, and auctions throughout the United States.
CURRENT PRICES Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
Advertising, stand, Maxwell House Coffee, oval top, Roseville, Pine Cone, vase, blue, flared neck, bowl Lamp, hurricane, baluster shape shade, tole base,
six-lobed lower tier, rectangular base, painted red, shape base, two handles, branch shape, 12 1/2 inch- figural, leafy vines, grass, scalloped foot, felt base, 14
yellow lettering, 27 1/2 x 18 x 12 1/2 inches, $40. es, $185. 1/2 inches, pair, $770.

Furniture, stand, plant, neoclassical, faux marble top, Cowan Pottery, paperweight, elephant, on square Toy, horse, rocking, wood, painted, white, black
painted, round, three legs, crossed, faux bamboo, base, red glaze, Margaret Postgate, c. 1930, 4 1/2 base, leather saddle, Victorian, 31 x 55 1/2 x 12
19th century, 42 x 12 1/2 inches, $160. inches, $830. inches, $320.

Toy, wagon, milk, plywood, metal wheels, red paint, Delft, tile, paving, square, round frame, bird in Cut glass, centerpiece, Aurora Borealis, scalloped
pull handle, Flottweg, 12 x 19 x 25 1/2 inches, $40. landscape, blue, yellow, green, white, England, rim, skirted base, two pieces, Pitkin & Brooks, 15 x
c. 1630, 5 1/4 x 5 1/2 inches, $1,475. 12 inches, $1,800.
Terry Kovel and Kim Kovel answer readers’ questions sent to the column. Send a letter with one question describing the size, material (glass, pottery), and what you know about the item. Include
only two pictures, the object and a closeup of any marks or damage. Be sure your name and return address are included. By sending a question, you give full permission for use in any Kovel product.
Names, addresses, or email addresses will not be published. We do not guarantee the return of photographs, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. Questions that are answered will appear
in Kovels Publications. Write to Kovels, Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, King Features Syndicate, 628 Virginia Dr., Orlando, FL 32803, or email us at collectorsgallery@kovels.com.

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