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July 2020 - Antique Shoppe - 13
                                             Visual variety was provided            Throughout the Prohibition years, the Deco home bar was, by
                                           through the use of modernistic         necessity, a movable feast. After Repeal, it was a veritable “happy hour”
                                           designs and textures, from ribbed to   for Art Deco designers, with a heady flow of accessories specifically
                                           rippled. Among the most interesting:   intended for the now front-and-center home bar.  Perhaps because the
                                           Morgantown’s “Palazzo”                                                           field was a relatively new
                                           cocktail glasses with their                                                      one, designers felt—or were
                                           stacked-disk stems; McKee’s                                French cocktail set,   given—more freedom to
                                                                                                      featuring decanter girl
                                           “donut hole” decanter, its                                 in ruffled collar.    experiment with form and
                                           open center repeated in the                                Decanter, 10-1/4” h.   function. In any event, the
                                           design of  the corker; and the                             ($300-$400/set.       result was an imaginative
                                           many-edged, crushed-paper-                                                       outpouring which leads one
                                           bag styling of Consolidated’s                                                    to think that Prohibition was
                                           “Ruby Rombic” decanter set.                                                      almost worth it. Almost.
                                           Aladin even produced figural                                                     Donald-Brian Johnson is the co-author of
                                           flasks that did double-duty as                                                   numerous Schiffer books on mid-twentieth
                                           music boxes!  Most decidedly                                                     century design, including “Deco Décor:
                                                                                                                            Porcelain, Glass, & Metal Accessories for
                                           Deco of all: figural Robj                                                        the Home”. Please address inquiries to:
        No room available for a bar? A rolling “drinks                                                                      donaldbrian@msn.com
        cart” could prove just as effective (and could   decanters, which decamped                                          Photo Associates: Hank Kuhlmann, Ramón
        easily be rolled into a closet, far removed from   from Paris, and found new                                        Piña. All photos by Leslie Piña, unless
        prying eyes.) Just right, noted House & Garden   fans on domestic shores.                                           otherwise noted
          in 1937, for the “merry host or hostess”.

         What’s Selling on eBay?                                                  vertising Poster Print. (I think it may have been a calendar? I'm not sure.) It has a few
                                                                                    $3,409 (19 bids, 7 bids): Antique 1930's Kingfisher Fishing Lines 17.5" x 27.5" Ad-
                                                                                  creases from being rolled. A little edge wear. Not too bad at all. Will be great framed.
                                                                                  Real good, strong color. (Photos courtesy of eBay seller pampkpcl.)
         by PHILIP HAWKINS, JOHN SEXTON and MIKE McLEOD                             PH: Elisha J. Martin of Rockville, Conn., was the original creator of the Kingfisher
                                                                                  brand of silk fishing lines. In 1882, he was making braided eye-glass cords, and he
          $790  (35  bids,  11  bidders):  Vintage,  Old  “Mothers                made a few braided fishing lines for his friends—this progressed to the silk fishing line
        Crushed  Oats”  Antique  Crystal  Radio  Receiver.  Not  your             business in 1884. In 1899, E. J. Martin died, and the business was carried on by his
        average,  cheap  receiver.  Bought  at  an  auction,  I  do  not          sons as E. J. Martin's Sons. The firm continued in busi-
        know when it was made or its history, but it is not from the              ness until sold to the Horton Manufacturing Company
        1920s. Who made it or when is unknown to me.                              in 1919.
          The top has markings, but I can find no information on                    Horton was a successful manufacturer and dealer
        this item. It is in great condition. All knobs turn freely. I             of quality fishing tackle beginning in the late 1880s
        have no way of testing this so it is sold with no warranty.               when Everett Horton received a patent for a hollow,
        Don’t let this historical radio slip by. (Photos courtesy of              telescopic metal rod—the company became known
        eBay seller radio10467.)                                                  for its line of Bristol, Rainbow and Luckie rods and
          PH:  A crystal radio  receiver  is  a simple  receiver,                 later Kingfisher Brand fishing line. Throughout the
        popular  in  the early  days of radio.  It is named for its               1920s and 1930s, Horton often marketed Kingfisher
        most important component, a crystal detector, originally                  lines together with their Bristol Steel Rods and Meek
        made from a piece of crystalline mineral such as galena                   Fishing Reels.
        (lead  ore).  Being  simple,  such  radios  can  be  made  with  a          I found reference to Horton using well-known
        few inexpensive parts: a wire for an antenna, a coil of wire,             illustrators to create ads, including N. C. Wyeth, but
        a capacitor,  a crystal detector,  and earphones.  As  passive            could not locate any examples with an identified artist.
        receivers without amplifier or power source, they produce                 An earlier poster with the same artwork but with the
        fairly weak sound, require sensitive earphones, and can only              Martin name sold at auction in 2013 for $2,000—it
        receive transmissions within a limited range. Around 1920,                had issues of discoloration and paper loss into the
        crystal sets were replaced by amplifying receivers and became obsolete for commercial   print at the lower edge. Another earlier Martin poster depicting a girl ice fishing and in
        use but continued to be built by hobbyists, youth groups, and the Boy Scoutsas a way   excellent condition realized $2,250 in May 2019.

        of learning about radio technology. They are still available today as educational tools.   The price of this poster seems to be in line with other similar posters from this
          Mother’s Crushed Oats, one of many early brands of oat cereals, may have originated   product and era with a nod to the appeal of the artwork. (Quoted prices realized do
        the “enclosed premium” concept by including dishes in its boxes of cereal in the late   not reflect buyer’s premiums or tax, if applicable).
        19   century.  Mother’s  was  acquired  by
          th
        Quaker  Oats  via  acquisition  of  Great                                      BRANDON
        Western Cereal Co. in 1911, and the name
        was  continued.  Premiums  were  expanded
        to  catalog  offerings  through  accumulating                                      Somewhere In Time
        proof-of-purchase  coupons.  In  1924,  the         Mango Rd
        Mother’s  Crushed  Oats  crystal  radio  was
        offered in the Mother’s premium catalog for   MLK Jr. Blvd     574                     “Antiques - Collectibles & More”
        110 coupons or five coupons and $1. The
        radio  was  made  by  the  Marquette  Radio   75                                              39 The Shoppes of LaViva
        Corporation. A similar radio was offered in   301         Parsons Rd                            720 W. Lumsden Rd.
        Quaker Oat guise in 1921, ‘22 and ‘23. Both
        radios are considered rare. A few mentioned   60  ❶                                                  Brandon, FL
        are in radio museum collections. I located                  Brandon Blvd                            813-684-0588
        example offered at a 2004 show for $2,000.
        When rarities appear in the market, who is                    Lumsden                                Open Mon.-Sat. 11-5, Sun 12-5
        watching and the demand can and will drive
        the price. In this instance, it sounds like the         Kings Ave                              Like us on Facebook: Somewhere in Time Brandon, FL
        collector may have gotten a deal.                             Lithia Pinecrest                                                               ❶
                                                     Bloomingdale Ave
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