By Richmond Huntley

This article discusses the popular china made in Staffordshire, England in the 18th and 19th centuries and includes information about the designs and American historical themes that were popular. It originally appeared in the August 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

One thing suggests another in antique collecting, as with anything else. The person who buys …

By Stephen Decatur

This article discusses the history of porcelain known as Oriental Lowestoft, detailing its notable characteristics, available colors and designs, and the differentiation between periods. It originally appeared in the August 1938 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Through sheer longevity and persistence, the term Oriental Lowestoft has become the designation for all Chinese porcelain made expressly …

By Ruth Webb Lee

This article notes some of the rarities found in china items, which are highly sought-after by the avid collector. It originally appeared in the December 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

It is always a matter of pleasure to collectors, who visit antiques shows, to find the commercial aspect made somewhat less obtrusive by the …

By Thomas Hamilton Ormsbee

This article, originally published in two parts, discusses the history of notable yet under-recognized cabinetmakers from Salem, also noting the economic history and community of craftsmen in the city. Part Two focuses on Elijah and Jacob Sanderson’s lives and work. It originally appeared in the August and September 1939 issues of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Part …

By Florence Zacharie Ellis Nicholls

This article notes the evolution of buttons from crudely-made items using bones to fashionable and elaborate 16th-century accessories to sporting and story buttons, popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Using the images provided, it describes buttons with animal motifs that are both common and scarce. It originally appeared in the May 1943 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and …

By Richmond Huntley

This article discusses primitive American portraits, which were thought crude and undesirable until the 1920s when they became a popular furnishing in country homes. It originally appeared in the August 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Various articles on what and how to collect have stressed the importance of broadening one’s interest. “Remember,” says one writer, …

By Bruce Millar

This article focuses on corner (or roundabout) chairs, a comfortable chair first popular in England in the 18th century. It notes that no two corner chairs look alike and lists the top reasons why they are desirable. It originally appeared in the October 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

(American Collector Editor’s Note: Some three years …

By Ruth Webb Lee

This article describes the designs and different variations of paperweights created by Nicholas Lutz at the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company. It originally appeared in the August 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

More than one veteran collector of American glass, particularly Sandwich, will be surprised to learn that a workman at the Boston …

By Richmond Huntley

This article discusses the history of dolls, noting their multiple uses (from religion to fashion) and their spread across the world. It originally appeared in the December 1942 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

In a New England parlor of the 1890s a doll of the period was perched on top of a high book case, …

By Thomas Hamilton Ormsbee

This article discusses the various types of fine jewelry that was popular among 18th-century Americans, using advertisements written by jewelers and notices written by Americans who had lost precious pieces as examples. It was originally published as a two-part series in the March and April 1941 issues of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

Part I:

“Deer’s Foot — …

By Richmond Huntley

This article focuses on quilts, which were first created as early as the 16th century. It notes the various designs and the production process. It originally appeared in the November 1941 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

The antique quilts which collectors admire today for their colorfulness and variety of design represent two of the oldest …

By James Brush Hatcher

This article focuses on essays (stamps that were designed but never issued), describing various designs and noting some of the ways the government tried to prevent stamp reuse in the late 1800s. It originally appeared in the December 1943 issue of American Collector magazine, a publication which ran from 1933-1948 and served antique collectors and dealers.

It was a shock to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing …