Stoves and central heating, 20th-century luxuries, changed how a family spent its waking hours, the way furniture was arranged in a room and even what types of furniture were popular.
Upholstered chairs with tall backs and large, padded arms were popular in past centuries because they blocked drafts of cold air. If the fireplace was the main source of heat in a room, people sat as close to the fire as possible. This meant there had to be some type of screen or hearth rug that kept hot coals and cinders from burning the carpet or floor.
The pole screen – a small, flat, traylike piece attached to a pole – was placed next to a chair. The screen could be moved up and down the pole to shield a person’s exposed skin from the intense heat. Screens were decorated with embroidery, banners, lacquer, straw-work, cut paper or paint.
A different type of fire screen, called a cheval or horse screen, was a wide screen attached to two legs. It was kept in front of the empty fireplace to hide ashes or the empty grate. Fire screens have been used for centuries, and modern examples are still made.
We have a minipiano built in the 1930s. It’s not a toy, but it has only 73 keys (instead of 88) and is only 3 feet high. Several marks are stamped in gold above the keys. One reads, “Eavestaff Pianette, sole Mfrs. in U.S., Hardman, Peck &Co., New York.” Above that are two crowns and the phrases, “As used by HRH Princess Ingrid of Sweden” and “As used by HRH Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret Rose of York.” Before we give the piano away, we would like to know its value.
Eavestaff, a piano brand that dates back to 1823, introduced its minipianos in 1934. The pianettes, as some models were called, were mass-produced and marketed heavily. The company thought people who lived in apartments or small houses were more likely to buy a piano if it didn’t take up a lot of living space. The “royal” connection must have helped sales, especially in England. Hardman, Peck &Co. owned a license to manufacture Eavestaff minipianos in the United States in the 1950s and ’60s. Most pianists do not care for the musical quality of Eavestaff minipianos, so unless yours is in mint condition and in tune or has an interesting cabinet style or color, it is not exceptionally valuable.
I picked up a glass-and-silver carafe and warmer for $10 at a rummage sale. I would like to know how old it is and how much it’s worth. It’s 13 inches tall, including the candleholder base. The mark on the bottom reads “F.B. Rogers, E.P. Brass, Lead and Zinc Mt., U.S.A.”
You paid a fair price for your silver-plated carafe and warmer. F.B. Rogers Silver Co. was founded in 1883 in Shelburne Falls, Mass., but incorporated in Taunton, Mass., in 1886. The company became a division of National Silver Co. in 1955. Your carafe probably dates from the 1940s. “E.P. Brass” stands for “electroplated brass.” The mounting (the “Mt.” in the mark) is lead and zinc.
I recently found an interesting print in a thrift store. It was in an old Victorian frame and appears to have been there for a long time. The picture shows a clipper ship with a red cross on one of the lower sails. On the print’s bottom margin is the title, “Clipper Ship Dreadnought off Tuskar Light,” and a line that says it was done by “N. Currier” in 1856. The print, including the margin, is 8 by 10 inches. I am curious about its value.
The Dreadnought was a three-masted clipper ship built in 1853 in Newburyport, Mass. It sailed for the Red Cross Line (hence the red cross on the sail) and made 31 round trips between New York and Liverpool, England, from 1853 to 1864. Nathaniel Currier New York print business didn’t become Currier &Ives until 1857, when James Ives became a partner. An original N. Currier “Clipper Ship Dreadnought off Tuskar Light” print is much larger than yours; the image alone is a little larger than 16 by 24 inches. You have a smaller and later copy of the print. An original N. Currier “Dreadnought off Tuskar Light” print is worth more than $3,000. Your framed print would sell for about $150.
I have a small tin-lithographed Disneyland Tea Set in its original box. The set, made by J. Chein, includes just two cups and saucers and a covered pitcher. Pluto is on the saucers, and Minnie and Mickey are on the cups. The borders of the dishes are yellow with red and green decorations. What can you tell me?
J. Chein &Co., founded in 1903, made Disney character tea sets between 1953 and 1955, then again in 1968. The 1950s Disneyland sets were made for the July 1955 opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. Your set is a small one. Another Chein Disneyland tea set has 15 pieces.
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2006 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
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