It is June, the month of weddings, so the flea markets and shows are displaying antiques and collectibles that go with weddings and brides.
Traditions have changed during the past two centuries. Throughout much of the 19th century, a bride wore her best dress – usually a dark-colored dress that was later worn for other important occasions.
The tradition of a white dress started with Queen Victoria, who was married to Prince Albert in 1840. The queen’s white dress was trimmed not with fur – as was stylish at the time – but with lace, to promote an important national industry.
The white gown is still popular, but pastels and even bright colors returned in the 1940s. The tradition of the bridal veil probably started with Countess Eugenie at her marriage to Napoleon III in 1853.
The wedding cake was just a lavish dessert until the 20th century, when putting a pair of dolls on top of the cake came into style. Cake toppers have changed to reflect the times and can be found made of marzipan, wax, plaster, ceramic and plastic.
Collectors became interested about 20 years ago, and old ones can be found at most large shows.
Other obvious reminders of weddings are also collected, including the elaborate small pillows that hold the rings, wedding photographs from past eras, marriage cups used in the ceremony, garters, special white jewelry or wedding rings, place cards, wedding invitations and table decorations.
Unusual dolls or figures of the bride or the bride and groom became popular at parties in the 1930s. Today the decorations can be elaborate scenes that include small figures of the bridal party.
One unusual decoration from the 1930s was a pair of 15-inch-high felt grasshoppers dressed as a bride and groom. They were displayed with a complete orchestra of small felt grasshoppers playing felt pianos or violins. The value of a unique set like this is in the eye of the buyer; it will not be found in a price book.
We recently bought an unusual item at auction. It is a convertible shelf-and-table. The five shelves, each 11 by 36 inches, are oak. When it’s set up as shelves, it stands just over 55 inches high. If you turn a cast-iron knob on the side, you can push the top shelf back and the unit becomes a table about 60 inches long. The top shelf is stamped in ink: “The national combined display shelf &table, manufactured exclusively by The Weston Pa. &Mfg. Co., Dayton, O., U.S.A., Pat. May 10, ‘98.” We are hoping you can tell us a little history.
The “Pa.” in the mark stands for the word “paper,” not for the state of Pennsylvania. Your shelf-table, patented in 1898, was made by the Weston Paper &Manufacturing Co. of Dayton, Ohio. Toward the end of the 1800s, there was much interest in furniture that had multiple functions – table-chairs, table-steps, sofa-beds and even piano-bathtubs were patented and manufactured. Weston became part of the International Paper Co. in 1998.
My bright-pink-and-gold porcelain vase has a narrow neck and two scroll handles on the shoulder. The red stamped mark on the bottom is a crown over a scrolled symbol that looks like a script X within a heart. Can you tell me age and maker?
Your vase was made by Derby Crown Porcelain Co. (now the Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Co.) of Derbyshire, England, between 1877 and 1890. Those are the years when the company used the mark on your vase.
My grandmother left me a silver sugar bowl and creamer. She immigrated to the United States from Sweden in the early 1900s. The bottom of each piece is marked “Middletown Silver Co., Quadruple.” Could they have been made in Sweden? The pieces are very tarnished. How can I clean them?
Your grandmother’s sugar and creamer were manufactured in Middletown, Conn. The Middletown Silver Co. was founded there about 1900 by former employees of the Middletown Plate Co., which was by then part of the International Silver Co. The word “quadruple” means that your sugar and creamer have four layers of plating. Use a commercial silver polish to clean them. If there are darkened parts that resist cleaning, the pieces might require replating by a professional.
I have two “Dolly Grams” that I received about 35 or 40 years ago. They are about 6 inches tall and have paper hair. What do you know about these dolls?
Dolly Grams were one of the creative gimmicks that Western Union used to promote its telegram service. The company also sold perfume grams, stork grams, flower grams and the old standby, singing telegrams. Dolly Grams were introduced in the mid-1960s and came with different messages, including “Happy Birthday,” “Congratulations,” “Cheer Up” and “Just to Say.” The Just to Say dolls have a pocket that holds a tiny greeting card. Today, a Dolly Gram doll in good condition sells for about $5.
The Kovels answer as many questions as possible through the column. Write to Kovels, The Herald, King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.
2004 by Cowles Syndicate Inc.
On the block
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.
Sheet music, “Friend &a Lover,” Partridge Family, 1973, $12.
Dorothy Gray cologne, Floral Fantasy, ribbed, turquoise plastic cap, 1940s, $40.
Electrolux Vacuum Cleaner bank, model G, plastic, 1950s, 5 inches, $75.
Honey-Moon Express toy train, tin, windup, Louis Marx &Co., 1947, 91/2 inches, $170.
Pressed glass goblet, Crystal Wedding pattern, amber, 53/4 inches, $210.
Earrings, gold-color leaves with dangling faux pearls, gold filigree, Miriam Haskell, 1945, $275.
Bird’s-eye maple drop-leaf work table, two drawers, cross-banded top, stepped standard, four-sided concave plinth on paw feet, c. 1820, 31 inches, $485.
Bradley &Hubbard “Parrot in Ring” doorstop, cast iron, c. 1900, $525.
Sterling-silver flatware fish set, Love Disarmed pattern, Reed &Barton, 2 pieces, $600.
Sweetheart Soap advertising doll, composition, electric-powered, kicks, waves and turns head, lying in bassinette carrier, 1950s, $770.
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