Monday, January 31, 2011

R & D Beck Opticians, 1879

Copyrighted by Chas. W. Frost, 1879. Philadelphia opticians got the word out about their business through this charming trade card, measuring 2 and 1/2 by 4 inches.

And speaking of Philadelphia, Garth Lax is sending out e-mails about all there is to see and do in the city for those who arrive early for the convention August 17. Here's the Antiques edition:

2011  INTERNATIONAL PAPER DOLL CONVENTION
 
                       LET  FREEDOM  RING !
 
                                     Email # 2
 
                                ANTIQUING !!
 
Other than the Convention itself, there are few things more dear to a
Paper Doll Collector's heart than Antique Shops. In Philadelphia,
most of the Antique Shops are along "Antique Row" - - Pine Street,
from 9th Street to 17th Street. Here, you'll find a wide variety of 
antique shops everywhere you turn, each with the prospect of yielding
that long-sought treasure; and the Antique Malls, brimming
with multiple dealers. Let's look at a sampling.
 
At 936 Pine Street is M. Finkle and Daughter , America's premier
sampler and needlework dealer, offering a large selection of 17th to
19th Century needlework, as well as period furniture and decorative
accessories. Open Monday-Friday.
 
1102 Pine Street is the home of Antique Design, a direct importer of
18th and 19th century French and European antiques. There is also a
large selection of country French furniture. Classic Antiques also carries
an impressive line of mirrors and accessories.
 
At 1625 Pine Street is Antiques Showcase, with a concentration on
Antiques and Interior Design. Open 9 - 5 Monday-Thursday
 
At 1922 Pine Street is Classic Antiques, a direct importer of 18th and
19th century French and European antiques. There is also a large
selection of country French furniture. Classic Antiques also carries an
impressive line of mirrors and accessories.
 
There are many others, of course, but one that you may find to be of
particular interest is Deja Vue Collectibles at 1038 Pine Street.
Deja Vue is a doll collector's paradise. There are dolls from your
childhood, your mother's childhood, and your grandmother's childhood.
They have Boyds animals; Disney toys and books; Little Golden Books;
American Girl dolls, books, and paper dolls. Did you have a Raggedy Ann
or Andy? A Holly Hobbie? A Toni doll? They are all here. Also
Chatty Cathy, Shirley Temple, Madame Alexander, Ginny,
Anne Geddes, Sweet Sue. If you go to Pine Street, don't miss
Deja Vue. Open Tuesday-Friday 11 - 5; Saturday 11:30 - 5.
 
Pine Street is 9 miles from your Convention Hotel, a 20 minute drive.
 
Ah, but Philadelphia Antiques are not limited to Pine Street. There
are other fine Antique Stores sprinkled around the city. Here are a few
that may interest you:
 
Antiquarian's Delight (or South Street Antiques Market) at 615 South
6th Street is a delight. The variety of goods in the various booths is
impressive, and there's so much material that you'll want to allocate
sufficient time to enjoy it. If you like vintage dresses, accessories,
and jewelry, for example, you'll find lots on the first floor at the back.
Don't miss the basement - - there are lots of unique goods down there.
The items throughout tend to be a bit pricey, but the booth owners are
most likely present on the weekend, and that's your best bet for a
special price and a real bargain. Open Wed and Thurs noon - 7,
Friday and Saturday noon - 8, Sunday noon - 7. The store is about
10 miles from your Convention Hotel - - a 20 minute drive.
 
Nearby at 617 Bainbridge Street is Anastacia's Antiques, regarded
by many as the best antique store in Philadelphia. 
The owner, Stacy (Anastacia), is very knowledgeable about everything
Victorian, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco; and the store has everything
from vintage purses to Balkan jewelry to dolls. To give you an idea
of the range of goods, consider: Spooky mannequin heads with Max
Factor eyelashes, Ancient postcards, Antique linens in pristine
condition. Exceptionally nice onyx jewelry, Wire eyeglasses,
Full range of Victoriana - including a great range of tile, Ceramic and
metal planters, crystal candelabras, Door knobs, Fans you would see
in film noir, Signage you would see in a silent movie.
The store is viewed as having amazingly good prices. The store is
about 9 miles from your Convention Hotel - - a 19 minute drive.
 
Oliver's Antiques, at 2052 Fairmount Avenue, is another fine store.
Oliver's has a broad range of antiques; of particular note would be
the purses, jewelry (both costume and fine), and antiquarian china.
Lots of nooks and crannies to explore - - and the prices tend to be
quite reasonable. Oliver's is close to the Eastern States Penitentiary.
(I'll have more to say about Eastern States in a later Email !) Oliver's
is about 9 miles from your Convention Hotel - - a 19 minute drive.
 
The Indigo Arts Gallery at1400 North American Street, #104, focuses
on International Folk Art from Asia, Africa, and the Americas. With
three floors of jewelry (very nice amber, topaz, and jade - skillfully made),
books, masks, paintings, instruments, furniture, folk art, bedspreads,
etc. from all over the world, if you're seeking international material, you'll
probably find what you seek here. The store is about 12 miles from your
Convention Hotel - - a 22 minute drive.
 
So - - that's a sampling of Philadelphia Antiquing.
 
But let's look at one more venue - - Mullica Hill, New Jersey.
Mullica Hill is an easy 21 mile (30 minute) drive from your
Convention Hotel. It's a village - - and its Main Street is lined with
Antique Shops!  Here are a few:
 
  King's Row Antique Center, 46 North Main Street, has Dealers
    that feature Victorian furnishings, Americana to early 20th Century,
    Royal Family Specialist, Antique China, books, postcards, toys,
    glassware, vintage textiles, decorative accessories, silver, jewelry,
    estate and antique jewelry, pottery, folk art, old toys, and miniature
    scale trains. Open every day, 11 AM to 5 PM.
 
  Old Mill Antique Center, 1 South Main Street, has Dealers that feature
    ephemera, books, china, glass, vintage clothing, costumes, buttons,
    dolls, Linens, vintage tools, old bottles, insulators, lanterns, jewelry;
    Roseville, Van Briggle, Rookwood, and Lenox china; antique radios,
    clocks, Edison cylinder players, trains, childrens' books, tokens,
    medals, coins. At least three of the Dealers (Betty-Ann's Folly,
    Lucky Dog, and Mulberry Tree have dolls). Open 7 days per week,
    11 AM - 5 PM.
 
  Lucky Dog Antiques, at 19 South Main Street, features childrens'
    books, dolls, old attic treasures.
 
  Front Porch Antiques, at 21 South Main Street, has furniture, oil
    paintings, prints, mirrors, and decorative items. Open Fri-Sun 11-5
 
  The Sign of St. George, at 30 South Main Street, has antique furniture.
    china, porcelain, jewelry, and accent pieces. Open Fri-Sun 12-5.
 
  Trellis Antiques and Interiors, at 43 South Main Street, has four rooms
    of vintage and antique furniture, pottery, textiles, and garden ware.
    Open Wed - Sat 11 - 5, and Sunday Noon - 4. Ample free parking
    in the rear. 
 
  The Yellow Garage Antiques Marketplace, at 66 South Main Street,
    is a 6500 square foot interior marketplace. Its Dealers specialize in
   18th and 19th Century country furniture in original paint, pine and
    fine Period furniture, blue decorated stoneware, redware, yellow ware,
    quilts, baskets, samplers, folk art, Americana, Indian artifacts, fine art,
    dolls and accessories, 19th Century antique images, vintage
    Halloween and other holiday collectible, toys, estate jewelry,
    Civil War artifacts, fine glassware and china, Wallace Nutting prints,
    trade signs and advertising, and decorative arts. 
    Of particular interest to you may be Louise's Little Ladies Dolls and
    Toys in the Yellow Garage Marketplace. Open Wed - Sun 11 -5.
 
  For those who may want to have lunch in the area, there are options:
 
    - Toscana Restaurant at Mullica Plaza, 127 Bridgeton Pike
        serves pizza, pasta, seafood, chicken, and beef dishes;
        as well as soups and desserts.
 
    - Harrison House Restaurant at Routes 45 and 322.
 
    - Blueplate at 47 South Main Street
 
    - Amelia's Tea and Holly, at 26 South Main Street is a tea room. 
 
[To get to Mullica Hill from your Convention Hotel, take I-95 South
for a total of 7.4 miles to Exit 4 (US 322 E), then follow US 322 E
over the Delaware River for a total of 13.2 miles, and there you are!]
 
 
So - - there you have some Antiquing venues, in Philadelphia, and
outside Philadelphia.
 
I'll be back next time with more things to see and do in the area.
 
- - Garth
          2011 INTERNATIONAL PAPER DOLL CONVENTION
                               August 17 - 21, 2011
                  Embassy Suites - Philadelphia Airport
                               9000 Bartram Avenue
                            Philadelphia,  PA  19153
                                                   
******************************************************************************
                          CONVENTION REGISTRATION
 
NAME__________________________________________________
 
ADDRESS_______________________________________________
 
CITY_______________________STATE_______ ZIP/PC__________
 
EMAIL_____________________________________
 
PHONE____________________________________
 
Registration:  $295.00 USD 
 
Absentee Registration:  $155.00 USD
  (Absentee Registrations are limited in number.)
 
Guest Registration (Meals, Reception Party) $150.00
  GUEST NAME:__________________________________________
 
Make Checks payable to:  2011 Paper Doll Convention
 
____ Check/money order enclosed
 
____ Credit Card #____________________________Exp.Date______
        (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, AmEx accepted)
        (charge will appear on statement as "Paperdoll Review")
 
Mail to:
 
David Wolfe
P.O. Box 2279
New Preston,  CT  06777
**********************************************************************************

Sunday, January 30, 2011

A Sunbean in a Winter's Day, 1910


"A little rule, a little sway,/A sunbeam in a winter's day,/Is all the proud and mighty have/Between the cradle and the grave." --Alexander Pope

An oddly tinted card with a melancholy message that actually is quite hopeful: Even the most powerful and ruthless people must come to an end. Interestingly, this couplet has been  wrongly attributed to Pope. A Google search reveals this is an excerpt from the Welsh poet John Dyer's Grongar Hill, a work which has been compared to Pope's.

The flip side reveals something interesting going on; perhaps the clean-out of a house after someone's death, given the nature of the poem on the front. 

Dear Mother, I don't think I will get home before Sunday or maybe Monday as we are not half through cleaning. The house is awful dirty and Genie is discourage[d] so will have to stay and keep her agoing and they are using the horses every day drawing ice so don't look for me until you see me. Hope every thing is all right there. Yours ever, H.M.V. (Thursday morning)

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Inside Voodoo Paper Dolls by Kwei-Lin Lum





Congratulations to Kwei-Lin on the publication of Voodoo Paper Dolls. She did an outstanding job on the artwork and the research. You can order your copy from Dover.

Friday, January 28, 2011

Betty Boop by Carol Carey


Since Jan. 17 I've posted items I purchased from Paula Hill. Here is the last item, a relic from the days when paper doll collectors gathered in each others' homes to sell, buy, swap and have a great time. Joan Carol Kaltschmidt had one of the early self-published newsletters, Paper Playthings, which ran from April 1963 until the late 1980s. On June 2, 1973, Joan and a few other collectors hosted a party with the theme of paper dolls from the comics. Carol Carey drew the Betty Boop program and paper doll. Other attendees included Grayce Piemontesi and Barbara Jendrick, both knowledgeable writers with outstanding collections.  I also recognize the names of Emma Terry and Marianne Anderson as collectors and artists. I've had the pleasure of getting to know collectors Carol Carey and Marge Schaffer, who attended this party long ago.

Thursday, January 27, 2011

A buttery valentine, c. 1930s


This lovely valentine reflects the excellent taste of one "Wilma." I love the play on words and punning so common in these valentines.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Embellished valentine, c. 1890s



Love at first sight when I saw this partially hand-made card. Simple card forms with a stamped message were sold to embellish as you will. From the style of the scraps pasted on the front, I'm guessing 1890s. 

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Decalcomanies Suisses







Not sure how these work; perhaps dampen the back and press on paper? c. 1920s.

Monday, January 24, 2011

For a "goil friend," 1936



 A Rust Craft card, marked Boston, 1936. That's real polka-dot fabric attached under the cutout for her skirt.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Shy valentine, c. 1930

The artwork reminds me of bridge tallies, and the Buzza company comes to mind. But no markings on the back, save a pencilled note to "Eilleen" from "Harold P."

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Buchan's Carbolic Laundry Soap


c. 1880s. The soap that does it all. A peerless cleanser and banisher of house insects!

Monday, January 17, 2011

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Paula Hill's Open House 2011

The Christmas season isn't over until Paula and Blaine Hill hold their open house in mid-January. It's a magical setting: A mid-19th century one-room schoolhouse in Harriman, N.Y. High ceilings, wood plank floors, and everywhere on display the vintage and antique items they have collected over the decades. Dolls, teddy bears, jumping jacks, books and tons of Christmas items: nutcrackers, Santas, nativity scenes, ornaments, etc. These pictures capture only a small segment of the house and its contents. The Hills have a shop in the basement, filled with vintage scrap, postcards, paper dolls and children's books. I'll post my purchases in the coming weeks.







 Carol Carey adored the lovely glass reindeer.

Carol's mary janes.

Karen Ham.

Joan Burke. The four of us will share a room at the Philadelphia paper doll convention in August.


 Blue glass reindeer.



Thursday, January 13, 2011

Artefacts

If you haven't seen Artefacts yet, you're in for a treat. Click on the logo below.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Kitty alarm clock

How I wake up each morning. No date or markings on the back, but I'd guess c.1890s.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Sick kitty

No date or marking on the back of this card, just "Germany." Could be 1880s era. Love the ornate corners. Perhaps it was a sample for a trade card, shown to a pharmacist? Or just sold as is for the scrapbook hobby that was flourishing at the time.