Photo Opportunities for Mr. Lincoln
When Abraham Lincoln started to campaign for president, he did not have a beard. But by the time of his inauguration in 1861, his full-grown beard was evident. Lincoln was photographed many times.
The most famous pictures are the young beardless candidate taken in 1860, and the seated portrait of a bearded Lincoln, taken in 1864, that is now seen on the $5 bill. Collectors of Lincoln material save not only the pictures but also objects that include the pictures.
Currier and Ives made many prints of Lincoln; potters used his picture on commemorative plates. There were glass paperweights, a milk glass bust, tiles, printed fabrics, and, of course, campaign ribbons and buttons. The 1860 Matthew B. Brady portrait was used on a political ribbon along with the signature “A. Lincoln.” At least 57 different ribbons were made, some picturing both Lincoln and his running mate, Hannibal Hamlin.
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Question: Years ago, my great-aunt gave my parents a table lamp. The base is bronzed metal, and the domed glass shade is painted on the inside with a design. It is 24 inches tall. The only mark is “Handel 6747” on the inside of the shade. Can you tell me its history and value?
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Answer: The Handel Co. made lamps and art glass in Meriden, Conn., from 1885 to about 1936. The company made shades of leaded glass similar to Tiffany shades, as well as reverse-painted shades (shades painted on the inside) like yours. The number on your shade indicates that your lamp was made in 1919. It is worth more than $2,000 and should be appraised in person by an expert.
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Q: Recently in an antique-price book I saw a listing for a “lawyer’s bookcase” in the “Furniture” category. What is a lawyer’s bookcase? I have not been able to find the term in any furniture dictionary.
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A: The term “lawyer’s bookcase” is not a formal term for a piece of furniture. Collectors often use the term when referring to Mission-style, stacked box bookshelves. Each rectangular box has a glass door that lifts up on hinges and then slides back against the top. The style is also referred to as a “library” or “office” bookcase. One of the largest manufacturers of this type of bookcase was the Globe-Wernieke Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio.
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Q: At my cousin’s estate sale, I bought an old house-shaped Seth Thomas alarm clock. The clock came in its original wooden box. The label on the lid of the box reads “Chew Duck Tobacco.” There’s a little picture of a duck, and a long explanation of Duck tobacco. It says that Duck is a new brand and that whoever finds a special “tin slip” in a Duck tobacco plug can send the slip to Weissinger & Bate, Louisville, Ky., and receive a free Seth Thomas alarm clock. Who is Weissinger & Bate and why would they give away clocks?
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A: Between 1870 and the early 1900s, American tobacco companies competed for customers by offering a variety of product premiums like your clock. Duck Tobacco was made by Weissinger & Bate, which became the Harry Weissinger Tobacco Co., a tobacco manufacturer in Louisville in the late 1800s. The company sold several brands of chewing tobacco, including the Duck brand.
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Q: I have a working tabletop scale made of bronzed metal. A metal panel under the scale’s tray reads “Toledo Scale.” Its capacity is 6 pounds in 1-ounce “graduations” shown on a display screen above the scale. There are also two price graduations on the scale, with 1-cent and 2-cent increases. What is it worth?
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A: The Toledo Scale Co. of Toledo, Ohio, made scales for retail stores. Scales such as yours are called “self-indicating fan scales” because they register weight and price on a fan-shaped screen on the front. Your scale was made sometime after Toledo Scale Co. became a division of Reliance Electric Co. Older Toledo fan scales sell for $200 to $500. Yours is worth about $100.
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Q: My old cast-iron clown bank is 6 inches tall. The clown has a tilted, pointed cap, and part of his costume is painted red. Who made it, and what is it worth?
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A: Your bank was made by the A.C. Williams Co. of Ravenna, Ohio. Its design was patented in 1908 by the company’s treasurer, James H. Bigelow. For many years, A.C. Williams was among the world’s largest toy- and still-bank manufacturers. Your bank is fairly common, but it’s worth about $120. Reproductions of the bank have been made.
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Q: Can you tell me something about my old, round icebox? The name on the front is “White Frost.” It is about 4 1/2 feet tall. A lid covers the ice compartment, and there’s a door on the front that opens to show three revolving food racks.
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A: Your icebox was made by the White Frost Refrigerator Co. of Jackson, Mich., around the end of World War I. Some models had a water cooler mounted on one side. The icebox is made of enameled steel with nickel trim and cork insulation. It was advertised in the Ladies’ Home Journal in 1920. Kitchen collectors would pay $250 to $400 for it.
For a listing of helpful books and publications, include a self-addressed, stamped (55 cents) envelope to Kovels, Los Angeles Times, King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017.
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Current Prices
Current prices are recorded from antique shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary because of local economic conditions.
* Automobile license plate, Pennsylvania, 1913, green and white: $55.
* Dinky toy, Aston Martin DBMS car 110, gray body, blue interior, racing decal: $80.
* Effanbee Wee Patsy doll, composition head, painted blue eyes, child body, painted socks and shoes, 6 inches: $235.
* Mettach stein, No. 1786, dragon handle, decoration of St. Florian pouring water on burning city, eagle thumb piece: $375.
* Wilcox & Gibbs Sewing Machine, manual, box, circa 1910: $410.
* Lalique figurine, two dancing female nudes, frosted, signed, 10 in.: $550.
* Folk art carved-maple walking cane, inscribed “1897” with relief carved and polychrome design of spotted trout, salmon and worms, 34 3/4 inches: $700.
* “Wizard of Oz” lobby card, shows the whole crew dancing, with Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley, 1939, 11 by 14 inches: $1,035.
* Hooked rug with central floral cartouche, braided border with trailing leaves and vines, circa 1900, 43 by 22 inches: $1,800.
