Maimeo Remembers

People are social beings and show relationships to others in many ways such as dress, jewelry, language, or customs. A fun way to show membership in a group or service to a group is by specifically designed pins.

Pins can be used to reward for service, meeting a milestone, or just having the same goals as another. They can have historical significance and they can show changes in society.

Pins can be displayed discreetly on a lapel or collar or conspicuously with similar pins on a hat or vest.  They are frequently traded at athletic, sport, or political events.

Pins are great collectibles because they are generally inexpensive and can be themed by subject, composition, color, etc. But mostly they are interesting and fun!

Lions Club pin

Usually these posts describe how different things are today compared to 50 or 100 years ago. But when it is holiday shopping time, many shop for time-honored gifts (in addition to the latest electronic gadget).

Gold, silver, crystal, and silk never go out of style. Artists create beautiful objects today but the techniques often haven’t changed over the years. Artisans in various cultures have made traditional jewelry and decorative objects the same way for years.

Our attraction to antiques and collectibles is partly, at least, based on feeling this continuum of human creativity. We remember what we used to love in our parents’ or grandparents’ homes and add to our collections those things that give us a sense of family – both our individual family and the human family.

Planning on attending a holiday party at your workplace or in your social circle? Why not add a vintage piece of jewelry? Pearls are the classic addition to dress up an outfit.

My mother was very active in charity groups and they always had a holiday dance. Back in those days we wore very, very full skirts with net crinolines that itched when you sat down! And, of course, the pearls. And elbow-length gloves. And girdles!

Nowadays, you probably will not wear the gloves and girdle and you are looking for jewelry with a little more pizzazz. Rhinestones are great for accenting the little black dress. Pins and brooches are versatile and can be worn on a dress, attach a scarf, or large ones can even be pinned to a coat. Show your bling this holiday season!

It’s not too early to start thinking about your holiday festivities and decorations. This year, a new addition to your table may bring back memories of good times past.

Candles always give a nice warm look to the food and cobalt glass candlesticks with silver overlay can add a nice touch of color and elegance.  This style was very popular from about 1895 through the 1920s. These pieces were considered special and used on the holiday table or in decorating the house.

Serving a cake or cookies for dessert? An unusual serving piece enhances home made or bakery goodies. In Victorian homes during the holidays there was always a lovely plate of cookies or cake and a decanter of sherry on the dining room table or sideboard for drop-in guests.

Even though our homes are less formal than the early 20th century, holidays often bring out the silver and formal china. A few silver highlights can make a table lovely (especially if they are reflecting the warm candlelight). Nut dishes typically graced the Victorian table so that the guest was able to snack between the many courses.

Elaborate table settings are no longer a tradition in most homes. But, for special occasions, we should bring out the seldom used pieces that take us back to our memories and our family traditions.

Personally, I don’t understand the popularity of roosters. Roosters on plates; roosters on fabric; roosters on jewelry; roosters on napkins. Brass roosters; ceramic roosters; wooden roosters; glass roosters.  But I can’t ignore the sheer numbers and variety of rooster-themed collectibles.

In my childhood home a pair of brass roosters sat on the bottom of a table in the front hall. The tail feathers had very sharp edges (now, how would I know that?) There were also a couple of milk glass plates in the kitchen with roosters. Roosters evoke a country house feel and can be colorful and cheery.

Rooster themed linens were very popular in the mid-20th century. We have seen white-on white embroidered rooster cocktail napkins and full-color rooster-decorated tablecloths. The roosters I like best are on breakfast or luncheon sets that have varied decorations. Do any of our readers have favorite roosters?

What do you bring back as souvenirs when traveling? In the old (and not-so-old) past, we have returned with shells, rugs, ceramics, books, framed art, wine, and even a table! Ah, those were carefree days. But with airplane luggage restrictions and all manner of agricultural rules across country and state borders, our collecting has been simplified.

Apparently, the same need for packable souvenirs held true for late 19th and early 20th century.

Paper menus and post cards were common, lightweight acquisitions. Also matchbooks, swizzle sticks, anything with an imprinted hotel or restaurant name.

Cruiselines still do menus but not as beautiful as Matson’s. Airlines no longer have similar lovely menus.

Many people collect carnival glass but do they know just how common it was in the early 20th century (and before)? In 1954, my grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary and the bowl used by the florist for the table arrangement was…marigold carnival glass. I don’t know what happened to that bowl but similar ones are often found in antique shops and we have acquired a few.

Carnival glass is a bit flashy so a little goes a long way as decorative and useful items in a home. It comes in all shapes and sizes and colors and purposes. Most pieces are inexpensive but the price really depends on the rarity.

The hat pin holder pictured is green glass with purple and orange iridescence. We have a pair which would have been used on a lady’s dressing table perhaps with matching pieces to hold rings or cosmetics.

• Carnival glass has been known by many other names in the past: aurora glass, dope glass, rainbow glass, taffeta glass, and disparagingly as ‘poor man’s Tiffany’. Its current name was adopted by collectors in the 1950s from the fact that it was sometimes given as prizes at carnivals, fetes & fairgrounds. However, that can be misleading as people tend to think that all of it was distributed in this way but evidence suggests that the vast majority of it was purchased by the housewife to brighten up the home at a time when only the well off could afford bright electric lighting.
• Carnival glass gets its iridescent sheen from the application of metallic salts while the glass is still hot from the pressing. A final firing of the glass brings out the iridescent properties of the salts, giving carnival glass the distinct shine it is known for.
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnival_glass

Now that summer is coming to an end, I think about all the flowers my mother would cut from our garden to decorate the house. Of course, she belonged to the Garden Club and entered floral arrangements into judged exhibits, but mostly she just loved having flowers about. She had dozens of vases in various sizes and styles. I still have a few and on occasion do as she did although, unfortunately I have to purchase the flowers.

So, pamper yourself and decorate your house before the cold comes!

Mexican silver jewelry is not only beautiful but it is interesting to collect. To promote the sale of silver jewelry, Mexico has, over the years, implemented regulations for marking pieces for purity and authenticity. Additionally, pieces are frequently marked with place of origin and artist. Common types are pins, bracelets, and earrings and subjects range from animals to ancient Mexican peoples. So, for collectors, there are multiple ways to define a collection: type of jewelry, inlay materials, subject matter, place manufactured, artist, even specific marks. Purity is typically expressed as parts of 1000. So, for example,  925 silver contains 925/1000 pure silver and also may be stamped “sterling”.

Many pieces are whimsical or fanciful and inlaid shells and semi-precious stones give the jewelry depth and a sense of luxury. I have many personal pieces (I like bracelets) acquired in travels to Mexico and each one brings back wonderful memories of my visits.

Bakelite was the first synthetic plastic and was invented by Dr. Leo Baekeland in 1907 in Yonkers, New York. It was widely used for jewelry in the 1920′s and 1930′s as a inexpensive substitute for ivory which it could be made to resemble. Bakelite can be colored during its manufacture and carved and painted afterward.  My favorite jewelry piece is Bambi. It has been worn lovingly so colors are not as vivid as they once were, but it is still charming. Recently there has been a rediscovery of the beauty and rich colors of vintage Bakelite.

When substituted for ivory in vanity items such as brushes, it was frequently labeled “French Ivory”.

Bakelite’s versatility made it popular for many more applications such as camera and radio bodies, even telephones and small industrial parts. When more plastic manufacture was developed, the process for Bakelite was abandoned as it was more expensive than the newer plastics. It is, however, still used in limited applications.

http://www.mrburnett.net/auggieplastic.html