Unique Case Increases Value of Antique Photos

Mid 19th Century Ambrotypes in gold leafed frames

Recently a reader and colleague shared with me an unusual item- a lovely boxed set of antique photographs. These are no ordinary photographs, they are ambrotypes, popular in the mid 1800’s these were positive images affixed to a glass plate. Often confused with its earlier cousin, daguerreotypes, an image captured on a thin layer of glass. You can tell the difference between the two by holding the glass plate and tipping the image one way. If it is a daguerreotype it becomes nearly invisible, tip it another, and the image pops into view. It is this distinctive “memory ” that makes the daguerreotype recognizable and distinguishes it from ambrotypes and tintypes. To read more about early photography please link to my antique column on the subject at http://www.whatsupmag.com/apr06/antiques.shtml

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One side of Victorian era gutta percha case.

Even more interesting than the images it contains is the box itself, which is made from gutta percha. Popularly used for furniture and jewelry during the Victorian era, gutta percha gets its name from a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia. The sap from the trees produced a material that could be molded into the appearance of carved wood and a number of ornate furniture items made by the Gutta Percha Company established in 1847 were exhibited at the Great Exhibition held in London in 1851. Carved brooches, lockets, and beads were made of gutta percha and sold as mourning jewelry. It was even successfully used for golf balls!

Created in a mold, the box gives the appearance of being carved.

As for the value of the box, with molded decoration on both sides and the ambrotypes that are handsomely surrounded by gold leaf decoration still in mint condition- I would place it at between $350 and $500. The box itself is worth approximately $150 and portrait ambrotypes usually start at $50 each and go up depending on condition and rarity of subject. As this is a specialized type of antique, by going directly to collectors or dealers, the seller may have better success obtaining a higher price.

 

 

 

 

 

Depression Glass is An Antique You Can Use

A beautiful turquoise green color, distinguishes this lovely set of what is termed Depression Glass.

A reader just contacted me with the following:
Dear Ms. Maril:
I just read your latest antique column in What’s Up? Annapolis about antiques you can use in the kitchen. I have some dishes I inherited from my grandmother that are very attractive. While they are not actual kitchen gadgets they are nice for serving an elegant lunch or tea. Could you identify them?
RESPONSE:
What you have is a lovely set of swirl pattern depression glass. Mass produced glassware in a variety of pastel colors has become known as Depression Glass because it reached the height of popularity during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Actually, it was introduced in the 1920’s. The first mass-produced molded glassware made in the United States, it was both festive and inexpensive.
Hold up a piece of your Depression Glass to the light and you will notice numerous imperfections in the glass. These imperfections include air bubbles and lines in the glass called “straw marks.” Depression glass was designed with detailed patterns and produced in colors to hide what would have been very apparent defects.
The most popular Depression glass colors were green, pink, and ruby red. Opaque colors such as “delft blue”, “jadite”, “monax” (which looks like an opaque milk glass), and cremax”, (a creamy beige) were also produced. Clear glass is very common because it was made for the longest period of time, into the 1940s and 1950s, when the pastel colored glassware went out of vogue. Collectors should be aware that some manufacturers have re-introduced Depression glass patterns using the old molds, primarily producing pieces in crystal and pink.
Initially Depression glass patterns sought to emulate the look of Sandwich glass by copying many of the most popular patterns as well as drawing inspiration from 19th century English glass patterns and designs. As the market developed, light delicate patterns evolved as well as more simplified and angular designs, the style we today term Art Deco.
Depression glass is a fun item to collect because many pieces can still be purchased for less than ten dollars. During their era the same pieces sold for a few pennies apiece, and many senior citizens still remember going to the movies during the Depression and receiving a free piece of glassware on “Dish Night.”
“Many advertising items were made of glass,” writes Marian Klamkin in her highly regarded reference book, “The Guide to Depression Glass.” “These ash tray and mugs or other objects could be made to order cheaply and helped promote the sale of many products. Cobalt blue mugs, pitchers, and cereal bowls with a decoration of the photographic image of Shirley Temple, the popular child actress, were packed in cereal boxes to entice the consumer to purchase the product.”
While glass dishes were once given away as advertising premiums, sometimes a complete set with the purchase of a set of furniture, some pieces can be quite valuable due to their rarity. Whereas saucers and luncheon plates are common, items like a covered butter dish or a stemmed iced tea glass are very rare. Generally pieces that were easily broken such as glasses and covered dishes are rare commodities. Combine a rare item with a rare color and pattern and you have a valuable piece of Depression era glass. The current popularity of particular colors and patterns is also a determining factor in the current market values.
To read more articles about antiques by Nadja Maril go towww.WhatsUpMag.com