Collectors seek items with hidden meanings

Antiques are mysterious in many ways.

Some, like an asparagus server, were made to do jobs that are no longer necessary.

Some, like the Jenny Lind bed with spiral posts, are named for forgotten celebrities.

An antique mechanical bank with a hunter aiming his rifle at a bear cub is more than a toy. It represents the day President Theodore Roosevelt refused to shoot a bear.

But most intriguing are patterns that carry hidden meanings.

In recent years, researchers have learned that some 19th-century quilts included unique blocks that gave directions to those escaping slavery on the Underground Railroad.

Hidden messages are not new.

After the French Revolution in the late 1700s, it was not safe to side with the monarchy.

But some members of the royal family and their friends wanted to show their loyalty to the king.

A design for Chinese export dishes, based on an engraving published during the revolution shows, an urn filled with weeping branches displayed in a circular medallion.

Only a few realized that the urn was part of a message.

The white space on each side of the base of the urn is shaped like silhouettes of King Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.

In the tree branches are profiles of the two royal children.

The plates, with the pattern name “Urne Mysterieuse,” sell for thousands of dollars today, but the hidden message usually has to be explained.

Q. I found a big old automobile horn in a pile of junk. It has three long brass tubes attached to the base that’s marked “The Minerva Auto Horn, HHM Co., Pat. April 9th, 1912.” Please tell me something about it.

A. The base of your old automobile horn could be attached to the exhaust system of an old car to produce a loud noise resembling the sound of a train’s steam engine horn. The level of sound could be adjusted by the driver. The April 9, 1912, patent for the horn (No. 1,022,564) was granted to Willard Pennock of Minerva, Ohio. Pennock apparently opened a manufacturing company in Minerva or assigned the patent to a manufacturer. Eventually, four different sizes and styles of the horn were made. They originally sold for $5 to $10. One like yours auctioned in 2005 for $140.

Q. I have an old phonograph that has a metal plate that reads “The Pooley Grand Prix Eufonola, Manufactured by the Pooley Furniture Co. Inc., Philadelphia.” It has a crank turntable. The bottom doors open to reveal shelves for record storage. What is the age and value of this phonograph?

A. Pooley Furniture Co. was founded by James Barnum Pooley in 1892. The company made all sorts of furniture, including cabinets for phonographs and radios. Phonograph cabinets were made by several different manufacturers. An ad in a 1916 edition of Talking World Magazine listed Acme Cabinet Co. of New York City as the maker of the Eufonola disc player. The first 78-rpm records were made about 1900, but the speed at which a record turned (revolutions per minute) was not standardized until about 1930. The Pooley is not selling well today and usually sells for less than $100.

Q. I’d like to know something about a silver-plated tea set I bought at an estate sale. It’s marked “Academy Silver on Copper” on each piece. The mark is round like a stamp.

A. Academy Silver was in business in New York City from 1951 to 1961. The company made silver-plated hollowware.

Q. What is a “swung” glass vase?

A. A “swung” vase is made by pressing glass into a mold, reheating it and swinging it from the end of a rod until the neck gets longer and longer. The mouth of the vase is then tooled and polished and sometimes flared or ruffled. Swung vases can be found in many colors and sizes. The tallest were more than 40 inches high. Most swung vases were made by L.E. Smith Glass Co. of Mt. Pleasant, Pa., and Viking Art Glass Co. of New Martinsville, W.Va. Other makers included Fenton, Fostoria, Pilgrim and Tiffin. Large numbers of swung vases were made. Most sell for $10 to $50, although a couple sold for more than $200 a few years ago.

Q. I have an ice crusher that appears to be made of cast iron and has four feet adapted so it can be clamped or screwed down. It has a wheel on the side with a wooden handle that turns the toothed bar on the inside. The front of the crusher reads “Lightning Ice Breaker, Reg. U.S. Pat. Off. No. 106, North Bros. Mfg. Co., Phila. Pa. U.S.A. Pat. Pend. 106D.” I would like to know a little about it and if it is of any value.

A. Selden Gladwin North established a foundry in Philadelphia in 1878. His brother, Ralph, joined the company in 1880, and the company became North Brothers. The name was changed to North Brothers Manufacturing Co. in 1887. The company made ice-cream makers, egg beaters, meat cutters, tobacco cutters and other metal items. By 1910 it was making screwdrivers, drills, braces and other tools. North Brothers Manufacturing Co. was sold to The Stanley Works in 1946. Value of your ice crusher is about $250.

Tip

Lead garden sculptures should not be cleaned. The dirt and discoloration add to the beauty of the piece.

Lead is so soft that most types of cleaning will harm the finish.

Terry Kovel answers as many questions as possible through the column. By sending a letter with a question, you give full permission for use in the column or any other Kovel forum. Names, addresses or email addresses will not be published. We cannot guarantee the return of any photograph, but if a stamped envelope is included, we will try. The volume of mail makes personal answers or appraisals impossible. Write to Kovels, The Vindicator, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019. For more information, visit Kovels.com.

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