OT: A few days ago I found out my friend Bob Swanson had died at the age of 52. Bob was a co-founder of Genentec and was responsible for making lives better for perhaps millions of people.
The synthesis of human insulin, human growth hormone, and a drug that restores blood flow after heart attacks were just a few of the many successes for which his company was responsible. He was named one of the 1000 important figures of the millennium, as the "entrepreneur who launched the biotechnology revolution." *

I met Bob at Miami Springs Junior High. We were in the same mechanical drawing class. He was one of the "brains" of the ninth grade Class of '61. But more than that, he was a warm and gentle, soft spoken guy. If you looked up the word 'nice' in the dictionary, Bob's picture would be there.

In high school we drifted apart as he pursued science and I pursued art, but we were able to come together as members of the German Honor Society. He came to my home for the annual party in 1965. After that, we spoke after school several times while I waited for the bus. He was friendly and caring, always.

Three years later, Bob was home for the summer from MIT and he gave me a call. That was the last I heard from my friend. At the age of 27 he had his now-historic meeting with Dr. Herbert Boyer, his future business partner. At the same age, I had a life-altering experience, too. I saw the Rocky Mountains for the first time and my eyes were opened by the majesty of it all. I wanted to paint and photograph, which I considered noble, and Bob wanted to take genetic engineering to the marketplace and help millions of people. I think Bob won the toss on that one.

Eight years ago, my friend succumbed to brain cancer. He had changed the lives of countless numbers of people for the better, and the irony that he was unable to help himself is overwhelming.

~ Evelyn

* Book, 1,000 Years, 1,000 People: Ranking the Men and Women Who Shaped the Millennium, authors Agnes Hooper Gottlieb, Henry Gottlieb, Barbara Bowers and Brent Bowers.

Collecting Decanters

Have you considered collecting antique decanters? Decanters, jugs, and carafes are not only practical, but sometimes very inexpensive. You can find them at auctions, yard sales, and estate sales for under $50. The least expensive are pressed & cut crystal (no color) decanters from the Victorian period.

Carafes and jugs have been with us since ancient times, but decanters arrived on the scene in the 15th century. The term 'decanter' was first used in England in the early 1700's. In the 1830's, decanters with matching wine glasses were introduced.



There are a wide variety of shapes, which changed over the years. In all countries, shape and decoration followed the prevailing shapes of the period: neoclassic and Georgian, for example. Some are barrel-shaped, cut with flutes to imitate hoops and staves. Others are tapered, or square, or are 'shaft and globe' (bulbous with long necks). The claret jugs have graceful looped handles and lipped mouths. Then there are ship's decanters, made with wide bases to add stability at sea.

The more expensive decanters are made of colored glass, and/or mounted with silver. In Germany and Bohemia, enameled designs were used. In Ireland, decanters were deeply cut and engraved. In the early nineteenth century, in America and England, the strawberry diamond pattern was very popular. In the 1830's, the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co., known for it's lacy pattern glass, turned out decanters in several blown mold patterns.

In the 1870's, elaborate cut glass became the fashion. In America, the Philadelphia Centennial in 1876 inspired patriotic motifs and symbols. Around 1900, the popularity of colorful art glass extended to decanters and wine goblets. The Art Nouveau period, 1890-1915, produced designs in silver deposit on colored glass. Decanters became status symbols when they sported silver mountings from Gorham or Tiffany.

Reproductions are out there, but a little research will go a long way. Pressed diamond and strawberry decanters have been reproduced; the originals have a gray cast. Repros of the early three-ring English decanters exist, as well as cranberry and cut glass color-overlay.

The Daisy & Button spirit decanters shown are available in our web store: Hourglass Antiques at eCrater

~ Evelyn

New Items at Hourglass Antiques!

We've added vintage magazine ads including 1964 automobiles (Cadillac, Lincoln, Pontiac Bonneville, Chrysler, Thunderbird), 1963 Volkswagon Beetle, and 1970 Jaguar. Also, you'll find a nice Jerry Lewis & Wembley ties ad, Camel cigarettes, and MOD sportswear from 1970. One full-page full-color ad we have for Lee denim (men's jacket & flared pants) was actually featured as a poster in the motion picture "The Ice Storm", set in 1973, as Tobey Maguire stands waiting for a train.


Advertising: New Items

Also new to the site are many non-fiction books, including SUPERSTARS of BASEBALL by Bob Broeg, CAMERA and LENS, by Ansel Adams, A HOUSEWIVES' GUIDE to ANTIQUES, First Edition, 1959, and 100 YEARS of the U. S. OPEN, 1995.

Non-Fiction: New Items

After your visit, give us your feedback! Thanks for reading. . .

~ Evelyn

Collecting Children's Classic Books

What is the allure for a children's book collector? For some it's the superb illustrations, for others, the well-written stories. Adults may continue to reflect with sentiment, affection, and even awe on the books they read as children. When they were read to us, we would ask Mom or Grandpa to "please read it again".

A best bet for the collector is the classic stories - the one's we have all heard of, and hopefully have already read. Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, illustrated by John Tenniel, was first published in 1865. Shortly after it was printed it was withdrawn by the author because he was disappointed with the quality of the printing. Only a few copies kept by Carroll escaped the fate of the rest, which were destroyed. The copies still remaining today are considered extremely rare.

Another story well-known to children is Beatrix Potter's Peter Rabbit (1893). The author created all the drawings, which continue to enchant today. Many children learned to read with the stories of Peter Rabbit and developed a kinship with Mopsy, Flopsy, and Cotton-Tail.

Kate Greenaway was a shy and often ill child with a talent for drawing. She started her career designing Christmas cards and Valentines. Her self-illustrated stories evoked fragments of childhood memories - rural England, pretty gardens, and frolicking children in idyllic settings. The Victorians loved her works, as we do today. Her first picture book, Under the Window (1878), was an immediate success not only in England, but in the rest of Europe as well.

Few stories are more popular than A. A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh (1926) and The House at Pooh Corner (1928). These books were illustrated by Ernest Shepard, whose black and white drawings helped make the stories a success. Shepard also illustrated Kenneth Grahame's Wind in the Willows, created in 1908 as bedtime stories for Grahame's son. This masterpiece introduced us to conceited Toad, sympathetic Water Rat, shy Badger, and other small animals residing along a riverbank.

Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island (1911), Kidnapped (1913), and Robinson Crusoe (1920) were all first illustrated by N. C. Wyeth. The illustrations in these books created a demand that delighted Scribner's, the publisher. Wyeth also illustrated The Boy's King Arthur (1917) and Robin Hood (1917) with colorful, life-like paintings. All of these titles are eagerly sought after today.

Children's illustrated books is such a rewarding field of collecting, so rich in scope - it could be daunting for a beginner. My suggestion would be, start with a book you knew and loved as a child and build from there. And don't just lock your newly found treasures away. Read them to your children, or your grandchildren. Hopefully, they'll be asking you to "please read it again".

~ Evelyn

Beautiful ANTIQUE DINNER RING Circa 1890

We just added a stunning diamond dinner ring to our site! It has a platinum setting and a 1.5 carat center stone. In all, there are 17 diamonds, creating a beautiful dome. This special piece is a true antique, dating from about 1890. We are asking $12.500.00 for this beautiful ring. Make this beauty a part of your life, to enjoy and to hand down as a family heirloom. Ring size is 7½.

More Antiques Care Tips

Never touch the surface of a daguerrotype or an ambrotype. The perspiration will stain the image.

To clean wax from glass candlesticks, scrape with a wooden stick, then wash off the remaining wax with rubbing alcohol.

To remove white water stains from wood, put a piece of blotter paper over the spot. Press with a warm iron. The spot should vanish. If it doesn't, rub it with lemon oil.

If you receive a package of glass antiques during cold weather, let it sit inside for a few hours before opening it. The glass must return to room temperature slowly or it may crack.

If a piece of paper becomes stuck to the finish of a dresser top, soak the paper with mineral oil. Let it sit a few hours, then rub with a rough cloth. Repeat until the paper is removed.

To remove dirt or pencil marks from a vinyl doll, wrap doll so only the marked part shows. Rub mark with solid vegetable shortening and place doll in the sun for the day.

Stains on porcelain can be removed by soaking in a mixture of two tablespoons of Polident denture cleaner in a quart of tepid water.

Stained glass windows are more stable than they look. Small cracks in the glass, even a bowed window, is usually not a problem. Cracked solder joints between pieces of glass should be repaired.

A hair dryer set on cool can be used to blow the dust off very ornate pieces of porcelain.

Enjoy these tips, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS Everyone!

Recent Additions at Hourglass Antiques & Collectibles

New this week is a set of Frankart chariot horse-head bookends from 1934. With manes flying and nostrils flaring, they cry "Art Deco" in a bold way! They are a golden color over gray metal, and have developed a fine bronze patina over the years. They're marked, "Frankart Inc. Pat. Appld For" on the base. According to the "Collector's Guide To Bookends", these are considered very hard-to-find.

Another rare find is our Royal Copley "Stuffed Animal" elephant planter. Reminiscent of the poem, "The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat", these pieces have prominent 'seam stitching' and colorful patterns. This fella is off-white with lime green polka-dots and has his original foil sticker. He's circa 1940's and in excellent condition.

Also seldom seen is our Doranne of California circus elephant cookie jar. She's decorated with curlyQ swirls and wears a ruffled collar. With her trunk pointed straight up and her ears straight out, it's hard to believe she's survived in such great condition.

We've also added an amber Depression glass beverage set in the "Old English" pattern, a milk glass swung vase with hand painted Magnolias, a circa 1880 hand painted glass oil lamp, a pair of intricately carved cinnabar urns on wooden stands, a Lenox Belleek mug with dragon handle, Nippon, Czech, and German porcelain, and miscellaneous Barberiana.

Our special this month is a coupon for $15. off any order of $55. or more, or $40. off any order of $150. or more. These are good through October 15, 2005, and can be used with regular priced AND sale merchandise! We back all purchases with a 7-day money-back satisfaction guarantee. So kick off your shoes and pay us a visit real soon!

New Additions at Hourglass Antiques & Collectibles

We've just added 15 vintage purses, including a carved Lucite box purse with allover cross-hatching. Even the bottom and handle are cross-hatched. And it's in excellent condition! Another purse we're proud to offer is an 800 silver fine mesh purse with bottom fringe. It's origin, judging from the hallmarks, is probably London, England, circa 1890. Other purses include Corde', Whiting & Davis Alumesh with Bakelite frame, tapestry, hand beaded, and tooled leather.

Royal Doulton's "Pomeroy" pattern was produced from the original Davenport engravings of 1793. The rims are slightly scalloped and fluted with an intricate flowers and fruit border. When there is a center motif, it's of a floral bouquet in an urn which sits on a wall. Doulton made this pattern in several styles, including all blue, all red, blue or red with multi-color border & no center design, and red with multi-color floral center. We've just listed several pieces of this latter style. What's interesting is that the center floral of the dinner plate differs from the center floral of the bread and butter or the soup bowl ~ each center is different. We have dinner plates, flat soups, bread and butters, tea plates, and cream soups and saucers.

Our glass hat selection has just grown from five to nineteen. We've added Fenton opalescent, cranberry optic, Blenko crackle glass, a black glass advertising, and others in milk glass, crystal, amber, and green.

We've created a new category named "Johnson Brothers" under the main heading "Dinnerware". This was to accommodate the newly added "English Chippendale" china. This pattern features an allover red design of Cabbage Roses, stems & leaves, and other blossoms on a white ground. The rims are scalloped and embossed. This is a popular pattern because it resembles the chintz designs so in demand today. We have dinner plates, bread and butters, fruit bowls, cups and saucers, platters, sugar bowl and creamer, and a wonderful round covered vegetable.

Other new items include Wade whimsies (nursery rhyme characters and wild animals), advertising playing cards (airlines, cruise ship, and Joe Camel), and a 7-piece pattern glass berry set in amber (ca. 1892). Everybody's heard of the Poky Little Puppy, but how many Poky figurines have you seen? We have one! Wouldn't he look cute displayed next to your childhood Golden Book?

Our Anniversary Sale is ongoing, and although newly listed, the items in the preceding paragraph are all marked down. The sale marks our 14th year in the antiques and collectibles business. Including internet auctions, we've satisfied over 1000 online customers, and hundreds before that locally. We back all our items with a money-back satisfaction guarantee. So visit our shop soon! Sale ends August 31st.