#Middlebury #Antiques
Advertising signs are popular collectibles at antiques shows, but some are sold as art at galleries or auctions. Travel posters, French art deco wine ads, art nouveau ads by Alfred Mucha, magazine covers by Rockwell Kent, pictures from calendars by Maxfield Parrish and many other commercial prints are valuable. Also high-priced are ads that might seem worthless, but are decorative or conversation pieces.
This charming lady from the 1920s is promoting Edison-Mazda lamps (light bulbs) in a store. The life-size stand-up sign looks real and probably stopped many customers. She was kept in a shipping box until recently, when she was auctioned for $775.
Wm Morford Auctions had a successful advertising sale that included a life-size cutout of a woman with bobbed hair, a straight dress and low-heeled shoes called “Mary Janes.” The sign was promoting light bulbs in a box labeled “Edison Mazda lamps.” The clothes, size and brand name, plus its almost-perfect condition, made this store display desirable and dated as circa 1920s. The sign sold for $775.
General Electric registered the Mazda name in 1909. Before that date, every light bulb company used a different metal base and a carbon filament inside the glass bulb. GE used a tungsten filament that gave more light, but cost more. They licensed the Mazda name, socket size and filament technology to other companies, and the Edison Company used them. The Edison-Mazda name was used until 1945. The name Mazda still is used for automobile lights and batteries.
Q: I inherited my grandparents’ table, buffet and bookcase. I think they’re walnut and they haven’t been refinished. They were in my mother’s basement for over 40 years and there is some mold on them. What is the best way to treat these pieces without damaging them?
A: To avoid breathing mold spores, be sure to wear a dust mask and safety goggles. Use a vacuum with a HEPA filter and brush attachment to remove any loose mold. Then, clean the surface with a solution of dishwashing detergent and warm water. Scrub gently with a sponge, cloth or brush, being careful not to soak the wood. You can use bleach or a mold killer, but be sure to test it on an inconspicuous place on the furniture before using it. Rinse with a clean cloth dipped in water and wrung out. Dry the furniture with another clean cloth. If mold remains, the spot may need to be sanded. A combination vacuum-sander should be used. After the wood is completely dry, you can polish it.
Current Prices
Terra cotta sculpture, sitting man, braiding ropes, long gloves, 10-1/2 x 7 3/4 inches, $70.
Toy, tractor dump truck, black rubber tread tires, crawling, tin lithograph, Marx, 14 inches, $120.
Music, Melodeon, SD & HW smith, rosewood, reticulated music stand, 32-1/2 x 56 inches, $180.
Tiffany glass, bowl, gold iridescent, scalloped rim, wide ribs, favrile, 1920s, 2-1/4 inches, $210.
TIP: In snowy weather, make tracks both in and out of your door. One set of tracks leaving the house is an invitation to an intruder. Or perhaps you could walk out of the house backward.
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(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.
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