#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #BettyLamp
Think how difficult it was before 1800, when you had to have light to work at night and there were only candles or several kinds of oil lamps. By the 1850s, it was easier. There were kerosene lamps, gas lamps and finally electric lamps.
This antique Betty lamp was made by a known craftsman of the early 1800s, so it is very expensive: $2,000. (Kovels.com)
The Betty lamp is one of the earliest portable light sources. It usually is made of brass or iron. The bottom layer is a pan that shapes to a point: the spout. A second pan is on top to hold the wick, usually a twisted piece of fabric placed in the spout to soak up some fuel. The lamp also has a hook so it can be hung on a wall.
Antique Betty lamps are sold in many auctions for $40 to about $150. A wrought iron, copper and brass Betty lamp sold at a recent Hess auction for $2,000 after 21 bids. It was made by craftsman Peter Derr of Pennsylvania (1793-1868), making it a prize for a collector. A new, reproduced Betty lamp sells for about $40 to $100.
Q: We have a set of 12 Lenox dinner plates, each depicting a different sailing ship. They are gold-rimmed and marked with the name of the ship and a description. Eight plates depict a Challenge Cup and year, and four are Cup Defenders. They have the Lenox mark and “J. McD. & S. Co.” What is this mark? Are the plates valuable?
A: Sets of plates picturing yachts sailing in the America’s Cup races were made by Lenox in different versions and sold by several companies in the 1930s. The mark with the initials on your plates was used by Jones, McDuffee & Stratton Co., a dealer and distributor in Boston that began working under that name in 1871. By 1910, it was the largest wholesaler and retailer of china and glassware in the U.S. The company sold commemorative plates for Lenox and other companies until about 1960. The border, signature or provenance can add value. Some sets have sold at auction for over $1,000.
TIP: Never put gold or platinum-trimmed dishes in the microwave. The metallic trim will spark and may damage the oven and burn the dishes.
Current Prices
Doll, Hasbro, Little Miss No Name, plastic, big round eyes, straight blond hair with center part, tan linen tunic with fringed edges and patches, 1965, 15 inches, $135.
Pearlware punch pot, slip decorated, blue-and-white speckled glaze, checkered band on shoulder and lid, C-shape handle with leafy terminals, England, c. 1815, 7 1/2 inches, $470.
Photograph, Martin Luther King, Jr., gelatin silver print, titled and dated June 13, 1967, on lower left, signed in ink by photographer Fred McDarrah, matted, framed, 22 x 18 inches, $1,750.
Learn the six collectibles NOT to collect anymore at www.kovels.com.
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