#Middlebury #Antiques
Ever wonder when rubber boots replaced shoes on rainy days? Hessian soldiers wore leather boots, and Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, decided boots made of rubber would be more useful and keep feet drier. Charles Goodyear had vulcanized natural rubber in the 1850s to make tires, and he sold the use of the patent to Hiram Hutchinson in 1853 to use for boots. They became a fashion statement for a few years, but then farmers began to wear them, and then soldiers in both World Wars – the trenches often held rainwater and the boots kept feet dry. The boots continue to be used by many and they have changed from a semi-pointed toe to a rounded toe, to even a metal toe to avoid accidents.
Some advertising collectibles are bargains. This picture was the top of an 1898 calendar probably given to customers who bought the Hood company rubber boots. The framed picture cost only $74 plus a 10% buyer’s premium.
Boots were first made of leather and went to the knees in the 1840s, then to the calf in the 1850s and to the ankle by the 1860s. Today, the terms “wellies,” “gummies” or “gumboots” are used to describe rain boots. The original high Wellington boot is still popular for people in places or jobs where there are puddles and floods.
This picture is part of an 1898 calendar advertising Hood Rubber Boots for children. They are high enough to be considered Wellington boots. The sign, in a gold leaf frame, 14 by 24 inches, sold at a Kimbell Sterling auction in Johnson City, Tennessee, for a bargain at $81.40. The company called the boots “galoshes.”
Q: My mother-in-law gave us a beautiful green Hull baking dish, and I’m trying to get some information about it. It looks like something I’d love to bake with, but I’m not sure if I can still use it and if so, what temperature would be safe. It reads “Oven-Proof Hull USA No. 28-8” on the bottom.
A: Hull pottery was made in Crooksville, Ohio, from 1905 to 1986. Hull began making “oven-proof” pottery in the 1930s. This 8-inch baking dish, with its handle and lid marked “No. 28-8,” usually is described as a Dutch oven. It should be safe to use in the oven at normal baking temperatures, usually not higher than 400 degrees, if there are no cracks. It sells online for $19 to $24.
Current Prices
Minton portrait plate, woman, jewelry, veil, “behold all my treasures,” pink, 9 inches, $160.
Jade urn, lid, double dragon handles, reticulated, puzzle ball, rings, 14 x 13 1/2 inches, $320.
Cookie jar, cockatiel, ruby art glass, silvered brass head, Murano, Italy, 12 x 7 1/4 inches, $540.
Stump planter, burl wood, knobby, hollowed out, 18 x 15 inches, $1,020.
TIP: Don’t store an oil painting in a damp basement or a hot or cold attic.
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© 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
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