#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #AntiqueToys #Bradley&HubbardLamp
Antique toys can give us a glimpse into the time they were made. Even if they are not exact models, we can get ideas of the cars people drove, how they dressed and furnished their homes and what professions they had or pastimes they enjoyed. If antique toys teach us about the past, they taught the children who played with them about the future. Toy cars, trains, farm tools, dolls and dollhouses prepared children for their adult responsibilities.
Bing of Nuremberg, Germany, is one of the most famous toy companies of the late 1800s to early 1900s. They made this miniature factory, which may have been an educational model or a children’s toy. (Kovels.com)
This miniature tin factory was made by Gebruder Bing (Bing Brothers), a German company that was making metal toys by the 1880s. It became one of the largest toy manufacturers in the world and is famous for its toy vehicles (cars, trains and boats) and steam engines. This toy factory, which sold for $4,864 at Morphy Auctions, may have been an educational model to train factory workers, a more serious purpose than that of a typical tin toy.
Q: I’d like to know how best to take care of a Bradley & Hubbard lamp that has been in my family for over 100 years. The base is very large and heavy. It has a reverse-painted umbrella shade and is from about 1910.
A: Bradley & Hubbard was founded in 1854 by Nathaniel Bradley, his brother, William, and his brother-in-law, Walter Hubbard. The company made clocks, sewing machines and other products. Kerosene lamps were made beginning in the 1860s. The company was reorganized as Bradley and Hubbard Manufacturing Co. in 1875. It became a division of the Charles Parker Co. in 1940. Production of Bradley & Hubbard lamps ceased in the early 1950s. Lamps with reverse-painted glass shades should be kept away from sunlight and heat, which can damage the colors. Don’t use a light bulb that’s too hot. Reverse-painted glass should never be washed, just dusted. Use a clean, soft cloth, and don’t apply too much pressure. It could scratch the glass or cause it to crack.
TIP: Put a vinyl record back in its sleeve. It will collect dust if left on the turntable.
Current Prices
Lunch box, Marvel Comics, Spider-Man and Hulk on front, Captain America on back, blue trim, Thermos, metal, Aladdin, c. 1980, 7 3/4 x 4 x 7 inches, $65.
Clock, folk art, tower shape, wood, house shape case, bird perched on roof, leather clock face, battery operated, signed, dated, Daniel Hale, 1987, 25 inches, $125.
Movie poster, “North By Northwest,” Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, black and white image, “The Master of Suspense weaves his greatest tale!” Alfred Hitchcock, 1959, 41 x 27 inches, $190.
Claret jug, cut glass, moon shape, radial design, silver gilt mounts, handle, oval foot, husks, diaper work, gadroon borders, Andre Aucoc, Paris, France, late 19th century, 10 1/2 inches, pair, $1,025.
Looking to declutter, downsize or settle an estate? Kovels’ Antiques & Collectibles Price Guide 2023 by Terry and Kim Kovel has the resources you’re looking for.
© 2023 King Features Synd., Inc.
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