Apple peelers first designed in late 1700s

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #ApplePeeler Between 1803 and 1900, approximately 250 U.S. patents were filed for designs of apple peelers. One of the first designs was in the late 1700s. Apples ... Continue Reading →

Convertible furniture was 19th century innovation

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques The 19th century was a time of innovation in wooden furniture. New inventions, such as the jigsaw, and construction methods, such as mass production, opened ... Continue Reading →

Lucite trunk appealed to designers

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #Lucite It’s essential for designers to stay on the cutting edge of fashion, which often means finding innovative uses for new materials. Lucite, a clear ... Continue Reading →

Trompe l’oeil art style dates to ancient times

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques The term “trompe l’oeil,” meaning “fool the eye,” is an art style that was popular in the 19th century. By then, artists and audiences had enjoyed ... Continue Reading →

Hooked rugs became art form

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #HookedRugs No one is sure who made the first hooked rugs, but most historians think it was the Vikings. We do know that, in the early 19th century, floormats ... Continue Reading →

Redware pottery slip cup made around 1830

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #Redware A strange redware pottery item was listed in a recent auction as a cup. But it looked more like a squat 2-inch vase with a large opening on one side. ... Continue Reading →

Coca-Cola sign looks like a painting

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques A tin sign picturing an attractive girl sold for $12,390, which is an impressive price for a portrait of a young woman from the 1910s! But if you look closer, ... Continue Reading →

Chenets are French andirons

#MiddleburyCT #Andirons #FiestaDinnerware “Chenet” is the French word for “andiron,” the iron brackets that hold logs in a fireplace. The andirons keep the burning logs off ... Continue Reading →

Some advertising signs lack brands, names

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #AdvertisingSigns Advertising signs are most popular when they include a well-known brand name or recognizable mascot. Sometimes, a sign doesn’t have a ... Continue Reading →

Stickley furniture icons of American design

#MiddleburyCT #Antiques #Stickley Gustav Stickley has created icons of American design. Inspired by John Ruskin and William Morris of the English Arts and Crafts movement, Stickley ... Continue Reading →