SWORDS
BY F.W. WIDMANN, W.H. HORSTMANN and the United
States Marines by Stanley B. Smullen | FOR
YEARS, the distinctive swords covered in this article have variously been identified
as infantry hangers, mounted or foot artillery swords
and non-commissioned officers swords. These non-specific labels have
resulted in confusion about their true identification and dating. This article
will demonstrate that these swords have an association with the United States
Marines and will illustrate and describe the known types.
The reason why
we can now tie these swords to the Marines is because of a stroke of good luck.
A number of years ago, noted antique arms author Norman Flayderman acquired some
papers and work drawings of the Horstmann Company of Philadelphia one of
the foremost makers of American swords during the 19th century. These papers included
drawings of enlistedmens swords, dated Sept. 1851, which show sword types
labeled Marine Musician, Marine Music Boy and Marine
Sergeant Sword. What makes this especially exciting is that groups of swords
survive today that conform quite closely to the types illustrated in those drawings.
A
fourth drawing, also dated 1851 and labeled Marine Officer, was also
included. And sure enough, the Marine Officer sword illustrated in
this drawing is quite similar to the pattern presently in use by the Marine Corps.
It is not known what motivated the production of these drawings, who did them
or why they are identified as Marine. Many of the swords that we have
found conforming to these patterns were clearly made well before 1851. So we have
a bit of an enigma on our hands. But regardless of whatever questions we may have
about the original intent of the drawings, they clearly indicate the actual use
(or, at the very least, the consideration) of these patterns by the United States
Marines. Perhaps the drawings are illustrating a pattern that had already been
in use by the Marines for quite some time...or maybe the Marines were thinking
about standardizing upon a well-established pattern of sword with a long service
history...we just dont know. Without swords of these patterns having firm
Marine provenance, there is a limit to how much we can hope to learn.
There
are, however, some tempting hints. In McClellans Uniforms of the American
Marines 17751929 (p. 62), Sergeants and Musics swords are discussed
but not described...(MORE...click for full article
with photos). |
| I'm
sorry, your furniture is dead.
I don't know who came up with the idea that
any product "helps feed the wood and brings your furniture back to life".
Maybe it was the Johnson's Wax people, perhaps Homer Formby, I can remember the
TV ads but not the product. Wow, that one line was a marketing bonanza and probably
convinced the American public to buy more goofy stuff than Billy Mays. Imagine
if that were true. "Yeah, my coffee table came back to life, grew two feet
taller and drops leaves all over the carpet every autumn". Wooden
furniture is dead. More correctly, the wood in your furniture is dead. It died
where it was born, in the woods. Don't grieve for the tree. It had a good life
and its ancestors live on today. Only
after a lengthy drying process is the wood from that tree made into furniture
(keep in mind wood never loses it's ability to absorb and release some moisture).
Then some type of finish is put on the wood. Many people think that the finish
is there to make the wood more beautiful. Well it does, but that is a secondary
benefit. The main purpose is to slow the effect of seasonal changes. High humidity
and heat in the summer, low humidity and cold in the winter (yeah, I figured THAT
out all by myself). When
furniture begins to look dull and dry it's because something has happened to the
finish. - The
finish has begun to deteriorate, cracking or checking maybe flaking off in spots.
1.
Call in a professional or try one of those "finish rejuvenators". 2.
If you have some previous experience fixing this type of problem, you already
know what to do. - General
wear & tear. Minor scrapes and scratches, little flea bites and dings. {Oh
no! My furniture needs feeding!}
Your
furniture doesn't need feeding. It needs a bit of cleaning and polishing. Here's
where I see people get into trouble. Back in the days when I was doing in-home
furniture restoration I ran across a lot of greasy, sticky furniture which occasionally
smelled rotten. I can recall one home where the furniture was festooned with pet
hair which caused my (seldom comical) driver/helper, Big Jake, to comment, "uhhh,
is dat why dey call it FUR-niture?". Please
do not use butter, lard, mayonnaise, olive oil or vegetable oil as a furniture
polish. These can, and often do, go rancid, smell awful and get very sticky...
unless you want Big Jake to come over and make an embarrassing, yet funny, comment
to you. (don't worry, I suspect he's in prison yet again) Lemon
Oil is okay, if you're a rich antiques dealer... I'll wait for the laughter to
subside. Lemon Oil is nothing but Mineral Oil with just enough Lemon Oil added
to make it smell nice. I was told this, in confidence, by a guy who actually makes
the stuff so, don't tell him I told you. Mineral Oil is cheap and found in any
drug store. So, if you'd like to use a laxative as a furniture polish, go for
it. Briwax
is very good as a cleaner/wax. Goddard's too. I like most Old English products.
For a quick dust and sprucing up even Pledge, or Behold is fine but these are
not as protective as the paste waxes. Most BCADA members who deal in furniture
already have their own, tried and true, favorites. You'll get no argument from
me, as long as it works. My concern is with the "non-professional" buyers
of antique furniture.
Please, customers, don't use food products as furniture
polish. If you can't find the items I've mentioned above or simply aren't sure
what to do, feel free to contact a Bucks County Antiques Dealers Association member,
who is a dealer in furniture. They will likely be able to assist you but none
will be able to bring your furniture back to life. |
| The
chairs above are not Windsors. Why not? The quickest way to determine a Windsor
chair is to look at the legs...especially the back legs.
Notice on the
chairs above how the back leg runs all the way up, beyond the seat rail and actually
becomes the back support? From Wainscot style, to Chippendale style to Federal
style... it's not a Windsor chair if the back legs support the back rest in some
way.
Now look at the difference in the chairs below. Being
a Windsor chair has nothing to do with spindles or arm rests. In a true Windsor
style chair the legs support only the seat. Back rests, arm rests are all separate
parts which are also connected to the seat.
Additionally true Windsor chair
(at least antique ones) were never upholstered. Yes, it may have an added cushion,
or someone in the 1950's tried to make it look more modern by nailing upholstry
over the seat, but it wasn't there from the start.
It's just that simple.
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| Most
of us, I think, will agree the antiques business has changed in the past 10 years,
20 years or 40 years depending on your perspective. Many of us are trying different
things in an effort to keep business fluid.
Some have stopped traveling
to distant shows. Others are now traveling to distant shows. Some have decided
to try selling in an antiques mall, or on the internet, in addition to their regular
business.
Still others are trying antiques shows for the first time and/or
trying shows they never did before. Some of us are branching out into merchandise
which we never thought we'd sell.
Never did I think I'd be purchasing nice
little pieces of glass and china. No, I'll never become exclusively a glass and
china dealer, I'm a furniture guy and Ginny is knowledgeable about textiles and
associated implements. So these are tentative steps for us. We may continue on
this course, maybe not, but I don't think we're alone in trying new things.
Over
the next several months I intend to post articles which may be helpful to other
members who are also branching out, and to nonmembers (as in "potential customer")
readers alike.
It's my hope that some of you will offer even the most
basic tips on their area of experience. I'm not suggesting you give away the years
of knowledge you possess but, simply, information you would offer a browsing customer.
"A really nice goat cart will have (this) and (that). Don't ever buy a goat
cart that is missing its (thinger). Don't wash your goat cart with (red) because
(yellow) won't damage the (whatever)". Just provide basic information.
If
you're unsure how to write such a thing, I'll be happy to help. Just send me words,
like the goat cart example above. Maybe come over and talk to me at a show. I'll
take your basic information and paste it together into an article and present
it to you for approval. If you like it, we're done, and I'll send it to Sue for
publication.
I'm proud to be a member of the Bucks County Antiques Dealers
Association and I hope to help the organization to gain a presence on the internet. |
Collecting
George Washington by Bill D'Anjolell |
People
always ask me what kinds of items are selling in the antiques business. There
are various items selling to collectors, gift buyers, and the occasional antique
purchasers. One of the items I sell currently is George Washington memorabilia.
George is still the most popular president, ever. He is the father of our country,
leader of our first army, and our beloved first president. He did not, however,
chop down a cherry tree. This folklore myth helped teach young students to never
tell a lie. Today,
George is selling better than ever. This includes not only real autograph signed
personal letters, that are very expensive but even more so - those much less expensive
treasures. These
items with his picture, name or likeness range from the 19th century to the early
20th century including lithographs and paintings of George with or without Martha,
military, police department, fire department, and political ribbons. Flags, banners,
quilts, and other textiles including re-election posters of other politicians
that include Washingtons face sterling or silver-plate utensils, silverware,
souvenir spoons, and jewelry are popular. Glass bottles, decanters, and tumblers;
ceramic mugs, figurines, souvenir plates, vases, andirons, metal urns, and clocks
are desirable. Numismatists
have coveted the new Washington quarters with the flipside being all of the 50
states, five different quarters per year, dating from 1999 to 2008. These are
popular among coin collectors in proof sets, as well as, uncirculated editions.
Most
major ceramic manufacturers created merchandise with George Washingtons
picture but they vary in price. For example, a 1910 Rowland and Marsellus English
Staffordshire ten inch souvenir plate depicting Washington crossing the Delaware
will sell for $100. However, a 1920 Salem China company ten inch George Washington
souvenir plate will sell for $10. Its not the ten year difference in age
that makes the price vary between the two, but rather the quality and beauty by
the earlier English company that makes it more superior. Differences
in art for example, a 19th century small framed silhouette of George Washington
can cost $300, while a much larger lithograph of Georges face, circa 1932,
may only cost $100. In this case, the difference in value is the rarity of the
silhouette. The
year 1932 was big for George because it was the 200th anniversary of his birth
year. Many companies made souvenir items in praise of George. It was also the
first year of the U.S. Washington quarter. True
collectors of George Washington items tend to gravitate to the much older items.
However, I have found that Interior Designers, who are employed by owners of country-style
homes, inns, or restaurants, could care less about age but rather the condition,
the size, and the color are the most important criteria for their project.
If George Washington
were alive today, I think he would be most flattered and humbled by this decorating
and collecting phenomena. Bill
DAnjolell Imagine Antiques and Appraisals Newtown, PA 215-860-5211 Membership
Chair, Bucks County Antiques Dealers Association www.BCADAPA.org
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