Custeriana: The Old Soldier’s Mystique Hasn’t Faded Away
Custer may not have survived his fabled last stand but memorabilia and artifacts certainly have. For the uninitiated, a natural first question is likely to […]
Collecting Schuetzen Rifles
Cincinnati’s German-American communities of the latter 1800’s celebrated a springtime festival where people could practice target shooting. The Schuetzenfest originated in 14th century Germany as […]
Frankliniana More Popular Than Ever as Ben Turns 300
On January 17, 2006, Ben Franklin would have turned 300 years old. The oldest of America’s founding fathers, he had retired from his printing profession […]
Highboys and Weathervanes Most Likely to Weather the Stormy Economy
For those of you who faithfully read this column, you know that my first column of the New Year is devoted to gazing at a […]
Deep Black Rock Carves Its Way Into Collectors’ Hands
Wes Cowan details the craft of argillite and how the material has resulted in some fine collectible objects. —Editor Located off the coast of British […]
Cartridge Boxes Explode on to the Market
Shotgun cartridges became popular in the 1860s with the invention of the repeating rifle and carbine. Antique firearms aficionados and collectors these days are often […]
The Old West Romance Lives On
The demand for Native American artwork and artifacts continues to rise. Wes Cowan provides advice for those looking to collect these reminders of America’s original […]
Nineteenth Century Chalkware
The origin of antique American chalkware is generally attributed to the Pennsylvania Dutch, first appearing in the mid-1800s as a low-cost decorative alternative to the […]
East Meets West – Chinese Export Porcelain
Over 200 years ago, an American ship, The Empress of China, arrived at the port of Canton, China, to join a vigorous trade in Chinese […]
Collecting Antique Barber Bottles
The image of the old-time barber shop, complete with a swirling barber pole, steaming hot towels, and straight-edge razor, now seems like an anachronism, […]