The Artful Draw of Citrus Labels

 

QUESTION: While browsing at my local thrift shop the other day, I came across three framed citrus prints, the kind that used to be pasted on citrus shipping crates. I scooped them right up. They’ve made a nice addition to my kitchen. I hadn’t thought much about these labels before I saw these framed ones. Are they collectible? If so, are they worth collecting? I sure would love to add to the three I purchased. 

ANSWER: Citrus labels, once quite common, have long since disappeared. Both California and Florida growers used these labels to identify their products from the 1880s to the 1950s. Pasted on the ends of these wooden crates, these 10” X 11” labels or 5 ½” X 11” strips identified the brand. And today, they’ve become a hot and affordable collectible.

Christopher Columbus first introduced citrus seeds to what’s now Florida in 1493. Ponce de Leon sailed with Columbus and was the first European to explore Florida in 1513, bringing with him citrus seeds and planting them near the settlement of St. Augustine. Spaniards and native Indians continued to grow and cultivate the fruit, as citrus thrived in Florida’s warm climate and sandy soil.

But it took another 300 years before citrus became an industry. By then, newly arriving homesteaders began relocating to Florida, planting citrus trees around their homesteads. Pioneer began selling the fruit, then bringing it to a common location to be transported by steamships. Steamers collected barrels of fruit packed in Spanish moss at various ports along Florida’s coasts and waterways.

It was the coming of the railroads that encouraged the creation of those colorful, imaginative labels. Oranges had been grown for a long time in Florida and even longer in California, but it wasn't until the completion of railroad spur lines that it became possible to ship the perishable citrus fruit nationwide. By 1875, growers began using 90-pound wooden crates. Eager to capture the attention of wholesale buyers in Eastern and Midwestern produce terminals, the growers began pasting eye-catching paper labels to the ends of the crates.

California growers were the first to use color lithography to print their packing labels. And it was from them that the Florida growers began to see how the colorful labels could be used to successfully market their produce. From 1904 until the 1940s, the growers designed citrus labels to differentiate among the competition for a particular grower or shipper. Artists and lithographers collaborated to help buyers remember and identify their brand. 

The old-time produce market was a crowded place, so having labels with eye-appealing, interesting artwork was a must. It's the same rich colors and striking designs that used to grab the attention of the citrus buyers which attract today’s collectors.

Label colors sometimes served another purpose. Each packing house used several different labels, and at some citrus groves the label background colors used were of special significance. Buyers could tell at a glance the grade of the fruit. Blue indicated top quality fruit, red indicated second grade fruit, and yellow or gold indicated  third-grade fruit.

Label art changed with the times. Fruit crate art can be divided into three periods—Naturalism, from 1885 to 1920, Advertising, from 1920 to 1935, and Commercial Art, from 1935 to 1955. In Florida, early labels seemed designed to appeal especially to housewives, with pastel-tinted illustrations depicting flowers or babies. Following these came label illustrations showing Indians, planes, trains, hunting scenes, and pretty women, all directed towards the all-male buyers at Northern auctions.

Many early labels during the Naturalism era were known as "vanity labels" because they depicted the growers themselves, their families, or their orange groves.

In 1915, the general public became aware of vitamins and the health benefits of the orange's Vitamin C content appeared in label art. Labels from the Advertising era promoted the use of orange juice for health, with names like "Juicy-o," "Juice King," and "Full o' Juice.”

Through label design, artists depicted a wide range of subjects, including the romance of Florida with sunsets, sailboats, and “good, healthy living” themes. Scenic views of Florida with orange groves, orange trees, treasure chests filled with oranges furthered the image of the fruit. The Golden Sunset brand portrayed palm trees and a warm, glowing sunset. Consumers and buyers were getting the message about the good life in Florida which also gave a boost to tourism.

Label artists also pictured Florida flowers. The Gardenia Brand and the Azalea Brand adorned Jacksonville’s W.H. Clark Fruit label. The Kissimmee Citrus Grower’s Association used the Florida Cowboy brand.

Themes of wildlife were also popular with birds, alligators, and even fish. Brooksville’s Blue Heron Brand portrayed the majestic Florida bird and Frostproof’s Ibis Brand displayed the pink-billed white bird. St. Petersburg’s Milne-O’Berry Packing Company developed a label with the classic tarpon called the Silver King Brand.

Citrus labels even promoted Indian River’s Harvey’s Groves, depicting a fertile and luscious growing region. The Polk O Dot Brand created a label with a golden-haired child from the Polk County Citrus Exchange.

It was in the 1940's that the packing houses in both Florida and California ended the 60-odd year tradition of marking their products with colorful labels on the ends of wooden crates. With the advent of World War II, wood used to build crates became both scarce and expensive

By the time the 1950's rolled around, most growers and packers tossed away or burned their unused labels. Who would have dreamed that those old scraps of paper would someday be collectors' items?

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about railroad antiques in "All Aboard!" in the 2021 Summer Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

A Gift from the Gods on a Hot Summer's Day

 

QUESTION: I have an old pewter or white metal cylinder form which stands about 8 inches tall and has three parts: a decorative molded top in the shape of a bunch of fruit, a long tube center that’s ribbed on the inside, and a screw-on base that supposedly belonged to my great-grandmother. Can you tell me what it is?

ANSWER: What you have is what’s known as a banquet ice cream mold, topped by a sculpted bunch of fruit with leaves. This type of mold, made of pewter, dates from the early 1900's and would have been used for parties or holiday gatherings.

Ice cream is a frozen dessert usually made from dairy products, such as milk and cream, often combined with fruits or other flavors. It’s origins can be traced back to at least the 4th century B.C.E. when people living in the Persia (in today’s Iraq and Iran) would place snow in a bowl and pour grape juice concentrate over it, inventing what has come to be known as the snow cone. 

During the first century A.D. , Roman Emperor Nero had ice brought from the mountains and topped it with fruit. But it wasn’t until the reign of China's King Tang in the 7th century that the idea of icy milk concoctions became popular, a idea that would ultimately become fashionable in European royal courts.

Arabs were perhaps the first to use milk as a major ingredient in the production of ice cream. They sweetened it with sugar rather than fruit juices, and came up with ways to produce it commercially. By the 10th century, ice cream had spread to Baghdad, Cairo, and Damascus. Makers used milk or cream, plus some yogurt, and flavored it with dried fruits and nuts. 

Charles I of England so loved his "frozen snow" that he offered his ice cream maker a lifetime pension in return for keeping the formula secret. But it was the Quaker colonists who first introduced ice cream to America in 1772. During colonial times, confectioners sold ice cream at their shops in New York and other cities and some of the founding fathers, including George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson regularly ate and served ice cream. First Lady Dolley Madison served it at her husband's Inaugural Ball in 1813.

In 1843, the U.S. Government granted Nancy Johnson of Philadelphia a patent for a small-scale hand-cranked ice cream freezer. Eventually, the creation of the ice cream soda by Robert Green in 1874 added ice cream's popularity. 

Decorative molds, enhancing ice cream's presentation at the table, appeared at fancy parties in the late 19th century, a tradition borrowed from British molded puddings. The most notable of the American mold firms were Eppelsheimer & Co., Krauss Co. and Schall & Co. However, the first ones came from European makers. Makers used pewter, white metal or tin to create a variety of forms ranging from animal, human and bird figures to floral, architectural, and holiday-oriented themes that came in various sizes.

Joseph Micelli, Sr., one of the country’s premier mold makers, sculpted them with remarkable details of animals, people, flowers, fruit and even vegetables for the Eppelsheimer & Co. of New York. Their molds have E & Co NY and the mold’s catalog number stamped on the bottom.  

The molds produced by Krauss Company, also of New York, are distinguishable by their integrated mold hinges rather than soldered hinges.  

Ice cream molds are now highly collectible. The barrel banquet mold in question above sells for around $250, but smaller ones in the shape of individual bananas, pears, peaches, and other fruit and flowers sell for $30 to $70. From the outside, these molds often look plain, but inside they include minute details. While the barrel mold was meant to be unscrewed and lifted off, most ice cream molds, as with their chocolate counterparts, have hinges that allow them to be broken open to release the creamy confection. 

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about railroad antiques in "All Aboard!" in the 2021 Summer Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

 

QUESTION: One of the fondest memories I have from my childhood was going to an amusement park and the circus and buying a box of Cracker Jacks. Even though I loved eating the caramel corn inside, I was more excited to see what the surprise toy was hidden within. As I grew older and frequented flea markets, I noticed some of these little toys in glass cases with other small objects. I started buying them and now have quite a collection. I’d really like to know more about the origin of Cracker Jacks and when and where the idea of the toy inside originated.

ANSWER: Did you know that Cracker Jacks have had over 17 million little toys inside their boxes since 1912?

The Cracker Jack story began when a young German immigrant. Fritz W. Rueckheim, went to Chicago to help clean up debris from the Great Fire of 1871. With only $200 in his pocket, he and partner William Brinkmeyer started selling popcorn from a one popper stand. They made their popcorn by hand, using steam equipment. Sales were brisk, and in 1873 Fritz bought out Brinkmeyer and brought his brother, Louis, from Germany to join in his venture, forming the company F.W. Rueckheim & Brother to manufacture "Popcorn Specialties." 

Two years later business was better than ever, so they added marshmallows and other confections to their popcorn specialties. Between 1875 and 1884. The Rueckheim brothers moved their company five times, doubling and quadrupling their manufacturing space as demand for the confections increased.

But the Rueckheim brothers weren’t the first to make sugar-coated popcorn mixed with peanuts. The manufacture and sale of sugar-coated popcorn in America dates as far back as the early 19th century. 

The Rueckheim Brothers produced a new recipe including popcorn, peanuts, and molasses, and first presented it to the public at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893. And though he confection was a smashing success, garnering international acclaim from the fair goers,  the molasses of this early version was too sticky. 

In 1896, Louis discovered a method to separate the kernels of molasses-coated popcorn during the manufacturing process. As each batch mixed together in a cement-mixer-like drum, Fritz added a small quantity of oil which became a closely guarded trade secret. Before this change, the mixture had been difficult to handle, because it stuck together in chunks.

That same year, a salesman munching on the snack exclaimed, "'That's a cracker jack!” which was a popular saying of that time meaning it was really good. Fritz took those two words and coined the name Cracker Jack .He also adopted as a slogan from this comment from a satisfied customer: “The more you eat, the more you want.” He registered both the name and the slogan that same year.

In 1899, Henry Gottlieb Eckstein developed the "waxed sealed package" for freshness, known then as the "Eckstein Triple Proof Package", a dust-, germ-, and moisture-proof paper package. He joined the brothers. Later, he developed a moisture-proof package that retained the crispness. freshness. and flavor of the delectable confection. Now the treat could be sold in handy boxes. setting the stage for distribution off Cracker Jack nationally. In 1902, brothers reorganized their company as Rueckheim Bros. & Eckstein.

But what catapulted Cracker Jack to fame nationwide was the release of the song, "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", written by the lyricist Jack Norworth and composer Albert Von Tilzer in 1907. To this day, the lyric “Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack” still echoes throughout ballparks. 

Beginning in 1910, Cracker Jack offered consumers an additional enticement, with coupons that could be redeemed for p. A rare 116-page postcard-sized catalog of over 300 desirable articles is one of the most sought after collector’s items by Cracker Jack collectors.

But it was in 1912 that Fritz dropped the coupons and introduced a prize in every box. The Idea was an immediate success. In addition to a lot of fun for kids, Cracker Jack prizes have been a reflection of history, manufacturing processes. entertainment, and popular culture in miniature.

Cracker Jack originally included a small "mystery" novelty item referred to as a "Toy Surprise" in each box. Early "Toy Surprises" included rings, plastic figurines, booklets, stickers, temporary tattoos, and decoder rings. Books have been written cataloging the prizes, and a substantial collector's market exists.

In 1914, Cracker Jack included the first of two baseball card issues, which featured players from both major leagues as well as players from the short-lived Federal League.

Until 1937, Cracker Jack toy prizes were made in Japan. From 1938, Carey Cloud designed them. Tootsie Toy, which made Monopoly game markers, also produced many metal toys for Cracker Jack, During World War II, the prizes were made of paper.

Cracker Jack's mascots Sailor Jack and his dog Bingo were introduced as early as 1916. and registered as a trademark in 1919. Fritz modeled Jack after Robert Rueckheim, grandson of Frederick. Robert, the son of the eldest of the Rueckheim brothers, Edward, died of pneumonia shortly after his image appeared at the age of 8. The sailor boy image acquired such meaning for the founder of Cracker Jack that he had it carved on his tombstone, which can still be seen in St. Henry's Cemetery in Chicago. He based Sailor Jack's dog Bingo on a real-life dog named Russell, a stray adopted in 1917 by Henry Eckstein, who demanded that the dog be used on the packaging. Russell died of old age in 1930. Sailor Jack and Bingo have appeared on Cracker Jack boxes with only slight modification since 1918.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "The Ancients" in the 2021 Spring Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

Going to the Dogs

 

QUESTION: I bought these little white match holders from an antiques dealer in northern France, just across from Dover, England, so it’s quite possible they’re English. I’d like to find out their origin and date if possible. I have a collection of match holders but have never seen any like these before.

ANSWER: These match holders are quite unique and seem to be made of Parian, a type of biscuit porcelain imitating marble that was made in England and the United States in the 19th century. Designed to imitate carved marble, it had the advantage that it could be prepared in a liquid form and cast in a mold, enabling mass production.

Parian became popular with middle and upper middle class Victorian women who desired to own the marble statuary and china of the upper classes but couldn’t afford them. Parian filled this need at an affordable price. And while people normally associate Parian with grander sculptural forms and statues and items like water pitchers here in the U.S., it seems that as it’s popularity began to wane that some companies began making smaller less expensive items such as match holders. 

Because Parian had a higher proportion of feldspar than porcelain, makers fired it at a lower temperature. The increased amount of feldspar caused the finished body to be more highly vitrified, thus possessing an ivory color and having a marble-like texture that’s smoother than that of biscuit, or unglazed, porcelain. In its Victorian heyday, potteries produced hundreds of thousands of pieces of Parian ware annually. 

Though the Great London Exhibition of 1851 gave Thomas Battam credit for inventing Parian, indicating that he succeeded in producing a very perfect imitation of marble, there seemed to be controversy about who actually invented it.  While Battam may have invented it, several English factories claimed credit for its development. But the Staffordshire firm operated by William Taylor Copeland and Thomas Garrett was the first to produce and sell it in 1842, and went on to become one of its major manufacturers.

Several potteries marketed it under different names. The Copeland firm called it "statuary porcelain" because of its resemblance to the fine white marble of neoclassical sculpture. Wedgwood named it "Carrara," after the Italian quarry patronized by Michelangelo. But it was Minton which coined the word "Parian" to suggest Paros, the Greek isle that furnished much of the stone used in the classical period. Thus, it quickly became the medium's generic name.

Ultimately, potteries produced two varieties of Parian ware—Statuary Parian, used in the making of figures and reproductions of sculpture, and Standard Parian, from which they made hollowware. 

Standard Parian, with a greater proportion of feldspar in the composition but no frit, was hard porcelain. The presence of iron in the feldspar without iron silicate caused early Parian statuary to appear ivory tinted. Both English and American potters either obtained details of the original formula or worked out their own, resulting in enormous production of Parian wares on both sides of the Atlantic. Plus the invention in 1844 of a patented machine that allowed scaled reproductions of larger bronze or marble originals made replicas of figures and busts by noted sculptors widely available.

Though Minton produced several small Parian statues of dogs, it seems far more likely that Copeland-Spode produced these dog match holders since they produced a wider array of Parian ware, including match holders. They probably date from the 1890s. As time went on, Parian ware went from a less expensive substitute for marble in statuary to the material for inexpensive knickknacks.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "The Ancients" in the 2021 Spring Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

So You Think You Need an Appraisal

 

QUESTION:  I have inherited a bronze statue called “The Bronco Buster” by Frederic Remington, along with several other bronzes from my uncle. I know nothing about them but admired them on visits to his house. I’d like to find out what they’re worth and the best way seems to be getting them appraised but I have no idea where to start. Can you help me?

ANSWER: Bronzes are interesting pieces of sculptural art. Unlike paintings and other forms of sculpture, bronzes have been cast from a clay original. Does that make them less valuable? Certainly not. In fact, depending on the number cast from the original mold, they can be quite valuable. When it comes to art, most antique dealers don’t know where to start to valuate a bronze sculpture. For this, you’ll need an expert’s opinion. 

Contrary to popular opinion, not just anyone can valuate an antique or collectible. Asking someone how much an object is worth is like asking if it will rain tomorrow. The only way to know what an antique, especially a potentially valuable one such as this clock, is worth is by having it “appraised” by a professional appraiser. And only a professional appraisal is legally binding when it comes to insurance claims or inheritances.

Exactly what is an appraisal? An appraisal is the paid opinion of an expert on the value of an object based on known facts. In the case of antiques and collectibles, known facts include records from more than one sale at more than one auction, the latest published price guides, and personal experience gained from buying and selling similar items many years.

While a verbal appraisal may offer an indication of how much an item is worth, a professional written one is the only one legally recognized by insurance companies and the courts. It must be based on fact and able to stand challenges in court. However, written appraisals, even for one item, can take hours to prepare and are expensive, but are absolutely necessary to prove an item’s worth.

A written appraisal is the result of hours of research by the appraiser. First, he or she must determine the age of the object based on its appearance, materials, and craftsmanship. Decorative techniques and motifs may also play a part. Then the appraiser needs to search for a provenance if the object doesn’t yet have a written one.

A provenance is a history of ownership dating from when the object was first made and by whom and continuing through various owners to the present day. This may not be easy. Often the appraiser has to contact experts in the particular category of antiques to fins out more about the object. Lastly, the appraiser searches auction databases, not available to the public and only to subscribers for hefty fees, to find out the sales history for objects like the one being appraised. While the last sale price usually determines the market value of the object, an appraiser will often average out the most recent sale prices to determine the object’s value. All this information, written up in legal form, plus photographs of the object, constitutes the appraisal of the object. Most appraisers usually assemble the contents of the appraisal in a folder or bound form before presenting it to the current owner of the object.

Take General Sherman’s hat, for example. Did this hat actually belong to General Sherman? How many other owners did it have after him? And how did the hat get passed down to it’s present owner? While there may have been other hats like it, most likely it was one of a kind, made especially for Sherman. This is where an appraisal is best.

Formal appraisals fall into two categories—replacement and fair market value. Insurance companies require the former, while estate valuations require the latter.

Replacement value is generally defined as the price at which an object would be available on the retail market. In other words, what an antique dealer would charge for a particular item.

When you try to insure a collection, the insurance company wants to know how much it will cost to replace it. The same applies for a single piece of furniture. The insurance company won’t accept a verbal appraisal as the basis of settling a claim. Instead, they require a written appraisal with proof of replacement cost.

Fair market value, on the other hand, is best described as "the price that property would sell for on the open market between a willing buyer and willing seller, with neither being required to act, and both parties having reasonable knowledge of the reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts.

But whatever the appraised value, an object will bring only a percentage of its replacement value when offered for sale—generally between 40 and 60 percent below replacement cost. Items that sell extremely slow will sell for only about 30 percent of replacement value, while those that sell fast may bring 80 to 90 percent of replacement value. 

With so many auction sites online these days, it’s easy to pull one up and do a search for a particular antique or collectible to see what it may be selling for. Most people use eBay. Unfortunately, the amounts listed on eBay may not reflect an object’s true value. If the object is listed on an auction site, then, as with live auctions, the price could go way above the object’s current value due to competition between bidders. If someone really wants an antique or collectible, they may stop at no amount of money to obtain it.

Objects of antiquity are another matter altogether. Copies abound. This little ancient Egyptian sculpture of a boat and its occupants is a good example. To the untrained eye, it may look authentic, but only an expert can tell for sure. In fact, many copies of small tomb sculptures have been made and sold as souvenirs to tourists.  

Too many homeowners use this as an easy way to price items in a yard or garage sale. Flea marketers do the same. This is why so many items that are actually worth much less are selling for higher prices today at these venues. 

Prices of objects at antique shows usually sell for the amount of their value or a little less. However, some sell for what the dealer perceives to be the value of the object. High-end dealers selling objects for four to six figures do their research and know their market. Those selling at middle-market shows, sometimes do research about an item, but, more often than not, just guess at an item’s value and price it for what they think the market will bear.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "The Ancients" in the 2021 Spring Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

It's All About the Patterns

 

QUESTION: When I was a little girl, I used to sleep over at my grandmother’s house. While there, I used to stand in front of her china cabinet looking at all the beautiful china. Each piece had some sort of scene, usually a landscape with people. Most of the dishes were blue but some were pink and one or two were lavender. After my grandmother passed, I got her china collection. I just love it but don’t know much as these beautiful pieces. The name Spode is either stamped or impressed on the bottom of most of the pieces. Can you tell me who made them and where they got the ideas for the scenes on them?

ANSWER: What your grandmother collected and you now have is Spode china. All those with scenes and borders are what’s known as transferware, a technique for transferring prints to pottery.

During the early years of the 18th century, Spode achieved success because of  his mastery of transfer printing.  An Irish engraver named Brooks invented the process. It involved first, engraving a copper plate, then inking it and applying to it to thin tissue paper. The impression on the paper could then be transferred to wares of any shape.

Spode produced a variety of pottery wares, often imitating those of Wedgwood, including creamwares, basalts, stonewares, redwares, Jasperwares, and of course blue-printed pearlwares and early experimental porcelains.

In 1784, Spode began printing under the final glaze in blue on earthenware. He copied the early patterns from Chinese porcelain imported wares. By that time, London customers who had originally purchased Chinese porcelain dishes needed replacements. The engraver Thomas Lucas brought with him to Spode’s pottery the knowledge of designs from his previous employer, Thomas Turner at Caughley. 

Most of the early blue transfer-printed patterns were Chinese in style.  As Spode's production advanced and its customers' tastes evolved, the variety of patterns grew. Interest in Chinoiserie patterns later gave way to patterns that depicted rural scenes, exotic places, literary themes, as well as floral and botanical examples.

The earliest pattern produced by Spode around1790, was “Willow,” now known as “Blue Willow,” printed examples of the Willow pattern, commissioned by Josiah Spode and made around 1790, and its copperplate, engraved for Spode by Thomas Minton. 

In June 1805, there appeared the first of 20 monthly issues of a publication called Oriental Held Sports, Wild Spurts of the East, published by Edward Orme of Bond Street, London.  Each issue included a printed story and two large aquatint prints engraved from drawings by Samuel Howitt, a distinguished animal painter. Spode adapted the prints to his dinnerware depicting various hunting scenes with animals and birds. Some views show mounted hunters carrying spears with native bearers on foot. The ’Indian Sporting’ series alone had 21 different hunting scenes.

Another popular series formed a travelogue of views in the Eastern Mediterranean. Spode based these on engravings in Mayer's Views in Asia Minor, Mainly in Caramania, published in 1803. "The Castle of Boudron;" The City of Corinth" and “Antique Fragments at Lissimo” were all part of this series. 

From around 1800, most of the patterns painted by Spode's artists were recorded in Pattern books.  These books contained watercolor paintings of tens of thousands of patterns made from about 1800 up to the end of production. Many are beautiful works of art in their own right, but they also acted as a historic document of changing design styles over two centuries. Georgian simplicity, Regency opulence, Victorian Naturalism, sentimentality, Pre-Raphaelite styles, Japanese Revival, Arts and Crafts, Art Deco, and 1950s Modernism.

Spode introduced his more famous pattern, “Blue Italian,” around 1816. It became immediately popular and remained a best seller. Over the years, the company produced it on a wide variety of earthenware shapes. One Spode catalog from the 1920s and 1930s records over 700 different shapes available. 

Unlike many of the other classical scene patterns on Spode wares of the early 19th century, the origin of the view for the Italian pattern isn’t certain. Some experts believe Italian artist G.P. Pannini, well known for his painting style, inspired pictures of ruins and quiet pastoral Italian scenery fpor Spode pieces. The Spode engravers derived many of their pictorial subjects from scenes which had appeared as prints. Publications of prints of scenes associated with the Grand Tour became the inspiration for many patterns. Merigot's Views Of Rome and Its Vicinity, published in 1798, was the source for several Spode patterns, including Tower and Castle, but experts agree that none of these views inspired the Italian pattern.

Furthermore, there is no one location in Italy that seems to correspond to all the features included in the original “Blue Italian” scene. It seems to be a composition made up of several elements. The ruin on the left, although architecturally incorrect, might have been based on the Great Bath at Tivoli, near Rome. The row of houses along the left bank of the river is similar to those of the Latium area near Umbria, north of Rome. The castle in the distance is of a type which occurs only in Northern Italy in the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy.

Could it be that a traveling artist from Northern Europe made sketches of the scenes he encountered as he made his way through Italy? Upon returning home, did he combine his sketches into an attractive scene which, later, Spode used and chose to call the Italian Pattern? Unfortunately, there is no proof of this. The inspiration for the Italian scene may have even come from a print of a painting and then another painting taken from the print by a different artist.

In the early 19th century, most of the pieces Spode produced in the “Blue Italian” pattern were on dinnerware items used by the rich---asparagus servers, huge meat dishes, enormous soup tureens with ladles, cruet sets, foot baths, and more. Wealthy households set their dinner tables with Spode’s Italian. And there were many variations of the pattern. 

“Blue Italian” was an immediate success from its introduction. Though it’s impossible to say what created this strong appeal, it’s perhaps due to the unique combination of a classical scene with a Chinese border which had been directly copied from pieces of Chinese export porcelain, dating from around 1785.

By 1822, Spode had developed other colors, in addition to blue, that could withstand high-temperature firing.  The production of these additional printed colors enabled Spode to expand his line of wares.  While not nearly as popular as Spode's various blues, these new colors included green, brown, manganese purple, Payne's grey, and black.  

Soon afterwards,  in 1824, two-color underglaze printing began.  Spode also employed other methods to add color.  One method was to transfer print outline patterns and then paint in or between the lines of the pattern in other colors. Other methods included enameling with additional colors and gilded decoration over the glaze to further expand the variety of offerings.  Near the end of the early Spode period, the pottery also began producing wares in pink.

Spode introduced about 150 patterns a year.  By 1833 Spode, they numbered nearly 4,000. Most Spode wares bear a pattern number, as well as the name Spode printed, painted, or impressed on the bottom or reverse side.

Some Spode collectors collect just the “Blue Italian” pattern while others specialize in collecting only the oldest pieces dating from 1816 to 1833. Since Spode china continues to be made, newer pieces are often passed off as older ones. It’s important to check the provenance if possible. 

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "The Ancients" in the 2021 Spring Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.

Potting Up Some Beauty

 

QUESTION: I love plants and for the last few years I’ve been buying a variety of colorful vintage ceramic flower pots at local flea markets and garage sales. Few of them have any makers’ marks. I’d like to have some idea who made some of the pots I have. Can you help me?

ANSWER: Unfortunately, many of the potteries that produced these pots didn’t mark them. But I should be able to give you some clues to their makers through descriptions of their patterns. Some things never go out of style. And so it is with vintage ceramic flower pots. 

Gardening furniture and accessories have become one of the hottest vintage collectibles. For the last several decades, decorating magazines have shown them in rooms adorned with vintage garden ware. Produced in many styles and colors, there’s a flowerpot available to harmonize with almost any decor.

Many American potteries, such as McCoy, Shawnee, Roseville, and Camark produced flowerpots from the 1930s to the 1950s. And people are still using many of them today to display their houseplants. Some even collect them.

The Nelson McCoy Pottery Company, which operated in Roseville, Ohio, from 1920 to 1967, made over 10 different patterns of flowerpots with attached saucers. Some of the most common patterns, available in three sizes and glazes including aqua, green, dark green, white, yellow, rust, plum and pink, were Basketweave, Beaded Tower Patch, Greek Key, and Stonewall. These are quite common and can still be found at garage sales, although prices have risen to $5 to $45 in the past few years. 

Roseville Pottery operated several potteries in Roseville and Zanesville, Ohio, from 1892 to 1954. Early on, they made utilitarian ware, but by 1902, the company had begun to produce art pottery, such as Rozane, Fuji, and Della Robbia. Talented designers such as Frederick H. Rhead and Frank Ferrell contributed to the success of these   lines. Roseville later produced molded flowerpots in a variety of glazes and patterns, including Apple Blossom, Bittersweet, Bleeding Heart, Bushberry, Clematis, Columbine, Corinthian, Cosmos, Donatello, Ferella, Foxglove, Freesia, Iris, Ivory II, Ixia, Jonquil, La Rose, Magnolia, Moss, Pine Cone, Poppy, Primrose, Rosecraft, Snowberry, Water Lily, White Rose and Zephyr Lily. These had separate, not attached, saucers and were usually available in several glaze colors. Most were 5 inches tall, although the Donatello and Rosecraft patterns came in three sizes—4, 5 and 6 inches. Roseville flowerpots cost more than others and are usually hard to find than those of other manufacturers. Most sell for $75 to $200.

Shawnee Pottery Company of Zanesville, Ohio, produced not only kitchenware but inexpensive flower pots from 1937to 196 for Samuel Henry Kress,  F.W. Woolworth, and Sears Roebuck. Patterns included burlap surface, diamond quilted, square, three-footed with embossed flower, scalloped rim, and five-petal flower around rim. Their flowerpots sell for under $15.  

The Vernon Kilns Pottery of Los Angeles, operating between 1931 and 1958, produced flower pots with separate saucers in several of their handpainted dinnerware patterns, such as Brown-Eyed Susan, Homespun, Organdie, and Gingham in three sizes—3, 4 and 5 inches. Though highly sought after by collectors, all are hard to find, especially the saucers, and prices range from $40 to $60.

Founded in 1926, Camden Art Tile and Pottery Company was the third and last producer of art pottery in Arkansas. By the end of its first year, its name had changed to Camark to include both the city of Camden and the state of Arkansas. The firm produced flowerpots that were similar to, if not exact copies of, those of other manufacturers. The bottom line for Camark was to keep abreast of market trends and either meet them or anticipate new ones as was the case with flowerpots. By the mid-1930s, Camark had introduced a line of flowerpots with attached saucers. Camark realized the potential for flowerpot sales and predicted that growing plants will be sold in very large quantities and flower pots will become a necessity—a prediction which definitely came true. To cut costs, Camark changed the types of clays it used for its flowerpots. Previously, the company relied on Arkansas clays but began to use clays from outside the state.

With flowerpots, it’s really not whether they’re worth anything as collectibles— although some are—but whether they appeal to you.

To read more articles on antiques, please visit the Antiques Articles section of my Web site.  And to stay up to the minute on antiques and collectibles, please join the over 30,000 readers by following my free online magazine, #TheAntiquesAlmanac. Learn more about "The Ancients" in the 2021 Spring Edition, online now. And to read daily posts about unique objects from the past and their histories, like the #Antiques and More Collection on Facebook.