tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-70496107140879547872024-02-19T18:56:01.527-05:00The Inspired Trader's Vintage VoiceI am no longer actively blogging but have left the most popular research posts up for those who find the information of value.The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-19114181222912761232015-05-01T18:03:00.000-04:002020-03-05T18:35:21.762-05:00Chinese Cloth Folk Art Dolls - A Research Case Study - Part Two<h2>
RESEARCH CASE STUDY No. ONE<br />Part Two</h2>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApHJPxeFedYVolhQ4Jok1aLrirERDUQ_8TGceptHllKodkDgr_pfHW0IuAaXELo53zq6Z52eTnNHqK1tHAtiHdAsI31e8Zkt_g_fraA3mpTM2UkWOY2ZFYbNZBBtg8O_aJ2Wp260QwZ0/s1600/VintageChineseFolkArtDolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhApHJPxeFedYVolhQ4Jok1aLrirERDUQ_8TGceptHllKodkDgr_pfHW0IuAaXELo53zq6Z52eTnNHqK1tHAtiHdAsI31e8Zkt_g_fraA3mpTM2UkWOY2ZFYbNZBBtg8O_aJ2Wp260QwZ0/s1600/VintageChineseFolkArtDolls.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Hello there!<br />
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Welcome to Part Two of the Research Case Study for Chinese Cloth Folk Art Dolls. In many ways this is a prologue to my previous article which includes notable mentions, some lessons learned, and some things which didn't quite fit but are worthy includes.<br />
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You can read Part One <a href="http://theinspiredtradersvintagevoice.blogspot.com/2015/02/chinese-cloth-folk-art-dolls-research.html" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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One of my first Tips was to make sure you ask a lot of questions when you are making your purchase. Not sure what you should ask? Here's the skinny on the questions to ask so get the most information you can about a find. Not only will it save you time researching it will add value.<br />
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If you are interested in finding more information on these dolls you can visit Mimi's Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreekLifeTreasures" target="_blank">CreekLifeTreasures</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYGxAOdTWqOtpmAJ12qAFNzkv1MLyCxamGP_oBKHRC_5DISneVEHQ53I9xo4IHqKQj2TrRkVsTXLvaynzsyy4Naln7Swx6xIb4YgWgRUj5gad8SnOlhiGzpvPjf2T5r5Lu-262tFbavM/s1600/AsianFolkArtDoll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUYGxAOdTWqOtpmAJ12qAFNzkv1MLyCxamGP_oBKHRC_5DISneVEHQ53I9xo4IHqKQj2TrRkVsTXLvaynzsyy4Naln7Swx6xIb4YgWgRUj5gad8SnOlhiGzpvPjf2T5r5Lu-262tFbavM/s1600/AsianFolkArtDoll.jpg" width="342" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/221646400/vintage-chinese-stockinette-cloth-doll?ref=shop_home_active_21" target="_blank">Chinese Stockinette Tourist Folk Art Doll</a></td></tr>
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<h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7 Key Research Questions</span></h2>
Who, What, When, Where, Why, How, How Much?<br />
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Some of these may seem familiar to you...they originate from the 5 W's of writing. Naturally they apply to research also. Think:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Who were the original owner(s) and/or owners. </li>
<li>Who made/manufactured/designed the item.</li>
<li>When was it made?</li>
<li>Where was it made?</li>
<li>How was it made? Was it made by hand? Made by machine? A combination?</li>
<li>How much did it originally cost?</li>
<li>Why was it made?</li>
<li>What is it? What was the function?</li>
</ul>
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One of the mistakes Mimi made was not asking for the name of the owners at the estate sale. He served in the military and would have had a very interesting back story which also would have been of interest to document along with the dolls. While it doesn't affect the overall value of the dolls, it certainly would have been nice to pass that information on to the new owners. The provenance of a piece adds intangible value over time. I unsuccessfully spent quite a bit of time looking at obits to see if I could research the owners. If she had only thought to ask...lesson learned. Without this knowledge I went on to research and link the dolls to the history of the time of their creation in the hopes of gaining some insight into where they came from.<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Linking History to Research</span></h3>
Here is how I connected my research subject, the Asian Folk Art dolls, to a place and time in history through historical fact combined with research. I could be mistaken, but given the facts and evidence I have a good theory.<br />
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When researching vintage Asian dolls it's important to know China was overtaken by the communist in 1949. Also through researching these dolls I learned missions, such as Door of Hope2 established in 1901 closing in 1949, had long used cottage industries to help the destitute. Giving me a baseline of knowledge that doll making would have been an opportunity for women to earn a living as a cottage industry.<br />
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Since we don't know exactly where the owner was stationed, but knowing Mimi was told he was stationed in China, one can surmise he was stationed in Taiwan, the Republic of China. Further, according to Wikipedia, "In 1957 there were 10,000 Americans in Taiwan, the great majority being CIA and military personnel and their families.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Assistance_Advisory_Group#cite_note-15" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">[15]</a>"<span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span><br />
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With linear thinking about where and how military dependents would have lived during this time I researched "Military Housing for Dependent's in China during the 1950's". When reading the history of the time, one can easily assert the Military Dependent's Villages would have had their own micro economies in addition to the tourist trade.<br />
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Additionally, individuals such as Ada Lum supported not only themselves but also had production employees. Her story is nicely documented on the <a href="http://asiawee.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Asia with Embroidered Eyes</a> blog and is a worthy read and further supports this theory as researched by Stephany.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTAAmqSaG5l2p5bjipieaftVplckJIqgl-F2C-FO58Gzl_IeFc8PWsbQyo2_lpz8oTx28AR8HQyL0MbVez8euSgZcxN48hh5wW6u3EskLx2TleqeGv_7fKm0lyrzdGcf9XHlCfpswlFs/s1600/AdaLumDolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUTAAmqSaG5l2p5bjipieaftVplckJIqgl-F2C-FO58Gzl_IeFc8PWsbQyo2_lpz8oTx28AR8HQyL0MbVez8euSgZcxN48hh5wW6u3EskLx2TleqeGv_7fKm0lyrzdGcf9XHlCfpswlFs/s1600/AdaLumDolls.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://asiawee.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Ada Lum dolls photograph courtesy of Stepany, blogger of the Asai with Embroidered Eyes blog.</a></td></tr>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
According to Stephanie's research, "While the dolls/items started as a hobby for personal pleasure, friends among the cosmopolitan social circles (of Diplomats, Consulate staff within the French and British Concession Territories) got to see the dolls and by word of mouth, everyone wanted one. That's how the 'business' started and only grew at the end of the 2nd World War (1945 and the presence of the U.S. Fleet and military personnel in Shanghai.) During this time, Aunt Ada added play-clothes, baby bibs, etc for children which were popular souvenir gifts. She (also) added costume jewelry, handicrafts, etc" </blockquote>
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My Theory</h3>
Given all the information, and this is purely supposition, it isn't difficult to theorize the original doll owners lived in Taiwan or they would have brought back Ada Lum dolls. This is further supported by the fact that Mimi's dolls have the bindi marks on the forehead like the dolls in the Wing Luke Museum. The doll creator could have been a woman who escaped or relocated from the Chinese mainland area of the Guangdong or Fujiab provinces which as I stated in my previous post have a history of Hinduism and are located almost directly across from the island which is now known as Taiwan.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92qWFzS0tAdf50Jj6zBjOAR78OlWGalEWOxCm6REtu5mBaKLGkwCJwfe2MPBLqSkxs9li_SODIBvhZUTW5cRS_OT9hrhfPt0OWcMp0mH02KyisS2LEo8lhA8ScpD_95g3E4TQooHKdnI/s1600/AsianDollsPinterest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg92qWFzS0tAdf50Jj6zBjOAR78OlWGalEWOxCm6REtu5mBaKLGkwCJwfe2MPBLqSkxs9li_SODIBvhZUTW5cRS_OT9hrhfPt0OWcMp0mH02KyisS2LEo8lhA8ScpD_95g3E4TQooHKdnI/s1600/AsianDollsPinterest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Search Tips</h3>
Pictured above is one of my Pinterest boards which I created to show the diverse Asian Cloth and Folk Art Dolls. Sometimes you have to find out what something isn't before you find out what it is, in other words, it's a process of elimination. <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tip #1</span></h4>
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Mix up your search terms. Here are some of the search terms I used to try to find information to help Mimi out in her search:<br />
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Google<br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Mission+cloth+dolls&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS566US566&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=usrsVKqkOoiMNpPnAQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg&biw=1280&bih=923#imgdii=_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mission Cloth Dolls</a><br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=Antique+Chinese+Cloth+Dolls+Images&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS566US566&espv=2&biw=1280&bih=923&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=AO7sVI0Fh7CCBM2XgugP&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Antique Chinese Cloth Dolls Images</a><br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=door+of+hope+dolls+Images&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS566US566&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=au7sVM3IBsWdNtXzgAg&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=923" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Door of Hope Dolls Images</a><br />
<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=ada+lum+dolls&rlz=1C1KMZB_enUS566US566&espv=2&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=YaxCVYHEB4rxsAWkgIHwBw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAg&biw=1280&bih=923#imgrc=_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ada Lum Dolls</a><br />
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Pinterest<br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Chinese%20mission%20cloth%20dolls" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mission Cloth Dolls</a><br />
<a href="https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Antique%20Chinese%20cloth%20dolls" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Antique Chinese Cloth Dolls</a><br />
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<h4>
<span style="font-size: large;">Tip #2</span></h4>
Read and follow through on related subjects for information even though they may not be an exact match. More often than not they will provide clues which relate directly to your subject.<br />
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I hope you've enjoyed reading about the research process and learned a bit about Chinese Stockinette Dolls created for the tourist trade and researching vintage.<br />
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Once again, I do not charge or accept any type of payment or trade for what is posted, discussed, linked or referenced on my blog.<br />
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1. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dependents'_village" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wikipedia Link to article.</a><br />
2. <a href="http://ricci.rt.usfca.edu/institution/view.aspx?institutionID=287" target="_blank">Door of Hope Mission Information</a></div>
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The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-299158759007416322015-02-28T16:21:00.002-05:002020-03-05T18:37:52.045-05:00Chinese Cloth Folk Art Dolls - A Research Case Study - Part One<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">RESEARCH CASE STUDY No. ONE </span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: large;">ASIAN CLOTH DOLLS</span></h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yXcECwWyFU9mZKkkDBNQLD8fMlQYCeFqgRAAR4g0NBrzqfxgUPCGj68ZfjjxBlNYGNdb5Vpi7Cur3w8Wqis0r8DPrhYlWTrG8w5E9Z0pzfWMdgUqOJr79zlfGjOBQZVRwWtdceNpJVE/s1600/VintageChineseFolkArtDolls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yXcECwWyFU9mZKkkDBNQLD8fMlQYCeFqgRAAR4g0NBrzqfxgUPCGj68ZfjjxBlNYGNdb5Vpi7Cur3w8Wqis0r8DPrhYlWTrG8w5E9Z0pzfWMdgUqOJr79zlfGjOBQZVRwWtdceNpJVE/s1600/VintageChineseFolkArtDolls.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1950's Chinese Dolls can be found in <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreekLifeTreasures?ref=l2-shopheader-name" target="_blank">CreekLifeTreasures</a> shop on Etsy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<h3>
EVALUATION AND RESEARCH - PREFACE</h3>
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It is impossible to know "everything" antiques and vintage, professional appraisers and collectors have specialties. That said, growing the skills and proficiency required to answer questions and build not only your knowledge base but also your reference "library" of links are key. Most vintage sellers have a good general knowledge, are committed and actively work to expand their capacity and hone their research skills. In our "at your fingertips" information age, researchers are fortunate for the plethora of online resources. Not only via web sites but also the many detailed and comprehensive blogs created by collectors. Naturally, there are vintage and antique guides which can be purchased or loaned from the library. The downside of printed pricing materials is they're oft outdated. Good practices still require a thorough search online to verify accuracy. Within all this it's important to not overlook the story. It is the framework, comprised of the history and the provenance of an item, which is important.<br />
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With smart phones, Etsy, eBay, and Facebook support groups, along with pricing apps a lot of research happens on the fly. Frankly much of researching is pretty mundane, checking the current market prices, nailing down a year of manufacture, verifying it's not a reproduction worse yet a counterfeit prior to a purchase. But then, every once in a while you come up with something you know is special but you haven't a clue, you go with your gut and make a purchase without any knowledge. Once home you begin the process of researching and appraising an item in preparation to list it for sale.<br />
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This case study begins with one such occasion and my first research tip.<br />
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<h3>
RESEARCH BEGINNINGS - THE PURCHASE</h3>
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Mimi of CreekLifeTreasures, on Etsy, purchase the three Asian cloth dolls pictured above. It was one of those estate sales which is the real deal. Retired military family, life-long collectors of just about "everything" especially Chinese Art and Artifacts says Mimi. A "huge home with a full attic, and had room to keep everything. I think more than anything they simply didn't throw anything away" Mimi went on to say, "They had full decorative Chinese robes that were also for sale. The first thing that sold was a jadeite hand mirror for $7,500.00, the man drove 4 hours one way and stood in line for over 4 hours to get it. It was that kind of sale, I so want a 'do over'." "The entire house was like a museum." Who wouldn't!<br />
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<h3>
TIP #1 - JOIN A SUPPORT GROUP</h3>
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Whether you are a buyer or a seller, join a support group.<br />
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One online group of vintage sellers, called the ESPTeam (Etsy Pickers and Sellers Team)<span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>2.</b></span>, has the <u>What Is It and What Is It Worth</u> research thread which is one of the most utilized threads on the team page. It's where sellers ask for assistance with their problematic identification and research issues. I was one of the members in this thread back in October of 2014, checking the posts to see if I could assist anyone or learn a new tidbit when I came across the post from Mimi of <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreekLifeTreasures">CreekLifeTreasures</a> requesting assistance with her vintage handmade Asian folk art dolls. She posted pictures on the flickr web site and her story began to unfold.<br />
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<h3>
TIP #2 - ASK QUESTIONS</h3>
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This is what Mimi was told at the estate sale.<br />
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1. The husband was in the military, a retired USMC Colonel, whose last known station was in China. In 1958 they moved to Hubert, NC upon their return to the United States. Hubert is a community outside of Jacksonville, NC which is the home of the Camp LeJeune USMC Base.<br />
2. The husband preceded the wife. She was 93 when she passed away in 2014.<br />
3. Their only daughter is 72 and living in Florida. The dolls were hers.<br />
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Mimi found the dolls sitting on a wicker shelf in their only daughters (now 72) room. She said, "The room was preserved just like it was when she was still a child living at home." "The room looked just like (when) she had walked out of it 50 years ago. It was kept 'perfect', with twin wicker beds and chest."<br />
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In her October post Mimi said, <span style="font-family: inherit;">"<span style="line-height: 0.19in;">The
thing that is really throwing me off is the "red dot" or
"bindi" on their forehead." She wasn't sure how that played into the origin of the dolls. Interestingly, the area of Mainland China with the richest history of Hinduism is the Guangdong and Fujiab provinces which are almost directly across from the island which is now known as Taiwan. More about this later.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OyDxIL4hjFFtmogGTzqSBCeH-9vMTSAbCrSeak787G5oWi7nWZlX8M58eScPM1ObFyDvQ0mnK80qLvqAXGp4nKj6bNl4rVVVLrNEfB5tDKQliegG0VWJLRUYHaMNamINUOR1ennPCs8/s1600/ChineseClothDollbindi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6OyDxIL4hjFFtmogGTzqSBCeH-9vMTSAbCrSeak787G5oWi7nWZlX8M58eScPM1ObFyDvQ0mnK80qLvqAXGp4nKj6bNl4rVVVLrNEfB5tDKQliegG0VWJLRUYHaMNamINUOR1ennPCs8/s1600/ChineseClothDollbindi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/221656050/antique-female-chinese-stockinette-cloth?ref=shop_home_feat_3" target="_blank">Antique Female Chinese Stockinette Cloth Doll / 1950s</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfKl-_HiVg67s-GfIPiYnY3dUHzflelu8VvOad1IHgQq-GKvHUga01YT1XTnWydlGbKKtgSIbsVE0KJnDCKtsbec75cM7aIue56YupF3ZRmnTCszhOA7lLi3MYxLChKedghfq1sBwOFY/s1600/ChineseClothDollbindi2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnfKl-_HiVg67s-GfIPiYnY3dUHzflelu8VvOad1IHgQq-GKvHUga01YT1XTnWydlGbKKtgSIbsVE0KJnDCKtsbec75cM7aIue56YupF3ZRmnTCszhOA7lLi3MYxLChKedghfq1sBwOFY/s1600/ChineseClothDollbindi2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/221765018/1950s-chinese-tourist-cloth-doll-antique?ref=shop_home_active_1" target="_blank">Female Chinese Silk Cloth Doll</a></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8Y2nxihdKHYWdb3iao-etvy2k4EwnJZkelLmv663OXmxlh2YBWkHvEpqdy0EIvH90PEdX8Q8Qt_qzQw5Ttt-JG9B3cTi32B4gP8LvfMBPjIFxqmpE-_TOtLVdfoFc2oqHirRXAvMXFI/s1600/ChineseClothDollbindi3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq8Y2nxihdKHYWdb3iao-etvy2k4EwnJZkelLmv663OXmxlh2YBWkHvEpqdy0EIvH90PEdX8Q8Qt_qzQw5Ttt-JG9B3cTi32B4gP8LvfMBPjIFxqmpE-_TOtLVdfoFc2oqHirRXAvMXFI/s1600/ChineseClothDollbindi3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; line-height: 25px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/221646400/vintage-chinese-stockinette-cloth-doll?ref=shop_home_active_3" target="_blank">Male Chinese Stockinette Cloth Doll</a></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 0.19in;"><br /></span></span>
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<h3>
TIP #3 RESEARCH THE INTERNET AND REACH OUT</h3>
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Early on in her initial search Mimi found similar dolls listed as artifacts on the Wing Luke Museum web site. Several of those dolls (as seen below) have bindi marks on the forehead. However, no history or provenance is provided. Mimi contacted the museum requesting more information, but unfortunately the Museum's curator never responded. Below you'll see the photographs and descriptions of the doll artifacts of the museum. I've included some of the photographs and descriptions because the online pages where they were archived have subsequently been taken down (perhaps they are updating their web site).<b><span style="font-size: xx-small;">1</span></b><br />
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When researching Hinduism in China I found the following on Wikipedia, "<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Many legends and stories in Chinese folk religion, such as </span><span style="color: #0b0080; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Nezha (deity)</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">, have been traced to Hindu mythology," </span>which can be viewed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hinduism_in_China#cite_note-8">HERE</a>. Of course it is conjecture on my part, perhaps the bindi marks are a nod to these legends, rooted in the historical fact that India was one of the earliest trade partners and cultural influences in China.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-sgp0b187uhyR2ai_TbCzXDlNxyPlDcWHr-mhbPo2pnboAKG1owB46vLmUs53RMSLIq0HnW-2m-RwVqu4rKS38kPuCzCsg_HwV1_W4DGTqxBE3DZmf4kS0JCT9yfGuZWfie97fHZTn4/s1600/WingLukedollswbindi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="353" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-sgp0b187uhyR2ai_TbCzXDlNxyPlDcWHr-mhbPo2pnboAKG1owB46vLmUs53RMSLIq0HnW-2m-RwVqu4rKS38kPuCzCsg_HwV1_W4DGTqxBE3DZmf4kS0JCT9yfGuZWfie97fHZTn4/s1600/WingLukedollswbindi.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chinese Doll Artifacts photographs Courtesy the Wing Luke Asian Museum</td></tr>
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">CHINESE DOLLS</span></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Doll A. Artifact Description - Wing Luke Asian Museum</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cloth body with pink silk trousers, orange silk jacket with embroidered flowers. Pink silk apron with woven floral pattern tied in back with silk cords. Shoes are orange with yellow silk soles. Face is painted. Hair is black fuzzy yarn with braids wrapped with rust thread. Damage: surface soil hem on pants, jacket bottom, and sleeve hand down in places.1</span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Doll B. Artifact Description</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">- Wing Luke Asian Museum</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Stuffed cloth male Chinese doll.
Facial features created by stitches in cloth head, highlighted by
painted details. Circular band of black thread embroidered in head
for the hair, topped by a queue of braided black cotton thread with
orange thread binding. A jacket of diagonal stripes of blue,
turquoise, and brown with red binding, fastened with four frogs in
the front. Orange trousers with blue polka dot trim at the bottom,
dark green shoe. Condition: There are insect holes in the trousers.
The left shoe is missing.1</span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Doll C. Artifact Description</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> - Wing Luke Asian Museum</span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Cloth Chinese boy doll. Facial features made by stitching with painted details. Circular ring of black embroidery for hair topped with braided black cotton queue with orange thread binding. Gold jacket with embroidered flower (peony) pattern. A front bib of light blue with green, pink, and black floral (peony) embroidered pattern. Red trousers and printed floral patter shoes with yellow soles. The bib is tied around the neck and across the back with braided white cord.1</span><br />
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Despite the fact that the museum didn't answer, in finding similar dolls four things were accomplished. <br />
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<li>The dolls were identified as Chinese in origin.</li>
<li>They provided a spot-on comparable of the style of doll.</li>
<li>They provided a baseline of condition.</li>
<li>The descriptions provided a descriptive dialogue "standard" and key vocabulary words used to properly describe the dolls and clothing. Such as the term "frogs" is used for the jacket closures and the term "queue" for the boy doll's hairstyle.</li>
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<h3>
TIP #4 - IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED - TRY, TRY AGAIN</h3>
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Don't give up if you've contacted someone for more information and they don't reply. In my experience at least 90% of the people I've contacted over the years are wonderful in sharing their experiences, knowledge, photographs etc. Take a different tack and try again. That is exactly what Mimi did when she e-mailed an appraiser who was listed on the PBS Antiques Roadshow web pages. The appraiser referred Mimi to another appraiser, Bradley Justice, also located in North Carolina, you can read a short bio and find his contact information <a href="http://ufdc.org/doll-news/the-staff/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. Mr. Justice is not only an appraiser, he owns <a href="http://www.swelldollshop.com/" target="_blank">The Swell Doll Shop</a> , which has been featured in <a href="http://www.chapelhillmagazine.com/blogs/chapel-hill-magazine-blog/dolls-house/" target="_blank">Chapel Hill Magazine</a>, sells on both eBay and Etsy (you can find those links on his shop web page by clicking the The Swell Doll Shop link), is Curator for Doll and Miniature Museum in High Point, North Carolina, is a member of and a Contributing Editor in the Modern Category for the <a href="http://ufdc.org/" target="_blank">United Federation of Dolls, Inc</a>.</div>
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This is what Mimi learned from Mr. Justice:<br />
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"These dolls are Chinese and were made for the tourist trade. The style originates to the 20's and was made into the 50's. They are needle sculpted and are silk, both stockinette and woven. They do turn up frequently, but yours have exceptional coloring and they tend to fade with time."</blockquote>
He also provided an appraisal which Mimi used to establish the price of her dolls.<br />
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Look for Chinese Cloth Folk Art Dolls - A Research Case Study - Part Two which will be published soon. As soon as it is I will link it here.<br />
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I would like to reiterate I have not nor will I receive any compensation for showcasing Mimi's dolls which are for sale in her Etsy shop <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreekLifeTreasures?ref=pr_shop_more" target="_blank">CreekLifeTreasures</a>.<br />
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I hope you've enjoyed this post and found it helpful. If you have please consider joining and following along either through Google+ or in Google Blogger. Thanks! Deb<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">1. The photographs and descriptions are Copyrighted 2006 by the Wing Luke Museum and are being used for educational purposes per their Copyright Statement under the Fair Use stipulation not for profit or resale. Users of this blog are held to the same Standard of Use. To be clear, I do not charge or accept any type of payment or trade for what is posted, discussed, linked or referenced on my blog.</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-size: x-small;">2. </span></b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The Etsy Pickers and Sellers Team on Etsy.</b></span><br />
<br />The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-39019160141816472402015-01-31T15:32:00.001-05:002020-03-05T18:39:57.471-05:00John Martin's Spool Pets Kitty Cat No. 1. 1930<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
John Martin's SPOOL PETS KITTY CAT NO. 1. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cWZZfUHyuipF6Av4ZScs6Z0jvuji_vnHS97VZkt88oQCLQJUHvOT-htMJUJAUMN4R922cGtr1cJx1cA5V4x4THNXNrq0NWDkZ0CILMEBpRWC7N1yXhO2x7xr5PsL_c8SS0ONXz6UJcM/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_cWZZfUHyuipF6Av4ZScs6Z0jvuji_vnHS97VZkt88oQCLQJUHvOT-htMJUJAUMN4R922cGtr1cJx1cA5V4x4THNXNrq0NWDkZ0CILMEBpRWC7N1yXhO2x7xr5PsL_c8SS0ONXz6UJcM/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wooden Display of Spool Pet Miss Kitty aka Kitty Cat No. 1.</td></tr>
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Her green eyes captured my heart and made me smile. Back in 2011 when I was researching my wooden advertising display version of John Martin's SPOOL Pets KITTY Cat No. 1. I learned she was inspired by a J&P Coats and Clark O.N.T.* thread trading card copyrighted in 1930.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">*Note: O.N.T. - Clark's O.N.T. thread - What O.N.T. stands for, according to the </span><a href="http://allthingsruffnerian.blogspot.com/2011/03/meaning-of-o-n-t.html" style="font-size: small;">"All Things Ruffnerian"</a><span style="font-size: x-small;"> blog, </span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; line-height: 20.2859992980957px;">In 1806, Napoleon blockaded Great Britain, which meant that silk thread was not available to British weavers. The Clark family had a loom supply company and they were also big suppliers of silk thread.</span></span><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #191919; line-height: 20.2859992980957px;">At the time of the blockade, Peter Clark developed a method of combining cotton threads so that they were strong and smooth enough to be used in place of silk, and he advertised this important advancement as "Our New Thread."</span></span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqHQvI5jotFdfMab8e43yy5Rdj2BWVgy_9K8I7UiuB_4I-02oprX2Oojg2SS5Z-qFQEvorD8UPqoYjLf0Pl7uPcar979unHA1z23ghmCoGjH0QnD_3z1xsQPGWs3vMWU4aUQjoTgEO_U/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgqHQvI5jotFdfMab8e43yy5Rdj2BWVgy_9K8I7UiuB_4I-02oprX2Oojg2SS5Z-qFQEvorD8UPqoYjLf0Pl7uPcar979unHA1z23ghmCoGjH0QnD_3z1xsQPGWs3vMWU4aUQjoTgEO_U/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty3.JPG" width="207" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNovNvMKojktunOOcZEtBmFwrdfU1Tu5WpcO27DvH4lRPnAXtWh2MqaBKiynwucIR9Mj5A79-pZsnZ3A2kNrETQkljm_LhHAGSDfrRWz0NSg55vbLp2lgyouNAH2dC5Eoy-XZLLB6PjM/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxNovNvMKojktunOOcZEtBmFwrdfU1Tu5WpcO27DvH4lRPnAXtWh2MqaBKiynwucIR9Mj5A79-pZsnZ3A2kNrETQkljm_LhHAGSDfrRWz0NSg55vbLp2lgyouNAH2dC5Eoy-XZLLB6PjM/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty2.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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My finding was, whether created by an individual or provided by the J.P. Clark Company, she was used as display. She is obviously screen printed (as apposed to hand painted) and would have been sitting on top of a wooden Coats and Clark thread display. Her dimensions are 4" tall x 2 1/4" wide x 2 1/2" deep. She bears no manufacturers markings and was attached to a large spool of J.P. Coats black thread. Highly lovable right down to her soiled natty little tail! She was my fourth sale and sold for $29.00 not including shipping. Although I was sad to see her go, she was adopted by a "good home" and is loved.</div>
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Initially there were 6 pets available 1. KITTY CAT, 2. PUPPY DOG, 3. BOB BUNNY, 4. HAL HORSE, 5. CLARA COW and 6. PETE PIG. Each of which were included in your purchase of Coats and Clark bias trim or you could send 5 cents to THE SPOOL COTTON COMPANY, Dept. 101, P.O. Box 551, Newark, New Jersey if you wanted all six. A First Class stamp was 3 cents in 1930.</div>
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Now days they'd be downloadable on the companies web site or blog. Hey, some are! <a href="http://coatsandclarksewingsecrets.com/blogcategory/vintage-notions-spool-pets-story-and-free-image">Coats and Clark blog</a> has a wonderful bit of history including the second release of a Spool project called "Spool Zoo". You can read all about it there and you'll find a great free downloadable graphic perfect for a child's tee-shirt project.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Hl1a9R-OHpslKF0Zx0j80NEXtO9kKmrjyMYj-RCWNe35wfrMnJ2vns6fHjdypp3r4FAClMflFyNGpcO716BKQQGBMT7731N7ndbiJRxscYttiI1nYncTlWP13xuLbvu1swlLQoU71o/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL1Hl1a9R-OHpslKF0Zx0j80NEXtO9kKmrjyMYj-RCWNe35wfrMnJ2vns6fHjdypp3r4FAClMflFyNGpcO716BKQQGBMT7731N7ndbiJRxscYttiI1nYncTlWP13xuLbvu1swlLQoU71o/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty4.JPG" width="536" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">John Martin's SPOOL PET No. 1. KITTY CAT via Pinterest</td></tr>
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According to <a href="http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/">http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/</a> in the 1930's, depending on where you lived, a nickel would purchase a loaf of bread, or a can of pork and beans, or one pound of fresh peas, or a couple of oranges, or a half a gallon of gas. In other words, a nickel could be important to a family during the Depression.</div>
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My mother, born in 1926 to a farming family, had very few toys when growing up resulting in a love of toys as an adult. Educated as a Home Economics teacher she passed on the love of sewing and all things crafty. So, when I had to choose an avatar for myself when I opened my vintage shop on Etsy, I couldn't think of anything better than Kitty to represent me as an avatar. Kitty knows good vintage! Kitty embodied a part of my past, my family's past, and certainly my present. Who could ask for more?</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsMhtErJ9VXtZjjgiW7043nK-P5z0qCka-xcLpj6g98ELY84xHiudunxCI7Vk5zgBecD1cw2nZssbsbhuf4KjsfhrtRXHDlEOev_pyiQ_DjoYkCr5CDUGY0ma0tuHTpf_DFpmI10ZGI8/s1600/SpoolPetsPinterestSearch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmsMhtErJ9VXtZjjgiW7043nK-P5z0qCka-xcLpj6g98ELY84xHiudunxCI7Vk5zgBecD1cw2nZssbsbhuf4KjsfhrtRXHDlEOev_pyiQ_DjoYkCr5CDUGY0ma0tuHTpf_DFpmI10ZGI8/s1600/SpoolPetsPinterestSearch.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=John%20Martin%27s%20Spool%20Pets&term_meta%5B%5D=John%7Ctyped&term_meta%5B%5D=Martin%27s%7Ctyped&term_meta%5B%5D=Spool%7Ctyped&term_meta%5B%5D=Pets%7Ctyped">Link to John Martin's Spool Pets Search on Pinterest</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NStKcDSYsB_dra787YkADokPegADb_X_Mg46lbMYGg64822-rjNCvETPIwspWtdbd-SgbcVHIYQOEKlmOJTcg659HU8IJvQzL_huMtQUMFj93LJjR__XwywoevA8lmPSBYzYeqAkOnY/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty1Poster.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1NStKcDSYsB_dra787YkADokPegADb_X_Mg46lbMYGg64822-rjNCvETPIwspWtdbd-SgbcVHIYQOEKlmOJTcg659HU8IJvQzL_huMtQUMFj93LJjR__XwywoevA8lmPSBYzYeqAkOnY/s1600/SpoolPetsKitty1Poster.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitty knows good vintage!</td></tr>
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I imported a photograph of her into GIMP a free image editing program and "posterized" her. I love that I see her everyday. She's a playful reminder of our past, how vintage and handmade go hand in hand, and is steeped in American history.<br />
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When a new Google+ friend asked about my avatar, commenting that she looked similar to a baby toy of hers handmade by her mother, I decided to create this post. That's one of the lovely things about selling vintage. It pricks at memories, the little things that really aren't so little, which sometimes become the "thread" used to create and share family stories, traditions and heirlooms. For me, it doesn't get any better than that. If +Margaret Siemers found her toy pictured below:<br />
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Meet Kitty Kye who inspired this post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRjMO8mMsnoXWWjoWzeAyIKi0QTH9K09g-kmiBxcHJIufQdO3nkA3B-ojwa3O4OWWjpMb5hvevMUalCjnLMdthhm-0Wl7oMVeidnYj0Ak2AFFKFGPy5VJTabeug6A8mmoFJxy0C9_dwk/s1600/Kittykye.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRjMO8mMsnoXWWjoWzeAyIKi0QTH9K09g-kmiBxcHJIufQdO3nkA3B-ojwa3O4OWWjpMb5hvevMUalCjnLMdthhm-0Wl7oMVeidnYj0Ak2AFFKFGPy5VJTabeug6A8mmoFJxy0C9_dwk/s1600/Kittykye.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Made in the 1950's by Margaret's mother in anticipation of her birth Kitty Kye.</td></tr>
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Margaret says Kitty Kye's body was from a kit. Kye is 8" tall and 6" wide constructed with a feed-sack front and muslin back, I see researching vintage cat toy kits in my future! She wonders if the embellishments were Spool Pet inspired. Could be?While I can't answer that, I can say Kye's adorable and in fabulous condition!<br />
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If you have a Spool Pets story you'd like to share add it to the comments below.<br />
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<br />The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-36956260350032386792013-07-17T16:25:00.001-04:002020-03-05T18:41:48.945-05:00Danish Modern Mid Century Modern Teak Bowls and Home Decor - Design, Care, History and Shopping Tips<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">Vintage Teak Bowls Trays and Housewares</span></h2>
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #783f04;">A Profile of Vintage Danish Modern</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">and</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Mid-Century Modern Offerings</span></h2>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Want to begin accumulating vintage Danish Modern and Mid Century teak for your home? Or perhaps you are an avid collector seeking information? While vintage Danish Modern Teak furniture costs are soaring, vintage teak wooden serveware and housewares, such as salad bowls, cheese boards, salt and pepper grinders and sets, trays, as well as candlesticks remain affordable. Some vintage offerings are down-right inexpensive. If you are willing to put a little time and effort into refurbishing many vintage Danish Modern pieces can be picked up for a song.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">These vintage "touches" will help transform your contemporary modern minimalist pieces and deliver the authentic vintage vibe you seek. For beginning collectors, I recommend creating a purchasing plan which includes creating a wish list of items you would like to use daily and those which you want to purchase as an investment. Learning a little history, design principals, and</span> understanding <span style="font-family: inherit;">the vintage market prior to making purchases will ensure you get the most value for your money.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04; font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><b>A little Danish Modern History</b></span></h3>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">From a design aspect the Danish Modern movement began in the 1920's; but really took hold in the early 1930's continuing through World War II. It has been said during the depression years and World War II into the post war era, European and Scandinavian designers took to their roots in both design principals as well as materials. These new designs, born of frugality, honored the past but perhaps more importantly displayed an awakening spirit of hope for the future.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Danish Modern furniture design, prior to using teak, many Scandinavian designs were made of local woods such as pine. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">An American </span>aesthetic for darker woods influenced Danish Modern designers. Additionally, the advent of new post war glues and technologies such as <a href="https://www.google.com/patents/US2325528?printsec=drawing&dq=bent+plywood&ei=TJ7hUb7GA9TA4AOTk4DgCA#v=onepage&q=bent%20plywood&f=false">bent plywood</a> (which made for a stronger union of wood and metal) opened the door to exciting new affordable designs. Once Danish Modern designers discovered teak, known for it's attributes of being a hard, lightweight and water resistant wood, Denmark quickly became the largest worldwide importer of teak in the 1950's.<br />
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High consumption combined with poor forestry and plantation conservation practices, during the thirty year period between 1950 and 1980, accounted for the decline of teak resources worldwide and the consequential spiraling cost. In the early 1980's many countries instituted policies to improve and maintain teak conservation practices. Exports became regulated and plantations were governed to assure teak remained as a sustainable resource. Why is this important?<br />
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Availability impacted both price and design. As you will learn the age of teak importers, not coincidentally, ended in the 1980's. During that 30 year period of time not only product design but also manufacturing practices changed in order to remain competitive in the market. Many Danish modern designs which heretofore were executed in Denmark with imported teak, were now manufactured in the country of origin. Indeed, designs were changed to provide a more economical use of wood. A good example of this is evidenced with the evolution of the country of manufacture of Dansk bowls; early bowls were manufactured in Denmark but quickly began being produced countries like Thailand and Malaysia. Indeed, even now, global teak availability and prices are impacted by the practices during this thirty year time period. Hence, making the purchase of vintage teak products is not only fun but also affordable and a "<a href="http://www.wecanlivegreen.com/greenliving/goinggreen.html">green</a>" practice.<br />
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When considering mid century teak salad bowls, serveware, candlesticks, toys and trays for purchase you owe it to yourself to 1.) know a little history, 2.) define your budget and, 3.) understand basic construction and design in order to maximize your options.<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">
A Bit of History - Vintage Teak Serveware and Housewares Mass Market Manufacturers - Importers</span></h2>
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Resourcing information for Danish Modern name designers such as Kay Bojesen, Hans Bolling, Jens Quistgaard, Richard Nissen and their piers on the internet is a fun ride and you will find rich information. Conversely, there is much less information available for mass market manufacturers and importers. The latter being my main focus, because their products are reasonably priced and readily found online. Take a moment to discover the mass market manufacturers/importers in the mid-century tableware and housewares game. Knowing the names and a bit of the history will afford you many design and price options.<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">
Mass Market Teak Housewares Manufacturers</span></h2>
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Dansk Designs</b></span> - 1954 - 1991 Formed in 1954 by Ted Nierenberg with designer Jens Quistgaard. In 1974 Dansk removed all designer references and changed their back-stamp to Dansk International Designs LTD. Dansk was purchased in 1985 by Dansk Acquisition Corp and was later purchased by Brown-Forman Corporation, under it's Lenox brand umbrella. In March of 2009 Clarion Capital Partners LLC purchased all the assets of Lenox from the Brown-Forman Corporation renaming the company Lenox Corporation which has kept the Dansk product name.[1] There is abundant information about both Dansk and Jens Quistgaard online which I will not further duplicate here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dansk Trademarks over the years.</td></tr>
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Dansk Teak Package Care Instructions </span></h3>
The following care instructions came with each wood item from Dansk Designs.<br />
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"Dansk Designs advises you to treat your wood pieces tenderly. Wood is sensitive to extremes of temperature, humidity and dryness. So store it in a well ventilated area away from radiators and strong sunlight."<br />
"To keep this piece lustrous, clean it by wiping with mild soap and warm water. Dry thoroughly. And give it an occasional beauty rub with ordinary mineral oil."</blockquote>
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*I would only note that today it is recommended you use food grade mineral oil. Which can easily be found at most big box stores, as well as hardware and home improvement centers.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #783f04;">Buying Tip</span>: </b> While Dansk was sold only first quality in the finer Department Stores, they also sold seconds and closeouts through a network of Factory Outlet Stores. Look for tags which may show the item was a second. Further, make there aren't unsightly knots and be sure all staves and inlay work are tight and sound. Aging glues and exposure to water can compromise the joints and the structural integrity of your piece.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: #444444;">Digsmed</span> </b></span>- I spent quite a bit of time researching Digsmed as there is very little information online about this popular manufacturer. Through researching the US Trademark records it is known Digsmed, manufactured in Denmark, was imported by The Millard Norman Company, 4688 Paddock Road, Cincinnati, OH 45229. The Trademark available for research was the stylized Vikings helmet.<br />
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The Digsmed Vikings Helmet Trademark was filed in the United States by The Millard Norman Company on 12/30/68 and was registered on 01/20/1970, it was not renewed and expired 11/4/1992. As listed on the trademark application the first in use anywhere and commerce date according to the records is 11/10/66.[2]<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Digsmed 1964 logo.</td></tr>
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I have seen one piece of Digsmed with a Trademark older than the Vikings Helmet which I believe was brought to the US not imported. The information on the US Trademark application is in direct conflict with some with this as well as Digsmed products showing a 1964 copyright, ergo, one could assume the 1964 reference would have a Danish Trademark copyright. I attempted to search the Danish copyright information, however, it can not be confirmed because their online records begin with the year 1982. Assuming those records would include active 1982 trademarks, one can conclude Digsmed was no longer in business in Denmark at that time but just what year they began producing product and ceased doing business is not known.<br />
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The designer or designers of the Digsmed line of housewares is unaccredited and not listed in the Trademark application and no further information could be found. I should note that the designs incorporated the use of metal not only in function but also as a design element, very similar to those of Laurids Lonborg who also worked with Kastrup Holmegaard Glassworks to provide glassware for his teak condiment and serving trays.<br />
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It may be helpful for those who are attempting to date their Digsmed products where glass was used, to know the glass was produced by then Kastrup Holmegaard glass manufacturers. The Holmegaard and the Kastrup Glassworks merged in July 1965, hereafter it was called Kastrup & Holmegaard Glassworks many glass items were marked KH. In 1977 the Kastrup Glassworks closed and the company changed it name to Holmegaard Glassworks.<br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;"><b>Buying Tip</b></span>: The Digsmed vintage spice wheels are a very popular, because of the high demand and relative rarity they are highly prized and priced. Make sure the glass jars are original and not replacements when paying a premium price.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Goodwood</b></span> - Trademark was owned by Julie Pomerantz, Inc., located on Madison Ave., New York, New York, the Julie Pomerantz company was a housewares - wholesale importer. The US Trademark application shows the first use in the US as 1949. The trademark was deemed to be "dead" due to abandonment by the owner in 2001.<br />
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The Trademark was a Rooster contained within a square that was partially shaded. Goodwood teak products were/are high quality utilizing modern shapes and design. Packaging was designed to compete against named designers and in the gifts market. While they were not of Danish or Scandinavian in origin, they certainly were truly born in the Eames Era which was reflected in their designs. Goodwood was sold through fine gift shops as well as department stores.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Kalmar</b></span> - 1959 - 1981 Kalmar, which may have been named after the city of Kalmar in Sweden, is another true Eames Era importer. According to Corporation records in the state of New York, Kalmar Designs was incorporated 05/24/1965, the corporation was dissolved on 03/25/1981 by Dissolution by Proclamation. In 1968 they also incorporated as Kalmar Imports, Inc. and again in 1979 as 5521221, Inc.<br />
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Housewares and serveware which were executed in teak and imported from Thailand; also known as Kalmar Designs Inc., the company was located in Wantagh, New York. Although well designed and constructed, using high quality teak, Kalmar's, products were manufactured with uncredited designers. A true Mid Century modern profile sold primarily in finer gift shops. Their audience was primarily middle class Americans who were the backbone of the housing, furniture and housewares industry during the 1950's, 1960's and 1970's. Designs were sleek and modern influenced by both Danish and the Mid Century modern aesthetic.<br />
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<span style="color: #444444; font-size: large;"><b>Dolphin</b></span> - This trade mark was owned by Lipper International, Inc. the original filing date was 05/10/1965 first use anywhere 07/03/64, first use in commerce date 07/03/64. The Trademark was renewed as of 01/24/1987 the current status is "Expired" as of 10/27/2007 . At this writing, Lipper International is still in business selling wood housewares to Walmart.<br />
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When looking at the date range of companies, it becomes clear that the heyday of teakwood imports ended in the late 1970's early 1980's. Dansk Designs, Goodwood and Kalmar being the oldest importers/manufactures. Eventually all companies succumbed in one way or another, like the short lived Digsmed, to the overwhelming increasing costs of materials, production and shipping (keep in mind the impact of the 1970's oil embargo) combined with America's changing tastes in home decor. <br />
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<h4>
<span style="color: #783f04;">Construction and Design 101 - Wooden Bowls and Trays Basics</span></h4>
Knowing construction basics will not only help you make sound purchases, it will also help you understand condition issues and why care is so important to ensure your mid-century cool finds last for years. Know, solid wood construction will out perform all others. Once you've read this you may never look at a wooden bowl the same way again.<br />
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There are basic types of lathe turned bowl construction: 1.) Solid Wood and 2.) Staved and 3.) Segmented.<br />
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<ul>
<li>Solid Wood</li>
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Lathe turned from a solid piece of wood. This is the most expensive method because it has the most waste. The best durability.</blockquote>
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<ul>
<li>Staved</li>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pieces of teak are bevel cut glued together side by side sometimes with a solid round base (the grain of the wood goes vertically) then turned/shaped on a lathe. Similar to barrel construction it is an economical use of wood. Good durability because the bevel creates structural support for the overall piece.</blockquote>
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<li>Segmented</li>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Pieces of wood are miter-cut glued together making a "ring". The grain of the wood is horizontal. The layers of rings are glued together, creating stacks of rings which are turned/shaped on a lathe. This is the least structurally sound and is usually only seen in ornamental bowls not intended to withstand daily use and washing. It is the most economical use of wood as very small pieces can be utilized in the design process.</blockquote>
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<ul>
<li>Marquetry - Used in Trays and Serveware such as Trays, Cutting Boards and Cheese Boards</li>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
An inlaid pattern and/or design. It is important to know these are small pieces often thin veneers which are glued to each other and inset in a usually solid wood (not teak) base.</blockquote>
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<h3>
<span style="color: #783f04;">
Condition - Condition - Condition</span></h3>
The enemy of wood, especially staved or segmented wood, is age combined with exposure to environmental stress, sunlight, temperature, humidity and worse water mistreatment (exposure to the dishwasher and or immersion washing in the sink), and dryness (lack of proper oiling to keep the wood moist).<br />
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While teak is well known for it's resistance to water damage, aging glue can be easily compromised. The more glue, the increased opportunity for damage. Teak which has not be adequately oiled ages and takes on a grey ash appearance, easily seen in outdoor furniture which hasn't been properly maintained. Indoors teak serveware and housewares will also suffer from not being oiled on a regular basis. As the wood dries it places stress on the glued joints, add too much water to the mix and you have a piece which is structurally compromised. Joints and seams are either at risk or have split. <span style="font-family: inherit;">This causes more than mere aesthetic concerns, they can cause health concerns also. Cracks and checks can harbor bacteria, causing food born illness. Proper care and handling will help ensure your wood serveware is not only beautiful but also safe.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #783f04;">Purchasing Tips</span></h3>
Defining your needs and expected use for your teak finds will help you determine the best value for your money. Beginning collectors should define and list the products they would like to purchase and perhaps set a budget. Further, deciding in advance whether you want to use a particular piece as a working element in your home or as an investment and primarily used as display, will allow you to narrow acceptable condition issues of goods on the market.<br />
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If you are willing to recondition vintage teak, there are many exceptional finds for $20.00 and under including shipping. Reconditioning is easier than you may think. Keeping costs down for everyday items will allow you to spend more for those rare and designer goodies you want! Remember purchasing vintage is affordable, fun, green and supports small business!The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-75761404195813375562013-05-31T18:44:00.000-04:002020-03-05T18:44:41.529-05:00How To Clean Brass with Natural Products<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Cleaning Stained Vintage Brass - A Tutorial</h2>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hollywood Regency Floor Standing Solid Brass Candlestick Holders</td></tr>
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While cleaning a vintage item is never in question, whether to polish or not to polish brass, copper and silver is for many vintage sellers. In general, patina is highly sought after, removing patina from vintage and antiques devalues the item. Given the choice, I always opt for patina or a jeweler's cloth to clean and lightly polish most vintage jewelry. However, with metal home decor and kitchenware the line is blurred.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; text-align: start;">Patina is one thing, stains are another.</span></td></tr>
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I was faced with this exact situation recently with these three extra large floor standing brass candle holders.<br />
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The tallest candlestick stands 26 3/8 inches , the medium candlestick 21 1/2 inches and the smallest 18 inches tall without candles. These mid century solid brass Hollywood Regency style vintage candle holders were meant to be elegant and beautiful - to make a visual statement. To have a presence in a room.<br />
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Taking this into consideration, I decided to polish.<br />
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All three had staining similar to the one pictured here on the left. Who knows what from or how deep the reactive stain reached, committing to them was a risk.<br />
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I knew I could use a commercial brass cleaner and 0000 fine steel wool, available in the grocery and hardware stores. Very expensive and who wants that in their kitchen sink and going down the drain?<br />
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I found several web and blog sites recommending this or that all natural treatment. What was lacking was examples of how well the suggested treatment worked as well as before and after photographs. Several of which didn't work, or didn't work well enough to deal with the staining on my brass candle holders. I'll talk more about that later. Let me share what did work the best first and what you'll need to get started. Relax it's all natural and probably in your kitchen pantry right now!<br />
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<b>Things You'll Need</b></h3>
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<li><b>Spoon</b> - I used a stainless steel spoon, a wooden spoon would work also.</li>
<li><b>Flour</b> - I used regular unbleached all purpose flour.</li>
<li><b>Kosher Salt</b></li>
<li><b>Vinegar</b> 5% to 6% acidity - I used cider vinegar but you could use white vinegar.</li>
<li><b>Bowl</b> - I used a plastic mushroom container which I wash and keep for projects like this.</li>
<li><b>Cotton Swab</b> - To apply the paste directly on the stain.</li>
<li><b>Sponge</b> - to apply the paste for over all treatment.</li>
<li><b>Olive Oil</b> - to protect the metal from the air after it has been cleaned and polished.</li>
</ul>
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</h3>
<h3>
Prep Work</h3>
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If your candle holders break down into smaller pieces - take them apart one at a time and wash with warm soapy water and dry with a soft cloth or kitchen towel. This will remove any oils,dust and surface dirt allowing the mixture to reach the metal more efficiently and uniformly.</div>
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Many older pieces of brass have been lacquered. It's important to know if your piece has been lacquered you will have to use more traditional treatments to remove the lacquer prior to polishing. This treatment will not remove lacquer. For pieces which are lacquered you can use a traditional brass cleaner with 0000 fine steel wool, being careful not to rub in a circular motion or apply so much pressure as to deeply scratch the surface of the metal. Fine marks can be buffed out with a lamb's wool buffer attached to a drill.</div>
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<h3>
Step One</h3>
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Mix the paste. I wasn't and didn't exactly measure the ingredients and I made them in batches; treating and cleaning over a couple of days without issue. I did attempt to stay somewhat consistent and used a heaping 1/4 cup of flour, kosher salt and vinegar per batch. I doubled this when applying the overall treatment. You can adjust for too much vinegar if your paste is too thin by adding equal parts of flour and salt until the mixture is thick enough not to run.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYn5PKMUwcolSHaaL0AHYSLb1QI2hjSRrtiO52JimCR7PsJxv1pW7XaEBg9aMa1hjZRkXZrG4ZyDkJQMmiAyld3yIQSwEhDQKmu1TIKXrR7o4d9Pr8DVfLQnwPjZbsN_KQ6lxN692kPM/s1600/BrassStainBefore.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmYn5PKMUwcolSHaaL0AHYSLb1QI2hjSRrtiO52JimCR7PsJxv1pW7XaEBg9aMa1hjZRkXZrG4ZyDkJQMmiAyld3yIQSwEhDQKmu1TIKXrR7o4d9Pr8DVfLQnwPjZbsN_KQ6lxN692kPM/s320/BrassStainBefore.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Staining prior to treatment.</td></tr>
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<h3>
Step Two - Stain Treatment</h3>
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I applied the paste to the stained areas and allowed it to work for 10 minutes or so for each treatment.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First application of paste on stains.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTzm7TMiTGSD23jgrJrle-Zajok4RXtvKzfECYueMl9FuhE0IJL99yPI7GSnzHreKgNx4OlN-UyLetRqOcJW9DvAh2W98uwvMS5ZKkzyBGpN03-NZcVhYJsaaPaQPKic37Lmjp382VqI/s1600/BrassStainTreatment3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeTzm7TMiTGSD23jgrJrle-Zajok4RXtvKzfECYueMl9FuhE0IJL99yPI7GSnzHreKgNx4OlN-UyLetRqOcJW9DvAh2W98uwvMS5ZKkzyBGpN03-NZcVhYJsaaPaQPKic37Lmjp382VqI/s320/BrassStainTreatment3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darn those stubborn stains - many will require more than<br />
one treatment. This is after the first treatment.</td></tr>
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Many stains will require additional treatments. Mind required four or five. Leaving the paste on longer than 10 minutes didn't impact how effective the application was. Because this is such a frugal and inexpensive project costing pennies reapplication isn't a cost concern. I'd also like to note that if you look at the back left section of the candlestick you can see the color difference even with the paste on. Gone is the sickly green tarnish, and a rosy hue is revealed. This isn't possible with commercial brass cleaners which will give you more of a golden hue.</div>
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I did try rubbing the paste into the stain with a terry wash cloth with some success in the tough areas. Having said that, friction creates heat. And the terry will expose a fresh surface for allowing more contact between paste and stain. I tried warming the paste in the microwave and it improved the process slightly but not significantly; or to a degree as to make heating a requirement for success. Repeated application was the most successful strategy.</div>
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<h3>
Step Three - Overall Treatment</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmAR47ssjUrqaIMcUcOLZauiKKwNd3HoYCMFnEioiBxtJqGvEnHz42qg6-OAENI7m9JJIiAv3eggeCMuLgWqe4rNPW6mwLiYF733K25tCUTUH2dPA1hzOFCqSSwZ7TT85jSuZHC9abW8/s1600/BrassOverallTreatment.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwmAR47ssjUrqaIMcUcOLZauiKKwNd3HoYCMFnEioiBxtJqGvEnHz42qg6-OAENI7m9JJIiAv3eggeCMuLgWqe4rNPW6mwLiYF733K25tCUTUH2dPA1hzOFCqSSwZ7TT85jSuZHC9abW8/s320/BrassOverallTreatment.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Once you have removed the stains you will need to treat the overall piece. I used a kitchen sponge to apply the paste over all the surface. It's as simple as it sounds, apply wait 10 minutes, rinse and dry. Reapply as needed.</div>
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The piece below has been spot treated and treated overall. You will note the uneven finish. I did one more overall treatment then smoothed out the unevenness with a jeweler's cloth.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT6kwOx4zC0AFfKRqC9ZiSPT-W9JhYAp9oltnV5IEGxhGrkAXsyB6qENIGnpmiMOYzrcMXZ96S6Rti3VcsYCAvbhZ5g2h8nWDqdLmUcB4OX8-4m9tgHqcdXuXopkevpDZX7w1OFqx_ec/s1600/BrassTreatmentAfter1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIT6kwOx4zC0AFfKRqC9ZiSPT-W9JhYAp9oltnV5IEGxhGrkAXsyB6qENIGnpmiMOYzrcMXZ96S6Rti3VcsYCAvbhZ5g2h8nWDqdLmUcB4OX8-4m9tgHqcdXuXopkevpDZX7w1OFqx_ec/s320/BrassTreatmentAfter1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After spot treating and one overall treatment.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOrrXt9S3I9pQEnBxanVnNSI2P2qKyysTGB7i2kCML2sxLPYLWNvbU8fc30C0a534SRUJm4lE5IAJWsmqfjHhqnSeUfS9MQI3GDPBCPkWuI7nBu8DZ_9UFurIhXizBnO4Dr73Z4pLf7E/s1600/CandleHolderClose1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGOrrXt9S3I9pQEnBxanVnNSI2P2qKyysTGB7i2kCML2sxLPYLWNvbU8fc30C0a534SRUJm4lE5IAJWsmqfjHhqnSeUfS9MQI3GDPBCPkWuI7nBu8DZ_9UFurIhXizBnO4Dr73Z4pLf7E/s400/CandleHolderClose1.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what the finish looks like when unevenness<br />
is smoothed out with a jeweler's cloth. Note not all of<br />
the patina has been removed.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEYVURh0yjIZBDSGGvFRjKhWOC4EF7RkMCeswjRJW0KZnJwnFcitlPB192oNSWMCEr-UFtiw2OVcCleu_i3dvh0p5N5uh4o2EXI54nVwXxFruO0op62pkl0D_mwKZJmmMaAyn2tgNjTQ/s1600/BeforeandAfter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEYVURh0yjIZBDSGGvFRjKhWOC4EF7RkMCeswjRJW0KZnJwnFcitlPB192oNSWMCEr-UFtiw2OVcCleu_i3dvh0p5N5uh4o2EXI54nVwXxFruO0op62pkl0D_mwKZJmmMaAyn2tgNjTQ/s320/BeforeandAfter.JPG" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before and after in the bright sun light. Inside you<br />
see a rich warm glow from the brass.</td></tr>
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Again, I'd like to note the desired effect, for me, was not to make them look "as new" but to clean, remove the stains and polish without removing all the natural patina and age marks. To that end this process was a total success! I certainly appreciate the cost difference making this a frugal project. Time wise I think I would have spent more active time using traditional methods. I loved the fact that I didn't have caustic materials or the unpleasant fumes in the kitchen. Clean up was easy and I didn't have to think twice about my food touching contaminated surfaces of the counter top. I didn't have to worry about what was going into the septic tank.<br />
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<h3>
Step Four - Sealing</h3>
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Once you've cleaned and polished your brass it is time to create a barrier between the metal and the elements which cause tarnish. If you are looking to build patina, don't seal but do dust regularly and try not to touch the metal with your bare hands.</div>
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<div>
Lightly oil the brass to reduce the metals exposure to the air and tarnish causing elements. A light coating with olive oil will naturally do the trick or if you want a longer lasting product you can use boiled linseed oil, a drying oil , which has long been used to protect metal and wood used and stored out of doors. If using boiled linseed oil, use some type of glove while applying and allow it to dry overnight. As always with metals try not to touch the metal with your bare hands.</div>
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Should you want a more permanent finish lacquering will create a semi-permanent layer. You can purchase lacquer in spray cans if you want to do it your self. There are disadvantages to lacquering. Should you get tarnish you must remove the lacquer to treat; a project in itself. Lacquering also hurts resell value in some circumstances.<br />
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<h4>
What Didn't Work</h4>
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Salt and vinegar alone. Either heated or cold.</div>
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Vinegar with baking soda. Either heated or cold.</div>
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<div>
These are the two other methods I tried prior to using the homemade flour salt and vinegar paste. They did remove the slightest amount of tarnish and would probably work as maintenance treatments, however, for built up tarnish and staining the homemade all natural paste worked the best.</div>
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<div>
I hope this is helpful to you in finding a natural ecological solution for your brass cleaning and DIY projects!</div>
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<br />The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-69683550811580837432013-03-26T12:50:00.000-04:002020-03-05T18:46:11.758-05:00Vintage Dansk Christianshavn Blue Bistro Dinnerware<h2>
Vintage Dansk Bistro Dinnerware in Christianshavn Blue</h2>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzyCtmgEF2QsKlGW4YbbkHNJAn5ROTyoXhMOqeXp1o6iUNhAaf0Sa8l63HEqC52y4znb2k8KCuauQM5KWpoOtvAJUeH7acL-QxJ_ayc_RQKajX68Dj-bxrAhSJ42UdidCtqx0B-Buvow/s1600/DanskBistroChristianshavnBlueSet.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzyCtmgEF2QsKlGW4YbbkHNJAn5ROTyoXhMOqeXp1o6iUNhAaf0Sa8l63HEqC52y4znb2k8KCuauQM5KWpoOtvAJUeH7acL-QxJ_ayc_RQKajX68Dj-bxrAhSJ42UdidCtqx0B-Buvow/s1600/DanskBistroChristianshavnBlueSet.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Dansk Bistro Christianshavn Blue</td></tr>
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The Dansk Bistro line of porcelain china, designed by Niels Refsgaard,<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"> </span></span>was introduced by Dansk in 1981 and was marketed as the "mix and match" line of tableware which included several stylized patterns as well as the Bisserup White.<br />
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I began collecting the Bisserup White for my personal use in the early 1980's and continued to collect that pattern until the mid 1990's.<br />
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It was a tough choice for me between the Christianshavn Blue line with the white winning out; but I did collect some of the Christianshavn Blue in select pieces such as the espresso cups and saucers It was after all the mix and match collection!<br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Designer for Dansk Bistro - Niels Refsgaard</span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNZ2l4q5q6Y6cWkWjxFcRpXx6MKy3sOzDansZ0m3q4JwFuDA_ytI3xydNz3Cep-R9BSn5xXOPVIRPsiCzdimXWK842GfA3pwokEnZehgElxN7hH5wAIGCqJXnu1EMhEYsANbv6iDJrMY/s1600/DanskBistroChristianshavnBlue3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcNZ2l4q5q6Y6cWkWjxFcRpXx6MKy3sOzDansZ0m3q4JwFuDA_ytI3xydNz3Cep-R9BSn5xXOPVIRPsiCzdimXWK842GfA3pwokEnZehgElxN7hH5wAIGCqJXnu1EMhEYsANbv6iDJrMY/s1600/DanskBistroChristianshavnBlue3.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vintage Dansk Bistro Chrisitanshavn Blue shown<br />
with Odin Servers</td></tr>
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The Dansk Bistro line was designed by Niels Refsgaard, who graduated from the<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, The School of Design in Copenhagen in 1957, currently has a studio and shop in Bisserup, and his current designs are available online which can be seen with this link <a href="http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=da&u=http://refsgard.dk/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dniels%2BRefsgaard%2Bdesigns%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1008%26bih%3D905&sa=X&ei=gV9HUaLSKuTP2QXkxIH4CA&ved=0CDcQ7gEwAA" target="_blank">Refsgaard Danish Ceramics Web Store</a>. Refsgaard still has a relationship with Dansk, now owned by Lenox, and has for over 50 years. He states on his web site that, after years of industrial design (designs for mass production), he is "finally doing what was my youth dream and hope" </span></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">enjoying a more organic approach and using local materials which can only be achieved on a small scale.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Refsgaard and Dansk are the recipient of several design awards including:</span></span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> iF Product Design Awards - Niels Refsgaard for "Generation" Two Awards in different categories.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">International Tabletop Award - Dansk International Designs Niels Refsgaard designer, Dansk Bistro in the Dinnerware Design category.</span></span></li>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Dansk Bistro - Christianshavn Blue - Design Inspiration</span></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Dansk advertising described the Bistro line as "gleaming white </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">porcelain</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> in traditional colors - cool sea-blue and warm earth-brown -- he offers distinctive border to mix and match in endless combinations." </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Dansk hung their hat on the Bistro line, accompanied by copious companion pieces, they honed the Bistro brand through advertising not only the dinnerware but also "accessories" such as casseroles, bakers, quiche pans, ramekins and souffles in "The Cook's Collection" and the "Cook and Serve Collection".</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">According to one Dansk ad, the inspiration for the line was "a charming Danish custom: to tile kitchen walls and working surfaces in a multitude of unmatched patterns." The </span></span><span style="line-height: 20px;">sapphire blue and the earthy brown were named Christianshavn after the trendy neighborhood in Copenhagen with a mix of old and new architecture.</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/serge_y/7728922232/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Sunset at Christianshavn, Copenhagen by serge y., on Flickr"><img alt="Sunset at Christianshavn, Copenhagen" src="https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8289/7728922232_c55b9864e0.jpg" height="375" width="500"></a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;">Christianshavn at sunset is truly an inspiration!</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;">Thanks to Serge Y on Flickr for providing HTML for his fabulous image.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Dansk Bistro - Mix and Match - Cook's Collection</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">A Tabletop Revolution</span></span></span></h2>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Minimalist Design - Influential Designers Compete for the Market</span></span></h3>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Minimalist tableware china wasn't a new concept, Rosenthal produced all white patterns since the early 1900's, Wedgwood also produced all white ironstone china from the late 1800's; however the overall pattern impressions were of more traditional profiles, shapes and donned ornate reliefs as borders. Pressure from Dansk's success was certainly seen in Rosenthal's developing a strong relationship with Danish designer Bjorn Wiinblad, the designer of Romance and German designer, Wolf Karnagel the designer for the Joy 1 (Joy One) pattern.</span></span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Dansk's Design and Branding Revolutionized the American Tabletop</span></span></h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_6FbeXd__KbkGVh4f9wQvO6kbF0P4HIdTK6Ms7USoZMethP-i33_jw2OPFZsNQtRHPvPuYynfktGUmcD5jGb3oxHceB0XgcxxDJxmRQno7qp_Y8gWncJhtQKK0gsd6z6xR8LAY-TsjE/s1600/DanskBistroBorderAd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_6FbeXd__KbkGVh4f9wQvO6kbF0P4HIdTK6Ms7USoZMethP-i33_jw2OPFZsNQtRHPvPuYynfktGUmcD5jGb3oxHceB0XgcxxDJxmRQno7qp_Y8gWncJhtQKK0gsd6z6xR8LAY-TsjE/s1600/DanskBistroBorderAd.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">What Dansk accomplished through award winning designers like Niels Refsgaard and Kathleen Wills, combined with comprehensive product branding through the print medium, was to revolutionize and forever change the china and tableware industry and American tabletops.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">While Julia Child was expanding our culinary skills and teaching us how to cook, Dansk was providing an expansive line of cook and serve ware which took meals directly from the kitchen to the table. It couldn't have been better timing and it was a perfect fit for our changing to a more casual lifestyle. It was indeed a new concept for upscale dinnerware. With styles and colors which further reinforced earlier offerings such a Kobenstyle enamelware and Teak offerings.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The line between everyday dishware and company china became blurred; for many like myself it disappeared altogether. Dansk reinforced that change through their designs and advertising. Designs became the frame for food instead of aesthetically competing. The clean tabletop visually captivating. The food took main stage center and the new designs allowed it to shine.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Many designs were rooted in European folk art. Refsgaard's designs in particular, are clearly born from Danish folk art, but certainly influenced by his travels; textures and patterns which were heretofore more apt to be found on stoneware than fine porcelain. It worked then. It still does!</span></span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Timeless Design</span></span></h4>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFI79_N0Bq21RUjPrGyZggF8G-EWHPUM8XiuR7jZUMz198Jj4tnpGiC1MTY3zFUet9Kj9POE2HFQjIowydOsttfTmPiJfy4JOfG1Gd3Asw0dXDeWSthH9iBTDDNLFaSpRU8fcCKRCKCJk/s1600/DanskKandFTable.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFI79_N0Bq21RUjPrGyZggF8G-EWHPUM8XiuR7jZUMz198Jj4tnpGiC1MTY3zFUet9Kj9POE2HFQjIowydOsttfTmPiJfy4JOfG1Gd3Asw0dXDeWSthH9iBTDDNLFaSpRU8fcCKRCKCJk/s1600/DanskKandFTable.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thtolbert.blogspot.com/2011/07/cool-blue-and-green.html" target="_blank">Tricia's Cool Blue and Green Table Setting featuring Dansk Kristina & Florencia pattern by Refsgaard</a></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Above is pictured Dansk's current Kristina & Florencia pattern by Refsgaard which would mix and match perfectly with vintage Bistro Christianshavn Blue. A special thanks to Tricia, of the Dull and the Dutiful, a tabletop blogger, for allowing me post her lovely tablescape! She has fabulous seasonal tablescapes (several which are Dansk) and a visit to her blog is a must! You can see her outstanding work including her Easter table here: <a href="http://thtolbert.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">The Dull and the Dutiful Blog</a> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Modern designs do have their detractors, one online review of Dansk, calls it "clinical". Of which I hardily disagree. Dansk Bistro Christianshavn dinnerware would be as beautiful on Monet's dinning table in his yellow dinning room at Giverny as it would on any traditional or contemporary dinning table such as Tricia's beautiful table shown above.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">The Bistro Christianshavn line transcends, just as intended! As Dansk stated so well in a 1980's advertisement: "From our earliest beginnings, Dansk's commitment has been to create designs that are always timely because they are timeless. So when you buy Dansk, you know that your are buying style that lasts, not a fashion that comes and goes. It's the guarantee that your tabletop will always be a winner."</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I couldn't agree more.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Vintage Dansk Bistro Christianshavn Blue presents Classic Stripes - Compatible with all the Bistro and complementary patterns:</span></span></h4>
<ul>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Fredriksborg</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Maribo</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Flora</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Flora in Solid Blue</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Bistro Bisserup Brown</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Blue Ringsted</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Lyngby</span></span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Bistro Bisserup White</span></span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">It is no surprise that Dansk Bistro won First Prize for Classic Dinnerware in the First International Tabletop Awards competition.</span></span></div>
The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-27811516145305418792012-02-23T16:11:00.000-05:002020-03-05T18:47:36.465-05:00Nikki Schumann Calendar Art Lithograph Posters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzwes2TIjRwVsaDO_onJy0BobIkoVTHL1FV-MnUd-3lm-pgZOYMOFYLLHq1_BQezBdKQO1x1B6dZc70nt4clI1qBhseFLv1HBqkuCoBMKOzDUgvNroDm-RFJn_arJBukrHXzknsEs9wc/s1600/nikkisprint14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAzwes2TIjRwVsaDO_onJy0BobIkoVTHL1FV-MnUd-3lm-pgZOYMOFYLLHq1_BQezBdKQO1x1B6dZc70nt4clI1qBhseFLv1HBqkuCoBMKOzDUgvNroDm-RFJn_arJBukrHXzknsEs9wc/s320/nikkisprint14.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">O</span></b>ne of the most fun and rewarding things about owning a vintage shop on Etsy is the incredible feeling you get when you're on the hunt for treasures and find something like these vintage lithograph posters by Nikki Schumann in perfect condition! For just a moment you travel back though space and time. These transported me back to the 1970's and 1980's when I had Nikki's happy calendars hanging on my kitchen wall. Nikki Schumann was one of the most popular calendar artists in the United States and brought whimsy combined with a Maine sensibility to her artwork. Known for her use of primary colors, each piece she created perfectly captured the emotions of the season.<br />
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Another lovely aspect of her calendars wasn't what was included, but rather what wasn't, the year. Only the month and days were printed, not only honoring the clean design but also allowing her beautiful creations to be used over and over again. Just in case you didn't know, calendars can be reused, if you are interested you can find which years correspond via a quick online search. Any 1984, 1956 or 1928 calendar can be reused this year of 2012. How fun is that!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5yi-hQ3EfYqSvSr_G9vXs9DaP387gOORIkMUCrkGPAkvJCxdXl9-sxUc1tGneT7ZFdOuNEooR5l6I2y4c01JX3UGHbcQfMFSpHhZ38KETJzdYZdol6vfvwNoR8KWTV0nxVpqceElv3c/s1600/nikkisprint7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT5yi-hQ3EfYqSvSr_G9vXs9DaP387gOORIkMUCrkGPAkvJCxdXl9-sxUc1tGneT7ZFdOuNEooR5l6I2y4c01JX3UGHbcQfMFSpHhZ38KETJzdYZdol6vfvwNoR8KWTV0nxVpqceElv3c/s200/nikkisprint7.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
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Naturally, when I found this Portfolio of 20, 11 x 14, Lithograph Calendar Art Posters I couldn't pass it up. While you can find her Calendar Portfolios available online, finding the Art Posters without the months and days is a rare treat! Themes centered around architecture, water, family, nature and celebrated the simple things. Capturing the moment of bliss found in watching a wedding, children at play, seasonal treats, collections and the rituals that make life special.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1Fu21n1J72uwlUWcOmTGhMOdxOQ2jJPmKqjGvDlXVFh_4ybn-9PN9PgkFj-SyrtwlqOhNPTFjmDhzE806IwbNSl-gJHHb3-6U4xw1cHc8LBYsTjU7rjJOFGl-9flz2O6wA3S2mucG7s/s1600/nikkisprint2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN1Fu21n1J72uwlUWcOmTGhMOdxOQ2jJPmKqjGvDlXVFh_4ybn-9PN9PgkFj-SyrtwlqOhNPTFjmDhzE806IwbNSl-gJHHb3-6U4xw1cHc8LBYsTjU7rjJOFGl-9flz2O6wA3S2mucG7s/s320/nikkisprint2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Although Nikki retired in 2001, she has a wonderful web site where she offers her hand signed prints, a resource which I used to date some of my prints. Beyond what I found on Nikki's web site, researching wasn't easy, and I still have one print (pictured to the left) which I can not find the title or the month only the year 1984. Again as a reminder of life's simple pleasures, she always kept her titles simple too, so I have imagined this one would be called Rock Garden.<br />
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Already a Nikki Schumann fan and searching for more information? Perhaps you are just like I was at the beginning my research for this listing. Loving research and history, I thought it would be nice to begin a reference resource for her work within the 20 Calendar Art Lithograph Posters I researched. Below you'll find the information I gleaned for the full set of 20 prints, published in the 1986 Portfolio, selected from Nikki's Calendars bridging the years between the years of 1976 and 1986. Enjoy!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOO8eFsGIzvjBeJsl7_g0MVzFOHMtfQI92B3O2mXfmIn5xYHvPWNMR9M-8zqr_pYyXPzLBgBB7qW-8OAM5FTKdoSdIlYv4RFynPx2DksS8hUtkIs34EjDb7As7-AahqSeX7CJmACkPOCc/s1600/nikkisprint1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOO8eFsGIzvjBeJsl7_g0MVzFOHMtfQI92B3O2mXfmIn5xYHvPWNMR9M-8zqr_pYyXPzLBgBB7qW-8OAM5FTKdoSdIlYv4RFynPx2DksS8hUtkIs34EjDb7As7-AahqSeX7CJmACkPOCc/s320/nikkisprint1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Beach House" July, 1986 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjje8FIMZ38t-60xa43iCDQU14T4-UW21TzFoFoysdw1B0_X79h1vXYf1Ee-CZyqfWqOH84D1co3sZov6xBKfcuDPBvFtucT54e7SwVCj_80KS8lR-6GBzRfTC-QOMm2jWstpwwlwXFpzg/s1600/nikkisprint10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjje8FIMZ38t-60xa43iCDQU14T4-UW21TzFoFoysdw1B0_X79h1vXYf1Ee-CZyqfWqOH84D1co3sZov6xBKfcuDPBvFtucT54e7SwVCj_80KS8lR-6GBzRfTC-QOMm2jWstpwwlwXFpzg/s320/nikkisprint10.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Porch with Wicker" September, 1980 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNejUF22ggs_ujvke2IrU0pSoJKLNM-wvZWyDnfk0ZjQFWSQDfcKKWKMz0vZFxVnQ6Y6Ez8W2sTkeXNeIiz4hnFV143aT8aCiaGByy02JwlWkz9aILGcbifQYUU-Lwbz0B7iKd3xMH_g/s1600/nikkisprint11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNejUF22ggs_ujvke2IrU0pSoJKLNM-wvZWyDnfk0ZjQFWSQDfcKKWKMz0vZFxVnQ6Y6Ez8W2sTkeXNeIiz4hnFV143aT8aCiaGByy02JwlWkz9aILGcbifQYUU-Lwbz0B7iKd3xMH_g/s320/nikkisprint11.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Quilt Store" February, 1981 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ70fwnsND5Ashshfo8Oz122XJMRRk6BaMeVsg24yqI2-C16XUrfrIrTqDEjmoXeu_qReE9wJwLjAyrunVOrHnyjguVxJG4zuUq1V23VtgI91qF2lYckzd7Gh2WFiORq4nVnHTWlWD2g/s1600/nikkisprint12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="609" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQ70fwnsND5Ashshfo8Oz122XJMRRk6BaMeVsg24yqI2-C16XUrfrIrTqDEjmoXeu_qReE9wJwLjAyrunVOrHnyjguVxJG4zuUq1V23VtgI91qF2lYckzd7Gh2WFiORq4nVnHTWlWD2g/s640/nikkisprint12.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Woman in Hammock" July, 1984 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGxehiNpnYpetfeF-RsXHF3IjFm9JipsMmB_0B_ovuMnUW5ocouD3R-9ENPPk3NAGaiFZGqgEDpQ0XmPrbRYuCmYE64ZfDVcuwKzFqH5RQrib03rrhHlNv928mp5spPqnHE_7nuLx4h8/s1600/nikkisprint13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKGxehiNpnYpetfeF-RsXHF3IjFm9JipsMmB_0B_ovuMnUW5ocouD3R-9ENPPk3NAGaiFZGqgEDpQ0XmPrbRYuCmYE64ZfDVcuwKzFqH5RQrib03rrhHlNv928mp5spPqnHE_7nuLx4h8/s320/nikkisprint13.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Conservatory" May, 1984 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUteGSspUVfQGS4CYBtZ3DXOR-Q5ofX53mwegW5C8uSjat_kiMm2pKML1DNjMmSN2kULM7Mlwo4fNHAbiYiwgVnBMMdHTpQnZIs96SKP55Gp3of7ifqaMY51Q2EnZ9Z6BJFQBbEqh3Ic/s1600/nikkisprint14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="371" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOUteGSspUVfQGS4CYBtZ3DXOR-Q5ofX53mwegW5C8uSjat_kiMm2pKML1DNjMmSN2kULM7Mlwo4fNHAbiYiwgVnBMMdHTpQnZIs96SKP55Gp3of7ifqaMY51Q2EnZ9Z6BJFQBbEqh3Ic/s400/nikkisprint14.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Dreaming Lady" March, 1977 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZTRppWGCSg6wv3SsL2Uqiqm_slR5PzmiI5HagkzkB3qhllp5RyFDPACg5kAPbpo6QcnPw255Ms08EnFPmUmzFkYQGzPRl2F_JsfdzYGX67TyFcudMDKuOo-W5DDllFMm7WbPniJc70w/s1600/nikkisprint15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7ZTRppWGCSg6wv3SsL2Uqiqm_slR5PzmiI5HagkzkB3qhllp5RyFDPACg5kAPbpo6QcnPw255Ms08EnFPmUmzFkYQGzPRl2F_JsfdzYGX67TyFcudMDKuOo-W5DDllFMm7WbPniJc70w/s320/nikkisprint15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Baskets" February, 1982 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-tOvpoFHD0hrj1rvb0iBBJzj0INv5UCcr0SONJzsnJfqWNNOvMKQ9CgFTgyi673alwEaH0PXalM3dugZ5zNa8dFCqTII94f4pwZtDZc2o3iDg2b-NmCiWTvY2Cv9nz3Wz8jHtkcytZg/s1600/nikkisprint16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim-tOvpoFHD0hrj1rvb0iBBJzj0INv5UCcr0SONJzsnJfqWNNOvMKQ9CgFTgyi673alwEaH0PXalM3dugZ5zNa8dFCqTII94f4pwZtDZc2o3iDg2b-NmCiWTvY2Cv9nz3Wz8jHtkcytZg/s320/nikkisprint16.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Teapots" April, 1982 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZM_xg6jlrRPQcl_4T45pMoD90sqb2RFCDTOP6ome2pUaCSMFxJosfuVyN3lq4TWrgFfHZbg9qeXflI7lurWfHxu4AWHtnALcbpANRHJMti1G7W9uiH_ESmpj5SVDm3ipHtOyswv33HU/s1600/nikkisprint17.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmZM_xg6jlrRPQcl_4T45pMoD90sqb2RFCDTOP6ome2pUaCSMFxJosfuVyN3lq4TWrgFfHZbg9qeXflI7lurWfHxu4AWHtnALcbpANRHJMti1G7W9uiH_ESmpj5SVDm3ipHtOyswv33HU/s640/nikkisprint17.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Summer Wedding" June, 1981 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzT93L2S_LRNJdmyN3EQXluFlWi4V-kObUsOpbq7-TJWEiUAjQkXpey7GBpVl_0XWv6pU64FXWbenXb0w0zxkTWxWqCkghWc9u8GrKALNyjGjhuhPDhTtl8gaT160iRFEwDswPxk6QEhY/s1600/nikkisprint18.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzT93L2S_LRNJdmyN3EQXluFlWi4V-kObUsOpbq7-TJWEiUAjQkXpey7GBpVl_0XWv6pU64FXWbenXb0w0zxkTWxWqCkghWc9u8GrKALNyjGjhuhPDhTtl8gaT160iRFEwDswPxk6QEhY/s320/nikkisprint18.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Lobster Dinner" July, 1979 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG8wuAVdW8fFZOI-e5FdwZ_6mTxvPk56pFiczOGJFDRU7gasKNfqH43TZaFSv8zSOA4OaeOno6VMeU7A3_V6z22qPKN-D29OzKagHcPsr8vSO7XtJ0-omNQVAEi7WZ65zJdYr6yuOE4A/s1600/nikkisprint19.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilG8wuAVdW8fFZOI-e5FdwZ_6mTxvPk56pFiczOGJFDRU7gasKNfqH43TZaFSv8zSOA4OaeOno6VMeU7A3_V6z22qPKN-D29OzKagHcPsr8vSO7XtJ0-omNQVAEi7WZ65zJdYr6yuOE4A/s640/nikkisprint19.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Matchbox Trucks" November, 1984 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M1CNG80H2yDkU0zREKS0d0jTXxlKOHi6EGHc_gtMB1vg44woDya3Mw700ei1eU3-3IBZJgeaqPeTpf-7FPVHWMdpRr1tELA-axOufoX1OUsDLTflk1f5NTaKJyCNOhSuCTX1FHdyCLs/s1600/nikkisprint2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0M1CNG80H2yDkU0zREKS0d0jTXxlKOHi6EGHc_gtMB1vg44woDya3Mw700ei1eU3-3IBZJgeaqPeTpf-7FPVHWMdpRr1tELA-axOufoX1OUsDLTflk1f5NTaKJyCNOhSuCTX1FHdyCLs/s320/nikkisprint2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Nikki Schumann "Unknown Title" Unknown Month, 1984<br />
(if you have any information on this print please leave a comment)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQgdWKH5wmyI0vICe1j_MFemLYQSlaQK8ZRxqO-focdqvPvsypXKYk_g2YpGxykIPDlVsl0Qvf47shdmIFR7gHd9CxTQGSX1vqNbvZdOBTYiljS6OXIuI8qf2z2phMP6it-ybnVHBiJQ/s1600/nikkisprint4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqQgdWKH5wmyI0vICe1j_MFemLYQSlaQK8ZRxqO-focdqvPvsypXKYk_g2YpGxykIPDlVsl0Qvf47shdmIFR7gHd9CxTQGSX1vqNbvZdOBTYiljS6OXIuI8qf2z2phMP6it-ybnVHBiJQ/s320/nikkisprint4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "College Yard" October, 1984 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDqUcAeW9sfozjEMwsBeJ420R22IW-G03OAT_q2QnqOECKGUTkIz5vU_3zz9LHCNexDSEYUQm85mpERejcRKPJmFM_R5pBsswnVNzhLmHzRqsybx6M3_5dyXQC2q3N0_yEEncgxJtimk/s1600/nikkisprint20.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvDqUcAeW9sfozjEMwsBeJ420R22IW-G03OAT_q2QnqOECKGUTkIz5vU_3zz9LHCNexDSEYUQm85mpERejcRKPJmFM_R5pBsswnVNzhLmHzRqsybx6M3_5dyXQC2q3N0_yEEncgxJtimk/s320/nikkisprint20.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Christmas Lights" December, 1979 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtnCttDFDfKsvuYL4JUDB-eMvBOg-oZ3KES-cOwNteM4kCh0e8qISpo7hGMmLgsf4kkMx7KzOq9nROpXzWBbUWzGccDdayry74iJA7HE45vrWAsnscHSpWdZe091zP5-Qbrz-wzt-TBg/s1600/nikkisprint3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmtnCttDFDfKsvuYL4JUDB-eMvBOg-oZ3KES-cOwNteM4kCh0e8qISpo7hGMmLgsf4kkMx7KzOq9nROpXzWBbUWzGccDdayry74iJA7HE45vrWAsnscHSpWdZe091zP5-Qbrz-wzt-TBg/s400/nikkisprint3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Leeks" September, 1981 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8kaLZa4URaodo9NBSqvjmdV1Qd18F40u4n4kCnWjyqwtr77bVJT56Ms6ixaWVUW5KcM4tfn7UuY799vzlRfXDKofx18G-UxfapNkdKC5Ky7rHcNIfYBQYZ94OQ3AbQEdsjjTXeEnkz0/s1600/nikkisprint5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy8kaLZa4URaodo9NBSqvjmdV1Qd18F40u4n4kCnWjyqwtr77bVJT56Ms6ixaWVUW5KcM4tfn7UuY799vzlRfXDKofx18G-UxfapNkdKC5Ky7rHcNIfYBQYZ94OQ3AbQEdsjjTXeEnkz0/s640/nikkisprint5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Sheep with Pumpkins" October, 1983 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_0KvURB4DxTIOZJMBkJFeyfj1K0c9A7GD4K85mWBLPdlQZta-AgD3hZdIAMVoB5U1NgsLvRSra8Kt_Sz62bm6B8HTsnBZe8E_IBX34rN34P11oHwljyoImd1KPzcqvBkYbo4ElHKwbo/s1600/nikkisprint6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE_0KvURB4DxTIOZJMBkJFeyfj1K0c9A7GD4K85mWBLPdlQZta-AgD3hZdIAMVoB5U1NgsLvRSra8Kt_Sz62bm6B8HTsnBZe8E_IBX34rN34P11oHwljyoImd1KPzcqvBkYbo4ElHKwbo/s320/nikkisprint6.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Fall Wood Pile" November, 1981 Calendar</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw5bo220XjLnI3_PMnSFWFkBIt14b0fD3yh0ETpcFTj81uHM1u_Es909CQLAcV7IRuPkzFHjAregb40se1UH54gwLQpSX128eZEKlAmVnSbaLwb70sICxSrVEpZ7_hvkiSZOWT_FLCl8/s1600/nikkisprint7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyw5bo220XjLnI3_PMnSFWFkBIt14b0fD3yh0ETpcFTj81uHM1u_Es909CQLAcV7IRuPkzFHjAregb40se1UH54gwLQpSX128eZEKlAmVnSbaLwb70sICxSrVEpZ7_hvkiSZOWT_FLCl8/s640/nikkisprint7.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Seals on Rocks" July, 1982 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCya9DjSoZDHzT2ehCs_8ExNQ4u7VtZpPVjiqRpA81fJmMthPqfIl4ePfTKVnJ5mNJbuItfbHhmbRcgjRGI74ycjGOWFtrvMumDQIWZ6NMJ5QbiG2dPgtiTDyMV2s57iwZMV3wLNbklY/s1600/nikkisprint8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjCya9DjSoZDHzT2ehCs_8ExNQ4u7VtZpPVjiqRpA81fJmMthPqfIl4ePfTKVnJ5mNJbuItfbHhmbRcgjRGI74ycjGOWFtrvMumDQIWZ6NMJ5QbiG2dPgtiTDyMV2s57iwZMV3wLNbklY/s400/nikkisprint8.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Mussel Shells" August, 1980 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU_zF7fbNoYfIrObMih6HOoqhb-SlJkocsCt5p0530ONZiTYyUrOhN4u3bkzAQwQdsKCHn9I61IINE6zykTAeaXXEmAznzLMxDV8j2jKO5seCZQ3oyLNIdvOe70OWg9nxe-lzZIPuI6Y/s1600/nikkisprint9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeU_zF7fbNoYfIrObMih6HOoqhb-SlJkocsCt5p0530ONZiTYyUrOhN4u3bkzAQwQdsKCHn9I61IINE6zykTAeaXXEmAznzLMxDV8j2jKO5seCZQ3oyLNIdvOe70OWg9nxe-lzZIPuI6Y/s320/nikkisprint9.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikki Schumann "Blueberry Muffins" July, 1983 Calendar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCW3mzdyAhLG1uIn3BjdI2y2-T3pqBqisIdP2LR5_FWi2_j99AXgGfA1U62BKChyzxx_BghdO7W7E-mafZNXkkk9LjthAbqhsBaC8ZXB9xbn3Ick0KsrXcuHPDhH6Jgckwl4a_dyCCEM/s1600/nikkisprintincov.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSCW3mzdyAhLG1uIn3BjdI2y2-T3pqBqisIdP2LR5_FWi2_j99AXgGfA1U62BKChyzxx_BghdO7W7E-mafZNXkkk9LjthAbqhsBaC8ZXB9xbn3Ick0KsrXcuHPDhH6Jgckwl4a_dyCCEM/s320/nikkisprintincov.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Portfolio of Prints by Nikki Schumann Cover Page with Portfolio Envelope</td></tr>
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<br />The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7049610714087954787.post-43313229637139185712011-10-26T16:55:00.018-04:002020-03-05T18:48:47.853-05:00Sparklets Seltzer Syphon Bottles - Early History<br />
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My love affair with Sparklets Syphon (seltzer) bottles began in the early 1990s when I first laid eyes on one in a little antique shop located in an area of Orlando, boarding Winter Park, called Antique Alley. It was a chance meeting, the scenario went like this: instantaneous attraction, best price negotiation followed by cash out of pocket! I now possessed the inanimate object of my affection! I had never seen a seltzer bottle so classically art deco in design, or so I thought at the time. Instantaneous fascination begets curiosity!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0dD8lDpEWZoAuzW1pd05o5cf5oZpM2eQ78eQ-ZlixEhEwj6xfVeG2fVEC1qq2rKqyS9i3ZsGSPPdegbA_oGxgEhtH051RN1HgEtXSe5ZHfAeAggq7yoNucdApRAmot5XcEgsI7GM-bM/s1600/spark4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx0dD8lDpEWZoAuzW1pd05o5cf5oZpM2eQ78eQ-ZlixEhEwj6xfVeG2fVEC1qq2rKqyS9i3ZsGSPPdegbA_oGxgEhtH051RN1HgEtXSe5ZHfAeAggq7yoNucdApRAmot5XcEgsI7GM-bM/s320/spark4.JPG" width="262" /></a></div>
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Of course, my Sparklets Syphon purchase (pictured upper left) was before you could just Google a search term and have a wealth of instantaneous internet information, there was no AOL or eBay and I’d never heard the word syphon. The shopkeeper didn't know much about the bottle, other than it made seltzer water and had all of the original parts. My limited personal knowledge coupled with the fact that my parents were martini drinkers, led to the mistaken notion that the bottle was of an art deco design and period. To me seltzer was purchased in little bottles and made by Canada Dry, stocked in the bar along with other often ignored little cans of pineapple, tomato and orange juice (eww) for those who didn't drink theirs neat.<br />
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Over the years my Sparklets research has opened a portal through which I became a virtual time traveler and has taken me across the globe, back through history, and across cultural oceans. The first stop, The Industrial Revolution, the beginnings of modern day consumerism and the obsession with Global market domination! How intriguing that a seltzer syphon bottle could so quintessentially represent and be so steeped in our global commerce history! The first siphons’ were credited to the French; my focus will remain with the Sparklets Syphon bottles, originally from Great Brittan; wherein my fixation lies.<br />
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Sparklets bottles were first exhibited at the Paris International Exhibition in 1900, called the Exposition Universelle. One the earliest references I found was an advertisement for Sparklets in the British Journal by the Sanitary Institute at Birmingham, England dated November 1898; wherein the properties of aeration were discussed as it applied to the treatment of waste water. When reading the one of the experiments, the bottle used to conduct the experiment was described in a was that it could have been a syphon bottle modification. During that time period, with the influx of a burgeoning population to the city and as a result of the industrial revolution, living conditions were beyond deplorable for most.<br />
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In an effort to properly frame the beginnings of Sparklets Bottles, a bit of history is in order and is sadly overlooked in most discussions. Reviewing this pivotal time in the development of man, his environment and economics is key to appreciating just how imbedded this single product is in our present day consumerism. While we continue to romanticize our understanding of the era through movies like Becoming Jane Austin and Jane Eyre, according to The UK and Future Statistics dot gov dot uk, the "population in England had doubled from 16.8 million in 1851 to 30.5 million in 1901", housing and sanitary concerns were at critical mass. There were no sewage lines or uniform waste water disposal methods, housing shortages meant severe over crowding; the mortality rate in industrialized areas was almost twice that of agricultural based communities. Not since the plagues were poverty, slums, disease, waste removal and water quality so negatively impacting human survival. The use and mistreatment of uneducated women and children as a form of cheap labor also kept wages low and contributed to the vicious cycle of poverty. These conditions were mirrored, to some degree or another, across the globe in rapidly industrializing urban areas.<br />
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Advancements in the scientific community paralleled and intersected with industry; without going into too much detail, it is important to note studies on carbonic acid and its ability to kill bacteria were being discussed in high regard. I should also note that many of the French seltzer bottles contained lead and resulted in metal poisoning of the consumer had come to light.<br />
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The temperance movement had and continued to strive to combat the effects of alcohol abuse within depressed populaces. Water quality, waste water and sewage disposal were ambitiously being addressed despite being impeded by ignorance and clinging to old ways. The death of Queen Victoria in 1901 brought the Victorian era to a close and began a new period, the Edwardian era, and improved conditions. In the upper classes fashions rapidly changed, sports and travel were on the rise. Climbing disposable incomes and increased mechanization meant new products, communication systems, and an expansion of the new phenomenon called advertising.<br />
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Among the oldest American advertising I could find which referenced Sparklets, in the book “Public Opinion”, a compilation of the publication "Public Opinion", authored by William A. Blade, shows a Sparklets classified style advertisement in the May 30, 1901 issue; stating “Soda Water in Your Own Home At One Cent a Glass” with an introductory $3.00 offer, a “trifling expense” ($5.00 regular price) for the first 100,000 orders. At that price shipping was included “east of the Rockies”, “west of these” meant an additional 50 cent shipping charge.<br />
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The images contained within this blog are either mine, used with permission or under the fair use doctrine.The Inspired Traderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04420987281735465308noreply@blogger.com4