Category Archives: Antique Stores

Labor Day Weekend Find – What is It??!!

This past Labor Day Weekend, as Chris and I struggled trying to finish our last post on our 2023 summer trip to Detroit, we decided to do some “freakin’, tiquen”. It’s been a while since we antiqued in Clarence, New York, we decided to take the trip west. After a less than an hour trip we arrived. Because it was the first Sunday of the month, it was “Super Sunday – Great American Garage Sale”. Since only hitting the three mall buildings was my reason for the trip, examining the many dealer tables put me in a surly mood.

Chris at the Antique World Flea Market, Labor Day Weekend.

Chris checking out the dealer tables at the Antique World Flea Market, Clarence, NY.

After only a cursory look at the flea market, we went inside. Our only purchases in the first two building were chocolate covered dried cherries, candied cashews and two soft drinks. But once I had some sugar in me, my mood improved. As far as antiques went nothing really caught our eyes. So it was onto the last building.

Premier Antique Center, Clarence, New York.

Premier Antique Center, Clarence, New York. Image from antiqueworldmarket.com.

The Premier Antique Center generally has higher quality pieces than the other two buildings. After going through about half the store, Chris noticed a polished chrome, footed centerpiece sitting on the floor, propped up against a case on the floor of one of the booths. Supporting the shallow, chrome bowl are three, circular, transparent yellow (apple juice) Bakelite feet. Engraved in the middle of the bowl is the Roman Goddess Pomona with out stretched arms over a stylized orchard. The chrome rim is serrated and not smooth. It is very striking and very Deco.

Pomona Bowl on the floor at the Premier Antique Center.

Pomona Bowl as Chris found it on the floor at the Premier Antique Center.

The piece has a good weight to it, appears to be of high quality and most surprising – unmarked. With a price tag of over one hundred dollars, while we both liked it, we needed more information. We thought this would be easy, we were wrong. Our Google searches began with Pomona bowl, no luck. Chrome, deco, Pomona bowl, nothing. We did learn that Pomona was the Goddess of fruit trees, orchards, gardens and abundance.

The Pomona Bowl in its new home, my dining room table.

The Pomona Bowl on my dining room table.

Detail of the engraving in the middle of the Pomona Centerpiece bowl.

Detail of the engraving on the Pomona Centerpiece.

The stylized engraving reminded me of the work of several artists of the 1930s. The first one that came to my mind was Rockwell Kent. Trying to make a connection I immediately thought of Kent’s General Electric Pavillon mural at the 1939 New York World’s Fair.

 

Rockwell Kent Mural General Electric Pavillon.

Rockwell Kent mural for the General Electric Pavillon. Image from miSci-Museum of Innovation & Science.

So we tried searching Rockwell Kent, chrome, deco bowl. Nothing. Next, I thought of  Hildreth Meière’s Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932) from the facade of the R-K-O Roxy Theatre.

Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932).

Hildreth Meière’s Radio and Television Encompassing the Earth (1932), on the 49th Street facade of the R-K-O Roxy Theatre in Rockefeller Center.

I thought the hair in both were similar as well as the attitude of the out stretched arms. And just like with Kent, nothing showed in searching Hildreth Meière and Pomona, Deco chrome. Next up, Lee Lawrie. Arguably Lawrie’s most famous works are Wisdom (1933) or Atlas (1937) both in Rockefeller Center.

Lee Lawrie's Wisdom (1933).

Wisdom by Lee Lawrie over the entrance to the RCA Building in Rockefeller Center.

Statue of Atlas in Rockefeller Center.

Atas (1937) Lee Lawrie in collaboration with Rene Chambellan.

Again no luck with a Lee Lawrie search. Lastly, we looked for a connection with William P. Welsh, whose seasonal covers for the Woman’s Home Companion were familiar to Chris and me.

And just like all the other searches, nothing came up with Welsh. As the adage goes when buying art or in this case antiques or collectibles, “buy what you love”, so that’s what we did. But we still want to know more about this piece. Here are a couple of more photos of the centerpiece.

Transparent yellow (apple juice) Bakelite foot.

Detail of one of the transparent yellow, Bakelite feet and serrated rim.

Unmarked, polished chrome, Art Deco, Pomona centerpiece bowl.

Unmarked, polished chrome, Art Deco, Pomona centerpiece bowl.

So if any readers of this blog recognize this piece and can provide some information to the artist or the manufacturer, please let us know.

Anthony & Chris (The Freakin’, ‘Tiquen Guys)

2023 Freakin Tiquen – Destination Detroit Part 3 – Antiquing

Vintage postcard of Detroit Michigan.

Vintage postcard of Detroit, Michigan. Image from amazon.com.

Detroit, Michigan day three and we explore some more antique stores, one is new to us and another a revisit from a trip to the Detroit area ten years before.

Detroit Antiquing

Livingston Antique Outlet, Howell, MI

The day after our visit to the National Shrine of the Little Flower we decide to take a leisurely day of antiquing. Stop one was the Livingston Antique Outlet, Howell, MI, and just over an hour from downtown Detroit. This is a deceptive store, larger than it appear from the outside. Neatly laid out and easy to maneuver, it holds an eclectic  mix of vintage merchandise. But more on that later.

Livingston Antique Mall

Who doesn’t like cute chalkware?

Down the first aisle, I found a Wells Art Glaze platter.

Wells Art Glaze

Wells Art Glaze Platter in Rust

Wells Art was a division of Homer Laughlin and produced beginning in the early 1930s. The line was discontinued in late 1941 or early 1942. The Wells Art Glaze backstamp was used on any solid color glaze in the standard colors of Leaf Green, French Rose, Melon-Yellow, Burnt Sienna (Rust).  Other colors available are Sea Green, Depression Green, Appletree green (more blue than green) and Red.

Wells Art Glaze

Wells Art Glaze Backstamp

All the glazes are matte with an irregular (blobby) coverage by design.

This collection was somewhat accidental as I found pieces here and there that were stylish and reasonably priced. Next thing you know, we’re collecting Wells Art Glaze!

Our next find was a vintage Revere Bottle opener. Sometimes spotting Revere can be tricky if you are not familiar with their lines or styling. This piece, not so much.

Revere chrome plate bottle opener.

Circa 1935 Revere bottle opener. Photo by the authors.

This is a heavy and substantial piece. Made of chrome plated brass, it is about 4 5/8 inches long 5/8 inch high and 3/8 inch thick. Probably produced sometime in the 1930s or 1940s it could be a promotional piece.

A well know silversmith (and known for something else that I just can’t put my finger on), Paul Revere started the first North America’s copper mill south of Boston in 1801. The company is still active and headquartered in Rome, NY as Revere Copper Products, Inc. It has the distinction of being one of America’s oldest manufacturing companies.

The next piece is a bit trickier to talk about. Here we have an unmarked cocktail shaker; possibly MCM. Being unmarked, we can’t give you any details other than it is well designed and made.

Now, I call this section when bad things happen to good furniture. We realize this could be controversial and only reflects our opinion. Neither of us is a fan of painted furniture unless the piece is damaged beyond redemption. I want to know what these pieces did to deserve this treatment, or at least these colors.

Livingston Antique Mall

Why? Just why? What they do to you?

Livingston Antique Mall

Not my favorite color.

The worst offended is this piece, painted then distressed to show the nice wood veneer underneath. WHY?

Livingston Antique Mall

And then you distress it to show the wood you just covered up?

Another items of interest is this 1930s Chase hot/cold food server designed by Howard F. Reichenbach. We’ve seen this often and own a couple of them.  To use it, add water to the base. Then depending on the direction of the plug, it is either set to “high” to cook foods, or reversed to “low” to keep things warm for serving. Or you can fill the base with ice to keep food cold. A word of caution. When you find one, the heating element may not function and whether filled with water or melting ice, they frequently leak. This is a heavy piece weighing in at just over 10 pound!

This Manning Bowman version of the buffet server works on the same principle as the Chase food server. This item has ceramic inserts for the food rather than glass. Although we don’t own one, I suspect it has the same issues.

Manning Bowman

Manning Bowman Buffet Server

This 1930s pull match ashtray combo is interesting but as we already have 2, it didn’t make sense to get another. And the match insert is nearly impossible to find.

Livingston Antique Mall

Match Pull

The matches are bundled together with the strike strip just below the head and nestle up inside the cap. And as the name implies, you pull the match down quickly. It crosses the strike strip and ignites.

However, the highlight of this trip to Detroit had to be “Conchristador”. Conquering new antique stores, it’s self-explanatory.

Conchristador.

Meet “Conchristador”. Photo by the authors.

Our next stop was The Mega Mall. This establishment is about a half hour from the Livingston Antique Outlet. And about an hour and a half from Detroit. We had fond memories of this place from 10 years before.

The Mega Mall in Lansing, Michigan.

The Mega Mall in Lansing, Michigan. Photo by the authors.

Unfortunately, it has far less antiques now. As Thomas Wolff said, “You can’t go home again.” It is now more a mix of home crafts, chalk paint supplies, shabby chic (is that still in style?) furniture, and collectible items from the 60s onward. And not us at all.

After the Mega Mall, we had lunch before heading back to our hotel to get a good night’s rest. Tomorrow was a leisurely day as we headed out to Cranbrook and a tour of the Saarinen House.

Chris & Anthony (the Freakin’ ‘tiquen Guys)