Benjamin Franklin’s Book, in Defense of Cougars, 1745
Dr. B. sends me a photograph of a little book by Benjamin Franklin titled The Old Mistresses’ Apologue, a 1956 printing of a letter Franklin wrote in 1745. I see …
Midcentury Cool Chord Organ
JS sent a photo of a Thomas Organ Company model C-12 “Multi-chord” mini organ, late 1950’s, manufactured in Italy. They made this little gem for tabletop performances, but you can …
The Art of Connoisseurship
Last week I met with a bank representative in charge of major collections of art about the options that collection offers the connoisseur in regard to financial planning. We call …
What’s a Temple Lion, and Why a Lion?
Apologies to FK, who sent me a photo of her Temple Lion sometime in the deep past. She asked if her Chinese ceramic was in fact late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) …
An Early Boob Tube (1958) Folks Called the Cyclops
Since JP sent me a photo of a 1958 Philco TV set which looks like an incredible dinosaur, I found some quotes about inventions thought improbable in their time: Charles …
Confessions of a Misguided Maximalist
I received an interesting email from a Solvang reader, PF. “Elizabeth, are you a minimalist or a maximalist? Since you constantly write about the glories of STUFF, I fear you …
Magical Birdstones
Timothy writes that his 83 year old aunt owns something he thinks might be a Native American club. I don’t think anybody elver used this as a weapon, Timothy. I …
American Folk Pottery Redware – Easy to Ignore in a Thrift Store
JE found this colorful bowl for $2.50 in a Lompoc thrift store, lucky hunter. We consider this American folk pottery at its best, called redware, with crimped edges, yellow lead …
Dealing with Heirship Issues
At the end of a season I get calls from clients, “How do I act as an executor when it comes to personal property?” Or, “How do we divide up …
Remington Typewriter: What, No Spellcheck?!
RT sent me a photo of a Remington typewriter. Many people collect these wonderful but heavy machines. According to the online database RT owns a Remington 12. Many people know …