Month: November 2019

Fun facts of United States history from 1866

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn HistoryLeave a comment

When I am trying to find some information on an item that I recently purchased, I run across some fun facts about the United States history.  Here’s some from the year 1866:

February 13 – The first daylight bank robbery happened on this date.  It was the first one during peacetime, and it happened in Liberty, Missouri.  People consider it to be the first robbery by Jesse James and his gang (although James’s role is disputed on this one).

May 16 – The U.S. Congress approved the production of a 5-cent coin (which is made from nickel). The minting of this coin eliminated its predecessor, the half dime.

July 24 – During the American Reconstruction, the state of Tennessee becomes the first state to be readmitted to the Union following the American Civil War.

It’s always fun for me to see these fun facts, I never know what I will run across. What fun facts have you run across?

What are some different types of joints that you will find in furniture?

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Tips for the beginner, Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When it comes to the construction of furniture, there are many different types of joints that you could use.  Butt joints, pocket-hole joints, lap joints and even mitre joints are commonly used, and here are some more that you will run across:

Dowel joint—this joint is at the end of a piece of wood that is butted up against another piece, and it is reinforced with dowel pins (there are holes drilled on each side of the joint for the dowel pins to be slid into).  This joint is a very common joint when it comes to furniture that is made in a factory.

picture courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Mortise and tenon—this features a small piece of wood (called the tenon) that fits tightly into a hole that is specifically cut for it (this is called the mortise).  Not only will you find this in furniture, you will also find it in in doors, windows, and even cabinets.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Dovetail—this is a set of right-angle joints that held together by interlocking fan-shaped tenons.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia.com

This is just some of the types of joints that you will find in furniture.  What kinds of joints have you run across?

More Fenton colors that you will run across

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Vocabulary WordsLeave a comment

When Fenton was in business, they made many colors of glassware.  Milk glass, amethyst and even marigold carnival glass are only a few colors that Fenton has made—and there are many, many more out there.

Here are a few more colors that you will run across while shopping at your favorite places:

Chocolate Glass—this glass was originally made from 1907 to 1910 and then again in 1976.  This is made in a lighter latte color to a darker brown.  You will also hear it called Carmel slag glass and it was created by glass maker Jacob Rosenthal.

Photo courtesy of Worthpoint.com

Blue Marble—this was made from 1970 to 1973, and it is blue with swirls of white.

Independence Blue—this was made from 1975 1976, and it is a cobalt blue carnival glass  made during the Bicentennial.

Photo courtesy of Worthpoint.com

This is a small portion of colors that you will be able to find while shopping.  Which colors have you run across?

Silent And Early Talkie Film Star MAE W MARSH

On By wisdomlaneantiquesIn Beginning to collectLeave a comment

Mae W Marsh Was an American actress whose career spanned over 50 years.  Her career started out in silent movies, and then went over into “talkies.”  Her big break came when Mary Pickford refused to play the role of Lily-White in the movie “Man’s Genesis” (Mary Pickford was known for “Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm” and “Cinderella”).

Picture courtesy of Wikipedia.com

Some of the movies that she stared in were “The Dear One,” “The Birth of a Nation,” “The Grapes of Wrath,” “How Green Was My Valley,” and even “When Kings Were the Law.”

She became such a famous actress that her image was featured on several items, including this plate:


The plate was produced in the 1920’s by the STAR PLAYERS PHOTO COMPANY.  This is a part of a series of plates that features other famous actors, like Charlie Chaplin.

The plates that I have seen have considerable wear to them, like they were actually used instead of just being admired.  I also have yet to see one without any chips on them as well (the one in my Etsy shop has a very small chip on the back).

The great thing about it is that it is a cross-collectible.  Pottery, collector plate, movie buffs, and even people who love Mae Marsh would love to have this plate in their collection.  Not only that, you could also display this in a retro kitchen in something like an old Hoosier cabinet.

What was your favorite movie that Mae Marsh was in?