Late 19th Century French Crested Brass Fireman's Helmet

This late 19th century French oak child's chair features a seat back with hand carved rosettes at the corners, scrolling leaves, a central rosette, and finials. The seat rests on tur...

This set of late nineteenth century French iron and bronze butcher's scales is double faced and features the coat of arms of the city of Paris flanked by the messenger god Mercury an...

This set of late nineteenth century French iron and bronze butcher's scales is double faced and features the coat of arms of the city of Paris flanked by the messenger god Mercury an...

Standing at 16 inches in height, this large scale nineteenth century Napoleon III period hourglass features three turned ebonized wood disks joined by bronze supports and finished wi...

Wooden and brass polarimeter with cast iron tripod base from the late 1800s. It is an instrument used to determine the concentration of sucrose and glucose in raw materials and sugar...

Fantastic ceramic inkwell, with what seems to be a pottery oven in the midst of two naivistic lions. You lift of the top lid to place pens and lift up the two lions heads for ink. Co...

Leather fireman's parade belt with the word "LIBERTY in white on a red ground, Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, circa 1900 This fireman's parade belt is of the type produced during the latter part of the 19th century, between roughly 1870 and 1900. Made of leather, the body of the belt is black. In the center is a recessed window, with a fancifully scalloped edge, behind which a red leather panel, upon which the word "Liberty" appears in raised, white letters. There is a white binding, it's edge trimmed with pinking shears to create a decorative border. The metal buckle fits into an opposing leather strap, small in scale and riveted beneath the outer one. The words that appear on fireman's parade belts were customized, sometimes displaying the title of the wearer (i.e., "chief" or "clerk"), sometimes the name of the city or town, and sometimes the name of the station, as-is the case in this instance. Attributed to Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania (Columbia County), I acquired it about 25 miles southwest, in adjacent Union County. Bloomsburg's first fire house, Friendship Fire Company, was established in 1868, shortly following the Civil War. Like most volunteer departments of that time, it was staffed by returning Union soldiers who volunteered, enjoying the comradery. Three more would follow, including Rescue Hose & Ladder (1870), Winona (1881), and Liberty Fire Company (1900). In the early 1990's the process was begun to modernize and consolidate all four stations into one. Liberty's fire house still stands on the 100 block of Leonard Street. Probably made in the year the Liberty Fire Company was established, for related parades and festivities, the great thing about this belt is the combination of the wonderful, early, painted surface and the terrific verbiage. While words such as "Clerk," "Bloomsburg," or "Rescue" would have limited appeal, the word "Liberty" opens the playing field to a nation-wide audience. Fire memorabilia...

Architecture game constructions with 56 colored stones inside a wooden box made in the laboratory of Dr. Richter Rudolstadt Thüringe in the late nineteenth century. The box is comple...