Early 1900s Collectibles and Curiosities

Woodrow Wilson. A History of the American People. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1902. Alumni Edition #29 of 350 copies. Volume I signed by Woodrow Wilson...

A splendid pair of Edwardian Opera / Theatre glasses professionally re-polished to gleam, making them as good as they would have looked over 100 years ag...

Antique English Dart Game Trophy Award Shield Oak Plaque Silver Plate c1909. Direct from England, just arrived in our most recent container, we have several ...

AUTHOR: DODGSON, Charles L. (Lewis Carroll) (Arthur Rackham). TITLE: Alice's Adventures In Wonderland. PUBLISHER: London: William Heinemann, 1907. DESCRIPTION: LIMITED EDIT...

AUTHOR: HOMER (William Cullen Bryant). TITLE: The Iliad - and - The Odyssey of Homer. PUBLISHER: Boston: Houghton Mifflin & Co., 1905. ...

Presented is a rare, platinum Master Exhibition Print of Edward Curtis’ The Three Chiefs. Typical of Curtis’ Master Exhibition Prints, this platinum print is double-mounted, signed, with an embossed copyright credit and date stamp. His numeric notation “52-00” is in the photographic negative. Curtis photographed The Three Chiefs during his two weeks on a Blackfoot reservation in the summer of 1900. The photograph depicts three Piegan men in traditional dress on horseback, situated next to a small stream with an expansive cloud-filled sky behind them. The Piegans were the largest group in the Blackfoot Confederacy and still retained a majority of their original culture when Curtis visited the tribe. It reportedly took Curtis several days to find the perfect prairie backdrop and riders for this photo, yet his patience paid off. The image was pivotal in enabling Curtis to form his vision for his next project - his ambitious 20 volumes “North American Indian”publication. This print is believed to be one of only three oversized, platinum Master Exhibition Prints of this image in existence. It was printed by Curtis specifically for his East Coast exhibition tour of 1905-1906. Curtis chose only a small number of what he believed to be his finest negatives to produce prints for the show. He never again mounted an exhibition of his work, nor produced such distinctive, large-format platinum prints. “The extraordinary rarity of The Three Chiefs becomes clearer when viewed in the context of other Master Exhibition Prints, principally the 108 in the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts, the largest collection in existence. The Museum, however, is missing a number of early, iconic images, including The Three Chiefs. It has long been assumed that these missing prints were held elsewhere, possibly in the collection of The New York Public Library. This theory has been substantiated by the Curtis scholar, Bruce Kapson, who unearthed a cache of letters from Curtis to J.P. Morgan and to Morgan's librarian, Ms. Bella da Costa Greene in the Pierpont Morgan Library archives in 2007. The correspondence establishes that 58 of the 100 prints in The New York Public Library's collection are actually Master Exhibition Prints, specifically selected by Curtis for J.P. Morgan as the best examples of his work. A typed letter, dated March 1907, from Ms. Greene to Curtis states: 'I enclose herewith a list of Indian photographs which you sent to Mr. J.P. Morgan'. The letter is accompanied by a handwritten list of 58 photographs, including The Three Chiefs (print number 52.) Morgan donated this group of prints to The New York Public Library in 1912.” (Christie’s Live Auction 1893 Catalog, 2007). Curtis’ platinum prints make up less than 1/2 of 1% of all of the work he created. Curtis’ platinum prints were created only for exhibition or direct sales to patrons and they were always made by Curtis himself. One significant dealer in Curtis prints...

Antique ships wheel with six spokes. Unusual and nicely shaped wheel with six handles, two brass and four wood. The back of the wheel has a 1906 patent dated. Probably from a small l...

Author: STRICKLAND, Agnes Title: Lives of The Queens of England from The Norman Conquest. Publisher: London: George Bell & Sons, 1908. NEW REVISED...

This is an original 46-star American parade flag, printed on silk. Each star represents a state in the Union at the time. The official flag design would update every July 4th, to inc...

An exceptional, fine and impressive set of six antique Edwardian English sterling silver buttons made in the Art Nouveau style - boxed; an addi...

Author: VIERECK, George Sylvester. Title: The House of the Vampire. Publisher: NY: Moffat, Yard & Company, 1907. FIRST EDITION OF THE AUTHORS FIRST NOVEL. 1 vol., publishe...

Antique walking stick/cane, Germany from 1910 with owner's stamp, real silver antique historical condition. Please refer to the detailed photos for the condition (V-222)

Sawfish rostrum / bill in the style of Gabriella Crespi mounted on brass and ebonized wood custom base.

A stunning early 20th century French black forest barometer with thermometer, circa 1900. Found in a hunting lodge in Lyon, this antique weather station...

An exceptional, fine and impressive antique Edwardian English cast sterling silver presentation trophy on plinth in the form of a footballer; an addition to our sport related silverware collection. This exceptional antique Edwardian English cast sterling silver presentation piece has been realistically modelled in the form of a football player throwing a ball. This antique football trophy...

Turn of the century solid brass yacht binnacle. Pedestal base design with great detail on the graduated column and flange footed base. The hood has a hinged door with viewing port. T...

Author: Binns, W. Moore Title: The first century of English porcelain. Publisher: London: Hurst & Blackett, Ltd., 1906. 1 volume, small folio, 1...

Fourteen black Bakelite Burroughs Wellcome & Co of London medicine bottles. Medicine bottles like these where used on the British Terra Nova Antarctic...

A wooden black board from France, produced circa 1900. Stretching four feet wide and standing nearly as tall, this scholastic rectangle will stir memories ...

Steel construction painted from, circa 1890-1900.  

Circa 1903 antique doll by Schutz-Marke Germany with celluloid head and jointed leather body, composite hands and dressed in a burgundy leather suit and Scotch bonnet...

Solid rosewood stick with 925 crescent and crown. Germany circa 1900 Very noble and high quality silver mount. Age-appropriate condition. Engraved with so-called Tula silver work. V...

1 Volume Painted in Color by Beatrice Parsons. Bound in 3/4 green Morocco by Henry Young and Sons, Cloth boards, top edges gilt, raised bands, gilt...

Exceptional walking stick with geometrically inlaid mother-of-pearl. Mother-of-pearl distributed in symmetrical intervals. Stick end with silver-colored spout. Stick handle in the fo...

Solid wood ebonized stick with 835 silver mount, circa 1900. Very noble and high quality silver mount. Age-appropriate condition. (V - 177).

Classic early 1900s Black Forest Brienz wood carved Tobacco Jar. Nice addition to your room or just for use it on your desk. Found at an estate sale in Nur...

Musical Black Forest carved fruit bowl with grape and vine motif and handles. Plays music when picked up and set down. Would make a great gift or col...

Whistle made of gilded silver The decoration consists of diamonds covering an anchor. Additionally there is a small handle shaped as a steering wheel. Original casket existing! ...

Large antique arrow shaped Hatpin or Brooch for Knitwear by Danish Silversmith Marius Sørensen. Stamped 826, MS. Please note that this item has not been ...

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...

Fine quality hand painted porcelain humidor is in excellent all original condition with no chips, repairs, or overpaint; nice bright crisp paint and detail. No mark, but definitely American, circa 1900 era. Note the detail to the Indian's face and his elaborate headdress. Native American Indians were especially attracted to tobacco and related products and relished the opportunity to pose for pictures on that topic; note cigar store "Indians", match safes, and humidors. This is a very desirable and item of tobacciana with the Indian subject matter and the attractive multicolored hand painted Indian chief with headdress, probably of note but I have not been able to accurately identify him; quite possibly "Big Bow" an Indian warrior who has been identified on other similar objects. Grace Young...

Faust volume 1 & 2 by Johann Wolgang Goethe. Printed in these miniature version by Schmidt & Günther in Leipzig, Germany in 1907. The share the same distinct qualities as regular cla...

Kingsware was developed by Charles Noke and produced between 1898-1939. No other factory in the world has been able to recreate the same lustrous finish, which makes Kingsware a uniq...

An Eastern European Kethubah Strikingly Decorated in Papercut Form, and with the Central Traditional Hebrew Text of a Most Uncommon Petite Appearance. Uni...

Essays on the Study of Poetry and a Guide to English Literature By Matthew Arnold. Macmillan Company, 1903. 1st Ed Thus gilt decorated hardcover. "Matth...

Industrial Cast Iron Pulleya An Industrial cast iron pulley with latch marked 'MD & S CO' 'PHILA. PA. U.S.A.'. Manufactured by MD&S Co, USA, 1900s.

The term "spelter" refers to a zinc/lead metal compound used to pour and make castings. Because of the thinness of the castings there is great detail to the subject matter of these banks. Spelter banks...

1 volume. Folio. Bound in full green Morocco by Birdsall, with all edges gilt and ornate gilt on covers & spine, as well as a hand-colored frontispiece. Printed on fine paper. Profus...

Wonderful and crazy such a collection of "tins" circa 1900 Tins for food, wax, bullets, coffee, tea, candy, flower etc ....... and a tin duck beautiful with respect of...

Rare liberty gold turquoise Arts & Crafts Art Nouveau pendant, William Haseler, circa 1900. Fully signed for W. H Haseler and 15-carat for Liberty, oval c...