Bay Area Historical Memorabilia

A Maltese clock & touch tip lighter designed by Ronson. This is an extremely rare Ronson Maltese clock Touch-Tip lighter. This is a very iconic piece made in 1936 at Newark, New Jersey in the United States by the Ronson Art Metal Works Inc. This touch tip lighter began a very successful era for Ronson Touch Tip series of lighters which pushed out the strike lighters from the market. This fabulous Art Deco / Machine Age design, was crafted with streamline patterns. Solid construction in polished chromium plate and parts of the metal body are treated with black lacquer and the lighter base is padded with green felt. This surely is a very decorative piece and a great conversation item in gorgeous and exceptional preserved and almost mint condition. This version with the large dial are more rarer and more prized and desirable for collectors than the small dial version. It is illustrated at the Cummings book as very rare. This piece was used in 1941, in the Hollywood movie titled The Maltese Falcon, there the nick name for this specific model. Weight: 897.45 Grams, (1.87 Pounds). Measurements: 108 mm by 64 mm by 103 mm (4.25 x 2.52 x 4.06 Inches). Marks: Stamped with the maker's mark and signed, "RONSON TOUCH TIP US PATS. 1,986,754-DES PAT. 97,247 BRITISH PAT. APPLY FOR CANADA PAT. 349,148 NEWARK NJ-USA-ART METAL WORKS INC". With all supportive Ronson stickers and labels at the bottom. The Ronson lighter company The company started as The Art Metal Works in 1897 and was incorporated on July 20, 1898, by Max Hecht, Louis Vincent Aronson and Leopold Herzig, in Newark, New Jersey. Louis V. Aronson was a huge creative driving force for the company; and, with a few business adjustments, including the addition of Alexander Harris (1910–11) as Business Manager, the company soon became World Famous. In the 1910s The Art Metal Works were producing very good quality Hood Ornaments and gained a reputation as a dependable supplier of same. All accounts state that Louis Aronson was a gifted man, who at 16 years old set up a money-making shop in his parent's home - before receiving a U.S. patent for a commercially valuable metal-plating process he developed when he was 24 years old, and he sold half the rights while retaining the Right to Use. "His experiments, which he has been conducting since his early youth, resulted in 1893 in the discovery of a process for electrically producing tinplate. Much money was expended upon improving the process... and has been of great practical value to the whole industry. Retaining its rights, he sold half the patent rights, and later used part of the proceeds to open the Art Metal Works in Newark, N.J. Soon the company was producing a variety of high-quality Lamps, Book ends, Art Statues and other decorative items, prized today for their detail in the collector marketplace. Literature: Urban K. Cummings, Ronson, the World's Greatest Lighter : Wick Lighters...

Great Machine Age, American Art Deco floor scale, Weigh Master by Hanson. The scale is fully functional, it shows cosmetic wear to the paint finish, and th...

A beautiful hand carved horse bust in grade AAA natural lapis lazuli. The horse with robust neck and windswept mane, mouth slightly open and large alert eyes. Lapis of beautiful coba...

Beautiful and complete tricycle horse with its cast iron details with a stunning patina. Amazing period piece. This type of 19th century French velocipede tricycle horse was origina...

Sparton model 557 radio designed by Walter Dorwin Teague for the Sparks-Worthington Company in Jackson, Michigan during 1936. The radio, known as the "sled" or "3-knob" is considered...

AMBIANIC presents Art Deco Vintage Decorative Zenith Floor Model Radio Console 43 h x 24 W x 16.75 Preowned vintage condition Tested not working. Missing...

Carnival Bullseye Game America, 1900 Painted plywood used for the carnival game "drop a punk". 36”dia x 2.75”d Ref. O2130

Antique wall-mounted cast iron gym exercise machine. This early exercise device, designed for shoulder and arm workouts, features sturdy wooden mounting panels and durable cast iron pulleys. The top wooden panel bears a decal from the Narragansett Machine Company, highlighting its historical craftsmanship. A unique and functional piece, it makes a fantastic addition to any home gym or vintage fitness...

Very rare corner radio with custom Viking Oak cabinet by the Romweber Furniture Company of Batesville, IN. Radio features: - Stromberg Carlson M...

Double desk box with lighter designed by Ronson. An exceptional and very beautiful desk box, created in New Jersey United States by The Ronson Co. during the art deco period, back i...

This is an Aretino Machine Phonograph. It depicts a square wood cabinet that has at the top a round platter where a disc/record is placed and can be heard after the needle attached t...

Beautiful 1930s Austrian horse toy. Wonderful patina.