Catalog (460)

Measuring 14 inches in height, this vintage 1920's, 100 year old, Mammy Bottle Doll is in well-loved condition, with completely hand-stitched and highly detailed clothing that has been recently laundered and carefully pressed.

Mammy bottle dolls were constructed to be quite functional; they were used as doorstops back in the day. Their sand-filled bottles added enough weight to readily keep that door in place.

Her interesting and expressive face is also completely hand-stitched and bears a tiny hole in the center of her chin. A similar teeny hole may also be seen (see photo) on her back. Mammy wears a lacy bonnet detailed with tiny pleats and 2 ribbon flowers. Her pink skirt and blouse, also hand-stitched, is presented in various shades of pink as Mammy's outfit must have been subjected to light over the years and is in places, quite faded. Despite the careful laundering, Mammy's clothing is speckled here and there with teeny dark pinpoint size spots, most particularly in the bust area. Her white apron is pristine and is accented with a small, non-functional pocket. Her lace bonnet is fragile and must be handled with care as it can tear easily.

Although her bottle frame is covered by a black stocking, the stocking has opened slightly under her skirt revealing her sand-filled milk bottle.

This wonderful, early, one century old (!), mammy bottle doll is one of 3 currently offered mammy bottle dolls that have all come from the same estate. These dolls are very seldom found in today's collectible market. All three are are priced separately.

This delightful grouping of 3 black Aunt Jemima composition dolls from the 1930s enjoyed an interesting, more recent life as advertising display pieces in an old Vermont Country store!

The 3 dolls were grouped together in a creative display that supported the sale of Aunt Jemima Pancake products! Their costumes are all identical and were hand-stitched and made especially for the planned Aunt Jemima display.

Each of the dolls remain intact inside an encasement of glue and paper wrapping and are attached to home-made, plaster-of-Paris-based, rectangular platforms. The platforms were created in 1958 as is written on the bottom of each base, and the dolls remained in place until the store closed in the early 1980s.

The large doll is 11 inches tall and evidences age-crackling to her composition face and hands; her right hand is actually missing a small piece of composition (see photo). Black hair peeks out from inside her checkered head scarf framing her sweet face!

The doll on the left side is the shortest, measuring 5 3/4 inches high. She is in fine condition and her eyes are placed in an interesting sideward glance.

The doll on the right measures 6 1/4 inches tall. Her composition is in fine condition with the exception to some small loss at the very top of her head (see photo).

Certainly a very visually appealing trio, sold all together as a group of three!

This eye-catching, bright, robin's-egg blue painted pharmacy sign from the 1970s measures 14 inch tall x 1/2 inch thick.

This handsome wooden beauty is embellished with a fancy decorated mortar and pestle on top, stylized, Victorian-look lettering spelling out "PHARMACY" in the center, and vintage-look advertising for "LOG CABIN EXTRACT" at the bottom.

The condition is good with slight areas of paint lifting or loss, primarily on the edge.

A tiny "MADE IN JAPAN" label and the original price tag are present on back. Ready to hang!

Measuring 7.75" tall with a bell diameter of 4" at its base, this fabulous, C1870's, school teacher's, hand-held bell sports a wonderful, all-original, vintage patina.

This solid, 1/8" thick bell gives its ring the classic resonance one would expect to hear in a 19th century bell - a sound that would carry a good distance announcing the start of the school day!

The top of the bell features a decorative 3 rimmed edging. The bell retains its original black-painted wooden handle, and iron clacker and loop. A very tiny 1/16th" superficial edge chip exists - the bell must have hit a very hard surface to create that! (see close-up photo)

A lovely 19th century example of a teacher's school bell, sadly being de-accessioned from my own collection due to lack of display space!

Measuring 6 1/2 x 11 3/4, this lovely, early 1900's, Black subject die cut by Enoch Morgan & Sons, England, features three individual Sapolio Soap die cuts used to advertise the company product. Each die cut features the head of a young black boy centered inside a piece of fruit or vegetable- a cabbage, a watermelon and a (?) pear.

Sapolio was a brand of soap noted for its unique and clever advertising, led by Artemas Ward from 1883–1908. Bret Harte, an American short story writer and poet, wrote jingles for the brand, and the sales force also included King Camp Gillette, who went on to create the fabulously successful Gillette safety razor and the razor and blades business model. Time magazine described Sapolio as "probably the world's best-advertised product" of its time period!

This pleasant trio of Sapolio Soap die cuts is in excellent condition and comes protected in an attractive, walnut-toned, oak decorative frame!

This very rarely found advertising trio together create quite a visually appealing decorative piece!

Offered is a recent estate find in Myrtle Beach, SC. This Patent Medicine is an unused CRANE'S Quinine and Tar Cold and Cough remedy circa 1910. This diminutive "Free Sample" is from the CRANE MEDICINE CO., Chicago, Ill and is complete with the original box and insert.

The box approximately measures 4.5"H x 1.5"W and is in fair condition missing both the top and bottom flaps and shows wear commensurate with age. The delightful 4 inch bottle sports complete front and back labels and is in undamaged condition. The insert is included and the paper is brittle with signs of loss mostly at the folded areas.

A nifty medicine for quelling coughs caused by colds, croup, bronchitis and other afflictions. The bottle and box display quite nicely as seen in the photos. A neat find!

This delightful, 1920's, hand-painted, Folk Art-inspired, English pull toy features a darling horse and jockey!

When pulled by its string, the toy rolls along on its metal and rubber wheels, causing the jockey to raise and lower himself off of the horse as the horse makes a coordinated "jumping" motion as his front legs raise up slightly.

The toy is labeled "Loros Bros Ltd London England" within a small triangle that is painted on one side of the metal supporting rim (see photos). The horse and rider are constructed of wood and are affixed to the metal frame. The toy measures 11 inches tall when the rider is standing straight up and is 10.5 inches long.

Condition is quite fine given the toy's 80+ years of age. There are scrapes and minor wear to the paint here and there, the horse's tail is missing, and 2 newer nails in the horse's hind legs were added as reinforcement at some point. The toy is structurally sound, very colorful, and works quite well! It is simply adorable and displays beautifully!!

Measuring 9 inches high, these delightful examples of Folk Art styling represent three of a series of Black cloth character dolls made in Alabama in the 1930’s by unknown craftsmen/women employed under President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's (FDR) Depression era program, the Work Projects Administration (WPA), in existence from 1935-1943.

The Work Projects Administration was designed to provide jobs across the country during the Great Depression when hundreds of thousands were out of work. While most WPA jobs were in construction and infrastructure, the most well-known project arm of the WPA, known as Federal Project Number One, employed musicians, artists, writers, actors and directors in arts, drama, media, and literacy projects. The five projects assigned to this consortium were: the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP), the Historical Records Survey (HRS), the Federal Theatre Project (FTP), the Federal Music Project (FMP), and the Federal Art Project (FAP).

The creation of these fabulous dolls fell under the WPA Federal Art Project, with the goal of representing and preserving the various aspects of the culture, work and lives of the Southern black community of this time period. All of the WPA black folk dolls produced for this project were placed on asphalt shingle stands, they all feature elderly folk, they all share black leather shoes, a cotton-batting stuffed body, and identical hand-stitched facial features with subtle and unique variations in expression around the eyes due to the clever positioning of the eyebrows!

The Country Preacher is fully decked out to conduct worship services, from his black, wide-brimmed top hat down to his leather shoes, the left one, unfortunately, showing a bit of wear with his socked big toe peeking out! His machine-stitched clothing is all in the color black with the exception of his white ministerial collar. The preacher holds his real-wood walking stick securely in his right hand while clutching the Holy Bible under his left arm. Note the colorful red handkerchief that was placed in a back pants pocket, peeking out between the tails of his suit coat. The fully bearded preacher wears silver, wire-rimmed spectacles surrounding his soft and compassionate eyes and offers an open smile showing his front two teeth!

The white haired, bearded male country gentleman doll is attired in machine-sewn cotton, blue-striped britches with a patch at the left knee, black suspenders and a tan striped cotton shirt with a red kerchief tied around his neck. His hat is constructed of cranberry-colored felt. Under his right arm, he holds a nicely crafted fabric chicken that has sustained a tiny bit of fabric loss to its face, while his left arm holds a wooden walking stick. His complete asphalt shingle is missing, but remnants remain firmly attached on the soles of his shoes. He bears a very sweet, surprised expression on his face as evidenced by his slightly upturned eyebrows!

The female doll in this grouping is clad in a red and white checkered, machine-stitched dress topped over with a cream-colored linen apron which evidences, here and there, some very light, age-related discoloration. Her apron pocket displays a red and white polka-dotted hankie- a lovely detail-, while a bright, multi-colored head wrap protectively covers her graying hair from dust and grime while she completes household chores. Her outfit is fully completed with the cream-colored linen chemise and pantaloons underneath her dress, and she wears black leather shoes. Even though she is working at chores, as evidenced by the wicker-straw broom she holds in her right hand, she has not forgotten to wear her brass-toned, double hoop earrings! And she wears a pleasant expression on her hand-stitched face, showing a bit of a smile and her two front teeth.

Three very special dolls, which today, are becoming very, very difficult to find, representing a snapshot of history, capturing the lives of poor southern black folk of the Depression era! The Preacher and Lady with the Broom are priced at $295.00 each, with the Country Gent Holding a Chicken priced at $275.00 to compensate for his incomplete asphalt shingle.

Offered are two desirable, circa 1905-1910, smooth face hickory shaft golf clubs. Smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion, and perhaps function, by the very early 1900s, yet they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

The 1st smooth face club is stamped on the back "R.B.WILSON - OK SPECIAL - MADE IN SCOTLAND". The lambskin grip is in good condition, and the hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina. It measures 38.5 inches from heel to top of shaft and is likely a MASHIE although it is not marked as such. There are various small dings, faint pitting to the metal surface and examples of wear commensurate with this club's use and 110+ years of age.

The 2nd club is marked "MORRISTOWN" on back and is very nice with minimal signs of use. There is a "sheen" seen in the sweet spot that is of unknown origin. Of note: Spalding produced a line of clubs marked 'Morristown', so this club may well be one of their earlier examples as there are no other maker marks present...an excellent club, indeed!

This 1930s, Art Deco, VIGNY, 2 ounce, Golliwog Perfume Bottle is a rare find! This particular marketing of the very highly sought-after and well-known Paris Vigny Golliwogg perfume, was sold by the famous Fred Harvey stores which dotted the new railroad lines running through the American Southwest.

This 4 inch tall bottle retains the majority of its Fred Harvey price sticker on its base. Remnants of perfume are still visible, and the bottle's original paper labels remain in wonderful condition. This version of Vigny Golliwogg perfume is extraordinarily difficult to find as it was specifically marketed only in the Fred Harvey rail line stores.

A very scarce and delightful addition to one's Vigny Golliwogg Perfume collection!

A bit of Fred Harvey History:
Frederick Henry Harvey (June 27, 1835 – February 9, 1901) was a Liverpool, England-born entrepreneur who immigrated to the United States in 1853 at the age of 17. His first employment in the US was in a NYC restaurant where he quickly worked his way up from pot scrubber to waiter and line cook- an experience which later impacted his life choices.

In 1876 after working within a number of retail industries, Harvey returned to his first "love"- the restaurant business. As a result of his acquaintance with the superintendent of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad, Harvey opened a very successful chain of "eating houses" all along the rail line. At its peak, a total of 84 Harvey Houses existed, all of which catered to wealthy and middle-class visitors alike. Souvenir shops and hotels were added by the innovative Harvey, and he became known as "the Civilizer of the West".

Fred Harvey is credited with creating the first restaurant chain in the United States, and he is also recognized as a leader in promoting tourism in the American Southwest in the late 19th century. Fred Harvey and his employees successfully brought unique and higher standards of both civility and dining to a region widely regarded in the era as "the Wild West."

Type "Vigny" in the SEARCH box on our homepage to see all French Golliwogg Perfume bottles!

To see all of our Golliwogg-related items for sale, type "golliwogg" into the SEARCH box on our home page.

Offered is an unused, vintage "sex" ointment purported to be a desensitizing agent for men.

This cleverly named product came in a diminutive tube measuring 3.5 inches long with its carton a mere 4 inches long. Supposedly, by following directions and using "at the right time", this ointment would measure up to its full potential.

Dates to the 1950's - 1960's era and is in very good condition.

This antiquated medicine with inert contents is meant for display ONLY and NOT meant for use.

A GREAT conversation piece!

A fabulously detailed, historical graphic of the California State Seal adds to the importance of this authentic, museum-quality, 1899, TEACHING LICENSE / DIPLOMA issued by the STATE OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY, DEPARTMENT of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.

Text indicates that the diploma was awarded to Josephine Downey on October 21, 1899, and certified her to teach the Grammar or Primary Grade for the subsequent 6 years. Signed by Thomas Kirsh, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Secretary.

Further documentation on reverse reads, "Issued on the recommendation of the Board of Education of San Francisco County, in accordance with Section 1521 of the Political Code, upon a first grade or Grammar Grade Certificate of San Francisco County, California, 95% (Josephine’s teacher examination grade).”

With the exception of early fold lines, condition is mint! Measures 14.6 inches X 11.5 inches.

See my other school certificates for an 1892 Teaching Certificate awarded to Josephine's sister, Mary Downey!

A wonderful piece of museum-quality, educational ephemera representing San Francisco's and the state of California's early educational history!

Professionally framed in 1992 with museum-quality, acid-free backing as well as acid-free double-mats, this fabulous 1863, fashion print from Godey's Lady's Book Magazine depicts the high style of the upper echelons of ladies' fashions during the Abraham Lincoln presidency, 159 years ago!

These fashion prints were typically placed at the front of the magazine, carefully folded to protect them from damage. They were reproduced from an actual, highly-detailed engraving which was then hand-tinted. Accompanying these fashion prints (or fashion plates as they were often referred to as) were very detailed descriptions about the garments featured as well as the occasions in which they could be appropriately worn.

This Godey's print features 5 ladies who have gathered together for tea and cakes while a young girl attempts to play with her dog who is distracted by the cake one lady holds in her hand!

This "fashion plate" print is in wonderful condition with just a single, teeny circular age-related early stain in the extreme lower left corner. Fold lines original to the print's placement in the magazine are noted. The print is double matted in gray and a very pale mauve- colors that reflect the shadowing in the print as well as the shades worn by both the little girl playing with her dog as well as the lady second from the right who wears the most intricately ornate gown featured!

Measuring 12.75" long x 14.75" wide, this highly decorative wood frame is silver toned with subtle hints of gold and is in mint condition.

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL PHOTOS WERE TAKEN THROUGH THE GLASS which accounts for any and all bizarre reflections and/or aberrations in tone or color that might appear in photos.

A bit of history: Godey's Lady's Book or Magazine was an American women's magazine that was published from 1830 to 1878 in Philadelphia. It not only featured fashions of the time, but short stories, poetry, directions and patterns for sewing garments at home as well as piano sheet music. Even though the yearly subscription of $3 was quite expensive for the time, the magazine was extraordinarily popular - the most popular monthly journal of its time, with subscribers at its peak reaching 150,000.

Please see the other framed Godey's print we are offering featuring two different fashion plates! Simply type "Godey's" into the search bar.

Offered is a very nice, vintage, drug store, BROMO SELTZER Dispenser with a patent date of 1930.

This popular and very recognizable, pharmacy collectible is constructed of a cobalt blue glass base with an aluminum stand that sports an old bottle of Bromo Seltzer retaining a label dating to 1987. The stand measures just over 15 inches high including the bottle.

The condition is commensurate with a used pharmacy device. The base shows wear with various scratches, and the metal is tarnished. The dispenser mechanism rotates and functions properly. The piece was in storage for many years and retains its original, "as-found" patina. A very nice find!

Some history:
The Bromo Seltzer product takes its name from a component of the original formula, sodium bromide. Bromides are a class of tranquilizers that were withdrawn from the U.S. market in 1975 due to their toxicity. Their sedative effect probably accounted for Bromo-Seltzer's vast popularity back in the day as THE go-to remedy for hangovers!

Offered is a very colorful group of 5, circa 1970s, golf tee matchbook-style packets which served as novelty advertisement giveaways for family-owned ALBERT BROS., INC., Waterbury, CT, a 119 year old scrap metal recycling company.

Each identical packet is designed in the form of a large matchbook and contains 6 painted wooden golf tees and one plastic ball marker.

Each decorative pack measures about 4 inches long x 2.5 inches wide and ALL are in unused condition. The packets have some minor crimps, slight edge tears or general wear from storage over time. One of the packets has a large rip as seen in the photo.

Wonderfully colorful, usable novelty items from a century+ old company with an interesting history in the scrap metal recycling business. Display well and a unique addition to your golf or advertising collection!

*****PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE ONLY 4 PACKETS ARE FEATURED IN THE GROUP PHOTOS, 5 PACKETS ARE ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN THIS PURCHASE AS PREVIOUSLY STATED.*****

Entitled "A Chip O' The Old Block", the theme of this 1906 copyrighted lithograph features a derogatory stereotype not recognized as such when it was published 115 years ago. A very young African American toddler, bare-bottomed and still just crawling, is attempting to catch a fleeing hen - the caption implying, just as would his parent. The great irony here is that the artwork is quite skillfully and beautifully executed.

Measuring 8.5" wide x 6.6" long, the original frame is unusually embellished in the lower left hand corner with a very detailed, three-dimensional image of a wicker baby carriage fashioned from an unidentifiable medium. The carriage is missing part of the handle, part of one carriage wheel, and a teeny bit has also been lost on the upper part of that same wheel, but these missing pieces do little to take away from this embellishment's unique character. This is a unique and interesting piece, indeed!

The lithograph measures 5.5" wide x 3.5" long and is signed "Wall" in the grass under the toddler's left foot. The copyright date, 1906, and the publisher, The Ullman Mfg. Co. of New York, appear in the lower right corner. The original backside paper liner is missing.

The inhalation of medicinal vapors was common practice during the late 19th and early 20th century. Inhaling devices came in many shapes and forms. This very decorative and functional inhaler was very popular during that period.

This lovely, late-Victorian-styled inhaler is primarily being sold for its original box. The box is complete and very detailed on all sides (including the top), sporting wonderful graphics and information on its many merits. The box measures 6.5" H x 4" W x 3.25" D and shows only mild wear and faint staining. Finding a complete box in this condition is quite uncommon.

The lamp is not complete and is minus its chimney and top medicinal pan.

The advertising says it all - great graphic and lung specific. The last patent date noted on the box is 1899, and the first patent date is stamped on the lamp as being Ag. (August) 4, 1885.

Offered is this desirable, circa 1900, smooth face hickory shaft golf club from the noted Scottish AUCHTERLONIE club maker shop. Smooth face golf clubs fell out of fashion, and perhaps function, by the very early 1900s, yet they were still offered in catalogues for a number of years beyond this date.

This early club is stamped on the back "AUCHTERLONIE - SPECIAL". The replaced lambskin grip is in fine condition, and the hickory shaft sports a nice aged patina. It measures 38 inches from heel to top of shaft and is likely a MASHIE although it is not marked as such. There are various small dings, modest pitting to the metal surface and examples of wear commensurate with this club's use and 110+ years of age.

A very desirable Scottish golf club!