Monday, September 17, 2012
Clarksville,Mo. Saturday September 15
Look what I saw when I looked out my window Saturday here in Clarksville,Mo. This is a pretty common sight to us, but I get excited every time. I only dream of taking this trip , someday! Enjoy. Richard and Sissy
Monday, September 10, 2012
Antiques, What is it?
Today I am posted the second question and answer since I opened this forum about antiques. In case you are just now joining in, I am offering advice and answers about antiques. Please send questions and pictures via my email, as they are easier for me to download. I will then feature your items and questions on the next blog post. Please pass the word along, if you know any one who might need some help.
I have two bloggers that have sent me pictures and questions. The first one is Trish, and she has a question about her clock. Here are the pictures she sent me. The questions were, age, value and any other information I could give her. Trish, your clock is from the 21 century, easy to tell, because it is electric. The maker was trying to copy an older version. The original china mantle clocks came around toward the middle to the end of the 1800's. A few were made in the early 1900's as well. They were designed to set on a mantle in a formal parlor or ladies bed room. Hand painted china was very much in vogue during this time, and home owners wanted a lot of it. So the clock makers did there version of this. Most of them were transfered and not hand painted. The porcelain was what is called, "soft paste," and what we might call pottery. It was not a fine, thin china. The original clocks were made in many countries and often shipped to America where the clock was installed. it was very rare that one company made both the case and the clock works.Your clock is from the 50's and is a molded ceramic. It is hand decorated, like the marble looking columns and gold trim were hand applied. The gold was real gold powder that was mixed with oil to make a paint. It can not be removed and sold as gold as there is such a small amount to start with and the firing process takes away it's gold value. There were lots of companies that made these clocks. They were a side line and sold to gift shops, dime stores, furniture stores and jewelry stories. The did not make millions and not that many are left out there. In today's world, which is much less cluttered, they are not real desirable. Some shops might ask around $126-$150 for these clocks. I would say a better price , of $95 to $75, would be more realistic.
Hope this helps. As far as the company, I could not see the name that well, so could not research. If you send me a better picture of there sticker, I will see what I can do. Thanks!!!!
The next Blogger is Cindy Fraer and her question is about a coo coo clock that she got from a family estate. Cindy did not send a picture of her clock, she sent a picture of her kitchen. Her question is, did the Victorian Home owners have and use coo coo clocks? And if they did, would it be all right to use it in her kitchen. Cindy's house in new but it is in the style and taste of the 1800's. If the rest of her house is as divine as the kitchen, I can see it is very lovely. My advice is: yes they had and decorated with these clocks. Most were made in Germany and well to do Victorian families often took the grand tour of Europe and sent home things from every where they stopped. Proved they had been there and made for great conversation were people asked about the items. My advice to Cindy is, yes they used them and yes, it would look OK in your kitchen, but it seems to be very full already, maybe you could find a space in a hall way or bed room, either one the clock would look great and be a place they might have placed it. Again, I hope this helps and thanks for the email and the lovely picture of your kitchen. Richard
Please send me your questions, pictures and I will do my best to give you my best answer, I have lots of research books along with many, many, years in the business. Stop by soon. Richard and Sissy Dog!
I have two bloggers that have sent me pictures and questions. The first one is Trish, and she has a question about her clock. Here are the pictures she sent me. The questions were, age, value and any other information I could give her. Trish, your clock is from the 21 century, easy to tell, because it is electric. The maker was trying to copy an older version. The original china mantle clocks came around toward the middle to the end of the 1800's. A few were made in the early 1900's as well. They were designed to set on a mantle in a formal parlor or ladies bed room. Hand painted china was very much in vogue during this time, and home owners wanted a lot of it. So the clock makers did there version of this. Most of them were transfered and not hand painted. The porcelain was what is called, "soft paste," and what we might call pottery. It was not a fine, thin china. The original clocks were made in many countries and often shipped to America where the clock was installed. it was very rare that one company made both the case and the clock works.Your clock is from the 50's and is a molded ceramic. It is hand decorated, like the marble looking columns and gold trim were hand applied. The gold was real gold powder that was mixed with oil to make a paint. It can not be removed and sold as gold as there is such a small amount to start with and the firing process takes away it's gold value. There were lots of companies that made these clocks. They were a side line and sold to gift shops, dime stores, furniture stores and jewelry stories. The did not make millions and not that many are left out there. In today's world, which is much less cluttered, they are not real desirable. Some shops might ask around $126-$150 for these clocks. I would say a better price , of $95 to $75, would be more realistic.
Hope this helps. As far as the company, I could not see the name that well, so could not research. If you send me a better picture of there sticker, I will see what I can do. Thanks!!!!
The next Blogger is Cindy Fraer and her question is about a coo coo clock that she got from a family estate. Cindy did not send a picture of her clock, she sent a picture of her kitchen. Her question is, did the Victorian Home owners have and use coo coo clocks? And if they did, would it be all right to use it in her kitchen. Cindy's house in new but it is in the style and taste of the 1800's. If the rest of her house is as divine as the kitchen, I can see it is very lovely. My advice is: yes they had and decorated with these clocks. Most were made in Germany and well to do Victorian families often took the grand tour of Europe and sent home things from every where they stopped. Proved they had been there and made for great conversation were people asked about the items. My advice to Cindy is, yes they used them and yes, it would look OK in your kitchen, but it seems to be very full already, maybe you could find a space in a hall way or bed room, either one the clock would look great and be a place they might have placed it. Again, I hope this helps and thanks for the email and the lovely picture of your kitchen. Richard
Please send me your questions, pictures and I will do my best to give you my best answer, I have lots of research books along with many, many, years in the business. Stop by soon. Richard and Sissy Dog!
Friday, September 7, 2012
Antique, What is it?
This is my first blog post about Antiques. A while back I asked readers to send pictures and ask questions about there antiques. I have one today to share with you.
This question is coming from Gina and her blog is: Victorian Want to be. Her question is about the item pictured here. She bought it an an auction and wants to know, it's age, what it is, and maybe who made it and of course, what is it worth.
Gina had thought that perhaps it was a perfume bottle. Well, that is not right. I am afraid a bottle this big would hold more perfume than the average person who want to pay for. Actually this is a cruet. It is what we all refer to as, " Cranberry Glass." Cranberry glass was made by many companies and in many countries. including America. It is a process that is done by adding gold(oxide) to molten glass. It is most often made in small batches, due to the cost of gold. The oxide is made by dissolving gold in metric acid and hydrochloric acid. The finished glass is a type of colloid - a solid(gold) dispersed into another solid (glass).
The most famous maker of Cranberry glass was the Moser Glass Company. The company based in the Czech Republic , previously Bohemia and Austria .Due to it's quality is has become one of the most collected glass in the 20 and 21 century. Often chosen by Royals for there palaces. The Moser glass is often decorated with Gold and tiny floral designs. This is how most people associate this type of glass to being Moser.
I believe you cruet could be Moser. It has the good cranberry color, gold decoration and quality. Now, they still produce this type cruet today. With out holding your piece in my hand, it might prove hard to say it really is Moser. The thickness of the glass and holding the piece to the side, you can see the gold cranberry color trapped inside the clear. If this is not possible, it is a fake and might be what they call ,"flash." Which means painted. Today there is a process to make cranberry glass with out adding the gold. The color is off , more dark pink and usually very thick. Your piece appears to be real.
Other companies copied the Moser look. England was a big maker of cranberry glass and they loved to decorate it as well. If yours is, indeed Moser, the value could be as much as $200.00. There is some times a signature. It is often hid in the design. Be sure and go over it with a fine tooth comb. You know a signature can add a lot to the value.Maybe making it worth $350.00
I would guess this piece was made in the late part of the 1900's. But as I mentioned before, could be newer, as they are still making pieces like this.
With out really seeing and holding it, I would guess in today's market, I would price it at $95 to $110.00 I hope this helped.
Bloggers, please send your pictures and questions. Remember to email me the pictures to www.cottrellprissy@aol.com. Until next time. Richard and Sissy
This question is coming from Gina and her blog is: Victorian Want to be. Her question is about the item pictured here. She bought it an an auction and wants to know, it's age, what it is, and maybe who made it and of course, what is it worth.
Gina had thought that perhaps it was a perfume bottle. Well, that is not right. I am afraid a bottle this big would hold more perfume than the average person who want to pay for. Actually this is a cruet. It is what we all refer to as, " Cranberry Glass." Cranberry glass was made by many companies and in many countries. including America. It is a process that is done by adding gold(oxide) to molten glass. It is most often made in small batches, due to the cost of gold. The oxide is made by dissolving gold in metric acid and hydrochloric acid. The finished glass is a type of colloid - a solid(gold) dispersed into another solid (glass).
The most famous maker of Cranberry glass was the Moser Glass Company. The company based in the Czech Republic , previously Bohemia and Austria .Due to it's quality is has become one of the most collected glass in the 20 and 21 century. Often chosen by Royals for there palaces. The Moser glass is often decorated with Gold and tiny floral designs. This is how most people associate this type of glass to being Moser.
I believe you cruet could be Moser. It has the good cranberry color, gold decoration and quality. Now, they still produce this type cruet today. With out holding your piece in my hand, it might prove hard to say it really is Moser. The thickness of the glass and holding the piece to the side, you can see the gold cranberry color trapped inside the clear. If this is not possible, it is a fake and might be what they call ,"flash." Which means painted. Today there is a process to make cranberry glass with out adding the gold. The color is off , more dark pink and usually very thick. Your piece appears to be real.
Other companies copied the Moser look. England was a big maker of cranberry glass and they loved to decorate it as well. If yours is, indeed Moser, the value could be as much as $200.00. There is some times a signature. It is often hid in the design. Be sure and go over it with a fine tooth comb. You know a signature can add a lot to the value.Maybe making it worth $350.00
I would guess this piece was made in the late part of the 1900's. But as I mentioned before, could be newer, as they are still making pieces like this.
With out really seeing and holding it, I would guess in today's market, I would price it at $95 to $110.00 I hope this helped.
Bloggers, please send your pictures and questions. Remember to email me the pictures to www.cottrellprissy@aol.com. Until next time. Richard and Sissy
Thursday, August 30, 2012
ANTIQUES.What is it? Questions and Answers.
Victorian is my favorite in the antique world. Queen Victoria went to the throne of England in 1831 and she reigned there till 1901. All these years were known as Victorian. I love all things Victorian and I have been studying them, buying them, selling the, writing about them, most of my adult life. I have piles of research books from that period. So I say, if you have questions about Victorian Antiques, bring them on. While Victorian is my first love ,it is far from the only area of which I can take questions. I will be glad to answer any ones questions about any period or style. China, glass, fine porcelain,furniture, lighting, textiles or what ever. If I do not know the answer, I'll do the research. Country or formal. I'll dealt with them all. I hope I find some interested followers. I hope you all have some fun questions to ask me and better yet I hope I can answer them. here is my email address. www.cottrellprissy@aol.com. Send your questions and photos right away. let's get this game a going.
You don't have to feel like you need to send me a picture. I was hoping I would get real questions and from people who really want to know. I will be glad for any and all.
For those of you who have been with me for awhile and know about,My Old Historic House. the little town I live in, Clarksville,Mo. has a new web site. It is really good and it features my house, so you might want to check it out. Here is the site address. www.clarksville-mo.com Then go to attractions. Also features my new antique mall, listed under antiques. Down Town Antique mall. If you have the time you will be glad you checked this out. Be sure and see all the views of my old historic house. In closing, just wanted to let you know that Sissy Dog is doing wonderful. She is the sweetest, loving, little beagle girl a person could have. She is with me at the store and all the customers love her too. She makes my life a whole lot better. A lot of you all had asked about her and she sends big wet doggy kisses your way.
Friday, July 27, 2012
The 1845 Historic Elgin/Cottrell House Museum
Located about 100 feet from the banks of the Mighty Mississippi River, in the Historic town of Clarksville,Missouri, the 1845 Historic Elgin/Cottrell House Museum, is open for tours ,anytime with reservations or during special events. Call Richard Cottrell, the owner, to arrange your tour.573 -242- 9688
Tours last around 1 hour and cost $5.00 a person. Baby strollers are not allowed.Clarksville is 70 miles from St.Louis,Missouri and 50 miles from Hannibal,Missouri.
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| This is the entrance to the Mississippi River Front Park, just across the street from my Antique Shop |
Clarksville was settled in 1815 and named after the famous American Explorer, of the Lewis and Clark team. It is one of the few towns left with it's main street on the river banks. Having survived many floods, it is a thriving town with many artist studios and antique shops. A great tourist destination, especially the 1845 Elgin/Cottrell House.
The Elgin family came to America on the Mayflower. They fought in the Revolutionary War with George Washington. They married into the John Adams family. They were given a Spanish Land Grant by President James Manroe ,in the territory of Missouri. Missouri became a state in 1821. That land was in the area of Clarksville,Missouri ,starting at the river, They built a trading post and dealt with the native Americans. Built the first road from Clarksville to St. Louis. Opened the first hotel in Clarksville and built a opera house. Hazakeah Elgin built the Elgin/Cottrell house, stating in 1845 with an 1860 addition. The house stayed in the Elgin family for over 100 years.
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| The grounds are done in the Ante Bellum style |
The house was bought by Richard Cottrell in the spring of 2006. Having no working utilities it was not livable. A massive 3 year restoration was done and in 2009 it was opened to the public for the first time. Tours have been offered ever since. The house is named for it's builder,Hazekiah Elgin, and it's savior,Richard Cottrell. Thus the, Elgin/Cottrell House. It is one of the oldest houses in Clarksville.
Reproduction wall paper, fabric and paint colors were used. Antique furniture and decorative accessories from the 1860 period fills the rooms of the museum. A large collection of formal oil portraits are on the walls. The house is very beautifully decorated and appointed.Most guest are amazed at the treasure inside and the decor. A lot of museum houses are rather bare, Not this house.
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| The Down River or Gentleman's Parlor |
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| Wall paper and ceiling details |
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| Some of the fine antique accessories you will see in the museum |
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| The windows are 9 foot tall, go all the way to the floor and all have a grand view of the Mississippi. |
The house has been featured twice, in the nation magazine, Victorian Homes. It was also features on PBS -TV,with a 30 minute program in February of 21012. Many local newspapers have covered the house as well.
The tours are given by the owner, a antiques dealer, art major and interior designer. there is no question he can not answer and he always throws in a little humor as well. Be sure and ask him who cleans the house and who the people are in the portraits. There are 12 rooms, all done to the Ante Bellum period. You can walk in the rooms, set on the furniture and touch things with permission. It is a very fun and unique experience.
I promise you you will enjoy the tour, so make plans to call for a reservation soon.
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| My Antique Mall 2 blocks from the house. |
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| Inside the mall where I have 7 dealers plus me for a nice mixture of antique and vintage items |
Richard also has an Antique Mall in downtown Clarksville. It is only 2 blocks from the house. It is a very unique shopping destination. Several dealers all add personality to the every changing inventory. 101 First Street. Open every day but Tuesdays. 10 to 5. The Downtown Antique mall. 573- 242-9688
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| The Up River or Ladies Parlor. Facing the river. |
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| The museum has one of the largest collection of formal oil portraits in Missouri. |
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| Beautiful Antique Accessories are every where. |
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| The Kitchen |
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| Hand Made Early Baskets |
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| Cow creamers and Staffordshire Dogs |
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| Early crockery in the kitchen |
The house can be rented for parties. Cottrell will make a beautiful setting for your next function. he uses all the fine china, crystal and silver from the butlers pantry, Fresh flowers make for a beautiful setting. Small groups can have brunch, lunch, dinner, or a desert buffet. You can even have a small, private and very beautiful wedding in the double parlor. Prices are figured on number of people and what you need. You can do the food or Cottrell will arrange for it. References upon request.
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| Dining room mantle |
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| Dining room wall paper and ceiling details |
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| Dining Room chandelier is 5 foot tall, French, and came from a palace in Turkey |
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| Bus tours are welcome, we have plenty of parking |
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| Tourist arriving at the 1845 Elgin/Cottrell House |
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| Tourist enjoying a tour and a piano player. |
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| This is Sissy, she will always greet you at the door with a jump and a kiss. |
Call for reservations. 573-242-9688
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