The caramel-coated popcorn treat Cracker Jacksr was first introduced in 1893 at the World's Columbian Exposition. Little did the 21 million people who got their first taste at the Fair know that the snack would soon sweep the nation. Beginning in 1912, a toy `surprise'was sealed inside each box of Cracker Jack. These toys soon became an important part of childhood for generations of sweet-teeth to come. This new book shows many of these toys, in almost tow hundred full-color group photographs. Since 1912, more than 16 billion toys have been distributed-including a pair of baseball card sets worth over a hundred thousand dollars, miniature toys, booklets made of paper or cardboard, handpainted wooden or porcelain trinkets, jumping frogs made of tin, even a complete model train...anything could be found inside that next box of Cracker Jack! Also included in this book are a general history of the Reuckheim company that produced Cracker Jack, a price guide, and a discussion of the many changing trends in Cracker Jack toy history.

American glassmaking became a popular industry in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when the population expanded and demanded pretty decorative goods to reflect their growing affluence. This new book presents over 500 pretty, American-made glass bells identified by their type of bell, producer, and period; and with descriptions that include their size, color, decoration or pattern, and range of values. Each bell is shown in beautiful color photography. Chapters focus on American art glass, cut glass, blown, pressed, and lampwork glass bells. Bell collectors, historians, museum curators, and glass lovers all will find this an important reference for their libraries.

Charlot Byj created her famous redheaded children and other figures as greeting card illustrations. In the mid 1940s her work caught the attention of the Goebel Company, the makers of Hummel figurines. At Goebel her characters took on three dimensions, and now they are sought by collectors around the world. The Redheads, the blonde series, and other Byj creations for Goebel are presented here, making this a comprehensive volume. Nearly every figure is shown in a beautiful color photograph. Current values are given with each photograph, and there is a history of values on the secondary market, beginning with 1957. A wealth of information is given to make this a truly valuable book for collectors of these delightful figures.

Vintage carved Bakelite jewelry, from the great style era of the 1930s and 1940s, remains a highly sought-after category of collectible interest worldwide. From ever-popular bangles and hinged bracelets, to pins, dress clips, buckles, pendants, and earrings, these little works of art are endlessly satisfying. The great carved pieces are hard to find, valuable, and much coveted. An eye-popping array of over 1,000 vintage jewelry items in carved Bakelite is explored. Organized to highlight their many patterns and brilliant colors, these little gems of fashion are displayed in over 300 detailed color photographs. This jewel box of a book honors the art and painstaking craft of carving Bakelite into fun and interesting personal adornments. Admire it, collect it, and enjoy it!

The 2017 winner of the Robert and Vineta Colby Scholarly Book Prize Providing a comprehensive, interdisciplinary examination of scholarship on nineteenth-century British periodicals, this volume surveys the current state of research and offers researchers an in-depth examination of contemporary methodologies. The impact of digital media and archives on the field informs all discussions of the print archive. Contributors illustrate their arguments with examples and contextualize their topics within broader areas of study, while also reflecting on how the study of periodicals may evolve in the future. The Handbook will serve as a valuable resource for scholars and students of nineteenth-century culture who are interested in issues of cultural formation, transformation, and transmission in a developing industrial and globalizing age, as well as those whose research focuses on the bibliographical and the micro case study. In addition to rendering a comprehensive review and critique of current research on nineteenth-century British periodicals, the Handbook suggests new avenues for research in the twenty-first century. "This volume's 30 chapters deal with practically every aspect of periodical research and with the specific topics and audiences the 19th-century periodical press addressed. It also covers matters such as digitization that did not exist or were in early development a generation ago. In addition to the essays, readers will find 50 illustrations, 54 pages of bibliography, and a chronology of the periodical press. This book gives seemingly endless insights into the ways periodicals and newspapers influenced and reflected 19th-century culture. It not only makes readers aware of problems involved in interpreting the history of the press but also offers suggestions for ways of untangling them and points the direction for future research. It will be a valuable resource for readers with interests in almost any aspect of 19th-century Britain. Summing Up: Highly recommended" - J. D. Vann, University of North Texas in CHOICE

This is the Revised Edition of the classic bible of American furniture. It presents a thorough analysis, through over 700 photographs and detailed text, of the various elements of design, decoration, craftsmanship, construction, and finish of early American furniture. Each type is shown and discussed with three examplesgood, better, bestand the relative merits and consequent value differentials of each are compared. It explains why superficially similar pieces of furniture of the same approximate age and scarcity, and possibly by the same maker, may vary considerably in desirability and worth. It is a unique, indispensible guide for today's students, collectors, dealers, and curators in judging and evaluating antiques. More than 100 types are discussed and 675 examples are illustrated, including some of the most notable pieces. The ultimate reference, as important today as when first written in 1950.

The name Rolex is recognized around the world. It has become an icon of beauty, quality, accuracy, style, and taste. While there are other fine manufacturers of timepieces, none has reached this pinnacle of public respect and acclaim. The watches produced by Rolex over the last 100 years are celebrated in this lavishly illustrated classic, now in a revised and expanded third edition. Over 30 newly discovered wristwatches are included in this volume, along with new information and a revised value guide. In addition there are detailed looks at some of Rolex's legendary movements. Dowling and Hess, both acknowledged Rolex authorities, have captured the watches' beauty in color photography and present the most thorough and extensive history written of the company. The watches and the extensive information this book offeres to collectors make it a truly useful volume, one that will be cherished by watch lovers around the world.

Every individual book has a history which can help us to understand what difference it may have made in the world. Within these pages you will find books damaged by bullets or graffiti, recovered from fire or water, or even disguised as completely different texts for protection in dangerous times. Marks of ownership - be it a rich treasure binding or a humble family inscription - shine a light on social history and literacy, while student doodles from the sixteenth century and a variety of pithy annotations give us a sense of readers through the ages. We increasingly recognise that the cultural and research value of books lies not just in their printed contents, but in the many other things they can tell us about the ways they have been used, read and regarded. Generously illustrated with examples from the early Middle Ages to the present day, Speaking Volumes presents a fascinating selection of books in both public and private collections whose individual histories tell surprising and illuminating stories, encouraging us to look at and appreciate books in new and non-traditional ways.

Out of a long and rich tradition of pottery making among the Pueblo Indians of the American Southwest there has grown a new and exciting form. In 1964, Helen Cordero of Cochiti created a clay image of her grandfather, Santiago Quintana, with five children clinging to him. With this piece the storyteller was born. Almost at once storytellers caught the attention of the public. Beginning at Cochiti and continuing in the other pueblos, the storyteller became a favorite form of pottery. Now the form is even beginning to be used by others outside of the pueblos. The storytellers have come to include not only male figures, but females, turtles, frogs, and coyotes. In this new book, the reader will find the most extensive collection of storytellers ever gathered in print. Over 400 pieces by nearly 150 artists are shown in full color, and organized by pueblo. In addition to storytellers, nativities and other figurative pottery are represented.

Humanity's hunt for calculating devices probably started with the use of small pebbles to keep track of numbers. The counting inventions progressed through the abacus, early mechanical calculators, and other ingenious devices culminating in today's computers. In this new book, Thomas Russo chronicles 600 years of caculating devices, providing valuable information for historians and collectors alike. Stretching from ancient times to the earliest computers, this book provides an insight into breadth and depth of human creativity and drive. With 500 color photographs, descriptive captions, and a guide to current values, this is an essential guide in a field that is finding ever more enthusiasts.

This is the absorbing story of the handguns credited to Nambu Kijiro, the principal personal-defence weapons of the Imperial forces. Featuring full-color artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this book charts the origins, development, combat use, and legacy of the Nambu pistols. Cutaway artwork reveals the inner workings of these important handguns, while specially commissioned battlescenes depict them in use in action. Influenced by the German C 96 and other semi-automatic pistols, the first Nambu model was never accepted for universal issue, being confined largely to purchase by Japanese officers. Adopted in 1925, the 14th Year Type was to become the best-known of these handguns, serving in every campaign undertaken by the Japanese in the 1930s and then throughout World War II. It served alongside the bizarrely conceived Type 94, intended as the weapon of airmen, tank crew, and anyone to whom its compact dimensions were useful. When World War II ended, thousands of Nambu pistols arrived in America with US veterans of World War II, while others were carried by insurgents and other armed groups across South East Asia for decades after 1945. Fully illustrated, this is the engrossing story of these distinctive pistols, from their origins to their legacy.

This book provides a review of the history behind colorful Depression glassware, descriptions of specific pieces along with their values, and information on how to collect and display Depression Glass. Illustrated with over 300 color photographs, individual chapters highlight premium giveaways, children's sets, unique pitchers and pitcher sets, butter dishes, serving pieces, the decorated Swanky Swigs, reproductions, and much more. Also included are a vocabulary list, updated values, a review of important glassware companies, and a bibliography. This book is an excellent guide for all lovers and collectors of Depression Glass.

Welcome to the exciting world of fast food collectibles! This comprehensive book presents a thorough and entertaining guide to the multitude of kid's meal premiums distributed by fourteen quick service restaurants (other than McDonald's) from January 1990 through late 1998. This colorful assortment of restaurants includes Jack in the Box, KFC, K-Mart, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut, Roy Rogers, Sonic, Subway, Taco Bell, Target, Wal-Mart, Wendy's, Whataburger, and White Castle. Starting with the beginning of the fast food toy explosion, this definitive volume identifies, describes, and lists prices for over 570 kid's meal promotions from the 1990s. More than 550 full color photos document this awesome array of premiums dating from this decade alone. Many of the toys depict colorful characters from such popular companies as Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, Hanna Barbera, Inc., Viacom International, Hasbro, Inc., Twentieth Century Fox Universal City Studios, Inc., DC Comics, Mars, Inc., The Coca-Cola Company, and more. The informative text includes a brief history of each corporation and their cast of characters, plus check-off boxes to help you organize your expansive collection. Additionally, the authors have provided a numbering system that identifies every item in the book.

Learn when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em with Card Night, a collection of 52 classic card games, including rules and strategies. Featuring step-by-step, illustrated instructions, and two indexes that organize each game by difficulty and number of players needed, Card Night includes directions for playing all the most popular card games, including Hearts and Bridge, Rummy and Go Fish. In addition to providing the rules of standard game play, Card Night also details the fascinating stories and peculiarities behind some of the world's most famous card decks, some of which were used as currency, tools for propaganda, and even as a means for sending coded messages. Offering one game for each week of the year, Card Night is the go-to companion for weekly game nights, long car rides, and rainy days spent at home. Wow your friends and family with your game playing prowess and keep them entertained with fascinating details from playing card history.

This is the first comprehensive catalog and price guide covering all four ranges of miniature toy vehicles produced by Barclay Manufacturing Company, Inc. (New Jersey) from 1932 to 1971. It covers nearly 2,000 variations of these toys along with a history of the company, the manufacturing process, detailed identification grids and explanations, rarity notations, pricing ranges, a biography, and over 650 color photos. Barclay began producing miniature transports and trains in the early 1930s and added trucks and cars in the 1950s. All four ranges were produced until the company closed in 1971. The toys were colorful, well-designed, inexpensive, and popular throughout the period they were produced. The appendix includes pictures of related toys. Since most of these toys do not identify the manufacturer and many variations are rare, the book is indispensable for anyone interested in collectable toys.

Nearly 900 beautiful color photographs display End of Day antique glass marbles produced, by glass artists after hours to prove their skill, during handmade marble's "Golden Age," from the mid-1880s through c. 1918. End of Day Cloud, English style, Joseph's Coat, and Onionskin marbles are presented in abundance. Among them are Paneled, Ribbon, Lobed, Shrunken Core, Mist, Submarine, and End of Cane examples, some featuring aventurine, lutz, or mica. As a bonus, examples of antique glass handmade marble Clearies, Lightning Strikes, Micas, Mosaics and Millefioris, Opaques and Semi Opaques, Paperweights, Patches, and Slags are also displayed. Rounding out this valuable resource are a glossary, bibliography, index, and tables providing current market values.