In this book, a follow-up to the same author's well-received study of British web equipment, Martin Brayley gives a detailed illustrated overview of the webbing straps, holsters, carriers and haversacks used by American combat troops from before World War One to the Vietnam War. Hundreds of different items are photographed, and the often small differences between suppliers and periods are pointed in the learned and informative text. This book offers collectors and students of militaria a detailed and authoritative review of the development of the US Army's web equipment. It tells the story from the first M1910 set taken to France by the 'Doughboys' of World War One to the M1956 and its M1967 replacement worn by the 'grunts' in Vietnam. Superbly illustrated with more than 100 full-colour photographs. Martin Brayley is a prolific collector of military equipment and is a photographer by profession.

Meet an electric mouse and 149 of its closest friends in the volume that introduces you to the world of Pokemon collecting! Hundreds of beautiful color photographs display the hottest Pokemon collectibles produced for the American market today. Topping the list are the cards and characters from the immensely popular Trading Card Game, followed by comics, figures, toys, and electronic games sure to excite every collector.Also included in the text are brief histories of Pokemons development in Japan and successful export to America in 1998, and of the rise of trading card games in the 1990s. As a bonus, this book explains Pokemon basics to anyone who cant figure out what all the excitement is about! Values are given for the items displayed and listed in the text.

Amid the turmoil of the 1960s, the 1964-65 NY World's Fair was a welcomed break that gave a glimpse into the upcoming high-tech age. It was here that visitors would see such things as touch tone phones, picturephones, animatronics & computers for the first time. During the Fair's 2-year run, thousands of souvenirs were sold, and free brochures and pins were given to fairgoers. Today, these items are highly sought after by collectors and those who want to relive their days at the fair. Over 600 color photos along with a price guide illustrate the huge array of collectibles from this fair. Shown also are rare items used in the everyday operations by the employees who worked there.

Time in a bottle; this is a collection that explores the unlocking of history through the identification of its unique seals, using crests and coats-of-arms as the 'keys' towards identifying the original owner. This three-volume collection examines the evolution of the sealed bottle from the 1640s to the late 1800s and provides a detailed description to accompany each entry, supported by numerous photographs, including the number of examples known, their condition, and the collections where the bottles and detached seals are held. The laying down of wine to improve its quality and longevity related to the social history of the day, the design of the bottles, their evolution and manufacture, are a reflection of the individuals who ordered and used the bottles at home or in the private gentlemen's clubs, much influenced by the historic events of the 17th through to the 20th centuries. Wine consumption has a place in cultural history; these collected bottles existed at times of incredible upheaval and social change. From the early colonial settlements of the New World, into the slave markets of Richmond, VA, New Orleans, Charleston, SC, and Philadelphia, and with the plantation owners who amassed vast wealth and prestige as a result of this trade. In the taverns and coffee houses of London, alongside the bear baiting and cock fighting to be found across the River Thames in Southwark, in the cellars of the Oxford colleges and Inns of Court, these sealed bottles give much information on the early drinking habits of the aspiring and upwardly mobile, and the established aristocracy.

Covering the tabletop battery radios built by Zenith, the Chicago-based manufacturer, each radio is described in detail. Included are comprehensive functional descriptions on each set's operation, which uses color-coded diagrams to aid in describing the circuits. Over 400 color photos and over 200 diagrams illustrate the thorough text. Each radio section includes a Quick Reference Guide. Previously unpublished information related to these radios is included for the first time. The restoration section covers the reproduction of vital replacement parts (pointers, pulleys, etc.) that typically need replacing, the repair of other parts (variable capacitor, transformers, etc.), appropriate modifications (battery adapter, etc.), and testing in order to get that early radio working. The techniques presented can be applied to the restoration of any 1920s radio. Also included are instructions on reproducing any battery ( A, B, or C ) in radios built in the 1920s. This is an indispensable reference guide to early Zenith radios."

Including 183 color and black-and-white images of vintage photos and packaging, plus values for American firecracker collectibles, this is the first book to focus on US firecrackers. Many pyrobilia guides cover Chinese firecrackers, but the US's history is just as colorful, from fireworks' inception into American celebrations as a replacement for dangerous celebratory gun and cannon fire, until the final federal ban with the Child Protection Act of 1966. Fireworks made the 4th of July the best holiday ever, for generations of boys especially. Beginning with a brief history of the firecracker and how it came to America, the book details the types the US produced-a wide array, from Cherry Bombs and Silver Salutes to Ash Cans and Torpedoes. Also covered are how the US Industrial Revolution impacted fireworks, as well as the innovations throughout the American industry, from its successes to the factory disasters.

Gorgeous color images document a national treasure -- Bandelier National Monument. This amazing site has drawn archeologists for over a century, in search of the history behind the mysteriously deserted cliff dwellings of a once thriving community. This book is the next best thing to an actual visit to the ancestral homes in Frijoles Canyon near Los Alamos, New Mexico, and the perfect souvenir for anyone fortunate enough to have made the journey. The fabulous photographs depict sights that are distinctly Bandelier: amazingly preserved cliff dwellings, uncovered archeological treasure, and abundant natural beauty amidst unique volcanic formations. A researched history of the site sheds light on this unique treasure.

A comprehensive look at striking furniture of the nineteenth century Biedermeier era in Austria and Germany. This handsome book features more than 600 authentic Biedermeier pieces, including cabinets, bureaus, wardrobes, secretaries, sofas, chairs, and tables. The authoritative authors provide extensive information on shapes, materials, ornamental features, and regional aspects of this popular furniture. The text covers evaluation and pricing, market trends, and tips on buying, caring for, and proper restoration of Biedermeier pieces. An illustrated glossary and current values are also included in this elegant reference.

The classic car market is in better shape than ever, remaining buoyant throughout the ups and downs of the motoring industry. Life in the slow lane promises to bring back the joy of driving and can appeal to the head as well as the heart in becoming a financially attractive hobby. Despite the popularity of classic cars, no definitive guide exists for the 'classic car virgin'. Going Classic seeks to fill this gap by answering all the questions a first timer may have before taking the plunge. It covers buying, selling, driving, maintenance, equipment, insurance, safety and competing in classic motorsport, and comes complete with a 'Hot 100' list of the top classics to buy and why.

Take a tour of nearly 150 dollhouses from Europe and America in this beautifully illustrated book. The houses and their furnishings are shown in over 700 color photographs provided with the help of nearly twenty individual collectors. Most of the houses are pictured fully furnished, complete with accessories. The houses range in size from one-room Converse models to very large handmade houses, and many are also shown with the dolls that lived inside. You'll enjoy several hundred pieces of furniture, all dating from the 1880s to the 1980s. Companies whose products are pictured include Arcade, Bliss, Christian Hacker, Converse, Schoenhut, Strombecker, Tootsietoy, Gottschalk, Deluxe Game Corp., Lines, Tri-Ang, Renwal, Ideal, Plasco, Marx, Reliable and others. Background information on over sixty-five companies is also provided. A must-have for anyone interested in dollhouses and their furnishings, this charming and informative book also includes prices with the captions.

Displayed in 900 beautiful color images are the Fenton Art Glass special order items produced from 1980 to today, ranging from baskets and chop plates to rose bowls and vases. These dazzling, much-coveted items were made-to-order for various companies, collectors' clubs, and individual customers. The company orders from Aladdin, Anheuser-Busch, Lenox, and QVC are featured. The text includes brief histories of the ordering companies, clubs, and individuals, Fenton logos used, a glossary of terms, a detailed bibliography, and values in the captions. For those who seek Fenton's popular glass, this book is an essential reference.

A heavily illustrated classic on the evolution of the handloom. The handloom-often no more than a bundle of sticks and a few lengths of cordage-has been known to almost all cultures for thousands of years. Eric Broudy places the wide variety of handlooms in their historical context. What influenced their development? How did they travel from one geographic area to another? Were they invented independently by different cultures? How have modern cultures improved on ancient weaving skills and methods? Broudy shows how virtually every culture has woven on handlooms. He highlights the incredible technical achievement of early cultures that created magnificent textiles with the crudest of tools and demonstrates that modern technology has done nothing to surpass their skill or inventiveness.

222 different glass perfume bottles, 81 peg stoppers, and 91 various jars made 1910 to 1925 by Diamond Glass shown in clear drawings. Includes glass mould numbers, sizes available, weight per gross, and estimated prices without lables. Original labels on bottles will bring considerably more.

Here, for the first time, is a complete guide to all the wonderful transistor radios produced by the Zenith Radio Corporation during the "Magic Years," when transistor radio design was constantly being improved. This comprehensive book includes a complete listing of all transistor radio models created by Zenith from 1955 through 1965. Outstanding color photos from original Zenith sales sheets as well as information on each model are presented in a year by year order of production. Never before published photographs, documents, and original drawings from the Zenith archives, as well as a large collection of original Zenith advertising, fill the pages. A large, full-color photo section with price guide rounds out the book and will help readers easily identify each Zenith transistor radio from those "Magic Years."

By the second half of the 1920s, old-fashioned Victorian morals had gone the way of starched collars and cruel corsets and a "no holds barred" attitude reigned in their place. "The Party of the Century" had begun in earnest and fashions responded by climbing to the knees! Using a combination of vintage images, professional photographs of existing garments, and period artists' illustrations, this comprehensive book presents a dazzling look at fashions from 1925 through 1929. Fashions for men, women, and children are featured, including evening andday wear, coats and jackets, lounge and resort wear, sports fashions, and lingerie. Whenever possible, styles are shown with their appropriate accessories, such as hats, shoes, purses, fans, parasols, and more. Fascinating timelines place the fashions in their proper settings describing each year's film, music, literary, and couture trends. Among the book's many highlights are rare French pochoir fashion plates and photos of an original haute couture Chanel evening gown. This in-depth look at one of our most exciting decades will appeal to fashion enthusiasts and history buffs alike. A companion volume covers the years 1920 to 1924.

The volume gathers together seventeen articles dedicated to the monetary history of medieval Italy, most of them newly translated into English. The articles in the first section of the volume trace the development of monetisation in Italy from the Lombard period until the rise of the communes, taking Rome, Lazio, Tuscany, and several cities and regions in north-central Italy as case studies. The articles in the second section analyse different aspects of monetary production and circulation in Byzantine Italy, while the third gathers together studies on various aspects of Carolingian coinage: the transition from the Lombard system and the problem of furnishing an adequate supply of silver; mints and royal administration; and the activity and inactivity of mints operating at the edges of the Regnum Italiae. All of the articles share the author's characteristic concern with setting the evidence from written sources against the wealth of new data emerging from recent archaeological research.

"Understanding Jewellery is a love letter to glorious pieces from the last hundred years." -M. J. Rose, The Adventurine "An enjoyably scholarly romp through the past and a feast for the eyes for the novice and the consummate jewelry fan and collector."-Beth Bernstein, Forbes "A must-have coffee table book for jewellery aficionados..." -Elisa Vallata, Departures International "As with stocks, education is the way to begin. There are many excellent books on the jewelry market, but start with Understanding Jewellery, the industry bible by two former Sotheby's jewelry executives, David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti." -Bloomberg Understanding Jewellery, by authors David Bennett and Daniela Mascetti, is often described as the must-have jewellery book of our time - a 'Bible' in the jewellery trade. First published in 1989, it has remained in print ever since, amassing a loyal following of devotees who admire its detailed information and stunning imagery. In this new work, Bennett and Mascetti have taken the original concept of Understanding Jewellery a stage further. Now, with the benefit of 20 years of hindsight, they have concentrated on the 20th century alone by conducting a detailed survey of each decade, identifying the key players, trends and movements. The book is an encyclopedic history of the various forms, techniques and materials employed by the companies and individuals who defined jewellery in the 20th century. Most significantly, this book includes a new set of photographs, which make Understanding Jewellery: The Twentieth Century one of the most dazzling, absorbing and varied collections of jewellery images ever assembled in a book. This large format hardback volume is a perfect gift for all lovers of jewellery and the definitive guide for those who desire a deeper understanding of the subject.

A fascinating record of how London and Londoners were shaped by nearly 700 years of public executions. More frequent in London than in any other city or town in Britain, these morbid spectacles often attracted tens of thousands of onlookers at locations across the capital and were a major part of Londoners' lives for centuries. From Smithfield to Kennington, Tyburn to Newgate Prison, public executions became embedded in London's landscape and people's lives. Even today, hints of this dark chapter in London's history can still be seen across the city. Featuring the lives and legacies of those who died or who witnessed public executions first hand from 1196 to 1868, this book tells the rarely told and often tragic human stories behind these events. It includes a range of fascinating objects, paintings and documents, many from the Museum of London's collections, such as the vest said to have been worn by King Charles I when he was executed, portraits of 'celebrity criminals', and last letters of the condemned. From the sites of execution to the thriving 'gallows' economy, the book reveals the role that Londoners played as both spectators and participants in this most public demonstration of state power over the life and death of its citizens.

This is the first collectibles book that provides images and information about a wide range of elephant collectibles. This compendium has over 900 color images in over 130 categories including: Figurines, Incense Burners, Ashtray, Bookends, Lighters and Paintings. Written by a self-described obsessed elephant collector, virtually every major manufacturer and artist, past and recent, has one or more representative pieces here, including: Aronson, Bayre, Bratsoff, Goebel, Lladro, Loetz, Meissen, Nast, Neiman, Passman, Ronson, Royal Doulton, Royal Haeger, Shawnee, Swarovski, Vanderveen, Wedgewood, and many, many more. In addition, relatively unknown works and one-of-a kind elephants are presented. The breadth is amazing! For elephant collectors this is a book like no other, beautifully illustrated and comprehensive enough to satisfy the most avid pachyderm lover.

Tour this winter playground rich in history and tropical allure. The resort city's amenities are illustrated in beautiful, hand-tinted picture postcards that date to the early 1900s. The city's history unfolds with images of the Sunken Gardens, home to hundreds of tropical plant species; the Coliseum, considered the finest ballroom in the South, and the luxurious Vinoy Park Hotel. Join the hordes as they relax on Central Avenue's famous green benches, eye the yachts along the waterfront, or feed pelicans at the pier. You'll even get a glimpse at the Sunshine City's famous Open Air Post Office, where many of the 340 vintage postcards started their journey to the 21st century.

Steeped in traditions and memories, holiday textiles have long been a part of the magical fabric of Christmas. Grandma's festive tablecloth or Mom's holiday apron are vivid reminders. Greeting cards in a special Santa Claus mailbag, or presents on a felt-trimmed tree skirt can bring glowing holiday memories flooding back. Illustrated with over 440 festive color photos, this book captures the beauty, charm, and whimsy of a wide-range of Christmas textiles, both mass-produced and handmade, from the 1920s to 1970s. Included are handkerchiefs, tablecloths, tree skirts, tea towels, table runners, and aprons. Some packaging is shown and values for each item are provided in the captions. If you love Christmas fabrics, as well as poinsettias, Santa Claus, candles, and Christmas trees, this book is for you!

The discovery of silver cannot be pinpointed; humans have mined it far back into antiquity. Our fascination with this malleable metal and the beautiful works of art that can be shaped from it continues to this day. This book brings together two expansive collections of silver objects, the 'Lion' collection and the 'Hamme' collection. The 'Lion' collection provides a broad overview of beautiful silver objects made by a great variety of British contemporary silversmiths. It is divided between holloware, caddy spoons and napkin rings. Part of the collection revolves around the theme of lions, because the lion image bears a resemblance to the collector's family history. The Hamme collection is a spectacular array of 'hero' pieces and commissions that demonstrate some of the best of each silversmith's work. With more than 500 images, Contemporary British Silver Designers shares some of the finest work crafted by 21st-century silversmiths. Interviews with numerous modern silversmiths - Jane Short, Kevin Grey, Miriam Hanid, Nan Nan Liu, Phil Jordan, Ray Walton, Rod Kelly, Tamar de Vries Winter, Wayne Meeten, Yusuke Yamamoto, Zoe Watts, Fred Rich, Michael Lloyd and Wally Gilbert - offer insight into the silversmiths' process and inspirations. Brief biographies are also included on numerous other silversmiths whose work is featured in this book: Phil Barnes, James Dougall, Ryan McClean, Stuart Jenkins, Martin Baker, Martin Keane, Sarah Wilson, Don Porritt, Martyn Pugh, Maureen Edgar, Alistair McCallum, Colette Bishop, Adi Toch, Malcolm Appleby, Adrian Hope, Jen Ricketts, Cara Murphy, Graham Stewart, , Kathryn Hinton, Brett Payne, Clive Burr, Rauni Higson, Angus McFadyen, Kyosun Jung, Karina Gill, Stella Campion, Angela Cork, Abigail Brown, Jessica Jue, Ndidi Ekubia, Elizabeth Auriol Peers and Katie Watson, among others.

Time is a great mystery. A changeable element, which expands or vanishes, but that appears concrete as it is marked by the passing of seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years. The path toward the capture of minutes and seconds coincided with the phases of scientific evolution that allowed man to manufacture watches that are increasingly reliable, but that are also in tune with changes in customs, social needs, and aesthetic canons. This book covers the art of watch manufactory as well as 60 great models, covering both their technical evolution and style trends. In each chapter in-depth studies will guide the reader to the history of the most important manufacturers, the personalities linked to the models treated, technical innovations, styles of the period, or records achieved by the wristwatches: from the watch that helped Charles Lindbergh during the first transatlantic solo flight, to the one worn by Sir Edmund Hillary on the top of Mount Everest, the most iconic models will be discussed in detail.