This introductory guide and valuation of the world's most legendary wristwatches includes more than 200 photographs that trace the trends of man's favorite toy - and his only socially acceptable piece of jewelry - for more than 100 years. The finely detailed photos reveal the beautiful and fascinating fashions in wristwatch style from 1879 to the modern era. From the prolific collection of renowned auctioneer and wristwatch expert Stefan Muser, the most legendary models from every era are described and pictured. Brands include Omega, Patek Philippe, Longines, Cartier, Rolex, Vacheron & Constantin, Ulysse Nardin, Orlys, Vulcain, IWC, and Movado. Values range from interesting and trouble-free entry-level wristwatches to exceptionally rare pieces for ambitious collectors.

This noteworthy and exceptionally comprehensive book features edged weapons dating from the Neolithic period to the early 20th century. These fascinating antiques come from all over the globe, including Europe, America, the Middle East, Asia, Japan, and Africa. Detailed descriptions and over 890 outstanding color photos help collectors identify and study the characteristics, historical uses, and current values of highly diverse swords and daggers. Among the items showcased are tribal, ceremonial, and presentation edged weapons, Indonesian krises, and Borneo "headhunter" swords. Valuable information is provided about rare artifacts, terminology, and evaluating age and authenticity of the weapons. Novice as well as advanced collectors will find this an indispensable reference.

Narrating Objects, Collecting Stories is a wide-ranging collection of essays exploring the stories that can be told by and about objects and those who choose to collect them. Examining objects and collecting in different historical, social and institutional contexts, an international, interdisciplinary group of authors consider the meanings and values with which objects are imputed and the processes and implications of collecting. This includes considering the entanglement of objects and collectors in webs of social relations, value and change, object biographies and the sometimes conflicting stories that things come to represent, and the strategies used to reconstruct and retell the narratives of objects. The book includes considerations of individual and groups of objects, such as domestic interiors, novelty tea-pots, Scottish stone monuments, African ironworking, a postcolonial painting and memorials to those killed on the roads in Australia. It also contains chapters dealing with particular collectors - including Charles Bell and Beatrix Potter - and representational techniques.

More than 570 Pairpoint lamps with their distinctive glass shades are shown in this and the companion volume that comprise the catalog. They represent a broad sample of the production of Pairpoint lamps from 1900 to the early 1930s. The most remarkable feature of the catalog is that so many of the pages are hand-colored with watercolors, having been painted by the original factory decorators. This practice occurred at the factory when orders for the lamps were slow.

This is the first book to address the collectibility of figural animal pitchers. For many years, ceramics manufacturers have made pitchers in the shapes of animals for the family table, some as part of a cream and sugar set, others created to serve water or juice. Hundreds of pitchers from around the world are shown here in over 200 color photos with descriptions that include measurements, colors, manufacturer, date made, and current market value. Over 30 different animal types are included, from the alligator to the yak, with interesting facts about each. The pitchers represent popular American manufacturers, including American Bisque, Blue Ridge, Brayton Laguna, Fitz & Floyd, Hull, Lenox, McCoy, Rio Hondo Potteries, Shawnee, Spaulding China's Royal Copley line, Stewart Ceramics, and Vallona Starr. Others are from Bavaria, China, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Occupied Japan, and Taiwan. Whatever your interest, there probably are animal pitchers to swell your collection. And collecting them need not be expensive, just pure fun to see how many you can find in your travels.

An analysis and study of Caroline script from 200 years of ecclesiastical and secular records reveals important historical detail relating to late Anglo-Saxon England. Caroline minuscule script was adopted in England in the mid-tenth century in imitation of Continental usage. A badge of ecclesiastical reform, it was practised in Benedictine scriptoria but was also taken up by members of the royal writing office; the chancery occupied an important place in the pioneering of calligraphic fashions. During its approximately two-century history in England, Caroline script developed a number of forms, in part reflecting different tendencies within the Reform-cause. The Rule of St Benedict was focal for this movement. In the aftermath of the final Scandinavian conquest of England [AD1016] a Canterbury master-scribe created the form ofCaroline writing which was to become a mark of Englishness and outlive the Norman Conquest. In the closing chapter its inventor's career is discussed and his achievement assessed. This volume offers analysis of manuscript evidenceas a basis for the cultural and ecclesiastical history of late Anglo-Saxon England. David N. Dumville is professor of History and Palaeography at the University of Aberdeen

Before the age of Pyrex*TM and plastic, attractive, utilitarian, enameled metal wares adorned kitchens and homes throughout Europe and America. Decorative and durable, enameled ware was made for almost every household purpose - brewing, storing, food preparation, cooking, serving, toting, pouring, and washing. This handsome book showcases, identifies, and explains the myriad of uses that enameled ware provided from the 1880s to the 1940s. Decorations abound - from plain and simple to bold geometrics and lively florals. Many of the most desirable patterns and designs, including the highly collectible End of the Day, Chrysolite, and the coveted cobalt blue pieces are featured here. Today, they provide charming vintage decoration to brighten interior and garden spaces alike. This book will be cherished by beginning collectors and seasoned decorators familiar with two previous books on the subject by the same author. The book includes over 475 color photos with identifying captions and values for the collector, dealer, decorator, and designer.

A wonderful collection of fine decoys and calls from the Great Lakes region, shown in over 1100 color photographs, along with original vintage black and white photos, extensive related literature, and a price guide. For centuries the massive watershed system of lakes and rivers in the Great Lakes region has beckoned hunters and fishermen to its teeming waters and forests. To aid them in their hunt they have produced a wealth of fowl and fish decoys and calls. Over the years these practical tools have come to be appreciated as beautiful examples of folk art. They now sit on display in museums and private collections around the country. Here is a great selection of these fine decoys and calls, accompanied by the stories of those who created and used them. The pieces illustrated range from the finest museum-quality artifacts to collectibles that are more likely to turn up at a local auction, garage sale, flea market, or antique mall. The seasoned collector will appreciate viewing quality pieces from private collections that are rarely available to the public. An extensive bibliography and appendix provide valuable sources for information, organizations, periodicals, and auction companies to add to one's collecting experience.

This fascinating book charts toy robot design of the last half of the 20th century and explores Japanese aesthetics in tinplate toys, especially robots. Over 200 photographs and original conceptual drawings illustrate this captivating history, from the wind-up walking mechanism of the "Diamond Planet Robot" to the sophisticated "Answer Game Machine," the first robot computer capable of doing mathematical problems. Tomy, Horikawa, Waco, and Sony are just a few of the manufacturers whose robotic designs are featured here. The captions provide much relevant information, including date, size, manufacturer, and current values. This important book is of compelling interest to historians, collectors, designers, and students of Japanese studies and popular culture in the golden age of toy production.

This is the preeminent reference on antique English knives, written by one of Great Britain's most respected 20th century authorities on weaponry. The text contains much previously unknown historical information about cutlers and their art. Chapters and over 300 color photographs and hand-drawn illustrations cover the earliest history of Sheffield, England, a directory of 19th century cutlers' names, and many groups and types of knives, from the most humble penknife to magnificent exhibition pieces. The history of the famous American designed Bowie knife, manufactured extensively in Sheffield, is explained and amply illustrated. Discussions present multi-bladed sportsmen's pocket knives, farrier's, smoker's, quill knives, curiosities, and actual knives presented to King George IV in 1821. These appear along with a veritable kaliedoscope of craftsmanship. Quoting from the author's Acknowledgements, "Sheffield's legacy is not just in the tangible dust-covered records or faded photographs rescued from destruction, but in the living art form of their craft that endures and remains the symbol of what was the centre of the cutlery world for well over a hundred years."

Colorful and informative, this in-depth pictorial review and price guide includes over 850 color photographs of cookery pamphlets and advertising memorabilia from the 1860s to the 1950s. Through the use of these materials, food companies achieved brand name exposure while providing consumers with new and exciting ways to use their products. Featured in the book are chapters on brand-name foods, wartime-era cookbooks, black memorabilia, highly collectible die-cut books, children's books, and more. In addition, the authors provide helpful suggestions for getting started with your own collection, identifying dates, and caring for these entertaining and delightfully illustrated collectibles. If you've overlooked advertising cookbooks in the past, you'll certainly take a closer look now!

This specialized portion of the fifth volume of The Glass Industry in Sandwich features four complete chapters on cut, engraved, and etched glass; an assortment of household and commercial ware; bottles; and a supplement to the seven previously published guides.

The Roseville Pottery Company began in Roseville, Ohio, in 1890, and produced art pottery decorative ceramics until 1954. Their original appeal has made Roseville pottery popular antiques today. With this guide, you learn the pattern name, date first made, and description with value range for thousands of different shapes of various sizes and glaze colors. The alphabetical organization and workbook format make record keeping easy for today's collectors and dealers.

Since the 1930s and up to the present, the Fenton Art Glass Company, of Williamstown, West Virginia, has produced beautiful glass baskets in a huge variety of styles, colors, and patterns. In these two new volumes, over 880 known varieties of Fenton baskets are each carefully described, with their individual ware numbers, color, size, decoration, date, and current value, and are individually shown in beautiful color photos. The patterns are presented alphabetically. This volume has the patterns from Acanthus to Hummingbird. A companion volume has the patterns Innovation to Wisteria and the numbered patterns. Information on the talented glass workers who made the baskets, handles, and pattern decorations are identified. Special markings are described, listed, and dated for easy identification. With these complete references now available, the identification of Fenton glass baskets is possible for the first time and collecting them will be a gratifying pleasure. These two books are published to coincide with the hundredth anniversary celebration of the Fenton Art Glass company in 2005.

The M4 carbine has become one of the defining military firearms of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Developed as a fusion of the XM177E2 Colt Commando and the M16A2 assault rifle, the M4 offered a more convenient battlefield firearm than the full-length M16 variants, and the US Army adopted it as the standard infantry weapon in the 1990s. Today, military and law-enforcement personnel of more than 60 countries have adopted either the M4 or the M4A1 variant, both of which have been tested and proven in major combat operations worldwide. This study describes the development process in detail, from production of the first XM4 prototypes in 1984 through numerous modified types until it emerged into official use as the M4 in 1994. The M4 offered a weapon that was 1lb lighter and 6in shorter than the standard M16A2, yet could still deliver precision semi-auto and full-auto firepower up to an effective range of 500m. Over time, its capabilities have been enhanced by the M4A1 modifications plus an extensive range of tactical accessories, including optical day/night sights, laser/infrared designators, under-barrel grenade launchers and shotgun modules, foregrips, furniture options, mounting rails, and sound suppressors. Numerous M4/M4A1 combat operations are investigated to reveal why the weapon has received such high levels of approval by front-line combat troops, not only in Afghanistan and Iraq, where the M4/M4A1 has been intensively combat-tested, but also in contexts such as Colombia, India, Israel, and the Philippines. Profusely illustrated with photographs and artworks, and drawing its research from the latest declassified documents, this is a complete guide to one of the most important and widely distributed tactical infantry weapons of the last quarter-century.

Chatty CathyTM and Her Talking Friends, an unauthorized history of Mattel talking dolls, documents the famous dolls that were the rage of the 1960s. When you pulled the string they talked! They're all here in this first book devoted entirely to talking dolls-Chatty Cathy, Chatty Baby, Beany Boy, Matty, and Barbie, to name just a few. Read along year by year as Sean Kettelkamp lets you see for yourself why these dolls were so popular. Over 240 color photographs illustrate the adorable dolls, their clothing, accessories, even the talking mechanisms. You'll have great fun looking back at the era of talking dolls. This comprehensive book includes a value guide, making it an indispensable addition to a doll collector's library.

Paramarine! is devoted to the Marines and Sailors of the Marine Corps parachute units of World War II. It explores in fascinating detail their unique, specially-designed uniforms, equipment, weapons and insignia. For the first time, over 500 photographs and images from World War II and modern collections have been assembled in one volume and combined with a wealth of facts and information about all aspects of Paramarine gear and training. Paramarine is the latest in Schiffer's series of studies on the airborne forces of World War II and is a must for historians and Marine Corps and Airborne collectors around the world.

The Art Deco era was one of beauty, elegance, sensuality, and vivid, colorful graphics! This is the first collectibles book on Art Deco graphics, with an emphasis on the everyday, affordable items. This book is a must for lovers, collectors, and dealers of Art Deco. A wide range of ephemera and other paper collectibles is presented, such as games, playing cards, advertising brochures, tins, packaging, labels, and fans. Recipe books, household and paint brochures, and fashion and book illustrations from different countries are included along with distinctive images from the cosmetic industry, travel literature, and automobile brochures. Information on American publishers of greeting cards, bridge tallies, place cards, and other items from the 1920s and 1930s is included, including The Buzza Company, The Gibson Art Company, and The Dennison Company. Their products and the work of international companies and artists are illustrated in 535 color photos. Price guidelines are included.

Dynamic and beautiful Art Deco ceramics blazing with eye-catching, bold--even confrontational--hand-painted designs on innovative vessel forms, produced by some of the most influential potteries in Britain during the 1920s and 1930s, are featured here in over 400 color photographs. Spectacular dinnerwares, vases, jugs, face masks, coffee and tea sets by Clarice Cliff, Susie Cooper, Beswick, Crown Devon, Myott, Royal Doulton, Shelley, and others appear in abundance. A thorough text provides brief histories of the makers, explanations of the origins and development of the Art Deco style, and valuable tips for today's enthusiastic collectors. Values for the wares displayed are given. This reference will be enjoyed by both art and ceramics enthusiasts the world over.

Attention all automotive and petroleum collectors: here is a new book focusing on the Continental Oil Company and its products. Conoco became well-established as an oil supplier during the era of the horse and buggy, and when the automobile craze began to sweep the country, Conoco was ready. It has been providing oil, automobile products, and assistance to travellers for one hundred and twenty years. With almost three hundred full-color pictures of filling stations, car products, promotional giveaways, and original advertisements, this book provides a fascinating glance at American history. It also contains detailed descriptions of Conoco motor oils, road maps, and `Touraide' travel programs, with tips on identifying and dating them. Each item pictured is described in detail, and a price guide is included.

The antique beaded bag is a most exquisite and sought-after vintage collectible. Over 600 detailed color photographs display hundreds of mostly European (French, Italian, Austrian, and Czechoslovakian) handbags, many never before published, including Miser, American Indian, embroidered, drawstring, framed, scenic, Bohemian, and cut steel, with information on care, history, and design techniques, and close-up photographs of the intricate beadwork. Detailed captions, a current value guide, a comprehensive bibliography, and an index guarantee this to be the ultimate collector's guide to vintage handbag fashion design.

Monsters of all shapes and sizes stalk the pages of this entertaining and informative "creature-feature." Over 600 color photos capture the incarnations of all the ghouls, mutants, and vampires that ever sent chills up your spine at the theater or in the den, from Alien r to Z-Ton r. Monstrous banks, board games, costumes, fiendish figures, model kits, and wind-ups are included! The collectibles covered in this book range from the early 1960s, when monster toys were first introduced, through the decade of the 1980s and touch upon the recent fare of the 1990s. Whether you prefer monsters from Hollywood or Japan, the silver screen or the small screen, there is something in this book for you. Prices for every item displayed are found in the captions, often with loose and mint-in-package prices.

Noted authority Steven J. Zaloga charts the development, combat use, and influence of man-portable air defense systems, from the late 1960s to the present day. The first attempts at developing a man-portable air defense system (MANPADS) based around a guided missile began in the mid-1950s, as a response to the increased speed and maneuverability of jet aircraft. This book charts the technological evolution of the MANPADS and explores their combat usage and the lessons from these encounters. Besides detailing the missiles, it also surveys the various methods developed as countermeasures to the MANPADS threat. The first generation of MANPADS, such as the US Army's Redeye and the Soviet Strela-2 (SA-7 Grail), saw combat use in the Vietnam War in 1972 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973. The next generation of infrared-guided MANPADS, such as the US Stinger and Soviet Igla, came to prominence following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Since the 1970s, MANPADS have been used in innumerable wars, border conflicts, civil wars and insurrections. Featuring specially commissioned artwork and carefully chosen photographs, this study tells the story of these lethally effective weapons, from their origins to their use today.

The Historicism movement in art (1830-1920) was perhaps the most democratic of all. European furniture makers sought to recapture the magic and affluence displayed in early, highly stylized and aristocratic pieces of the Gothic, Rococo, Renaissance, Baroque, and Classicism periods--but at a fraction of the cost. These artists brought a great deal to their reproductions, applying a contemporary practicality that resulted in pieces of crafty pomp, opulence, and exaggerated beauty that were priced to reach the growing bourgeoisie. Historicism furniture pieces are not only art history documents of the most diverse cultures and styles of the 19th century, but they are also individual collector's items, their value not determined by objectively derived pricing factors alone. To that end, this book enlists the help of an international jury of furniture experts, from renowned art auction houses and antique dealer companies and restorers, to appraise and price over 15,000 featured pieces. Historicism is directly related to the strengthened bourgeoisie, to wealth and the newly rich, as well as to the foundation of nations. With this social and economic background, the furniture of the 19th century can be better comprehended and appreciated.