1950s vintage clothing, from formal to classic, from party clothes and sports attire to underwear and sleepwear, is shown and described. Over 450 color photographs of American clothing for the whole family, adults and children. These styles hold a strong place in the Fifties Look that became popular around the world.

60 years of the UK's National Health Service and the NHS is treating more people than ever and the population is living longer, healthier lives. That's the good news. But what about the bad news? Most histories of medicine concentrate on 'who invented what' or on the lives of great medical figures. This history looks at the effect on medical science of politics, religion, money supply and social mores. Illustrated throughout by the very coins with which the the medical staff may have been paid this book is a reminder that medicine has never been free. Someone has to pay for it and in most developed countries that someone is, at least in part, the taxpayer. Are we getting value for money and would another system provide a better service? Having examined the history of State Medicine the book looks in depth at the problems facing the NHS and compares them with healthcare delivery in other developed nations from around the world. State medicine with all its warts! Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the NHS in a critical but balanced manner!

One Hundred Years of Valentines is a photographic essay. This book, a must for the collector or dealer, showcases over 450 valentine's cards from the late 1800s up until 1998. This comprehensive book includes: the Depression, dimensional, Art Deco, transportation, artist signed, honey comb paper puff, novelty, etc., along with an extensive glossary of valentine terms, the "Second Top 10 Most Asked Questions," and a Usage Guide. Valuable information helps collectors/dealers identify and evaluate their cards.

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.

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.

This volume in the Hagen-Renaker series of books continues where the first two left off, featuring models or colors not covered in the other books and catching up with more recently released figurines and a multitude of interesting pottery items in between. The chapters feature numerous horses, cats, dogs, other animals, Disney characters, and dealer special runs. The Albert Staehle Saturday Evening Post dog, Butch, has a special feature, as do some of the Zany Zoo critters and the popular Little Horribles. There are also many unique, rare treasures not commonly seen, and a section on imitations. Finally, the book features a tribute to several of the talented artists and craftspeople who were with Hagen-Renaker pottery since the early 1950s. Nearly 500 images fill this book, along with detailed, informative text and suggested prices to enhance the value of this reference.

Cowboy grandma is the true story of Wendy Ault, who dreamt of being a cowboy and found her passion for it at 65. This message of the story is that it is never too late to follow your dreams.

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

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 book is the first volume about Artillery Regiment 1 of the 1st Waffen-SS Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler (LAH). The artillery batteries of the LAH during the whole of World War II faced some of the hardest combat, and probably no other artillery unit was used as often at critical spots on all fronts. While it had only three batteries of light field howitzers during the French campaign, when the full artillery regiment was set up in August 1940, it later received heavier guns and 88mm flak. In April 1941, at Lake Kastoria in Macedonia during a tremendous artillery battle, the full regiment fired as a unit for the first time. During the battles on the Russian Front the regiment's artillery equipment was constantly upgraded. One of the artillery batteries was equipped from 1943 with Wespe and Hummel self-propelled guns and later with Nebelwerfer rocket launchers that gave the regiment its tremendous firepower. Especially during the difficult defensive battles in the winter of 1943-1944 in the Ukraine, every artillery piece - whether a heavy field howitzer, or 15cm rocket launcher - was often used at such close range that it was fired with barrels in a horizontal position. The battery was later attached to the reconnaissance unit in the vanguard of the LAH and experienced the hardest battles while using Panzermeyer tactics that required rapid marches and lightning fast deployment into firing positions. Nearly 300 photos, most never before published, document the bitter battles of the LAH artillery regiment.

Revealed here are children's and women's clothing, including undergarments, leisurewear, and street apparel from 1860 to 1900. Over 270 photographs combine with text to enable accurate dating of clothing to within a three- to seven-year time frame. Nineteenth century photographs are supplemented by surviving examples of period clothing, many picturing both the outside and inner construction. The text is based on Victorian fashion, medical, etiquette, and advice literature and reveals the often-surprising reasons females were willing to become such devoted slaves to dress, as well as the impact dress had upon their lives and health. This well-researched book also explores the constraints of childhood during this era, which lends valuable insight into women's acceptance of nonsensical fashions as adults. Endnotes are included.

Identifying Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Lighting. Do you own an old lamp? Would you like to learn its approximate age, value, and history? Antique Lamp Buyers Guide is the reference book used by professionals and collectors alike. Dealers and appraisers often carry this paperback with them to quickly identify antique and collectible late 19th century and early 20th century lighting. Now in its third edition, with updated prices and additional photography, this book is a must-have for any antique or decorative arts reference library. Beautiful photographs plus catalogue illustrations in an easy-to-read format, make

James L. Dundas provides his readers with a sweeping survey of the shooting toys that gladdened the hearts of children from near the turn of the twentieth century to the 1990s. Concentrating heavily on the decades from the 1920s to the 1960s, over 420 color photographs display a dazzling array of BB guns, cap shooters, marble shooters, squirt guns, and more. Reminding us all of the long car rides and rainy days of our youth, when shooting was impossible, are a selection of colorful key chain puzzles that round out the presentation. Included in the text is a brief history of the Daisy BB Gun--complete with a Daisy BB gun chronology, instructions for determining whether a BB gun is functional or broken, and valuable advice for dating shooting toys with patent numbers, area codes, and zip codes. Price ranges are also provided for the toys shown.

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.

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.

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.

Cats were illustrated in medieval manuscripts throughout the Middle Ages, often in exquisite detail and frequently accompanied by their natural prey, mice. Medieval cats were viewed as treasured pets, as fearsome mousers, as canny characters in fables, as associates of the Devil and as magical creatures. Featuring an array of fascinating illustrations from the British Library's rich medieval collection, Cats in Medieval Manuscripts includes anecdotes about cats - both real and imaginary - to provide a fascinating picture of the life of the cat and its relationship with humans in the medieval 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.

Gulf Oil Collectibles by Charles Whitworth covers over one hundred different categories of Gulf collectibles, containing over 500 different pictures in full color of everything from cans, signs, promotional items, and clothing, to toys and many other Gulf related items. If it's Gulf, its probably covered in this book. The values here have been established based on the author's years of collecting Gulf Oil memorabilia.

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.

This beautifully illustrated volume presents baskets woven from natural fibers over a long period of time and from diverse American, European and International cultures. Specialized baskets for work places, as architectural elements and for domestic and farm chores are shown in over 400 black and white and 31 color pictures. The text explores the origins of the plants which produce weavable fibres, localized preparation techniques, and a wide variety of weaving styles and forms. The extensive picture captions identify the use, origin, material and size of each basket and reflect the cultural styles. Detailed drawings of many weaves will enable craftsmen today to duplicate and experiment with a variety of materials and patterns.

Perfectly detailed miniature perfume bottles have always fascinated collectors. This book, packed with full-color pictures, is the first to document these miniatures. From the demure and delicate antique bottles of the last century, dramatic and striking Art Deco bottles of the 1920s, and graceful bottles of the World War II era, to today's variety, Glinda Bowman's book covers the range. The top makers are well-represented, including Lalique, Guerlain, Coty and Lentheric, with a special section of the popular bottle produced by Avon. Bowman has also compiled a fascinating history of perfume.

Volume 3 of this comprehensive, multi-volume work includes over 1100 brilliant color photographs of Staffordshire figures portraying animals and animal entertainment, dandies, death, and murder. Among the menagerie of animals presented are cats, dogs, and a host of wild animals and farm animals. There is also valuable information about the makers and design sources, along with a values guide. This impressive series catalogs the enormous range of enamel-painted figures made predominantly in the Staffordshire Potteries between 1780 and 1840. Many of these figures are hauntingly beautiful and have long been hidden from the public eye. Fashioned in an era before photography, they give us rare glimpses of a world that has vanished. To hold one is to touch the past.

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.

This book presents a unique selection of the most rare and collectible toy cars made in Japan and Hong Kong in the 1950s and 1960s. Three particular groups of toys are covered: the magnificent large-scale tinplate cars made for the American market; the smaller but equally sought-after Japanese diecasts by Model Pet, Micro Pet, and Cherryca Phenix; and plastic friction-drive cars made in Hong Kong. Some of the toys pictured are so scarce that they are believed to be among a mere handful that survive in mint condition with their original boxes. This book provides many fascinating new insights to the history of the companies that made and distributed the toys, using long-forgotten trade journals, rare catalogs, and interview with people who worked in the toy business at that time.