This book is a thorough treatment of the evolution of the United States Marine Corps's principal distinguishing insignia, and covers from 1804 through World War I. The large inventory offers an objective basis for the identification, classification, and dating of over 300 emblems. The reader will find answers to questions about individual emblems such as: What is it, and what was its function? What is most significant, including its historical context? When was it used and discontinued, and if possible to answer, who manufactured it? Also included are answers to the most important question:What are the sources supporting these interpretations? A comprehensive guide is needed for the identification of US Marine Corps emblems, especially considering the serious proliferation of fakes and reproductions. This is a valuable tool for one of the fastest growing military collectibles in the world.

Corning's PYREX (R) glassware was created in the early 1900s to meet the needs of the expanding American railroad system, but American housewives' love of this recognizable, useful, and popular glass grew from the vast assortment of kitchen glass that followed. PYREX (R) brand kitchen glass was the first product that allowed one to prepare, cook, and store in the same piece, and as the twentieth century progressed, PYREX (R) options increased and color was added. You can usually tell what year a person got married by the color of the PYREX (R) in the kitchen cabinet! This expanded edition explores those colors along with the clear ovenware, Flameware, laboratory glass and now for the first time, restaurantware. There are more than 150 additional color photographs, advertisements, and catalog pages proving once again that this is the most inclusive and necessary book in print on this subject of PYREX (R).

'Loving Lebus' encapsulates the changing styles of furniture over time. With comprehensive notes placing Lebus furniture in context the author has selected the best of the firm's advertisements, catalogue images, photographs and Lebus furniture pieces today. Antique and vintage - Lebus furniture is enjoying a resurgence. We are once again, 'Loving Lebus'. Paul has nurtured a passion for all things Lebus. His first book 'Harris Lebus: A Romance with the Furniture Trade' went behind the scenes to look into how Lebus furniture was made. Now the Lebus story is complete - 'Loving Lebus: Looking into Harris Lebus Furniture' is another labour of love.

In every movie, every television show, every novel of wartime intrigue, one phrase stands out as typically German: "Show me your papers." The German Wehrmacht ran on paperwork, evidenced by the complicated maze of interrelated forms necessary for troops to move either on leave or for official business from one end of the Third Reich to another. This work, a unique and thorough compendium of original paperwork carried by the soldiers themselves, documents the forms required for German soldiers to travel, go home on leave, or visit the spoils of occupation. A methodically detailed collection that parallels the meticulous nature of the era that produced it, this work is the most thorough collection of original travel ephemera from Nazi Germany assembled to date, one that any collector would be proud to add to his or her collection.

The Salem Witch trials were one of the darkest chapters in American history. With absorbing historical narrative and 300 photographs, Pamela E. Apkarian-Russell recounts three hundred years of a city's past, from the trials themselves through the 1890s, when Daniel Low produced the first souvenir spoon, to years of memorabilia and collectibles. The historic sites in Salem are documented through their many changes. These tourist meccas are visited by tens of thousands of people each year, whose purchases have helped to create a photo album of printed images and a treasure trove of silver and china souvenirs showing both witches and the historic sites. Separate chapters in this book illustrate the witchcraft theme as depicted on jewelry, silverware, cups and saucers, assorted chinaware, bottled goods, and a host of other interesting items.

Although there have been, and continue to be, many books written on a wide variety of aspects of the First World War, this work not only approaches the history of the war from a unique perspective, but also comprehensively covers many of these aspects. Utilizing cards from the extensive, remarkably detailed and mostly contemporaneous issues of cigarette and trade card sets related to the First World War, the author provides a richly illustrated and descriptive tapestry of this great conflict. Not only are the usual political and armed services aspects of the war covered in detail, but also the many other less covered parts receive attention. These latter include regal aspects, and other components of the military such as armamentarium, awards, uniforms and militaria. Then the important role that propaganda played is also covered. The social and literary aspects of the war form an important part of the book. All these written details, a significant amount of which is drawn from the descriptions on the cards, complement the hundreds of card illustrations found throughout the work.

It was the 1950s in postwar America, and paperback books were the hot new product in the publishing industry. Of course, to stand out from the crowd and sell, one needed a gimmick. Into this newly exuberant market came a publishing house named Ace Books, with the seductive promise of two books for the price of one. It also had the eye-catching premise of two separate covers, joined at the spine like Siamese twins. Finished with one book? Flip the paperback over and begin again with a new novel, complete with its own package. It was something completely different -- and it sold! "Double Trouble" tours the short yet popular era of the Ace Mystery Doubles, and includes both author-title and title indexes for easy reference.

It was the 1950s in postwar America, and paperback books were the hot new product in the publishing industry. Of course, to stand out from the crowd and sell, one needed a gimmick. Into this newly exuberant market came a publishing house named Ace Books, with the seductive promise of two books for the price of one. It also had the eye-catching premise of two separate covers, joined at the spine like Siamese twins. Finished with one book? Flip the paperback over and begin again with a new novel, complete with its own package. It was something completely different -- and it sold! "Double Trouble" tours the short yet popular era of the Ace Mystery Doubles, and includes both author-title and title indexes for easy reference.

Barkcloth was the textile of choice for window treatments, upholstery, and other household textiles of the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. This book explores barkcloth's enduring appeal in almost 300 full-color images, demonstrating its scintillating combination of pattern, texture, and color. Lovers of vintage textiles and retro-design will relish this exploration. These vintage beauties are organized by florals, tropicals, leaves, abstracts, novelty, and conversational prints. Information about dating and identifying fabrics and manufacturers, along with tips on buying, restoring, and using these ever-popular fabrics, are invaluable for any collector or dealer.

Styrene novelties were the toy of choice during the late thirties and forties in the United States. Even World War II did not dampen the American public's love affair with these inexpensive colorful objects. The war ended but the romance continued, with all sorts of styrene plastics--candy containers, banks, party favors, holiday decorations, baby toys, stocking stuffers, partyware, and kitchen decorations. The list marches on. This fun book is about those plastic novelties that flourished at the end of the Art Deco era. Charlene Pinkerton gives collectors and dealers plenty to see, in a photo-packed book of more than 600 color prints, a price guide, and enough information on these wonderful collectibles to satisfy everyone!

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.

This one-of-a-kind book describes some 1400 different glass cutters collected from around the world by the author during the past 35 years. A brief history of flat window glass describes its manufacture, application, taxation, etc. from the time of the Romans, through France and England to the United States. The early use of flint tools and grozing yrnes for cutting and shaping the glass is noted. These tools were used for shaping the stained glass in the early cathedrals. Five hundred U.S. glass cutter patents and 28 U.S. glass cutter design patents beginning in 1860 through 2009 are listed by date, inventor, and title. A list of corporate, product line, distributor, etc. names are also described further as being in one or more of the 23 "Style Categories" the author has set up that show pictures of 600 cutters and detailed descriptions of all 1400 different glass cutters. An extensive bibliography is included.

Everyone loves the movies, and the movie posters in this book provide a colorful visual history of the movies, from the early silent days to the big blockbusters of recent years. The evolution of the dream factory is charted through spectacular graphics used by individual studios to advertise their movies. Posters, like the films they represent, demonstrate stylistic developments, in response to changing social and political conditions, throughout the 20th century. The glamour, pathos and sheer drama of Hollywood through the decades is colorfully brought to life in over 400 illustrations of rare and collectible movie posters. This book provides an entertaining appreciation of the evolution of Hollywood and cinematic poster art, as well as a guide to the value of this advertising material. This collectors guide enables instant understanding and identification in one volume. Essential to the novice buyer and an invaluable visual reference for experienced collectors, this book is a celebration of Hollywood.

Includes overlay and suspension lamps, lanterns, smoke shades and bells, and gas and electric lighting devices.

Gold has always inspired great fascination among mankind as proven by the golden treasures of ancient Egypt and the Inca Empire. This lavishly illustrated work begins with a cultural outline of the sacred and worldly significance of gold. It features the history of gold crafting and demonstrates the most important techniques of gilding. The technical details of the gilder's art are shown in hundreds of detailed studio photographs. Gilded objects include antique-inspired mirror frames and a multitude of modern objects. This book introduces the practical use of costly gold materials and opens one's eyes to the significance of gilded objects, past and present. It welcomes artists to explore gilding as a technique and invites everyone to appreciate the mysteries of gold.

Sit back, light up, and enjoy. Newly in vogue, people are rediscovering a relaxing pastime enjoyed for centuries. This book is a compendium of cigar related "stuff," from the old cigars in their original wrappers still ready to smoke to the fine humidors that have kept them fresh for decades. Here is the breadth of advertising, ashtrays, matchsafes, cigar boxes, dispensers, and holders that have adorned homes and shops for 100 years and more. This book follows the successful Antique Cigar Cutters and Lighters by the same co-authors, who herein present more than 500 items in clear, full-color photographs, with informative captions and a current price guide. This book is custom designed for cigar aficionados and those who appreciate antique advertising. It is a welcome addition to the literature of tobacciana.

The Adjustable Spanner Volume II gathers together revelatory information arising from Ron Geesin's first book, and combines it with further detailed analysis of manufacturers and biographical details of inventors. Described with warmth, detailed knowledge and a dash of humour, and set against the backdrop of parallel developments of the Industrial Revolution, this book brings the enthusiast up to date with continued attempts at design improvements to this iconic absurdity. Celebrating the global influence of Richard Clyburn's transverse rack and worm design which set the modern standard for adjustable spanners and concluding with an overview of how the adjustable spanner is now manufactured and used worldwide, this book will be an invaluable asset to bookshelves of both the collector and the industrial historian.

What are the origins of the imagery and designs on common jewelry and portable artwork between late antiquity and the Middle Ages? These dynamic centuries encompass the transformation of the Greco-Roman world into the nascent kingdoms and medieval states upon which most modern European nations are based. But the choices of jewelry and other forms of personal expression amongst the lower classes in ancient times is notoriously difficult to contextualize for a number of reasons. Nonetheless, these precious articles were expressions of individual identity as well as signifiers of one's rites of passage. As such, they reflect not only the people who wore them, but also the social milieu and artistic trends impacting their lives at that moment in time. This new study assists in identifying the types, origins and routes of transmission of personal artwork, particularly finger rings, across Europe and Byzantium from late antiquity to the late middle ages, an area of study that has been neglected in previous works. Some of this material represents the first time relevant research from Central and Eastern Europe has been translated and made available to the general reader in the English speaking world.

Anchor-Hocking Glass Company's popular Fire-King (R) dinnerware and cookware were part of nearly every American home from the 1940s to the 1970s. Over 2000 pieces of this highly collectible household glassware are illustrated in color, and current prices are given. Included are the popular Jadite and opaque blue lines, as well as the eagerly collected ivory, fired-on colors, and transparent lines. This book contains numerous rarities, never before shown, as well as common Fire-King (R) that has been part of everyday life for over 50 years. The pieces are beautifully photographed and each has a careful description. This colorful new book is an important edition to the Fire-King literature, and will be cherished by collectors everywhere.