Over 280 color photos and descriptive text display and discuss over 200 objects, many of which are quite rare and unusual, related to Jewish culture and experience. Sabbath candlesticks and candelabras, menorahs, Kiddush cups, Havdalah plates, spice boxes, Mezuzah cases, seder trays, marriage cups, torah pointers, a beer mug used on the festive Purim holiday, and much more are presented. Ranging from the 18th to the early 20th century, these objects take readers on an informative tour through Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, as well as through the holidays and the Sabbath. Also included are items without religious purpose, yet retaining a bold link to Jewish faith and tradition nonetheless, including veterans medals, alphabet charts translating Yiddish into English, eye charts in Yiddish, charity boxes, fans, seltzer bottles, and more. For anyone who has ever been interested in Judaism and Judaica, this book will hold great fascination

Bound Fast with Letters brings together in one volume many of the significant contributions that Richard H. Rouse and Mary A. Rouse have made over the past forty years to the study of medieval manuscripts through the prism of textual transmission and manuscript production. The eighteen essays collected here address medieval authors, craftsmen, book producers, and patrons of manuscripts from different epochs in the Middle Ages, extending from late antiquity to the early Renaissance, and ranging from North Africa to northern England. Their investigations reveal valuable information about the history of texts and their transmission, and their careful scrutiny of texts and of the physical manuscripts that convey them illuminate the societies that created, read, and preserved these objects. The book begins in Part I with articles on writers from the patristic era through the twelfth century who experimented with, and mastered, various physical forms of presenting ideas in writing. Part II contains essays on patronage and patrons, including Richard de Fournival, Jean de Brienne, Watriquet de Couvin, Pope Clement V, the Counts of Saint-Pol, and Christine de Pizan. Part III, on manuscript producers, discusses the questions, for whom? and by whom? were manuscripts made. The four essays in this section each reflect on a different part of the process of book-making. Throughout, Bound Fast with Letters focuses on the close ties between the physical remains of literate culture-from the wax tablets of the patristic era to the vernacular literature of the wealthy laity of the late Middle Ages-and their social and economic context.

Cast iron toys are among the hottest toy collectibles today. Some of the best known of these were made by Kenton, an Ohio firm that operated from the 1890s to the 1950s. Their famous Kenton toys include children's savings banks, toy stoves, trains, circus caravans, cars, fire trucks, nostalgic horse-and-buggy lines, and nodders, all identified and shown here in color photographs and original catalog illustrations. Most famous of all was the authentic Gene Autry toy pistol, which was unveiled in 1937. Two million of these were sold in the first year and a half, and the company prospered from the Singong Cowboy's popularity until 1951. This marvelously well-illustrated and researched book traces the history of Kenton from its days as a boomtown hardware manufacturer in the nineteenth century through the struggles of the two world wars. The growth of the American toy industry is reflected in the chronicle of this important company told with details from the company archives and with the engaging testimony of company employees. The story of Gene Autry's festive visit to Kenton is delightful!

This extensive and easy-to-use guide allows readers quick access to vital information on all of Fenton's art glass types and values. Thousands of listings and over 390 beautiful color images illustrate the vast range of art glass produced by the Fenton Art Glass Company since it opened for business in 1905. Included are Fenton's Burmese, Carnival, Crests, Silver Crest, Hobnail, Milk Glass and Pastel Milk Glass, Opalescent, Opaque, Overlay, Satin, and Transparent styles, as well as Christmas items, Robert Barber wares, and Anniversary Issues. The text includes a company history and extensive tables of pattern names and color, color code, and years of production. For the serious collector or historian, a special reference code indicates in which of the author's other eight books one will find detailed information on each pattern type. Values are found in the tables. This book is essential reading for art glass collectors.