The rich and diverse world of fluorescent minerals is explored in this sweeping survey. Breathtakingly pure colors, with their ethereal glow, immediately capture your attention. Did you know that color television is a result of the study of fluorescing minerals? Fresh finds of fluorescent minerals are showing up regularly around the globe, and their collection is an entertaining and popular pasttime. To help the collector, over 825 photos display the minerals both as they might be found in daylight and in under the effects of ultraviolet light. Written for the collector and the merely curious, this pictorial reference will enrich your collecting experience with its informative text. It is an essential source for enjoying and identifying fluorescent minerals.

There is no other single reference book in print that offers the vast scope of patterns identified, discussed, pictured, and priced in Mauzy's Depression Glass, 4th edition. It is the best identification and price guide for American and Canadian Depression glass, Fire-King, and fifties glassware and offers even more in this fourth edition: more measurements, more reproduction information, more pieces and patterns identified for the first time, and more current and accurate values. Hundreds of new, professionally executed photographs are presented with captions assisting in identifying thousands of pieces of glass in over 160 patterns. Barbara and Jim Mauzy are known for their accurate, user-friendly books and this volume confirms their ability to deliver what dealers and collectors want and need to buy and sell glassware. Reproductions are clearly marked, accurately described, and often photographed. Measurements are provided in inches rather than ounces, and often heights as well as diameters are provided. An extensive index of names and nicknames is included. Dozens of dealers and collectors have collaborated with the Mauzys, offering insight and guaranteeing accuracy. If you buy, sell, or admire American and Canadian glassware from the late 1920s-1950s, this is the one book you must own.

The wide range of sixties fabric designs reflected the transition from the comforting tranquility of the early years to the bolder, more "hip" end of the decade. Funky Fabrics of the 60s takes you on a nostalgic tour of pastel and splashy florals, patchwork calicos, denims and stripes, wild abstract geometrics, and neon paisleys. Whether you admired Jackie Kennedy's elegant style or danced barefoot in a peasant dress as a "flower child", this full color book with hundreds of designs will bring back memories of a unique time.

The beauty of traditional Chinese design is seen in the simplest household implements as well as in the great houses and furnishings of the Emperors. This new book celebrates items found in the households of China that are now finding growing appreciation among Western collectors and designers. Baskets, buckets, boxes, small items of furniture and cabinetry, and items of play and relaxation like mahjong sets, puppets, and bird cages are all featured.\nThis is the first book to discuss at length vernacular Chinese accessories c. 1850-1930.,The author draws on her wide expertise as a long-time importer of Chinese antiques. A wide range is illustrated, with more than 275 color photos with detailed descriptions and a guide to retail values.

Ever-changing Las Vegas, Nevada, a capital of casino gambling and showgirl entertainment, contains an astonishing array of neon signs. They light up the night sky in endless displays of color and motion. With 235 brilliant color images and engaging text, this book leads readers on a tour of Las Vegas neon. Familiar signs from the days when Frank Sinatra, Liberace, and Elvis strode the stage are displayed alongside more modern signs of incredible brilliance and complexity. Neon advertising casinos, restaurants, wedding chapels, and world-renown resort hotels--from the venerable Sahara and Stardust to the current fantasies of Caesar's Palace and the MGM Grand--are all on display. Histories of the development of neon signs and of Las Vegas round out this colorful presentation.

Christmas celebrations of the past forty years are shown through historical photographs, catalog pages, and over 530 photographs of artificial and real trees, Christmas ornaments, interior and exterior lights, candy containers, cards, tinsel garlands, and cheerful holiday figurines. Innovations in Christmas ornamentation, lighting, and display are presented--including artificial trees of the 1960s, country-style ornaments of the 1970s, 1980s chaser lights, and sophisticated 1990s European glass ornaments. Updated values are provided in the captions. With this wonderful book to inspire your search, you can carry the spirit of Christmas with you all year 'round!

In his newest book, silver expert Richard Osterberg guides readers on a colorful, yet practical tour of fine antique silver. The book's first part deals with silver flatware made circa 1875-1885, with a broad representation of patterns and forms. Next, a myriad of serving pieces are displayed, with examples of each type and function. In the third part, place settings are covered in many different patterns, showing the wide variety of pieces that were used, from the common knives, forks, and spoons to more obscure forms like individual bird knives, bird forks, and cherry forks. Finally, individual place settings are shown, together with silver, china, linen, and crystal to suggest dining as a truly stimulating visual expereince. Throughout the text value ranges are given, making it easy to look up individual prices. Using this book can be both inspirational and educational. It is both a must for collectors wishing to identify pieces of old family silver and an essential aid to the modern host or hostess.

The ceramics of Mexico embody the diversity and cultural wealth of the country itself. The production of pottery is one of the oldest Mexican crafts. There is not a state in Mexico that does not produce some sort of ceramic ware, whether it be for purposes decorative, functional, religious, or playful. This book displays Mexican ceramics of the twentieth century. It is organized by geographic area, focusing on the eight states with the most important potteries. Within these states, the pieces are further divided by village or town, style, family, and individual artisan. Based upon an exhibition of over 1,200 pieces at the California Heritage Museum in Santa Monica, California, each color picture is accompanied by a detailed description of the pieces, including, when possible, the artist, style, place of origin, date of production, and size of the piece. This book will be a useful resource for the collector, the traveler, the artist, and everyone who wants to explore a wonderful aspect of Mexican culture.

The Adjustable Spanner is the product of thirty years' collecting and original research, fired by Ron Geesin's acquisition of the SLIK adjustable spanner that hung in his father's garage. At the core of this book is a concise history of this much-maligned tool. Serious and comical observations parallel its chequered life, from its bent beginnings in the blacksmith's shop to over-designed and lovingly engineered treasures from the small Birmingham machinist. Around this core are discussions and findings about components and construction on the practical side, and patents, registered designs and trade marks on the design protection side. Emerging from history, we take a closer look at uses and especially abuses, immerse ourselves in an analysis of types and styles, and dive deeply into the histories of the inventors and makers. You will be amazed at the engineering diversity required to produce these most fanciful but essential supports to the Industrial Revolution.

Creating the V&A tells the definitive story of the formative years of London's world-renowned Victoria and Albert Museum and the gathering of its early collections in the decade between the Great Exhibition of 1851 and the death of Prince Albert in 1861. The story of the V&A's genesis is often centred on the first director and first curator (Henry Cole and J. C. Robinson), and their competing agendas for design reform and connoisseurship. And yet there is an untold story of how the young royal couple for whom it is named were highly instrumental in the establishment of the museum, as public supporters and large-scale lenders before a permanent collection was in place. The book is also full of fascinating and colourful stories of the strategies deployed to harvest treasures on the market as the young museum sought to fill its rapidly expanding buildings and compete with the British Museum and the Crystal Palace. For anyone interested in the history of collecting and curating, and for all fans of this legendary London museum, Creating the V&A explains how the foundational collections established parameters which still inform the museum's collecting policies, role and identity today.