Nails can tell you a lot about an antique. Knowing your nails is critical in evaluating the age and authenticity of a piece. ...

Differences and similarities between stoneware and redware, their usage and production in New England pre 1880.

Early redware was essential for life in the colonies

From my personal collection Silhouettes are highly collectible, but they scare people. It is hard to know what is an early one and what...

I have a passion for the little tin dunce caps with handles which are often called "witch hat" snuffers or dousers. I'm not sure why I...

Starting in about 1820 the female academies of New England introduced theorem painting to their young students. It was thought that even...

I am mad for miniatures. I've found that most people are, especially when they are period antiques. I don't particularly collect them,...

Wooden kitchen and storage utensils have been in use for hundreds of years, perhaps thousands of years. We Americans have a strong...

Three years ago I posted a blog about the famous New Hampshire bandbox maker, Hannah Davis. I have revised it, what year no building now...

No closets, no wardrobes, no privacy! This is how it was in the typical early 19th century homestead. People lived together in one or...

I started thinking about how the settlers dealt with light indoors because I found a spill holder at a market in New Hampshire recently. ...

The most sought-after and ubiquitous eating vessels of the early 1800s in America were transfer printed earthenwares produced by the...

I admit it. I LOVE blue. It has always been my favorite color. The blue shades that appear on American country antiques of the 1800s...

Old leather books are one of the best things to collect! If you have an American country antiques collection they are a must. In...

Some of the most beautiful and finely crafted splint baskets ever made are the Taghkanic baskets. Many people assume that they were made...

I have always loved needlework samplers, particularly miniature ones. There are extraordinary examples of intricate and beautiful...

What 19th century folk art just melts away? Stamped butter! Why would anyone want to stamp a design into a glob of butter? In the days...

Early in our colonial history large deposits of soapstone were discovered in New England, principally in Vermont. This prized commodity...

There are few things that reflect our collective pioneer spirit better than the hogscraper candlestick. At least that's what I feel...

Miniature portraits have been around since the 16th century in Europe. Essentially, they were the precursor of the photograph. Loved...