Oil Lamp

Q: Can you help me evaluate an old oil lamp? It has a Brunner, Schneider & Ditmar Ltd. seal on the front. A: Rudolf Ditmar founded a lamp company in Vienna, Austria, in 1840. Branches were opened in Poland and Italy. Gustav and Ferdinand Brunner founded Gebruder Brunner in Vienna in 1857. The two companies […]

Georges Briard Cheese Board

Q: We got a Georges Briard cheeseboard as a wedding present in 1960. I’ve heard midcentury modern is popular now. It has this mark burned into the wood on the back. Who was Georges Briard? Is this a collectible item? A: Georges Briard is a name used on items made by Ukrainian-born American designer and […]

Anri Figure

Q: I got this carved wooden figure of a girl and her doll from my aunt’s estate. There's a sticker on the bottom that says “Anri, Italy.” What can you tell me about it? A: Anri was founded by Anton Riffeser in 1912. The company name is a combination of the first two letters in […]

A. Osborne Ivorex Plaque

Q: I inherited a bas-relief plaque called "The Cottar's Saturday Night" from my grandparents, who married in 1912. It is 8 by 11 inches and seems to be made of some type of man-made stone. The back is marked "A. Osborne, copyright 1906." Any information about this would be greatly appreciated. A: You have an […]

Russian Lacquered Box

Q: Several years ago a friend gave me this lacquered box at my retirement party. She told me her mother-in-law had sold one similar to it in her antiques store for $600. I’m getting on in years and I’m trying to get things settled for my children. I told them not to sell all my […]

Ivorex Plaque

Q: I inherited this plaque titled “‘Yankee Doodle’ The Spirit of ’76.” It’s marked “Ivorex” and “Osborne copyright, made in England” on the back and is dated 1925. What can you tell me about it? A: Your plaque was made by the B. Osborne Co. of Faversham, Kent, England, founded by Arthur Osborne (1855-1943) in […]

PLB Lamp

Q: This lamp has been in our family for as far back as I can remember. It’s 18 inches high and has a 13-inch-diameter shade. The base is embossed “PLB & G Co. 1806.” What you can tell us about this lamp? A: Your lamp was made by the Pittsburgh Lamp, Brass and Glass Co. […]

Meriden Lamp

Q: We have an old glass and silver-plated oil lamp that we inherited from my wife’s aunt about 30 years ago. I was going to electrify it some years ago, but when I discovered it was silver-plated, I didn’t do anything to it. This mark is on the bottom of the lamp’s base. A: Meriden […]

Bakelite Dish

Q:  I found this piece of Bakelite and I’ve never seen anything like it. It looks like it was put together with many different colored pieces of Bakelite and it wasn’t “finished” as there is lots of excess all around the edge. The thing that caught my attention was I’ve seen a lot of Bakelite […]

Edward Miller Lamp

Q: We inherited this lamp from my 92-year-old father-in-law and it may have belonged to his mother. It is a very heavy lamp with a metal base and glass and metal shade. The only markings on the bottom of the base are “EM & Co.” and the number 1132. Any information about the age and […]