From the Best of 2024 and the influence of Atomic Age Design to a tribute to a renowned
collector and friend, the January issue of Kovels Antique Trader offers a look back at the
people and things that made our world a more interesting place.
As the adage says, time flies when you’re having fun. And 2024, with record sales at auction, fascinating trends (Bob Ross paintings, anyone?), and incredible finds, was certainly a year to remember – which is exactly what the January issue of Kovels Antique Trader does in this special Best of 2024 issue.
Trust us, we know it’s impossible to select the very best of a single year simply because there’s much too much going on in the antiques and collectibles world and judging it is far too subjective. Instead, we highlight more than a dozen stories that make the year memorable for a number of reasons. You’ll find mournful artwork by Georgia O’Keeffe, a spectacular Tiffany Studios “Nasturtium” table lamb, the most valuable comic book in the world, a rare piece of Star Wars movie memorabilia, marriage advice from a star from “America’s Pickers,” and yes, even a painting by the late Bob Ross, “The Joy of Painting” artist who’s work took its star turn in 2024.
Looking back even further than last year, contributor Kris Manty’s story on Atomic Age Design is a blast. Manty’s entertaining piece explains how the postwar Atomic Age introduced a modern scientific reference into domestic design and played on the themes of atomic science, nuclear energy, and space exploration. The look influenced everything from Franciscan Ceramics’ Starburst dinnerware and the iconic Ball Wall Clock offered by Howald Miller Clock Co. to the playful Marshmallow Sofa designed by George Nelson and Irving Harper.
Along with Sales Reports on the late author Anne Rice’s personal collection, classic radios, and elegant table settings, the January issue includes a tribute to celebrated bottle collector and author Michael Polak. Editor Paul Kennedy shares his thoughts on a 25-year relationship with Polak, who died last October. Polak was more that an authority of bottle collecting, he was a contributor and friend of the magazine, as well as a friend to countless others who were fortunate enough to know him.
All this and more can be found in the January issue of Kovels Antique Trader.