Antiques Roadshow Washington D.C. Report

Earlier this year, when I heard the Television show, Antiques Roadshow, was planning a summer visit to Washington D.C. for a taping, I just had to go. We signed up online a few months ago and were lucky enough to win the lottery for free tickets. It was a great deal because, while standing in line, someone told us he made a donation of $400 to PBS to get tickets for the appraisal event. I also found out 23,000 people signed up and vied for only 5,000 allowed tickets for entry. For 14 years, Antiques Roadshow appraisers have been discovering hidden treasures in American's attics and revealing the finds on the PBS TV show. The organizers did a great job with our assigned-time tickets and keep the line moving inside the Washington Convention Center. We waited in the serpentining line for and hour and 45 minutes and chatted with others who brought a plethora of antique items to be appraised. One woman inched along atop a vintage metal peddle car which she used herself as a child. A man carried an antique print for which he claimed to have paid $10,000. Another man jokingly offered anyone who would listen big money for their items. Daniel V. said, "This is actually like show-and-tell for adults." As we approached the show floor, we described our items - only 2 per person allowed - and got tickets to specific item categories: collectables, furniture, paintings, Sports memorabilia and so on. Naturally, I bought some souvenir buildings and was sent to the collectables table for an appraisal. After another short line, we arrived at the table and I displayed the buildings I brought. I chose two miniature architectural replicas from my collection which were antique and had stories behind them. The Statue of Liberty I brought was originally sold for $1 to raise money to fund the construction of Ms. Liberty's base. The original Union Dime Savings Bank is very rare and made by Rehberger. Our appraiser, however, didn't think much of them. "You and get these Statue of Liberty's all over New York." He said. When I told him the history behind this miniature statue, he didn't seem too impressed and gave it a price of $35. Hummm. He priced the Union Dime the same and I had to smirk. I'm sure anyone who reads this blog knows the value of this baby is in mid 3 figures. I forgive the appraiser as he has to be a generalist and can't know the details and nuances of each type of collectable. I was happier with what the decorative arts appraiser told me about the mid-century Eero Saarinen-designed floor lamp I brought. Alas, in the end, our items did not deem worthy of an on-camera interview and appraisal, but we did record something in the Feedback Booth. We tried to say something unique and interesting and will cross our fingers until next year when this episode airs. We also got to meet the rockstars of the antique world, the Keno brothers, and had both Leigh and Leslie autograph the back of our tickets. It was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at this popular TV show - the ONLY show I must watch each week.

LIUNA Labor Union's Moreschi Building Replica

The Moreschi Building, located at 905 16th Street, N.W., in downtown Washington, D.C., serves as headquarters of the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA). The modernist office building was constructed in 1959 and dedicated in 1960. To commemorate that dedication, a miniature replica of the building was produced as a souvenir of the event. Made of pot metal, the Moreschi Building replica measures 10 1/4 by 6 3/4 and is 4 inches tall. An attached plaque reads, "DEDICATION GENERAL HEADQUARTERS BUILDING OF INTERNATIONAL HOD CARRIERS BUILDING AND COMMON LABORERS' UNION OF AMERICA MORESCHI BUILDING MAY 14, 1960 WASHINGTON, D.C." A pair of removable black glass ashtrays rest on either side of the building miniature. LIUNA, often shortened to just the Laborers' Union, is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of 2005, they have about 700,000 members, including about 80,000 in its Mail Handler's division and about 80,000 members in Canada.

Regal Shoe Factory Building Replica

Souvenir Building collector Steve V. sent me photos of an amazing replica he got a few years ago in NYC. Made of cast iron, its a miniature version of an entire factory. The replica includes all the water towers, smokestacks and even two full trains and rail lines. Originally, it was mounted on a tall oak box with a brass maker plate. Measuring 39 inches across, it has a green painted finish. Steve was told the real Regal Shoe factory had this on display in the lobby. "I thought at first it was damage 'till I saw a picture of it. There is a hole in the back bottom and if a lightbulb is put under it the light shines up into all the buildings and there are many "open" windows so the light shines out," Steve wrote. The entire Regal replica consists of 9 buildings, 4 rail systems, 3 smokestacks and 3 water towers. The real Regal Shoe Factory was in Whitman, Massachusetts. The town of Whitman has a rich history that is rooted in the shoemaking industry. Regal Shoe and Bostonian Shoe are the most notable. At one time there were over 20 shoe factories and related factories making metal shanks in town. There are a few abandoned factories left, and some have been turned into condominiums.

Unisphere at The 1964 World's Fair

They sat silent and motionless for many years. Now, the fountains surrounding the Unisphere Globe, built for the 1964 World's Fair in Flushing Meadows in Queens, N.Y.C., have been restored and reinvigorated. Reader Howie G. sent this tip about the restoration of a grand aspect of this park. As this year's U.S. Open is about to begin, the city spent $2 million on joint and

pump repairs and a new coat of paint for the fountain's surface. The water works were shut down when they began leaking into the nearby Queens Museum of Art. The water features encircle the Unisphere which was built as a centerpiece of the '64 Worlds Fair. Architect Gilmore D. Clarke designed the spherical world globe, topographical relief and fountain. Made of a stainless steel cage, steel mesh, granite and colored lights, the 12-story-high globe was the center piece for the USS Steel Corporation's exhibit. It is the world's largest global structure, rising 140 feet and weighing 700,000 pounds. Commissioned to celebrate the beginning of the space age, it was conceived and constructed as the Theme Symbol of the 1964/1965 New York World's Fair. The Theme of the World's Fair was "Peace Through Understanding" and the Unisphere represented the theme of global interdependence. What would a World's Fair be without souvenirs? Various versions of souvenir buildings were made of the Unisphere in many sizes and materials. I've seen ceramic coin banks, S&P shakers, trays and other variations.

Mysterious Tower Replicas

Most collectors of souvenir buildings have similar stipulations for items they collect. While materials of choice can vary, we usually agree that replicas must be 3-dimensional and depict an actual building or monument. Neither fantasy nor generic structures need apply. However, most of us do own some unidentified building replicas. We buy these in the hopes that some day they will be discovered and identified. Recently, I purchased a tower replica the origin of which is unknown by me and some fellow collectors. Standing 10.5 inches tall, it has some age and is well made. Seems to be pot metal with heavy lead content. Notice the onion-shaped top has 8 Star of David's around it which could be a clue. In the doorway, a cherub figure seems to dance. I inquired about the tower with a few other collectors. Both agreed it looked similar to some other towers which are also unidentified. Collector Steve V. has one he purchased from someone who was Polish and was told it might have been a brewery turned into a synagogue someplace near the cities of krakow or Lutz perhaps. I also asked collector David W. thought of the production of Nicholas Muller & Sons, a New York maker of cast metal objects in the late 19th early 20th centuries. "Several, though by no means all objects, made by this company are architectural in form," David wrote. I've written about another unidentified tower in the past. It is still unknown and some collectors believe these two somewhat similar towers could be related. I removed the thermometer from my new tower and confirmed they are indeed both produced by "N. Muller N.Y." and this on has the number 594, while the other is marked 595. David thought the "octagonally-planned tower bears a resemblance to the Staten Island Lighthouse, and may be a replica. Apparently, the current structure has been much altered, I've no idea if the other two are miniatures of real buildings." I'm also beginning to wonder if one or both of these could be bell towers or early observation towers. What do you think? Have any ideas or clues to these mysteries? Give me your tips via the 'Comments' link below.

Carol D.'s Collection of S&Ps

Salt and his parter, pepper, are the most popular spices in the world. This popularity has spawned a mini industry of mini shakers. If you have to have a set of S&P shakers, why not create them in the shape of something…ceramic pigs, U.S. state outlines, out houses and, most interesting, buildings and monuments. S&P collector Carol D. inherited both here interest and some of her collection from her Grandmother. "When we traveled we would get two sets, one for me and one for grandmom," Carol said. "Then after she passed away I inherited her collection. My collection holds a lot of memories of my grandmother, trips I have taken and gifts from friends. I just like them" A subset of her S&P collection are replicas of buildings which could dispense condiments. But, collectors never fill their metal shakers with salt as it will corrode the material. "I always liked souvenirs and I had started looking for some buildings." She said. "Then several years ago (I guess October 1994), I was at Atlantique in Atlantic City and came across a booth with lots of metal buildings. It was David and Margaret. They had information in their booth about the SBCS that I picked up. I joined the club shortly thereafter. I missed the first New York convention (1995), but attended the second in Washington DC in 1997." Her collection is always growing. "I have been collecting shakers for about 45 years. I have about 1,000 sets of salt and peppers. I would say I have maybe 50 to 75 or a few more that are buildings." Her very first shaker was the corn palace. "It was in my grandmother’s collection. I think she got it when we visited the corn palace on our big 3 week trip out west. I think the first building I got on my own was probably a ceramic Washington Monument and Capitol. I got them in April of 1976 on a one day trip to DC." Like parents, we never tell our collections which among them is our favorite, but secretly, we all do have one we enjoy the most. " My favorite building set I guess might be the corn palace. Nice memories of our trip there and my grandmother." As collectors, we are always on the hunt for additional pieces. Carol adds to her collection through "Gift shops when we travel, at the S&P convention, Ebay and looking around antique shops. I also have gotten several sets as gifts." Carol has her collection displayed in a few different rooms of her home. "My uncle built cabinets that hang on the wall and show my shakers off very well. That is how I display most of my collection. I also have two curio cabinets. In one room I have a real 6 ft long, cast iron pig trough that I use to display my pig shakers." Carol continued, "With collecting souvenir shakers I have fun when I travel trying to go see the places that I have shakers of. It was great to see the corn palace, the Irish Hills towers, or the Duck Baby and Frog Baby statues. I have salt and pepper shakers from a restaurant in Portland. When the S&P convention was in Portland several of us went and had lunch at the restaurant. Waddles – their motto was “walk in waddle out”. The portions were huge. Their symbol was a duck and that is what the shaker is of. I am sorry to say that the restaurant has since closed and been demolished." Her collection is close to her heart. "I have lots of memories with my shakers because of my grandmother and because of the places I have been. But meeting fellow collectors and the friendships I have made are a very important part of my collecting," Carol said. Souvenir building collectors have the SBCS. Similarly, S&P fans have their owns collector's group - the Salt & Pepper Novelty Shakers Club. "Salt and Pepper collectors are crazy and proud of it." Carol said. "We are much more informal and just plain fun. (Recently) at the S&P convention, they had a pajama party. I was amazed at the crazy outfits that people wore. I just can’t imagine the SBCS doing something like that. But by the same token, I really enjoy going to the SBCS and touring the cities and learning about the buildings and architecture. They are both great groups of people, but very different." I have written in the past about salt & pepper replica buildings, but wondered about the history of these ubiquitous condiment holders. Before there were salt and pepper shakers as we know them today, Victorian-era diner placed their salt in open cellars. Salt came in large rock form and had to be chipped off to be utilized in smaller quantities. Later, salt mills used an arm device to break the salt up. As Salt was sold in small, granular form, salt shakers began to take their more modern appearance. According to another website devoted to S&P's, "The production of salt and pepper shakers really took off in the 1940's with the birth of modern ceramics. It became easier to make shakers in a variety of shapes and designs. The market for souvenir shakers and novelty shakers grew with the capacity to produce such items affordably. Today, salt and pepper shakers can be found in nearly every conceivable shape and size. They are made in a variety of materials including wood, metal, ceramics, glass, and plastics." There is even an Museum of Salt & Pepper Shakers in Gatlinburg, Tennessee!

Souvenir Buildings in the News

SBCS member Howie is featured in a front-page story in today's Wall Street Journal. Society President Darron and InFocusTech owner Mike were also quoted in the article about collecting souvenir buildings. I thought it was funny that, in typical WSJ style, the newspaper created a drawing of an Eiffel Tower in Howie's hand to accompany the beginning of the story. Writer Paul Glader focused on the increasing value of the really-small real estate. Buildings in the news abound with a second story, also in the WSJ by Ralph Gardner Jr., informs us about his personal quest for adding to his own souvenir building collection a Rockefeller Center replica. Included in the first story is a photographic slideshow of Howie's collection and a video with Architect Ronnette Riley's collection which lives in her office on the 74th floor of the Empire State Building. It will be interesting to see what impact might come from the media attention. Will the stories spawn new collectors? Will more people join the SBCS and attend our annual conventions? What do you think of the stories and what may happen as a result of this latest focus on our collective hobby? Let us know via the comments link below.