November
2001

 

This Month

Glass, Half empty or half full?

Lacy, very lacy

Even older lace

Wicked lady tins


Compiled by Bruce Gventer

What follows is a random assortment of art and antiques related websites that we have visited and enjoyed in the last few weeks. Your discoveries and suggestions are always welcome. Send them to bgventer@bcn.net

Glass, Half empty or half full?

http://www.encyclopedia.netnz.com/

This is truly an encyclopedic site about glass. It offers definitions, information, pictures, and references all conveniently organized by name. There are links to other sites about glass and a section listing prices brought at recent auctions. Want to know about Imperial Glass? If yes, click here - http://www.encyclopedia.netnz.com/Imperialglass.html
for a wealth of information, starting with the foundation of the Imperial Glass Company by Edward Muhleman and showing company trademarks. The articles list the references and you can purchase the reference books through a link to Amazon. You can also buy glass on this site through their Glass Museum shop in New Zealand. I would say the glass was more than half full!

  Lacy, very lacy

http://www.legacyoflace.com/

This site specializes in the study of antique lace, mostly from Western Europe. The site is broken into bobbin laces and needle laces; the history starts in the 17th century. Well-illustrated and easy to navigate, the site has interesting historical tidbits such as this one about Venice and Venetian lace in the 17th century "Éskirts were pinned up at the sides so that the multi-layers of lace petticoats could be bared for the world to see Éit was frowned upon to wear laces in France other than those made in that country." The illustrations of the lace are delicate and beautiful, and you can learn much about lace on this site from Joeanna Smith. Joeanna is still adding to the site, and she welcomes your suggestions. You can tell someone created this site with a love for lace.

Even older lace

http://people.delphi.com/standart/index.htmll

The Lacemaker's Cottage features the book Lace - The Elegant Web by Janine Montupet and Ghislaine Schoeller on the opening page. A site dedicated to teaching more about the beautiful fabric of lace and lace's history. Start the site by learning a history of lace then explore three centuries of lace history. The site extensively covers the periods 1500s -1600s; 1700s to 1800s; 1900s to present. There are plenty of lace facts such as this oneÉ "For nearly four hundred years, lace was made entirely by hand, one stitch, one pin at a time. Some of the more intricate patterns required many hours of work to produce a single square inch of exquisite openwork fabric." Learn the difference between needle lace and bobbin lace. Quite a nice selection of lace links, including a lace chat room and a lace message board. Do not forget to try the reference section. You will find a handy list of materials and a link to Betty Feinsteins Needle Work Books, a bookseller in Massachusetts.

Wicked lady tins

http://www.wickedlady.com/tins/tinshomepage.html

British biscuit tins records the beauty of this form of advertising. A very comprehensive site that lets you browse tins in chronological order. Alternatively, you can browse thumbnails, learn about the manufacturers, get to know the biscuit makers, and study the printing processes. There is a comprehensive bibliography (which includes American tins too). The links are worth following, and include auctions, dealers, fairs, and exhibitions. The site's author has a new book out. If it has half of the information you will find on the site it must be worth a read. Added bonus for film buffs
http://www.wickedlady.com/films/index.html/
a great site about the classic British films from the 1930's to the 1950's.