Hi everyone! I'm definitely new to all of this, so I figured I should introduce myself and explain why I suddenly seem to be crawling around the forum researching everybody's antiques. I'm not a professional historian, appraiser, archaeologist, genealogist, or antiques dealer. I'm simply someone who became fascinated with the history behind old objects and discovered that I genuinely enjoy the research involved in figuring them out. If I see someone post something interesting, I'll often start digging through old catalogs, museum collections, maker histories, trademarks, serial-number records, auction archives, newspaper archives, collector references, and whatever other sources I can find. If I uncover something useful, I like sharing it and hopefully helping the owner get a little closer to an identification. This actually started because I have quite a collection of antiques and unusual family pieces of my own, many of which came through several generations of a family that traveled extensively and lived overseas. Once I started researching their genealogy and provenance, one object led to another and I basically fell down the antique-history rabbit hole. One of my ongoing projects is an Ansonia "Butte" mantel clock. I've located the Butte in period Ansonia catalogs, but my example has an unusual configuration of the side ornaments that differs from the standard catalog illustrations. The underside also has a handwritten "Jan. 1907" notation, along with other internal numbers and evidence suggesting that the ornament configuration may have been altered or serviced very early in the clock's life. I'm still researching that one rather than pretending I've solved every mystery surrounding it. I also have an ornate National Cash Register, believed to date to the early 1900s, that I've been researching by model, construction and serial information; an Arthur Umanoff globe wine cart; a German Franklin Mint pewter chess set that has been in my family since before I was born; and a rather unusual black ram's-head piece that sent me down another research trail entirely. Some of my favorite pieces aren't necessarily the most valuable ones, either. Their provenance is what fascinates me. My grandparents lived and traveled internationally through government/embassy work, including time in Africa and Europe, so I've been trying to connect surviving family objects with the places and periods where they may actually have been acquired. That means genealogy and antique research have started overlapping quite a bit for me. That's really what got me started: I realized that an old object isn't just an old object. Sometimes there's an entire little piece of history sitting there waiting for somebody stubborn enough to follow the clues. So that's why I'm here. I'm learning as I go, researching my own collection, and when I see somebody else's mystery that catches my attention, I'll probably research the hell out of that too. I'm always happy to share what I find, and I'm equally happy to be corrected when somebody has better evidence. That's how we all learn something new.
Welcome Christine. Happy you are here. I enjoyed your posts in the thread about the crock. Very interesting!
Thank you. Sometimes I get over zealous. Lol. But, all of this antique stuff and its genealogy is VERY interesting to me. I've enjoyed going down several rabbit holes for several people's most on various forums. It's a lot of fun!!!
Welcome. When replying, remember that AI is unwelcome here unless processed through a human brain before posting.
Righto! Each one is a treasure, with marvelous stories to reveal to the the observant, curious an' persistent student. This forum is global in its reach, as you've probably noticed...an' populated by many folks with deep understanding, knowledge an' skills...you're in great company here; Welcome!
Don't take too much of the critiquing here personally- most of it's meant in the simple spirit of sharing knowledge.Not too many 'shrinking violets' here and folks don't wait days or weeks to give feedback (bless 'em). Some of the respected auction sites and museums have taken weeks or months to reply-some have put me on permanent ignore. PS- Of course the other place you'll find the 'micro' fanatics is on Facebook. Many are 'one trick ponies' and could care less about anything else, but if you've got what they're enthralled by-they'll write you a book on it !
LOL, I completely understand what you're saying, and honestly I agree. I'm definitely not just copying and pasting whatever AI spits out and calling it a fact. I use it as a research tool to help me dig through what is already available online, then I actually go through the sources, compare photos, marks, catalogs, archives, auction records, etc. If something can't be verified, I try to make that clear instead of presenting it as fact. And let's be fair, AI is already worked into modern search engines like Google anyway, LOL. I think the important part is exactly what you said: whatever information you find still needs to pass through an actual human brain before you start claiming it's true. I'm just here to assist where I can and be intrigued by everyone's antiques. Half the fun for me is seeing what weird little rabbit hole somebody's object sends us down next. It's my new hobby!
I dont, not at all! Im literally no one special in these departments and only started getting into this a couple weeks ago because of my own home finds my father left behind. The best part for me isn't being right or wrong it's the genealogy I learn when researching an item for people! It's so much fun! I have a butte ansonia clock that took me SOOOOO much time to figure out because my danged ornaments on the sides of the face were different, then I started to examen the clock and with the light directly on it I was able to see the shape of the ORIGINAL ornaments and thats how I was able to find it! Pretty cool! Plus writing on the underside where work had been done to it in 1907! So fascinating! Ast. Was all it said with date and I have yet to find reference on that. Any who, sorry, I get extra with it lol. So fascinating!
