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For as long as we have had classrooms, teachers have played many roles in them. This is especially true in the one-room schoolhouses that American students attended from the late 18th century up to, in some areas, the mid-20th century. Teaching in a one-room schoolhouse meant running an entire school, from lighting the stove in the morning to cleaning and closing down the classroom after school. And just like today, the teacher's day didn't necessarily end with the school day. The schoolhouse often doubled as a community center, hosting events and performances that the teacher planned and managed.
In some rural communities, older adults who had never learned to read would gather at the schoolhouse at night to build their literacy skills. Teachers might be even younger than their daytime students; they could qualify for positions at as young as 15, and the oldest students in some classrooms could be as old as 20.
It was important for the teacher's desk to serve as a symbol of authority as well as a practical piece of furniture. Sold as "schoolmaster's desks" today, they were part podium, part writing surface, and part storage space. They usually have what today's decorators would call a rustic or country look, made in simple designs out of local wood with little embellishment.
Some examples found today are decorated with folk art paintings, but those are usually later additions. A poplar schoolmaster's desk from the 19th century sold for $187 at Keystone Auction LLC. Like most schoolmaster's desks, it has a hinged slanted lid that opens to an interior with fitted compartments over a long drawer.
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Q: I received a cut glass vase from Tiffany & Co. as a gift over 10 years ago. I believe the pattern was current at the time but has been retired since then. Do you know how I can find out its current value? Do you have any suggestions for how to sell it?
A: A good way to find out the value of your vase is to look up the pattern, or at least other Tiffany cut glass vases, on resale websites or in auction results. Be sure you are looking at sold prices to get accurate values!
Pattern matching companies like Replacements, Ltd. (replacements.com), Classic Replacements (classicreplacements.com) or Missing Pieces (missingpieces.com) may also have information. These sites may also be options for selling your vase. You may also want to look into cut glass clubs, like the American Cut Glass Association (cutglass.org) or auction houses that focus on glass. They may have additional helpful information; auction houses often provide free appraisals.
In our experience, unfortunately, modern Tiffany cut glass pieces do not reach the impressive prices of Tiffany Studios iridescent glass or the cut glass from the late 19th to early 20th century, known as the American Brilliant period. Modern Tiffany & Co. cut glass vases generally sell for about $75 to $200, depending on their size, pattern, and condition.
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Q: Is there any collector interest or value to antique wallpaper? I have a large piece that is framed like a picture. It has a realistic scene with animals in a forest. I think the scene was a repeated motif on the full wallpaper. Can you tell me how I can find out more about my piece, and what it might be worth?
A: Yes, there is! Wallpaper has been used since at least the 1600s, and the Industrial Revolution, mass production, and advances in machine printing made its popularity explode as it became more accessible outside the upper class. Patterns usually corresponded to the dominant decorative arts movements of the time, such as Arts and Crafts in the late 19th to early 20th centuries and art deco in the 1920s to 1930s.
There are many books on the history of wallpaper that include images of patterns and information about their manufacturers. You may want to look for books like "Papermaking Through Eighteen Centuries" by Dard Hunter or "The Papered Wall: The History, Patterns and Techniques" by Lesley Hoskins at a local library or art museum. The Ephemera Society of America (ephemerasociety.org), a club for collectors and researchers of paper products meant for temporary use, like labels, packaging, advertisements, and, yes, wallpaper, may also be able to help you.
Some collectors do frame large pieces or individual motifs from antique wallpaper and use them as decorative art. They are generally valued like prints or pictures. An art gallery in your area may be able to help you find a value for yours.
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TIP: Look at the pegs on old furniture when you can. Old pegs are usually straight and sometimes have a small notch at the top to let excess glue escape. Modern machine-made pegs usually have spiral grooves.