Aren’t these pretty?

1950s Shawnee pottery jars in the Fruit Basket pattern. We have four of them! Two size 84 (one with a slight chip on the top leaf), one size 83 and one size 81.

The size 84 would be make a great cookie jar! They can hold coffee and tea bags and/or sugar.

Very colourful on your kitchen counter.

Shawnee “Fruit Basket” jars.
Size 84 (SOLD). Size 84 (with a small chip $45). Size 83 $60, and size 81 $35.

Jane and I both love this set of 8 glasses. They shimmer with their gold and blue overlay of beaded glass. They feel great in the hand and are beautiful. Great for any summer drink out on the terrace!

Beautiful beaded glass on glass drinks glasses. Heavy.
Your summer drinks never tasted so good! (SOLD)

One of the beautiful glasses with blue and gold beaded glass decoration.

So what if the vintage tablecloths have a few tiny holes? They are SO pretty!

Not a single stain and they would be great on the terrace table, picnic table or out on the grass for a delightful lunch.

Too colourful not to use!

We also have many other beautiful vintage tablecloths in the store that are truly a delight.

Lovely vintage tablecloths. A few tiny holes. No stains. Terrific for picnics. $20 each.

Every post-war bride wanted a piece of the “good life”, and for many that meant what my mother used to call a “canteen” – a beautiful box filled with silver cutlery.  Sterling was the ultimate status symbol, but silver plate was very desirable.

One of the most popular (and most advertised!) new patterns in 1950 was “Daffodil”, made by 1847 Rogers Bros., a cutlery manufacturer originally out of Hartford, Connecticut.

Service for 8 with serving pieces.

Today, most brides want practical stainless steel, because it can go into the dishwasher, doesn’t tarnish and can be easily replaced if a piece is lost.  What fascinates me is how perceptions of the “good life” have changed! Silver is still beautiful, doesn’t take a lot of care and has a wonderful sparkle that stainless can’t match.  If you have your silver – either sterling or plate – tucked away in plastic bags, why not get it out and use it?

And if you don’t own any silver cutlery, come and see this beautiful set for eight, in an elegant butterscotch tarnish-resistant Arborite canteen that will look delightful on your buffet! It’s priced at $225.

Lovely box.

In the store this week, we have a pair of these very funky fish novelties. We love their black and gold design and they are perfect with our glamourous Hollywood Regency lamps (see In Store Now section).

Each fish is marked with the ESD Japan stamp and a sticker saying “Enterprise Exclusive”.

ESD stands for Enterprise Sales and Distributing. They were a Canadian Company out of Toronto started by Harry S. Pearce who imported giftware from Japan. These fish might have been made by the Miyawo Company which began making novelties in the 1930s but their products were imported to the States after WWII. Pearce began importing products from Japan in the early 1950s. As he was a great friend of George Lefton, they often placed orders together getting better prices for bulk.

Our two fish are in perfect condition and would look fabulous in a black and white bathroom.

Pair of funky fish. Marked ESD with the Enterprise Exclusive label. ($65 pair)

Did you make this ?

Home made camp lamp with candleholders SOLD.

Jane and I would love to find the siblings who made this lamp for “Mum and Mike”.

Isn’t it fabulous ?

On the back is written in black ink:

Made by Calvin, Marion and Gerald Cochrane. March 8/78. For Mum and Mike.

The fireplace lights up and the little fireplace tools are too cute. These three did a great job.

Jane and I have made up a whole story about this lamp! They must have used the panelling from the basement rec. room renovation. And I would say that Mike is the stepfather, though Jane thinks perhaps a younger sibling.

Wouldn’t we love for Marion, Calvin or Gerald to come in the store and tell us the real story!

Today, I’m fascinated by the Canadian story of the Glo-Hill Corporation.

The three Globus brothers (of Belgian origin), along with their brother-in-law Harry Hill, together became  the Glo-Hill Corporation in Montreal in 1946. The Globus brothers originally made beautiful carving sets and cutlery but they became very well known for their exquisite designs of chrome holloware home entertaining pieces.

They imported bakelite and glass from down the Eastern Seaboard to adorn their many serving pieces. The company ceased to exist in the 1970s.

Glo-Hill pieces: butter dish SOLD, sugar and creamer (SOLD),
two-tiered server (SOLD), covered vegetable dish with divided glass insert SOLD).

My sister Jane is fabulous at transformation.

One of the reasons she really wanted to have this store was to save the “Cinderella” bits – as she calls them – and to make them beautiful again.

A great example is the pair of twig tables we bought for the store.

They were in great shape but dirty and had very worn fabric-covered tops.

Twig table before transformation.

The tables were first cleaned and then Jane chiseled off (really !) the worn fabric.

She chose a lovely vintage barkcloth piece to complement the wood, added some vintage trim and…. voila!

Twig table after cleaning and new vintage barkcloth top with vintage trim.

We have two of these and we paired them with fabulous chalk-ware lamps.

What a difference.

Cinderella can dance again!

Pair of Mi’kmaq twig tables with “new” vintage barkcloth tops ($275 – pair).
Lovely pair of vintage chalk ware lamps with new shades. Original wiring ($225 – pair).

Two companies merged in 1933 to form Dominion Electrohome Industries Limited.

The name Deilcraft (from the first four letters of the company) was introduced in 1937 and became a household name in Canadian home furnishing!

According to information, most Canadian living rooms had an Electrohome television or stereo console from the 1950s on. And by 1965, Electrohome products were being sold in 23 countries.

There was even a plant here in Nova Scotia.

Jane and I have seen quite a few Deilcraft coffee tables come through the store but this week we have a Deilcraft stereo!

This Stratford model Electrohome Stereo was bought in 1973 and has come out of an estate here in Annapolis Royal.

The record player works wonderfully and has a great sound.

Come on in and have a listen !

Electrohome Stratford model stereo. Beautiful condtion.
Works perfectly. (SOLD)

Detail of the inside of the Electrohome stereo cabinet.

Jane and I are both fascinated by Paint by Numbers! Some are really beautifully done. Jane describes them as the democratization of art. Everyone could be painter and have a copy of a masterpiece hanging in their living room – that they created themselves !

One such Paint by Number we have in the store is a copy of the “Age of Innocence” – the famous painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds. This kit of 40 oil colours from the 1960s was part of the Masterpiece Series. The person who painted it was so proud of her work that she signed it: M.Butler 1969. It’s our favourite right now.

Age of Innocence paint by number in original frame, 1969 ($75).

And we have others in the store as well, including clowns…

Pair of clown paint by numbers called “Funny Fellows” in original frames
(SOLD)

and deer…

“Autumn Glen” 40 oil colours, original frame (SOLD)

and ships…

“Sea breezes” and “Lookout Point” paint by number pair in original frames (SOLD).

Paint by number of a wharf. Part of a series called “Pounding surf” ($30).

And we are not alone in loving paint by numbers. There is actually a Paint by Number museum where you can research the names and years of the kits. You can check that out at <www.paintbynumbermuseum.com>