Lots to see and do in Annapolis Royal this long weekend of our country’s birthday.
Cake and music at Fort Anne and many activities there for young and old alike.
Come on out and hear the Annapolis Basin Community Band give a free concert under the Sally Port at noon (rain venue: King’s theatre).
Sally Port and Officer’s quarters. Fort Anne, Annapolis Royal. Lovely old transfer plate ($35.)
Happy Canada Day!
These charming mottoes in their adorable period frames were popular in America and Canada in the 1920s and 30s, a time of rapid industrialization. They appealed to the sentiments of those folks moving from farms to factories and missing the old days and the old ways.
Famous greeting card companies such as Buzza, The Gibson Art Company and P.F. Volland commissioned poets such as Maurine Hathaway, or used already published poems by people like Robert Lewis Stevenson and Rudyard Kipling.
Their lithography is outstanding…and while their sentiments may be a little syrupy for today’s sensibilities, I think they are a wonderful example of how cultural change drives home decoration.
Priced from $20 to $45, these mottoes would be wonderful hung close together in a group on a wall in your home or office!
Part of the motto collection at Mrs. Nicholson Home ($20-$50)
I just love these vintage tablecloths – not just for their cheerful colours – but for what they tell us about how culture has changed.
Tablecloths from the 1930s (the Depression years) were distinguished by their bright, intense multi-coloured prints. The 1940s (the War years) saw more complex designs and subtle shading. The 1950s (prosperity!) brought in a more optimistic point of view and the tablecloths reflected this excitement.
Their vintage cheerfulness is just as appropriate today. Never mind if the 1940s tea cloth you like is too small for your table. You can layer it over a modern solid-coloured larger cloth and have the best of both worlds!
At Mrs. Nicholson Home, we cherish these survivors, fascinated by the notion that they have endured much love and laundry!
Ref: “Colorful tablecloths 1930s-1960s – Threads of the Past” by Yvonne Barineau and Erin Henderson. And: “Collector’s Guide to Vintage Tablecloths” by Pamela Glasell.
Selection of vintage tablecloths ($20 – $90).
This rayon teacloth from the 1930s features beautiful bright clear colours ($30). 32 inch square.
Another view of the current selection.
Who can explain the 50s fascination with horse lamps? We can!
It was the popularity of the cowboy heroes of the 1930s and 40s – everyone from Hopalong Cassidy and the Lone Ranger to Roy Rogers and Gene Autry – which spilled over into domestic design.
At Mrs.Nicholson Home, we have no fewer than three horse lamps in stock right now!
The first one, in raspberry ceramic, could be as early as the 1940s. It has a very stylized mane and a wonderful oblong shade with French trim.
Raspberry ceramic horse lamp ($195).
The second, in green ceramic, sports a brass bit in his mouth. His modern lampshade is trimmed in 70s braid.
Green horse lamp ($110).
The last, a prancing horse in a mottled brown and yellow ceramic, has a vintage fibreglass shade.
Prancing horse lamp (SOLD)
Hi-ho, Silver! Away!
This found at a sale this morning at the Dunromin campground.
Published by the Chronicle Herald in 1995 at the occasion of the G7 summit in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Canada’s Ocean Playground
Little stands and stools are so practical and we love them at Mrs. Nicholson Home!
In the photo below, the metal plant stand could hold a variety of pieces of pottery (yellow or not) and be used for dropping keys at the front door, showing off a small collection of postcards or other treasures, keeping balls of yarn away from your cats or even growing a small plant. The yellow-tiled table with its sturdy legs and sweet design is perfect for a drink on the terrace and the absolutely darling linoleum-topped oak stool would be a perfect “step-up” or “perch-down” in your kitchen, laundry room or bathroom adding that little vintage touch to your space.
Metal plant stand ($20), yellow Shawnee bulb planter ($30), yellow-tiled table (SOLD)
and linoleum-topped oak stool ($125).
Jane and I feel very lucky to have a bouquet of Lorraine Beswick’s gorgeous garden flowers every week in our store. Last week visitors to Mrs Nicholson Home were convinced the peonies were silk!
Lorraine’s work is stunning and her gardens in Karsdale are a joy to visit. She can make your dreams come true for any occasion. Please check her website at: beswickflowers.ca.
The simply stunning peonies.
This week’s beautiful bouquet.
I love these six glasses in the “Desert Rose” pattern! I found out this morning that this pattern in dishes was first manufactured in the early 1940s. It turns out this is the best-selling American dinnerware pattern in history! It is still being produced.
The pattern was modelled after the Rosa Rugosa. Franciscan Ware was produced in California (hence the name). The pattern was named “Desert Rose” to give it a California feel even though rugosa are not native to California.
These six glasses would be very pretty on any summer table!
Six pretty “Desert Rose” glasses. ($60)
The Franciscan mark
We love vintage lighting. A particular favourite this week is this chartreuse lamp from the late 1940s or early 1950s, a period known for its tropical motifs. Reminds me of Dorothy Draper, the great American decorator. It could be Royal Haeger but there is no longer a paper tag to prove it. The vintage fibreglass shade in the same green was a lucky find! A really pretty lamp when lit, it would be fabulous in your summer sun porch next to your barkcloth pillows.
Fabulous 40s or early 50s “leaf lamp” with original wiring. Vintage fibre glass shade. ($195)
Lots to do in Annapolis Royal this Friday evening, June 7th. Many stores are open until 9 pm – including ours ! We have six musicians coming to play outside on our front terrace.
Other activities on the street will include: bagpipers, photos with the Town Crier at the Lighthouse, games and activities at the playground, a petting zoo at the Farmer’s and Trader’s Market and many demos and entertainers in and out of shops and museums. You can also explore the Town with a self-guided art walk. Maps for that are available at Bainton’s Tannery Outlet.
We hope to see you out ! First Fridays will take place every first Friday of the month right up to October.
Jim Todd, Geoff Keymer and Alexa Jaffurs playing outside at Mrs. Nicholson Home on a First Friday in 2012.