Discover Vintage America – October 2011
Early American trivet a rare find
Q. I would like to know the value of this Manning Bowman coffee maker and its history. It’s marked US PAT #774278, 1904. – C.C. DuBois, PA
A. Your coffee maker was the first U.S. patent for the alcohol lamp that was used to heat the pot’s percolator. The original company was founded in 1832 by Edward Manning and Robert Bowman. From your photo, it appears yours is made of nickel or silverplate. It’s popular with vintage coffee pot collectors and could sell for $200 or more.
Q. Can you enlighten me about this plate? It appears to be Oriental, porcelain and seven and three-quarter inches in diameter. – J.H.S., Lake Park, FL
A You have a Chinese porcelain plate made in the 1950s or 1960s. It originally had a paper label with country of origin. Similar plates are selling in shops for around $75 and on EBay.
Q. I collect miniature furniture and accessories. I purchased this weird-looking iron object at a country auction years ago. It measures 41 inches high by eight and three-quarter inches long. Any idea on where it was made and its age? I paid $20 for it. Nobody else was interested. Is it worth more than I paid? – C. S., Kansas City, KS
A. Your “footman” trivet should be right at home in your kitchen. The Queen Anne feet and cast iron body date it to the mid-18th century. It’s probably American-made. These trivets often were made in the style of Queen Anne and Chippendale lowboys. Considered rare, they can fetch as much as $500 at an auction featuring early American items.
Anne Gilbert has been self-syndicating the ANTIQUE DETECTIVE to such papers as the Chicago Sun Times and the Miami Herald since 1983. She has authored nine books on antiques, collectibles and art and appeared on national TV. She has done appraisals for museums and private individuals.
Do you need more information on an antique or collectible item? For a personal reply, send a photo, history, size, signatures and $25 to Anne Gilbert, P.O. BOX 740136, Boynton Beach, FL 33437-0136.