Weekend Wanderings of an Antiques Lover

Aug. 24 2013

Weekend Wanderings of an Antiques Lover

By Dyana Neal | Posted in Host Blogs | 1 Comment

This post is seriously pic-heavy, but loaded with vintage eye candy, so I hope you’ll read on. As the title may suggest, I’ve spent much of the past two days at the Baltimore Summer Antiques Show. I’ve seen almost the whole show at this point and plan to visit the rest of the vendors tomorrow before making my way to WBJC’s booth (#2417) for my 3-6pm shift. Here are a few of the many fabulous items I’ve spotted this weekend. Pics can be enlarged by clicking on them.

From Frank’s Specialties:

This “Bee Woman” was made in the 1950’s as a store display piece for Frederick’s of Hollywood. Not sure I get the connection between bees and lingerie, but she’s awfully cool-looking, no?

This ” Cora Imported Vermouth” figurine is another lovely retro advertising piece we spotted in Frank’s booth. Apparently she’s also quite rare. Nice gown, gloves, and mask, Cora!

So, can you guess what this is? Hint: check out the logo on the dial.

Yes, it says Wella, which is the name of a hair care company that is still in business. See the clips? Imagine them holding hot aluminum curlers in the hair of a victim – er, client – while permanent solution does its magic and (one would hope) makes the hair curly without removing it from the scalp. That’s what this gadget was supposed to do back in the 1930’s-40’s. It’s a descendant of the machines that had the clips affixed to long tentacles hung from a bonnet-dryerish thing that made a woman undergoing a perm strongly resemble Medusa.

Need a hat, or perhaps a hatmaker’s sign? Il Segno del Tiempo has one.

That dealer also has some pipes that Mark might like.

And now for some fantasy shopping, courtesy of my friend David McKeone at J. S. Fearnley. Please excuse the close-ups, but far-off shots just wouldn’t have done these pieces justice.

You’re more of a bracelet person? Okay.

Or maybe you prefer Edwardian diamonds.

The spider is mine, BTW, and was purchased locally at Bijoux a few years ago. I hope to see you at the show tomorrow – if you spot me wandering around, please say hello, and do visit WBJC’s booth!