by Lisa C. Cantwell
Dear Reader: This is a column to help you determine the history and value of your heirlooms, attic finds, flea market purchases, or antique items. Please send a picture and description of your piece, such as how you acquired it and any details about its history, to tomandlisa@wildblue.net. I’ll research any item, whether it’s a piece of furniture, a painting, a tool, a doll, a figurine, or an article of clothing. An approximate value will be determined to inform you if it’s a “Trinket or Treasure.” Please submit all pictures and questions by the preceding 15th of the month for possible publication in the next monthly issue of The Catoctin Banner. All inquiries will be answered; however, only those selected for publication will include approximate value assessments. Furthermore, not all submissions may be published in the Banner due to space considerations. Please include your name or initials and where you reside. Thank you and happy treasure hunting!
“I bought this table from the back of a pick-up truck for $50. The base was broken, so I had a friend repair it. The middle part with the drawers rotate and the top and bottom stay stationary. It has eight drawers in four separate areas. It’s in rough shape, and I would love your opinion on restoring it. The top has a leather insert.
The lamp was purchased at a yard sale for $20; it’s one of my favorite items. It, too, has some damage, only at the top where the lamp bar is.
Thank you.”
— Tammy Bomberger, Rocky Ridge
Although it’s in need of some TLC, you have a leather-top, drum table treasure! These mahogany tables are also referred to as gaming tables and library tables. The Weiman Company manufactured “heirloom quality” occasional furniture in Rockford, Illinois from 1935 until 1968. If a nameplate exists or any identification authenticating this table as a Weiman, then you can add a few more dollars to its value once it’s refinished and repaired. There are chips in the veneer that would require a professional’s attention should you decide to repair it. Otherwise, a light cleaning with orange oil or lemon oil would safely nourish the wood. Try a very light application of a little saddle soap on a moist cloth to the leather top to clean and condition it. Shine up the brass feet and drawer pulls for a crisper, classic look. This style of mahogany furniture is plentiful and not particularly in demand in the current market. However, Weiman tables from the 1940’s in excellent condition can be found on internet antique and vintage sites with a price tag of $350.00 and up.
It appears your mom purchased a reproduction treasure! The egret lamp is likely a TV top lamp and a mid-century treasure! The pottery resembles the highly sought after majolica, and although it is not, the colors, texture and detail do make this lamp base unique. TV top lamps came into vogue during the early days of television when it was commonly believed that watching TV could damage eyesight, due to the lowlight glow of the early screens. The best picture was in a completely dark room. TV top lamps were created to offer a little light so as to assuage any fears that eyes could be ruined by watching TV! Makers such as Royal Haegar, McCoy and Hull made all TV top lamps in the market by the 1960s. There were literally thousands of these lamps made by hundreds of manufacturers. In the early 1950’s, the lamps were small with no lamp shade. By the 1960s, the lamps became more ornate and were used as TV top décor instead of necessary light fixtures. They were made of plaster, porcelain, ceramics and even bakelite. The lamps became multi-use objects as planters, radios and clocks were imbedded in the design. Could you imagine watering a plant on top of a hot TV set with electric cords about?! More “kitsch” lamps had bases of horses, cats, panthers, owls, fish, mermaids, human figures and cartoon characters. You paid a fair price for this ceramic lamp which is from the early 1960s. Even though there are many TV lamps offered on the market, they are gaining popularity. Thank you for sharing this object d’art from the era of glow tube TV!
Please note: Prices realized at actual market may differ from those printed here. Neither The Catoctin Banner newspaper, nor the author, bear responsibility for a difference
