For Fine Watches, Try A Breitling
BOOK REVIEW
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A Navitimer in gold, circa 1967. It is valued at $5000-$5500.
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Breitling is a well-known name for anyone familiar with fine watches. The company was founded in 1884 , when 24-year-old Leon Breitling finished his training as a watchmaker in Switzerland. In this country of watchmakers, he soon realized that he would need to specialize if he was not to be just one of the crowd. His first timepieces were his own inventions: a variety of complicated watches, chronographs and special measuring instruments for use in the watchmaking industry.
By 1936, the company was being run by Leon’s grandson, Willy, and at this time Breitling began a close relationship with air travel. Will Breitling made on-board chronographs available and these were used first on propeller-driven aircraft and later in the jet planes of Boeing, Douglas and Lockheed.
One of Breitling’s best known products is the Navitimer, for use by pilots, that was introduced in 1952. Pilots could use it for more than keeping time. It also contained an integrated calculator able to handle mathematical computations during flight.
Another Breitling product, the Cosmonaute, featured a 24-hour indication, a chronograph and a calendar.
Over its 100 years in business, the company has also produced ordinary wristwatches of fine quality.
All of these timepieces are covered in the 3rd edition of Breitling, The History of a Great Brand of Watches 1884 to Present, by Benno Richter. It is an overview of all the kinds of watches made by Breitling, supplemented with photos, old catalogs and advertising material, and contains a thorough history of the company. It also contains a value guide.
Published by Schiffer Publishing, the book is priced at $49.95. Contact your local bookseller or see Schiffer’s online catalog: www.schifferbooks.com.
Donna Miller
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Don’t Tell Anyone, But Kerosene
Helped Save The Whales
BOOK REVIEW
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This Victor No. 1 junior kerosene lamp is 8” tall. Is is valued by the authors at $225. |
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In the late 1890s, much of America’s indoor lighting was still provided by kerosene lamps, and the brass center-draft kerosene lamps produced some of the best light available for everyday activities. These are the subject of Kerosene Lamps, 1884-1940, a Collector Books publication written by J.W. Courter.
These center-draft lamps burned with a bright flame and they were used as study lamps, store lamps, hotel lamps and even factory and mill lamps, as well as throughout the home. Since fire was always a problem, safety standards were being developed during this time, also, as well as improvements in the fuel, the wicks, and the use of glass chimneys. The brass lamps were also safer than the glass ones, since they didn’t break (at least, not easily.)
The author uses 1884 as his starting date because in that year a man named Leonard Henkle patented a thimble flame spreader. It specified “a burner with a wick tube (draft tube) and a thimble perforated to turn the air in jets against the flame.” Rights to the patent were purchased by Charles Upton, who sold Rochester brand lamps worldwide using this patent. During the course of the next 20 years, dozens of competitors appeared with their variations of the technique.
The ending date of 1940 was selected because at that time the well-known firm of Bradley & Hubbard, maker of the Rayo lamp, ceased doing business as an independent company.
A very thorough history of kerosene lamps made in America is included. Also useful is a page with thumbnail pictures of the different styles of lamps, with the name(s) by which each is known – store lamp, vase lamp, student lamp, station lamp, and so forth.
Following the section describing the development of the lamps, the companies which made them are discussed, with examples, in alphabetical order. Altogether, 52 companies are included. While the majority of the lamps are made of brass, some are made of other materials, such as brass or silver.
Center-draft Kerosene Lamps, 1884-1940 (ISBN 978-1-57432-566-9), hardback, is priced at $24.95. It includes a value guide. Check with your local bookseller or visit online, www.collectorbooks.com.
Donna Miller
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Library Of Interesting Books
Published By Schiffer
Recent books published by Schiffer Publishing show a variety of interesting titles.
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A basketball uniform by A.G. Spalding about 1904 consisted of worsted wool jersey, canvas quilted pants, cotton padding and plastic buttons. it is valued at $300-$500.
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Antique Sports Uniforms & Equipment, 1840-1940, by Dan Hauser, Ed Turner & John Gennantonio, covers the early years of baseball, football and basketball. Each of the sections begins with a historical overview of the game and a brief description of the “language” of the game.
For example, a lemon peel ball is a baseball in which the leather is stitched in four equal separate sections; it would resemble a lemon if it were peeled. It was popular from the 1830s to the 1850s.
A grange head helmet was a leather football helmet consisting of multiple leather straps running side to side and front to back over a leather head cover. It was used from the mid-1920s to the mid-1930s.
Quilted pants were part of the basketball uniform worn from the early 1900s to 1915. They were made of heavy canvas cotton, with light cotton or horse hair padding sewn between two layers of material in a diamond or checkerboard pattern at the hips and knees.
The book is a price guide, and includes values for uniforms, balls, other gear particular to each sport, photographs and ephemera. It is priced at $49.99. (ISBN: 978-0-7643-3018-6.)
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A woman in uniform is presented on this American Institute of Laundering sign. It has a 15” diameter and dates to the late 1920s. It is valued at $600.
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Signs of Our Past, Porcelain Enamel Advertising in America, by Michael Bruner, incudes examples of everything from motor oil to fountain pens that were promoted by this advertising medium.
These signs, once manufactured by the thousands and common everywhere, were colorful and many were works of art. Today, almost all of them have been withdrawn from use, but avid collectors are doing their best to find them and keep them.
The enamel signs fall into several groups, e.g., flat one-sided signs, flat two-sided signs, curved signs, etc., and they are grouped by type in the book.
Signs of our Past is priced at $49.99 Values are given for the examples included. (ISBN: 978-0-7643-3042-1.)
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This elephant is the corner design of a 38” x 38” wall hanging. He is dark purple in color, with yellow bands on his legs, red tusks, and a pink and yellow blanket on his back.
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Nomadic Embroideries, by Tina Skinner, with the Sam Hilu collection, uses 500 photographs to illustrate the embroidered creations of the tribal people of the Gujarat Province of India.
Original garments, temple offerings, banners, and quilted pieces are among the examples included in this collection of most interesting needlework.
Nomadic Embroideries is priced at $49.99. It is not a price guide. (ISBN: 978-0-7643-3032-2.)
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The Heritage of English Knives is written by David Hayden-Wright, one of Great Britain's most respected authorities on weaponry.
Two examples of English-made Bowie knives from the 1840s. Both were made for export to the United States.
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It includes information on many of the British cutlers, including some little known information, and many different types of knives. Over 300 photographs illustrate the text, which covers everything from simple penknives to elaborate exhibition pieces.
One special section is “The Bowie Knife - History, Legend & Myth.” This thorough telling of the life of Jim Bowie takes several pages - suffice it to say he was a fighting man who has maintained a place in history primarily because of the popularity of the knife that bears his name. Most Bowie knives were eventually crafted in England, which is why they are an important part of this book.
The Heritage of English Knives is priced at $95. It, too, is not a price guide. (ISBN: 978-0-7643-2693-0.)
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The books are available from Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310; phone (9610) 593-1777; email: Info@schifferbooks.com or online at www.schifferbooks.com.
Donna Miller
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