ON THE COVER -
May Issue 2006
Postcards Followed Growth of Indianapolis 500 Speedway....by Robert Reed
Unlike a great number of historic sports events, the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race has been fully documented by postcards. The great race got its beginnings in 1909 just at the dawn of the golden age of American postcards. In February of 1909 a group of business leaders formed a corporation in Indianapolis and purchased farmland at the edge of the city. Initially the Speedway Park was dedicated as a proving grounds for early automobiles. But it also allowed for some racing and crowds.

THE ANTIQUE DETECTIVE
Tobacco Art Can Be Another Art Form
Smoking may be bad for your health but, now is a good time to collect tobacco art. Most is still affordable and comes in a variety of forms. It can turn up anywhere. During the 19th century, the effects of smoking weren’t seen as a health threat. In fact it was a combination of changing fashion and printing technologies, mainly lithography, that had cigar and cigarette manufacturers, packagers and retailers competing for both women and men’s attention.

THE ANTIQUE DETECTIVE
Ancient Glass Techniques Still Used, Redefined
When it comes to glass making “everything old is new again.”  Well, at least sometimes. Creative glass techniques used in ancient Egypt and Rome have been rediscovered and used in new ways by such important glassmakers as Louis Comfort Tiffany. The recent November  James Julia auction of glass and lamps offered would-be glass collectors an opportunity to view many of these techniques revived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Q. I inherited a table which I can find no information on. Can you help me? The table is dark wood. It has three legs on a center shaft. The legs have carved britches, stockings and shoes. The top is inlaid with eight circles around the edge, each overlapping, each 5 1/2in in diameter and within each - a flower, like a four leaf clover. There is a rope design around each circle and everything is inlaid. The round top is 19in in diameter. The height of the table is 28in. Could you tell me the history and age?

Mother's Day Greetings....by Judy Penz Sheluk
"When I was knee high to a duck, you paddled me without much luck! And when you thought I had the chills, You stuffed me down with oils and pills! In spite of which, my Mother dear - I love you better every year.” 1920s Hallmark Mother’s Day Card. The earliest Mother’s Day celebrations can be traced back to ancient Greece, when spring festivities were held in honor of Rhea, the Mother of the Gods. Mothers were also honored in England during the 1600s, when Mothering Sunday was celebrated on the fourth Sunday of Lent.

From Tennessee, Hand Painted Folk Art....by Maureen Timm
England's "Torquay" pottery has become a popular collectible in recent years and many people are requesting background information on the potteries; the type of decoration and the period in which they first appeared. The "Devon Motto Ware" is by far the most popular of the Torquay wares in the United States and Canada. However it's unbelievable how popular the Torquay "Art" pottery is today.

Air Power in World War II....by Roy Nuhn
The colorful Florida art of the Highwaymen, the itinerant black painters of the second half the century, continues to attract interest and buyers. The top lot of the February 5 sale at Frank’s Antiques auction in Hilliard was a bucolic rural Florida landscape by Alfred Hair (1941-1970).  Hair was one of the earliest painters in the group and he had a great influence on the rest of the artists. His paintings are always well received. This one sold for $1,550 plus the ten percent buyer’s premium. Another Highwayman, a small oil on board by James Gibson, sold for $500.