Wall to Wall Family

As a Genealogist, I have been very fortunate over the decades to gather old family photos. Some are originals, some are scans of originals, some I have received from other family researchers, and some I have just taken with my phone camera when I saw them somewhere. For many years they were tucked away in cupboards and drawers. I finally decided not to worry about them fading and put some of them where I could see them. (I have scanned them all already so I have copies.) I really enjoy seeing them every day. Can’t remember where we bought the shelving but you can find it online and in home improvement stores. I wanted the frames to be a mixture of types and sizes but in a brown and gold color scheme.

Sorry for the glare, there is a large sliding glass door/window at one end of the family room and even with the curtains closed, there is a glare. Discussing the frames anyway, not the photos. These two (my mother and her father) I framed myself with frames from Michaels or Aaron Brothers. I watch for vintage looking frames when I go there. Sometimes I have found great vintage frames at garage sales and estate sales.

I bought this frame (my husband’s parents) on Etsy, it actually came from Eastern Europe and it is carved wood. This one is one of my favorites. Etsy and Ebay are another good source for vintage frames.

I think these (my paternal grandparents) both came from Aaron Brothers. (Now closed but they frame at Michaels now.) The left one is metal and really looks vintage I think. I like the flowers on the right one.

Sometimes I have a photo (my mother, left front, aunt on the right, and grandmother) that has its original frame. I try to keep it intact if I can. This frame has a few nicks and scratches but I love that it is the original.

This one (my maternal grandmother) was also an Aaron Brothers purchase. I like the Mission style with the feet. I think it matches the time period of the photo well.

This one (my husband’s maternal Great-Grandmother) has a leather feel to it. I like the corner designs. I found it at a garage sale.

I put my family on the bottom shelf and my husband’s family on the top. They are all labeled on the back and I have copies of them all. I often stop and look at them and really enjoy having them where I can see them. I think you should put your old photos where you can enjoy them!

Pottery, Blue and Blue and Blue

Camark Pottery

More of my pottery collection, these are my favorite cobalt blue ones. I love their attitudes! This one above isn’t labeled but it was made by Camark Pottery. Camark was a pottery company that was founded in 1924 in Arkansas. The company was in business until 1983. I just love the form and shape.

This one is just labeled 505 USA but a photo online tells me it was made by Camark.

This one has part of a Camark label and 864 USA on it.

This pitcher is unlabeled but it was made by Camark Pottery in the 1930’s. I love the lines of it and all the curly cues!

Cut Glass and otherwise

I have started an inventory of all the “stuff” in this house. My family wants me to identify things so that they will know whether it is something I bought on ebay or a family heirloom. I am the only one who knows all the back stories about everything. I started with the top shelf of one of my three china cabinets, this cabinet I inherited from my mother who got it from her mother. I love that it was in my grandmother’s house because she died when I was 6 and I have no memories of her.

This is the cut glass bowl I inherited from my mother who received it after her mother died. My mother cherished it and so do I knowing it belonged to my grandmother Joanna. The pattern is a variation of the Cluster pattern and it takes its name I think from the group of seven circles in the first photo of the bowl. It is not perfect, it has a few nicks in the edges of the glass but it is priceless to me. I wonder if my grandmother kept it in this cabinet like I do.

This is a nappy in the same pattern that I found in an antique mall several years ago.

This is a creamer with the same pattern.

And the matching sugar bowl with the same pattern, this is a large sugar bowl. It measures 7” across with the handles. I found them both in an antique mall many years ago.

This is a small tray that is a variation of the Cluster pattern. My husband gave it to me for Valentine’s Day.

This is a large cut glass tray that I bought with money I was paid for writing a feature article about riding trains that was published in the Los Angeles Times. I decided to use the money for something special.

This is known as a celery dish. I like the swirl design. I bought it at an antique mall.

This is known as a spooner, a place to set spoons down. I like the unique detail on the bottom. I bought it at an antique mall. These are some of my favorite pieces of cut glass. I don’t buy anymore because I have run out of room but I really enjoy owning these pieces.

Pottery, California, and Otherwise

It all started with a couple vases inherited from my mother. A tall, white, simple pattern, I remember them in the house growing up. 

I liked the matte finish and I started looking for pottery in antique malls and later online on Ebay.  I mostly focused on blues and greens. California Pottery had its heyday from the 30's to about the 60's for the most part but I added pottery from other areas as well.  Some of the vases in my collection are labeled on the bottom but I didn't collect by maker or for investment, just what I liked.

I love this pitcher, I have always had a weakness for pitchers and I love the curves of this and how tall it stands.

Some colors were a mistake because the monitor when I bought the item showed a different color and it wasn't accurate.  This was supposed to be a true green but I actually loved this color as soon as I saw it.

This is the only one here that is labeled, it was made by Stangl Pottery.  Stangl was a pottery company started in 1929 in New Jersey.  They went out of business in 1978.

I have several that are this color and then some that are a bright cobalt blue.  I stopped collecting a few years ago, I simply ran out of room to display them all!  I have some displayed in different rooms of the house and I really enjoy looking at them.