Family Things and Memories

One of the many reasons most of us love antiques is that they remind us of days gone by, of precious times as a child, of stories we hear the older folks tell. Often the antiques, or vintage items, we inherit have a special meaning for us and we incorporate them into our own homes. We love seeing those posted at Dusty Old Thing. They are all special.

Here are a few we’ve selected to feature this morning. They are all different, but they are used. They are displayed. The stories they contain beckon to be told.

from: Terry Hensley: “my grandmother’s hutch containing her blue willow — now residing in my dining room”

One thing we can all be grateful for is that today’s emphasis upon more minimalist decorating tends to call for solid colors behind blue and white transferware. Back in the Aesthetic period when it became the height of avant garde, it might have been on a wall decorated with peacocks or a William Morris paper. Terry’s room is beautiful and her grandmother’s hutch and built-in (an old window?) are perfect for the china.

from: Nancy Ross: “Great grandmother Bowler brought this from Missouri , by train, in 1921 . It still has original shipping tag on back! I’ve never seen one this big. It has pie safe and sugar storage on right, flour mill with Sifter on left. Spice rack with accordion pull down in center. Porcelain pull out with two wooden cutting boards. Bottom has three draws , one being a bread drawer. And center shelf pullout.”

Nancy’s “hoosier” is one of the finest we’ve ever seen…and the first one with two “biscuit boards”. That was for a family that did a lot of baking! It’s a joy to see and to hear the story of it being shipped.

from: Leslie Book: “One of my favorite things is this black amethyst vase that belonged to my mother. It is sitting on my “dusty old” washstand.”

from: Anita Anderson Hale: “Hopalong Cassidy collection that belonged to my dad, Kern Anderson.”