There's something comforting and attractive about old items. Maybe it's the memories associated with them, the quality of workmanship and appearance-or all three.
Schiffer Books has just released three oversize hardback books about collecting old things-some small, some large.
World-Class Corkscrews by Donald A. Bull, Joseph C. Paradi and Bertrand B. Giulian is a must-have book for anyone who enjoys 'spirited' drinks.
I never knew there were so many corkscrews in so many varieties. Plain, elaborate, multi-use, wood, metal, ivory, plastic and everything in between has at one point or another become part of a corkscrew.
Filled with full-color photos of corkscrews spanning the centuries, each variation includes a concise history of the pieces along with interesting information about each.
It's fascinating how many variations were made and have survived.
It's hard to imagine that medicine varieties and distribution in the past were not as sophisticated and easily available as now.
For years medicine was not ready-made in tablets, pills and liquids, pre-mixed, pre-measured and easily available.
Pharmacies were known as Apothecaries and required waiting for medication as the 'chemist' mixed ingredients, both manmade and straight from nature.
Historical Apothecary Compendium: A Guide To Terms And Symbols goes into the history of Apothecary.
Daniel A. Goldstein provides exhaustive detail about apothecary and medical terms, listed alphabetically, including photos and illustrations of ingredients along with symbols used and full-color photos of Apothecary Jars.
So say, "Ahhh!" Get ready to take your medicine and discover where modern medicine originated from.
My wife and I have a few antique furniture pieces from the last couple of centuries. We love our old furniture. It's sturdy, attractive, well-built and really sets off any room they happen to occupy.
Although we can't afford furniture from the 19th Century we both appreciate its beauty, elegance and appearance.
Rainer Haaff presents a huge book dedicated to Magnificent 19th Century Furniture: Historicism In Germany and Central Europe.
Hundreds of full-color photos of beautiful furniture, for all uses, are accompanied by text sections about the history of each region and time they come from.
Individual pieces offer short information lines about their country of origin, time period, manufacturer and current price range.
It's a 'magnificent' book furniture lovers will appreciate.