There couldn't be a better time than July 4 to begin collecting antiques and future collectibles depicting American symbols of liberty.

        Whether it is the flag decals on our cars, the handbags sporting stars and stripes or the many other items sporting eagles and flags, we seem to be comforted by wearing and decorating with these symbols of patriotism. It has been so since the American Revolution, even during peace time.

        From a collector's point of view, these are important items to be saved as tomorrow's collectibles.

The eagle rules

Flag-motif blanket, 19th century.

Pearlware plate, early 19th century.

Mahogany liquor chest, circa 1790-1810.

Carved and painted tin cranking man and American flag folk art toy. circa 1900.

        The eagle always has been the most popular symbol of liberty. From the War of 1812 until after the Civil War, it and other patriotic symbols were used on every conceivable object — furniture, textiles and toys. Among the most expensive examples today are pieces of Federal furniture (1788-1825) with carved eagle pediments and inlays. Most of these examples are in museums or private collections.

        Throughout the centuries, America's amateur artisans have expressed their feelings of patriotism in different ways. Folk carvings of stone and wood have been seriously collected for several decades. Among the most expensive are the eagles carved by itinerant folk artist Wilhelm Schimmel.

        Imaginative toys and whirligigs with flags and Uncle Sam made with found materials by everyday mothers and fathers also sell well at auctions. Sleds, too, often became the canvas for painted eagles and flags.

        Still affordable are small, decorative accessories made by early American professional craftsmen. Bible boxes, mirrors and mantel clocks can be found for several hundred dollars.

        Women from the early 19th century on created blankets and quilts with the stars and stripes as the subject. They also used patriotic designs for hook rugs.

        “Freedom” or “patriotic” quilts were made to celebrate historic events, usually during times of war. Depending on the date they were made, they sport such symbols as stars and stripes, the American bald eagle and heroes such as George Washington.

        Handwoven coverlets with patriotic motifs, eagerly sought today, have been reproduced through the years.

English versions

        English potters seeking to cash in on early 19th-century American patriotic ferver used American symbols on tableware. Ceramic figurines of Benjamin Franklin, George Washington and other American heroes were made by Staffordshire potteries, as were blue and white transfer print dishes and other pieces with historic American scenes and events.

        Even children's mugs had portraits of Washington and Lafayette.

        Patriotic-symbol objects can turn up in unexpected places, such as salvage stores and garage sales. While dealers and pickers go searching there, it's still possible to find a cast-iron gate or section of fencing from the 19th century with eagles and stars.

        Rag boxes at garage and house sales are the source for bargain patriotic-motif textiles. Don't worry if they're falling apart; all you need is a piece large enough to preserve behind glass.

        Old frames often had patriotic motifs. Keep an eye out for small picture frames that contained photos of American servicemen during various wars. They often were embellished with flags and eagles. I found a tramp art mirror at a garage sale several years ago. The chip carving included the date, 1919, and rows of raised stars.

Centennial fever

        Humble, everyday objects glorified liberty symbols, too. These included door knockers, stoneware crocks and jugs, desk ornaments and weather vanes.

        It was the Philadelphia Centennial of 1876 that sparked interest in patriotic symbols.

        Mechanical still banks in the form of the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and the “new” Statue of Liberty were being mass-produced by 1886. Uncle Sam was another subject for novelty banks issued for the Columbia Exposition in 1893 and the Pan American Exposition in 1901.

        Postcards with patriotic themes were made from 1898 to 1918. Photo cards showing young women with a flag or even a woman depicting Betsy Ross making the first American flag were popular. It was customary, until after World War I, to send cards for the Fourth of July and Flag Day.

        Souvenir spoons — silver plate and sterling — made during the 1880s and 1890s featured American heroes and historical ships. They are relatively inexpensive today.

        In the 1920s there was a revival of interest in colonial furnishings and decorative objects. Colonial revival pieces — whether china, glass or wood — often had patriotic symbols. Prices for the best examples continue to rise.

        The 1976 Bicentennial sparked the manufacture of thousands of items, costly and inexpensive — pottery mugs, reproductions of tin cookie molds and woodenware butter stamps — all with patriotic designs. Banks and savings and loan institutions issued Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty banks.

        At that time, many antiques collectors, caught up in the excitement and hype, made their own symbolic objects or commissioned skilled craftsmen. Especially popular was the revival of quilts and quilting with liberty symbols.

        It was also a time when old pine chairs were decorated with eagles, the Great Seal and combinations of patriotic designs.

        With liberty such a precious commodity, no matter how humble or recent, objects with patriotic motifs are destined to be heirlooms for generations.

        Contact Anne Gilbert by mail: c/o Cincinnati Enquirer, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati 45202. Photos cannot be returned.
       

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