In 1770, master portraitist Thomas Gainsborough created a Rococo painting whose inexplicable universal appeal would echo on down through the ages into 20th century home decor and 21st century flea markets. Make room in your heart for this most splendid of boys!
Mar 31, 2021•27 min•Ep. 169
A Lounger At Clubs polishes off his masterwork with a chapter dedicated to a topic near and dear to our hearts - vintage fashion, or as he would have it, Old Clothes. What can be done to spruce up a vintage Victorian wardrobe? What 19th-century style advice remains? Join us for the conclusion to our antique fashion journey!
Mar 24, 2021•19 min•Ep. 168
From their magical history to their modern capitalist underpinnings and all the beautiful antique and vintage pieces in between, learn the many charms of charm bracelets!
Mar 17, 2021•39 min•Ep. 167
Ah, how language evolves! In this chapter of the Victorian budget fashion guide, A Lounger At Clubs tells us how to groom ourselves. Should you bathe? (Yes.) Should you wash your hair? (Yes.) Should you slather your scalp in animal grease to reverse male-pattern baldness? (Probably not.)
Mar 10, 2021•12 min•Ep. 166
Our friend Holli returns for a chat about the ethics of vintage shopping at thrift stores! Check out her Etsy at etsy.com/shop/nonasuch and follow her on Instagram @suffragettecityvtg
Mar 03, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 165
It's time for another antiques cryptid as we try and track down the origins of infamous 18th century pottery. Who is Tobias Jug? What is his relationship to Charles Dickens? And how do we know he's a lich?
Feb 24, 2021•24 min•Ep. 164
A Lounger at the Clubs returns for another chapter of Victorian fashion! Featuring 19th century advice on gloves, ties, pocket handkerchiefs, collars, gaiters, umbrellas, and jewellery. (Trigger warning for period typical anti-Semitism.)
Feb 17, 2021•23 min•Ep. 163
Before Paint Nite, there was... chalkware. Pennsylvania Dutch folk art turned punishment for the hubris of attending the carnival. If you want mid-century kitsch that'll melt in the rain, chalkware is the ware for you!
Feb 10, 2021•39 min•Ep. 162
The Antiques Freaks are joined by historical costumer Sarah Lederman (aka Sarah Sews, whom you might recognize from our series on The Gentleman's Art of Dressing with Economy ) for a history of the Singer Sewing Machine Company! Stay tuned to learn what sewing machine may work for you and why Wilkie Collins is the superior Victorian novelist. And keep your eye on her milliner shop at: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HalcombeDesigns
Feb 03, 2021•46 min•Ep. 161
We chat with our friend Hannah Haverkamp about historical costume design, Bridgerton, the Scarlet Pimpernel, Cinderella 2015, Beauty and the Beast 2017, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, and the obligatory corset scene in every historical film ever. Check out Hannah's illustration and costume design work on her official site: https://www.hjhaverkamp.com/ And connect with Hannah on twitter (@hjhaverkamp) and tumblr: https://haverkampink.tumblr.com/...
Jan 27, 2021•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 160
Carnacki the Ghost-Finder is back for revenge in his least-safe-for-work adventure yet! We are joined once again by our friends Paris and Chris from the Terrible Book Club podcast, here to help us wrestle this supernatural Sherlock Holmes rip-off into submission.
Jan 19, 2021•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 159
Mid-century vintage kitsch is back with a vengeance, and Sillisculpts take us on our silliest journey yet!
Jan 13, 2021•23 min•Ep. 158
Join the Antiques Freaks for a casual chat about contemporary collectible sculpture!
Jan 06, 2021•32 min•Ep. 157
We return to the anonymous Victorian authority on fashion to hear his thoughts concerning the indispensable article of menswear: shirts. If we learn nothing else from this episode, know this - NO DICKEYS!
Dec 30, 2020•16 min•Ep. 156
Do you love mid-century kitsch but wish it had more spontaneous combustion? Do you want your children's nightmares themed for the holiday season? Or were you just hoping to find a toy made almost entirely of sharp edges? We've got you covered with Knee-Hugger Elves, the bizarre precursor to Elf-on-a-Shelf!
Dec 23, 2020•20 min•Ep. 155
'Tis the season for toys! Adam (@liladam87) joins the Antiques Freaks to chat about action figure collecting, including Power Rangers, Transformers, Star Wars, whether or not Funko! Pops count as action figures, the bizarre horror of the Toybiz Famous Cover Series Aunt May Figure, and the importance of treating retail workers with dignity and kindness.
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 154
We are joined by musician extraordinaire and upcycling artist Andrew C. Marshall for a casual chat about antiques, irony, controversial musical tastes, watch repair, re-purposed pump organs, Victorian mourning jewelry, and what to do with your surplus pianos! Listen to Andrew's latest album Terrestrial Radio on Spotify and check out his woodworking and music on instagram (@andrew_c_marshall) and his website: www.andrewcmarshall.com
Dec 09, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 153
A listener suggestion brings us to Toleware! Painted tin from the Pennsylvania Dutch, amongst others, now featuring bonus controversy over the definition of folk art!
Dec 02, 2020•40 min•Ep. 152
Esteemed author A Lounger wears many hats, but a haberdasher he is decidedly not.
Nov 25, 2020•14 min•Ep. 151
Join the Antiques Freaks as we learn to discern the difference between real and fake Fostoria glass!
Nov 18, 2020•26 min•Ep. 150
We return to the wealth of Victorian vitriol offered by our friend A Lounger in his indispensable book The Gentleman's Art of Dressing with Economy , this time to learn all he has to say on 19th century footwear.
Nov 11, 2020•19 min•Ep. 149
A listener suggestion brings us into the realm of ironstone - a ceramic style as durable as it is beautiful!
Nov 04, 2020•23 min•Ep. 148
Woodrow Wilson, whale teeth, blood oath betrayal, glass sickness, and hot tips for book restoration! Somehow, this is our marbles episode. Enjoy!
Oct 28, 2020•37 min•Ep. 147
We return to the Victorian self-help guide to learn how to select the most fashionable and economical wardrobe of waistcoats and trousers, with perhaps a few hints as to the true identity of the mysterious author A Lounger At Clubs.
Oct 21, 2020•21 min•Ep. 146
Improve any porcelain instantly by adding DRAGONS! We chat about this delightful variety of vintage and antique Japanese pottery - some with hidden secrets!
Oct 14, 2020•23 min•Ep. 145
We return to The Gentleman's Art of Dressing with Economy by A Lounger at the Clubs to hear this mysterious author's thoughts on coats. From antimacassars to fundaments to the humble origins of Orlando Bloom's career, it's a refreshingly shade-tastic journey through Victorian fashion.
Oct 07, 2020•29 min•Ep. 144
Join us as we explore how these two Japanese pottery terms came to be so intertwined in the antiques industry.
Sep 30, 2020•25 min•Ep. 143
A fashionable wardrobe for the discerning gentleman need not be expensive! Please enjoy this whimsical Victorian self-help book, with tips such as: always pay cash, consider occasionally dampening your trousers with a wet sponge, and brush the street filth off your clothes before it rains!
Sep 23, 2020•24 min•Ep. 142
Our friends Paris and Chris from the Terrible Book Club podcast join us once again for another read-along of everyone's favorite Edwardian supernatural Sherlock Holmes rip-off, Carnacki the Ghost Finder! In the adventure of the Whistling Room, Carnacki visits a haunted castle in Ireland and finds it's full of clowns. Our extremely scientific bingo card proves this is the most Carnacki story we've read yet!
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 141
This ware was made for walking, and that's just what it'll do! Rejoice in the adorable kitsch of dishes, cups, plates, bowls, and all sorts of ceramics with cute little feet.
Sep 09, 2020•20 min•Ep. 140