# Country Furniture, Primitives, Folk Art, ‘Ugly’ Fascinate A 1 This Gem roller organ was typical of those used by itinerant preachers who could easily carry the model on horseback. At services, the preacher inserted a “cob” and cranked the organ while the crowd sang along. LOU ANN GOOD Food And Family Features Editor SCHAEFFERSTOWN (Leba non Co.) For the person who wants a unique coffee table guar anteed to stimulate conversation, A 1 Flammer has just the piece. It’s an 1870 viewing coffin with original racks, a container for ice to keep the body cool, and hinged doors. The approximately six-foot pine-crafted box has two doors on the top that open and close to enable the head and arms of the deceased person to be viewed. The viewing coffin was used as the name entails at viewings for “This is stuff I enjoy,” Al said of the cupboard with a A platter in the poly collection of gaudy ironstone, flo-blue, blue transfer, chrome transfer pattern polychrome transfer, and even a wooden tobacco jar. sells well in the area. the deceased. After the viewing the deceased was placed inside a simple pine box for burial. The viewing coffin was then ready to use for the next funeral. A 1 believes this type of casket was used until about 1910 when metal caskets became available. When asked if a coffin such as this is primarily purchased by museums or for private collec tions, AI shrugs. “When I suggest that prospective clients use it as a coffee table, the women shud der,” he said. It’s unusual pieces such as these that fascinate AI. Pieces such as these capture history in a way that reading about it can never do. A] enjoys talking about the uniques pieces he has col lected. . The unversed collector may in quire about the occasional ugly piece that A 1 bids on at auction and asks, “What are you going to do with that ugly thing?” “‘Ugly’ sells. ‘Ugly’ brings big bucks,” A 1 says of many primi tive pieces. But most of his pieces are not ugly even to the untrained eye. One of these is a Gem roller organ. The hand-cranked tab letop model has numerous “cobs” called that because the wooden rollers look like com cobs. The rollers are indented with mark ings that produce wonderful tunes when inserted and cranked inside the roller. “Most of tunes are Southern and Christian songs,” A 1 said. That’s because the roller organs were often used by itinerant preachers who could carry the small tabletop organ on horse back. During church services, the preacher cranked the organ and the crowd sang along. A 1 believes the roller organs were popular from 1850-1890. In his 30 years of selling antiques, this is only the second model he has been able to purchase. The roller organ sells for $795 at Al’s Antiques. Formerly called An tiques on the Square, where Routes 897 and 419 meet in Schaefferstown, Al’s Antiques deals mostly with country fumi- (resiles* This 1870 viewing coffin includes original racks on which to place the body, below the slated rack is a con tainer for ice used to keep the body cold. The lid was placed on the body and two top doors opened and closed to enable the bereaved to view the face and hands of the deceased. ture, primitives, pottery, folk art, and ‘ugly’ things. He has a selec tion of redware pot tery. Most are in their primitive state, but one large urn that he esti mates was made in 1880 was later painted and embel- lished with flowers. “But it Although the floral gets in your design is tastefully blood and done, AI said it de- stays in it,” values the piece. He Al said of his figures the painting and his was probably done wife’s deci during the 19305. sion to again Many shelves, set up shop, old cupboards, and “It spites display cabinets me that I enable Al’s exten- This redware vessel, sold so sive collection of about 1880, was embel- many of pottery to be view- lished with a floral painting, Pieces at ed. This includes which devaluated the piece cost. My in- Polychrome trans- but is sure to attract a ventory is fer, Adams-style buyer. really low pottery, Gaudy compared Welsh, Flo-blue, blue transfer, to what I had,” he said. “I’m Bennington, Rockingham, and from the old school. No credit other patterns. cards, no computer, and no cell “I like kitchen stuff,” A 1 said phones. People are amazed, but of gadgets such as cherry pitters, Fm proving you can run a busi apple peelers, and utensils, ness without those things.” “These pieces help us realize how Al’s Antiques was formerly hard the frontier women had to known as Antiques on the work. She was in front of her Square. For more information, cookstove from morning to night call A 1 at (717) 949-2871. Rockingham and related pottery styles include teapots with Rebecca at the well designs, Turks head molds, bundt molds, and others. using these things,” A 1 said. After Sept. 11, Al sold most of his collection in tending to re tire from the business , of selling and buying.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers