The Antiques Magpie : A Compendium of Absorbing History, Stories and Facts From the World of Antiques

Other titles in series; Title page; Copyright information; Dedication; About the author; Contents; Introduction; Mythical objects; The Antiques Roadshow: a national treasure; What's in a name?; Napoleon's penis; Coining it; A ghost story; Punch and Joan; Is it possible to die of nostalgia?; Drop-dead gorgeous; A history of -isms; Looking glass; The language of jewellery; Tretchikoff -- king of kitsch?; A catalogue of errors; State of play; Ulfberhts, Chanel handbags, patents and copyright; Mermaids and sirens; Did Elgin steal the marbles?; What is Art Deco?; The Queen's knickers.;A fascinating compendium of absorbing history, stories, facts, anecdotes and puzzles from the world of antiques. Other titles in series Title page Copyright information Dedication About the author Contents Introduction Mythical objects The Antiques Roadshow: a national treasure What's in a name? Napoleon's penis Coining it A ghost story Punch and Joan Is it possible to die of nostalgia? Drop-dead gorgeous A history of -isms Looking glass The language of jewellery Tretchikoff -- king of kitsch? A catalogue of errors State of play Ulfberhts, Chanel handbags, patents and copyright Mermaids and sirens Did Elgin steal the marbles? What is Art Deco? The Queen's knickers. Treasure trove -- the lawThe life of a mudlark Animal, vegetable or mineral? Plastic fantastic Image conscious Comic book heroes Merchandising mania The death and burial of Cock Robin Decoding art Smash it up! Warhol in a skip Droit de suite The first museums Tradescant's Ark Metal guru The gold standard Tavernier's Law Dead and gone In the face of death Bullet point Key man Do girls like playing with trains? Balls À la Française or à la Russe? Hard-paste or soft-paste? Willow pattern Crash mail The value of courage Top ten film posters Star bores Where is it? Auction bidderStolen to order Backstairs Billy Helen of Troy What's a Grecian urn? How to spot a fake Tom's time bombs Charity case Provenance is everything A family business Wooden puzzle Five-clawed dragons Poison chalice Empire crunch The Biddenden Maids The rarity of cats Branded Fake or fortune found? Step into history Design icons Luggage label Etiquettes de vins The president's tipple Hitler's diaries The Gang of Five A complete monopoly Card sharp Cereal killer The history of hallmarks Heritage lottery Ten a penny Ooh-err missus Vanitas. London Bridge is falling downLost Leonardo 1933 penny Japanese dress sense Swordplay Cloisonné or champlevé? Chinese whispers Austerity measures Gnome alone Fake dinosaurs Name check Made to kill Flag day Clean me Social worker Acknowledgements Appendix I: At a glance British and French monarchs Appendix II: A brief guide to periods and styles Bibliography Also available in this series. From the mythical artefacts of the ancient world to prized 80s pop memorabilia – and the dedicated collectors who revere these objects – The Antiques Magpie brings together a treasure trove of stories, anecdotes and facts from the wonderful world of antiques. The Antiques Magpie divulges closely-guarded insider tips on how to discover fakes and forgeries; explains how boom and bust can have a devastating impact on the antiques market, and why a Chinese five-clawed dragon, rather than four, can make a porcelain vase worth millions. Sure to delight and surprise, Marc Allum’s Magpie examines the most respected design icons throughout history, explores conundrums like who invented glass, reveals the most expensive antiques ever sold, the subtle differences between collecting and hoarding and much, much more... antiques,history,collectables "From the mythical artefacts of the ancient world to saucy seaside postcards, The antiques magpie explores the wonderful world of antiques and collectables. With Antiques Roadshow regular Marc Allum as your guide, go in search of stolen masterpieces, explore the first museums, learn the secrets of the forgers and brush up on your auction technique. Meet the garden gnome insured for GBP1 million, track down Napoleon's toothbrush, find out how to spot a corpse in a Victorian photograph - and much more. This book is for anyone who's ever been fascinated by what relics of the past tell us about history - and what they are worth today."--Publisher description A collection of anecdotes, facts, figures, folklore and literature, The Nature Magpie is a veritable treasure trove of humanity’s thoughts and feelings about nature. With acclaimed nature writer Daniel Allen as your guide, join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, choose your side – pineapple or durian – in the great 'king of fruits' debate and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Meet the roadkill connoisseurs, learn to dance the Hippopotamus Polka, find out the likelihood of sharing your name with a hurricane – and much more. Fascinating lists, facts, stories, poems, drawings, diagrams - and even jokes - across the scientific disciplines and from science's bejewelled history. From the Large Hadron Collider rap to the sins of Isaac Newton, The Science Magpie is a compelling collection of scientific curiosities. Expand your knowledge as you view the history of the Earth on the face of a clock, tremble at the power of the Richter scale and learn how to measure the speed of light in your kitchen. Skip through time with Darwin's note on the pros and cons of marriage, take part in an 1858 Cambridge exam, meet the African A collection of anecdotes, facts, figures, folklore and literature, The Nature Magpie is a veritable treasure trove of humanity's thoughts and feelings about nature. Join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, see London Zoo through the eyes of its earliest visitors, consider the regional accents of animals, and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Be amazed by the natural wonders of the world, amused by ancient explanations for earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes, and in awe of nature's forms, from majestic mountains t "Simon Flynn's cornucopia of curious facts, anecdotes, and quotations . . . is sure to entertain and surprise." New Scientist From the Large Hadron Collider rap to the sins of Isaac Newton, The Science Magpie is a compelling collection of scientific curiosities. Expand your knowledge as you view the history of the Earth on the face of a clock, tremble at the power of the Richter scale, and learn how to measure the speed of light. Simon Flynn was the publisher at icon Books for many years and is now a qualified science teacher. He has degrees in chemistry and philosophy. From the Large Hadron Collider rap to the sins of Isaac Newton, The Science Magpie is a compelling collection of scientific curiosities. Expand your knowledge as you view the history of the Earth on the face of a clock, tremble at the power of the Richter scale and learn how to measure the speed of light in your kitchen. Skip through time with Darwin’s note on the pros and cons of marriage, take part in an 1858 Cambridge exam, meet the African schoolboy with a scientific puzzle named after him and much more. With acclaimed nature writer Daniel Allen as your guide, join naturalists, novelists and poets as they explore the most isolated parts of the planet, choose your side - pineapple or durian - in the great 'king of fruits' debate and discover which plants can be used to predict the weather. Meet the roadkill connoisseurs, learn to dance the Hippopotamus Polka, find out the likelihood of sharing your name with a hurricane - and much more."--Back cover Science, humankind's greatest intellectual achievement, is capable equally of delight and amusement as much as learning and the advancement of knowledge. 'The Science Magpie' brings together a hugely diverse collection of classic, common and unusual titbits from across science and its history The Nature Magpie picks the choicest morsels from history, literature, philosophy, science and more of the natural world.