Q: Enclosed is a photo of one of the vintage travel posters that were found in my family's basement. We think they were a collection of posters that belonged to my husband's great aunt. She was a nurse on a cruise ship in the 1930s and must have saved them. Marked on the poster are two letters and the words "J - P -Wiertz - Printed in Germany - Offsetdruck- Brandstetter - Leipzig - 23 1/2" X 39." The poster is in mint condition.
We would appreciate any information you can provide about the history, vintage and value of our poster.
A: Vintage travel posters are very collectible. Those made in the 1930s can give us a glimpse of a time gone by. Your poster was the creation of German artist Jupp Wiertz. He was born in Germany in 1888 and became a well-known commercial artist specializing in magazine illustrations and travel posters. Bayreuth is a city in Germany and the home of music composer Richard Wagner. "Offsetdruck" is the German word for "offset," a type of print used in making posters. "Brandstetter" is the name of the publisher that was located in Leipzig, Germany.
Your poster is circa 1937 and similar ones have sold in the range of $425 or more.
Q: This is a photo of the mark that is on a small plate that belonged to my grandmother. The plate is 6 inches in diameter and decorated with pink flowers and green leaves in the center, and gold floral bands on the edge.
Do you know the background of my plate and also its value?
A: Stetson China Company was founded in Chicago in 1919. In the beginning, it was a decorating and distributing firm, which purchased blanks from Mount Clemens Pottery located in Lincoln, Ill. By 1946, it purchased the Illinois China Company, also in Lincoln, so it would have a steady flow of blanks, not having to rely on an outside manufacturer. As soon as it bought the new company, it relocated to Lincoln and the name was changed to "Stetson China Company." Their dinnerware was sold in department stores, and the company also made premium pieces for Procter & Gamble. The factory was family-operated. By 1966, as with so many other china firms, Stetson couldn't compete with inexpensive imports so it closed.
Your plate was made around 1946 and would probably be worth $5 to $10.
Address your questions to Anne McCollam, P. O. Box 247, Notre Dame, IN 46556. Items of a general interest will be answered in this column. Due to the volume of inquiries, she cannot answer individual letters. To find out more about Anne McCollam and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com
View Comments