KOVELS: ANTIQUES & COLLECTING

Before there were photographs and television, some of the best likenesses of important people were created by makers of ceramics. English Staffordshire potters made many versions of a figure about 15 inches high with a head that was altered to look like Benjamin Franklin or George Washington. This group of figures came in white or multicolored finishes. Both the Washington and Franklin figures held a tri-corner hat and an open printed book. Franklin's hair is longer than Washington's and two different faces were used, both based on famous portraits, so today we can easily distinguish the two Founding Fathers. But in past centuries, few would have been familiar with what the men looked like. Most of these figures date from 1876 and were made to celebrate the U.S. Centennial, although collectors and many experts in the 1950s believed they were made in the early 1800s. Figures that look like Franklin but are inscribed "Washington" sell for high prices, probably because collectors like "error" pieces.

Research in recent years has proved that many bandannas, plates, bedspreads, figures and other Americana items that look like they were made about 1800 were actually made for tourists during the Centennial year of 1876.

This 15-inch Staffordshire figure of Benjamin Franklin in Colonial dress was made in 1876 for the Centennial celebration. It sold for $1,180 at a spring Early American History auction in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. Ms. Kovel answers your questions:

Q: My family inherited a Windsor chair from my husband's great-grandfather. It's maple and marked "Bent & Bros. 1867, Gardner, Mass." I would like to know something

about the company.

A: Brothers Samuel and R.L. Bent founded Bent & Bros., a chair manufacturing business, in Gardner in 1867. That's why the company used the year 1867 in its mark. A third brother, Charles, joined the firm in 1868. Bent & Bros. was one of several successful Gardner furniture companies. It managed to stay in business through the 20th century and closed just a few years ago.

Q: My antique music box is stamped "Mechanical Orguinette Style F" on the top. There's a crank on the side that turns the paper music rolls. The metal mounting roll is 7 ¾ inches wide. Any idea how old it is and what it's worth?

A: The Mechanical Orguinette Co. was founded by William B. Tremaine in 1878 to make small, hand-cranked, roll-operated instruments. During the 1880s, orguinettes (also called organettes) were popular across the country. Many were sold via mail order. In 1887, Tremaine organized the Aeolian Co. to make much larger instruments, including chamber organs and player pianos. The Mechanical Orguinette Co. was merged into Aeolian that same year, so your instrument dates from the 1880s. We have seen organettes the age and style of yours sell for $350 and up.