Collecting Compacts
When people think about collecting they often imagine that you need a lot of money to become a collector. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a beginner you might not want to start at the high end with, say, Georgian silver, but there are many beautiful objects at modest prices that would soon form a stunning collection and I would highly recommend collecting compacts.
Compacts appeal to our feminine side and remind us of a bygone age when life was somewhat more elegant than today. Because compacts were used by everyone they are not rare to find and can often be had for around £20 and you should definitely check out your local car boot sale or antiques fair.
Needless to say, the rarer examples are somewhat more expensive but still very affordable and prices depend on the condition of the piece. If you are starting out collecting compacts you should initially look out for two makers, Stratton and Kigu, which are the best known British compact makers. Stratton began making compacts in the 1920s and they were made in a number of shapes which were named Princess, Empress, Queen and so on. If a compact was called a convertable it meant that it could hold pressed as well as loose powder. The surface decorations were varied – there were gold tones, transfer prints and enamels as well as, tortoise shell, celluloid and embroidery. Stratton did not only pay attention to the look of the compact, they were also interested in improving the functionality and one of it’s innovations was the self opening lid which saved many a smart lady from a broken fingernail. Continue reading »
Filed under Style and Beauty | Tags: collecting compacts, compacts, coty, flying saucer, houbigant, kigu, stratton, yardley | Comment (0)