Baby origin tales remain popular
Where do babies come from? Explaining this through the centuries has required imaginative explanations.
During the 19th century in the U.S. and Europe, the most popular answer was “the stork brought him” or “he was found in the cabbage patch.” Those stories actually date to well before the 1600s.
Different countries had different stories, though. The baby could be found under a lime tree, for example, in places where cabbages didn't grow. Some said babies were brought by wild forest women, animals or water sprites.
In Germany, there was Der Kindlbringer, who dressed like a harlequin. At an auction in July in Washington, D.C., a 5-inch porcelain figurine made in about 1850 went for $513.
Q: We were given my fiancee’s grandmother’s collection of hatpins. We believe they are from around 1921. What is the best way to sell them?
A: Women wore bonnets until about 1860. Hatpins came into use when hats without ties became fashionable and the pins were needed to hold them on. Hatpins also were used to pin hairpieces on to create the puffy hairstyles popular in the late 1800s and early 1900s. When smaller hats and shorter hair became popular in the 1920s, hatpins were no longer needed. This 5-inch Der Kindlbringer figure sold for $513.
Hatpins have been made of a variety of materials, can be simple or ornate, and can be as long as 12 inches. Their value is determined by workmanship and the materials; they sell today for less than $15 to a few hundred dollars. The American Hatpin Society (www. americanhatpinsociety. com) may be able to help you find someone to buy your collection.