Cake Toppers Make a Lasting Impression with Collectors by Donald-Brian Johnson
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$1.50 AntiqueWeek T HE W EEKLY A N T IQUE A UC T ION & C OLLEC T ING N E W SP A PER VOL. 54 ISSUE NO. 2696 www.antiqueweek.com JUNE 8, 2021 Cake toppers make a lasting impression with collectors By Donald-Brian Johnson The June sun shines merrily, in a brilliant blue sky. The birds are chirp- ing, the church bells ring. The radiant bride and her glowing groom have at last shouldered their way through the shower of well-wishers, making a grand entrance at the wedding reception. Right now, they’re posed cheek-to- cheek behind another of the day’s star attractions: the wedding cake. Smiles are wide, as overlapping hands grasp a decorative knife, poised to cut that first festive slice at the cameraman’s com- mand. Chances are at the cake’s very tip- top, stands a platform with two minia- ture figures serving as a cake topper. Wedding cakes have been around for almost as long as weddings themselves. Above: Romance, 1990s-style. An embrac- However, the flat wheat cakes of ing couple, captured in a swirling pose. ancient Rome, and the honey-and-sesa- $35-$50. me concoctions of classic Greece bear Plenty of cake. Lots of frosting. But little resemblance to the treats we’re Above: Unusual “props” are the hallmarks of these toppers. Left: “Sailing to Happiness”, what about those toppers? German, 1920s. The wedding couple are bisque, the sailboat gum paste. Groom, 3 ½ familiar with today. Rather than serv- In ancient times, “totems,” small inches high, $375-$400. Center: “Sailor’s Valentine” gondola encased in sand and shells, ing as a focal point for the wedding handmade representations of the bride with chalkware couple under a shell canopy,1940s. Groom, 4 inches high, $150-$175. Right: feast, these biscuit-sized “wedding and groom, were offered up during A silk and satin airplane, complete with propeller, hovers over a 1930s bisque couple. cakes” were intended as symbols of fer- wedding ceremonies, in hopes of Groom, 4 inches high, $475-$500. tility. Several were eaten by the bride prompting marital blessings. Early and groom; then, in those pre-rice- American wedding parties, particularly Below: Rose O’Neill bisque “Kewpie Doll” couple, 1920s. The figures are dressed in crepe throwing days, the remaining crumbs paper and silk and are standing in crepe paper nut cups. Groom, 4 ½ inches high, $475- among those recently arrived in the were tossed over the bride’s head. $500. In the 1500s, the addition of spices country, often featured, as table favors, and dried fruits heightened the cakes’ tiny bride-and-groom dolls dressed in palate appeal, but the first sort of cake ethnic costume. But the best-known a modern bride and groom might find predecessor of the modern cake topper recognizable made its debut in the late came courtesy of Queen Victoria. 1600s. Among the clutch of French At her 1840 wedding to Prince chefs who followed Charles II from Albert, pride of place at the top of Vic- France to England, one pastry innova- toria’s wedding cake went to a figure of tor stacked several spiced fruitcakes “Britannia,” symbol of Great Britain. high, spackling the resulting pileup Although Victoria set the fashion, it with icing. His “layer cake” was an took several decades for figural cake immediate hit, appreciated for both its See Cake Toppers on page 27 taste, and imposing visual appeal. Below: A wooden wedding party, circa 1950. Groom, 3 ½ inches high, $75-$100/set. “A Country Gathering” to be held at Nichols & Dimes Antiques AdmissionFree 21st Saturday, June 12th, 8 AM to 4 PM Join Us & 20 Dealers Featuring Antiques For The Heart & Home Annual Judy Nichols • Elizabethtown, IN 47232 • 6 miles SE of Columbus, IN • 1 mile off Hwy. 7 or 31 812-579-5267 [email protected] www.nicholsndimesantiques.com Atlanta Expo Centers 3,500 Booths! Ohio Expo Center 800-1,200 Booths! SCOTT ANTIQUE MARKETS Atlanta, GA Columbus, OH *Dates subject to change (covid19) ANTIQUE AND DESIGNER ITEMS 2nd Weekend Jan 22 - 23 TM 740.569.2800 www.scottantiquemarkets.com Jun 10 - 13 Aug 12 - 15 Every Month Nov 27 - 28 Feb 26 - 27 2021 America’s Favorite Treasure Hunts! 2021 Jul 8 - 11 Sep 9 - 12 Dec 18 - 19 Mar 26 - 27 Page 2 WWW.ANTIQUEWEEK.COM June 8, 2021 NEWS Bruce Knight, founder of Heart of Ohio and Springfield show, dies By Eric C. Rodenberg the world. Before selling the show in which succinctly summed up his 1998, the show boasted 2,600 ven- business philosophy: “If sales are dors and had attendance records of poor make them good. If sales are SPRINGFIELD, Ohio — Antique more than 50,000 customers. good make them better. If sales are industry pioneer and entrepreneur He and his wife also founded Heart better make them great. If sales are R. Bruce Knight, 78, died May 25 af- of Ohio Antique Center, also located great give thanks and do the same ter a lengthy battle with cancer. in Springfield. Heart of Ohio, with tomorrow.” Knight was considered an indus- its 125,000 square feet of shopping “He was never discouraged,” Bar- try visionary who played a large and 700 vendors, rapidly became an ber said. “Sometimes he would say, role in making Springfield, Ohio, a “antiquing destination” for travelers ‘I think the dragons are winning to- destination for antique dealers and throughout the country. day, but we’ll go get them tomorrow.’ collectors. He and his wife, Vivalyn, “There was just an energy and He was always able to stay focused also traveled throughout the Unit- drive about him that never quit,” on what the big picture was.” ed States and five continents mak- Karen F. Barber, Chief Operating The Heart of Ohio Center will con- ing friends in the worldwide antique Officer of Heart of Ohio, said. “At tinue to operate under the direction community. the same time, he was compassion- of Vivalyn and Barber, much as it After attending The Ohio State ate and had a good rapport with the has for the past 23 years. “He built University and serving in the U.S. vendors and customers. this antique mall on providing good Army in Vietnam during the Tet “He had a way of drawing success- antiques and insisting on quality Offensive, Knight was initially em- Bruce Knight ful people into his world. His mind customer service. We plan to make ployed as an Industrial Engineer never stopped. He was a visionary sure his legacy lives on,” Barber Knight’s Antiques for more than 50 and Personnel Manager for Interna- in the antique industry. The way said. years. He was a major importer of tional Harvester. he laid out the floor plan of Heart In lieu of flowers, donations may be He had always been a passionate antiques for more than 40 years. of Ohio and put in a full-service made to the Animal Welfare League lover of antiques. His older brother In the late 1960s, when he was 25 restaurant, to the way he was loyal in his dog Zeus’ name at www.awl- recalls, as youngsters, he and Bruce years old, Knight created the Spring- to the customers and always striving springfieldohio.wixsite.com. The were always scouring the neighbor- field Antique Show and Flea Market to make things better. Many other family also asked those who remem- hood and beyond for “old things.” in Springfield, Ohio. During the next antique mall owners copied his busi- bered Bruce to share their stories at By the age of 12 Knight was already 31 years he built the show into one of ness techniques.” www.littletonandrue.com full-fledged collector. the biggest and best shows in the na- Knight had a sign attached to Bar- Contact: (937) 324-2188 Knight owned and operated tion drawing customers from around ber’s door when she became COO, www.heartofohioantiques.com Bill Crowder’s amazing life will go to auction at A & S By Eric C. Rodenberg WACO, Texas – In life, the late Bill Crowder, never let much grass grow beneath his feet. Described as a “workahol- ic” by son, Billy Crowder, he was a building contractor for more than 40 years, as well as a knowledgeable antique collector known throughout the country. In the town of Weatherford, Texas, about 30 miles due west of Fort Worth, Crowder restored historical buildings, built new homes and created shopping cen- ters. As a true Old West town, Weatherford has more than 60 Queen Anne, Victorian and oth- Above: An ornate, finely carved R.J. Horner crystal cab- er architecturally significant inet will be among the many important pieces of 19th homes built in the early 20th century craftsmanship being sold from the Crowder es- Above: The detailed hand-carving on an R.J. Horner 19th century century sitting along tree-lined tate by A & S Auctions. Crowder traveled throughout the cabinet illustrates the artistry that sets the New York company apart avenues. country to build an impressive antique collection. from other furniture companies of the period. The Second Empire-style Park- er County Courthouse, located man who lived to work.” lect lots, there are early neon ad- el with an uncle who made his in the center of town, is another Crowder died at the age of 87 vertising clocks, oak hall trees, a living traveling the countryside impressive Weatherford struc- years in October 2019. Through- Wurlitzer Model 1100 juke box, with a movie projector and set- ture. As a craftsman, himself, out more than 50 of those years, firearms, old railroad items and ting up screenings throughout Crowder appreciated the craft he collected some of the very fin- an impressive array of antique towns in the rural South.