A bird in the house worth much to settlers, collectors

A birdhouse in the backyard is not a new idea. In the 19th century, there were many attempts to lure birds into a yard. Settlers often ate birds such as wild ducks, geese or turkeys, but small songbirds were welcomed to eat bugs, caterpillars and other pests.

A Victorian house might have had a birdhouse that was a small copy of a Victorian-style house, with “rooms” for many birds. Colonial houses often had openings near the top of the roof that were made to help birds build safe, dry nests under the overhang.

But birdhouses did not always resemble real houses. Sometimes a stoneware jug birdhouse or a sewer pipe “fantasy” birdhouse was created by a talented folk artist. And since birds will nest in any space that has a small opening, most amateur birdhouses were soon occupied.

A very rare stoneware birdhouse from the 1870s sold recently for $71,500. It looked a little like a jug with a hole in the side. The maker signed it “M + T Miller, Newport, Perry Co, Penn.” A blue incised design of a man’s bust in a wreath and birds perched on branches made it clear this was meant for a bird.

Any birdhouse that’s old and has a folk-art look is popular with gardeners and collectors. Price is determined by age, the skill of the maker and the “cuteness” factor.

Q: My antique game table is in great shape. The inscription on the bottom reads, “Hunzinger, Pat. June 26, 94.” The round tabletop can be completely reversed on pivots in two of the four table legs. The top is wood on one side and felt with bins for poker chips or game counters on the other. There’s a platform near the bottom mounted on the legs, which curve inward. I can’t find any information about this sort of table.

A: George Jakob Hunzinger (1835-1898) was an important New York furniture maker and designer. He was a cabinetmaker in Germany before he moved to the United States in 1855 and opened a furniture-manufacturing shop in New York City. The business thrived, and Hunzinger became best known for his innovative chairs, including platform rockers, lounge chairs and folding chairs. Some of his chairs look as though they were made from plumbing parts.

Your game table is a well-known Hunzinger patented design. It was made in different sizes and with different kinds of wood, and some tables have inset checkerboard tops. The tables were manufactured until at least 1920. Prices range from $600 to close to $2,000.

Q: I have an old wooden baby stroller that can be folded up into a small carrying case. The label on it reads “Kari Kart, U.S. Hame Co., Buffalo, N.Y.” Any idea when it was made?

A: U.S. Hame Co. was in business from 1902 to 1917, so your stroller dates from those years. A hame is one of two curved pieces of a draft animal’s harness. U.S. Hame Co. made horse collars, saddles, hames and other carriage hardware.

Someone must have decided U.S. Hame should diversify — and invented your stroller. But the company went in another direction. It changed its name to USHCO Mfg. Co. in 1917 and started making chassis for Ford and Chevrolet trucks.

Tip: To remove stains from a glass vase, fill it with a mixture of ammonia and water and let it stand for a few hours.

Ralph and Terry Kovel’s column is syndicated by King Features. Write to: Kovels, (Las Vegas Review-Journal), King Features Syndicate, 888 Seventh Ave., New York, NY 10019.