Carts simplified serving, replaced need for servants

Tea was first served in Europe about 1650, and the caffeinated drink became a popular beverage in the centuries that followed. So it is not surprising that some Arts and Crafts furniture designers labeled a table with wheels and a handle a "tea cart," even though it was used as a cart to serve any type of food.

There were many servants in a well-to-do home of the 1800s. But by the 1900s, houses were smaller and there was less household help. A small table with wheels was used to bring in dishes, hold food and remove used dishes. A rectangular table with simple straight legs was preferred. Add two large front wheels, two small back wheels and a handle, and you had an easily moved table.

The cart or server on wheels was a 20th-century idea that remains popular today. Vintage tea carts in Arts and Crafts, deco or '50s styles can be found at moderate prices. They especially are useful in small apartments with compact kitchens and tiny dining tables. Most tea carts listed at www.Kovels.com sold for less than $750.

Q: My mother gave me a 70-piece set of china in the 1940s. The dishes are decorated with pastel flowers and are marked on the back in green with the word "Versailles" and a crown over an "X" with an "R" on one side and a "C" on the other. Who made it?

A. RC with a crown is a Rosenthal mark used from about 1903 until 1956. "Versailles" refers to the shape, which was made with many different decorations. Porcelain floral dinnerware like yours has been popular since the beginning of the 20th century.

Rosenthal was founded in Selb, Bavaria, in the early 1880s by Philipp Rosenthal. The German firm still makes fine porcelain dinnerware, figurines, Christmas plates, giftware and unusual art wares.

Q: I inherited a 15-inch Parian bust of Princess Alexandra from my great-grandmother. "Art Union of London, Mary Thornycroft" is incised on it and there is a printed mark, "WT Copeland." What can you tell me about it?

A: Mary Thornycroft (1814-1895) was a British sculptor best known for her figures of Queen Victoria's children. Your bust of Princess Alexandra made in the 1860s would sell for $400 to $500.

The Art Union of London, the first and largest art union in Britain, was founded in 1837 to encourage interest in the fine arts. It bought artworks and distributed them to its members through a lottery. William Taylor Copeland took over the Spode factory in Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire, England, and operated it as W.T. Copeland (& Sons) beginning in 1847. The company merged with Royal Worcester in 1976 and is now Royal Worcester Spode Ltd.

Q: I have a dozen baseball cards from the 1976 Topps set. Most of my cards are the ones that picture the Sporting News All-Time All-Stars, including Honus Wagner and Lou Gehrig. Value?

A: A complete 660-card set of 1976 Topps baseball cards in near-mint condition is valued at about $250. In excellent condition, the set is worth about $145. The All-Time All-Stars are among the set's most valuable cards. A Lou Gehrig or Ty Cobb card in excellent condition sells for $3, while most cards in the set are valued at less than 50 cents each.

In general, baseball cards made after 1970 are not worth much money. Too many cards were made.

Q: Our silver-plated cream and sugar is marked "Mulholland EPNS" with a windmill. Please tell me about the maker.

A: Brothers Walter and David Edward Mulholland were award-winning silversmiths who bought the Aurora Silver Plate Co. near Chicago in 1915. The company was called Mulholland Brothers until 1924, then Mulholland Silver Co. from 1924 until it went out of business in the early 1930s. The firm made silver-plated flatware and hollowware.

The letters EPNS stand for electroplated nickel silver and indicate that your cream and sugar are silver-plated.

Q: My uncle left me a 1941 Seeburg jukebox and 700 78-rpm records. The jukebox and most of the records were never used. Value?

A: Your jukebox was made by the J.P. Seeburg Co. of Chicago. It was a major maker of jukeboxes until it closed in the 1970s. The company, one of the first to make jukeboxes that could play several selections, introduced an eight-selection jukebox in 1928. In 1938 it was the first company to add lights to its jukeboxes.

The value of your 1941 jukebox depends on the model and condition. The records are of minimal value unless some are by exceptional artists. We see records at 50 cents to $1 each at flea markets. They sell for even less at Salvation Army stores.

Tip: Invert your old glass cake stand and use it for chips and dip. The pedestal must be hollow to hold the dip; the top plate is fine for the chips.

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.