Lake Country This Month

Q. My grandma gave me this five-piece set of vintage luggage and I love it. Please tell me about it. — Ashley, Hartland A. Jesse Schwayder left his job in New York in 1941 to start his own luggage compa- ny in his home state of Col- orado. His brothers Maurice, Ben, Mark and Sol joined him and by 1961 they had a multi- million-dollar corporation. Samsonite luggage was named after the Biblical strongman Samson. Advertis- ing was built around strength, durability and qual- ity of the product. Although your set is called "Stream- lite," it was very heavy and it's good that airlines did not have luggage weight limits! Porters and bellboys disliked hard-sided Samsonite steam- er trunks — they weighed over 100 pounds when com- pletely packed. The company's marketing department utilized first- class photography for adver- tising and identified demo- graphics. Movie stars, honey- moon couples, military per- sonnel and even Santa Claus recommended the luggage. The washable fiber-covered luggage had a snug seal, shock-absorbing handles, nickel hinges, brass trigger- latches and curtained separa- tors on interior rayon linings. There were seven color choic- es and pieces were sold indi- vidually. Prices ranged from $10.50 to $27.50 per suitcase. "'Rawhide Natural Finish" is the color of your set. Value is determined by: Like-new condition, inside and out Working locks with orig- inal keys Extremely stain- and odor-free No stretching of interi- or elastic pockets Original trays and hang- ers Undamaged train-case mirror Fully functioning han- dles — especially the hatbox loop-handle. Although most exterior scuff marks disappear using a quality rubber eraser, to retain value, avoid using the luggage for commercial trav- el. Current fair market value for five pieces in excellent condition: $425. * * * Q. This Navajo rug was purchased out west in the early 20th century by our father. It has been rolled up and stored away all my adult life. I want to know more about it. — O.F., Brookfield A. Through the 1880s, Navajo upright looms only produced blankets for trade and personal use. Cultural impact propelled by emerging trading posts and expansions of railroads in the Southwest changed that dramatically. By the 1920s, tourists wanted thin, tightly woven rugs — not blankets. To oblige public demand, weavers departed from normal abstract designs and added pictorial images. The elongated, stylized fig- ures themselves are called "Yei" and are not sacred or used in rituals. They depict Navajo holy beings first found in very early sand paintings. Almost all Yei weaving of this era used aniline-dyed yarns and have an off-white back- ground. The front-facing, male figures with round heads have a stiff, upright posture. (Square heads were associated with female fig- ures.) The single Yei dressed in white with a full-feather headdress leads the line. The masks and ceremonial attire are associated with forces of nature. This weaving is in near per- fect condition and shows no wear. The style is called "two- faced rug" and both front and back retain brilliant color. With a length of nearly 7 feet and eight Yei figures, it is extremely desirable in the marketplace. The substantiat- ed history adds further value. It should be insured for $5,000. FYI: This Yei design should not be confused with the Yeibichai design, which depicts ceremonial perform- ing dancers. Have an item for appraisal? Tell us about it and it could be selected for a future col- umn. Mail entries to Wauke- sha Antique Shop, 1427 E. Racine Ave., Unit E-2, Wauke- sha, WI 53186. Send sharp, well-lit photos of front, back and underside of your item, and measurements are important. List any known history or even hearsay, length of ownership and all markings, even partial ones. Include your name, address and phone number. No pho- tos can be returned and no purchase of antiques will occur. (Barbara Eash is a member of the Certified Appraisers Guild of America, specializ- ing in appraisals of antiques and collectibles and has exten- sive experience writing and speaking about antiques.) Page 6A • FREEMAN & ENTERPRISE LAKE COUNTRY APRIL 2015 SATURDAYS 8:00 a.m. to Noon WaukeshaFarmersMarket.com Come to the Market for fresh, locally grown produce, hot food, great gifts and friendly atmosphere! Until November SATURDAY, MAY 2 ND 4:00 to 10:00 p.m. WaukeshaArt.com Join us for the Mother of All Art Crawls #86. Food, Mother's Day Gifts, Live Music, Galleries Galore, 175 Artists and Shops of all kinds! HEAR the sounds of Waukesha's Friday Night Live TASTE the products of the Waukesha Farmers' Market FEEL the Love & Life of Waukesha! ENJOY Shopping & Dining in Downtown Waukesha For all things Waukesha go to LiveLoveWaukesha.com Waukesha's Information Station SUMMER IN DOWNTOWN WAUKESHA BEGINS MAY 2 ND FARMERS MARKET & ART CRAWL www.LiveLoveWaukesha.com SATURDAY, MAY 2 ND 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. WaukeshaRiverWalk.org The RiverWalk for Cancer is an annual event to support cancer programs at Waukesha Memorial Hospital. Join us at Frame Park for a scenic walk around Frame Park and through downtown Waukesha. 243578005 Presented by The Waukesha Downtown Business Association Presented by The West End Artists FOXBROOK & CAPITOL HILL — S E N I O R A P A R T M E N T S — Foxbrook Senior Apartments 18915 Thomson Drive, Brookfield (262) 790-0033 ➤ Underground Parking ➤ Weekly Activities ➤ Movie Room ➤ Game Room 243719007 Capitol Hill Senior Apartments 17390 Crest Hill Drive, Brookfield (262) 790-1845 1 & 2 Bedroom 55 and Over * ➤ Library ➤ Chapel ➤ Beauty Salon *Income Restrictions Apply ➤ Voluntary Morning Check In Service ➤ FREE Weekly Shuttle to Shopping Convenient Home Delivery In The first 13 Weeks for just $30 Stay close to Lake Country's most pressing issues in The Freeman Lake Country is your home... READ ALL ABOUT IT! Subscription includes FREE access to Freeman's online edition. 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Box 7 Waukesha, WI 53187 For faster service, call 262/542-2500 or visit www.gmtoday.com/wfpromo SC:housead RC:3M30 Samsonite luggage still holds up; Navajo rug nearly perfect BARBARA EASH Antiques Appraised Bill Yorth was recently named publisher & editor- in-chief of The Freeman, Oconomowoc Enterprise, Milwaukee Post and GMTo- day website. Yorth, who grew up in Delafield and is a 1991 grad- uate of Kettle Moraine High School, started as a reporter and editorial cartoonist at The Freeman nearly 20 years ago. During his tenure with the company, he has held sev- eral positions including copy editor, design editor, manag- ing editor and, most recently, editor-in-chief. "Being named publisher & edi- tor-in-chief is a t r e m e n d o u s honor and I'm very grateful," Yorth said. "I am extremely fortunate to be a part of an organization with so many hard-working and talented people; I'm very proud of them. And I'm look- ing forward to continuing to work with this team to serve our great community. We are dedicated to providing our readers with local news and information relevant to their lives, as well as a forum for their opinions and perspec- tives." Yorth can be reached at 262- 513-2671 or by email at byorth@conleynet.com. — Freeman Staff Yorth named publisher & editor-in-chief of The Freeman and Enterprise Yorth

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