Silverplate Vanity Sets c1907

Images shown in an advertisement from a 1907 Fort Dearborn Watch & Clock Co. Catalog, Chicago, Il.

Celluloid Toilet Sets Advertising Catalog Page c1894

Celluloid, Zylonite and White Florence Toilet Sets/Dresser Sets/Vanity Sets taken from an 1893/1894 Marshall Fields catalog. Notice the fancy molded pattern on several of the sets including some Japanese influenced Aesthetic styles.

images: ebay seller mima48

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Elgin American Beauty Dresser Sets c1951 Advertisement

Striking full color advertisements for Elgin American Beauty dresser sets from a 1951 General American Co. catalog.

22kt Gold Filigree Vanity Items from 1940s Catalog Pages

The items shown in the following advertisement pages from 1940 and 1941 N. Shure catalogs, are made up of 22kt gold over white metal filigree. The various perfume bottles and the trays I have had in the past. Some of the filigree has glass jewels. I am pretty sure these were made in the USA to imitate the more expensive items that were made in Czechoslovakia and Austria, but were unable to be imported due to WWII. From experience, I know that the metal is very soft and easy to break, I believe it is lead.

Antique Victorian Porcelain Backed Vanity Sets

These pretty vanity items were produced during the 1890s and continued for a few more years up until around 1920 or so. The hand mirror and brush were sold along with a comb in most cases. Sets were available to adults as well as children, the children's set being a bit smaller than the adults of course. Masculine sets were offered to men as well.

Celluloid Dresser Sets

Celluloid was a common material used to manufacture vanity and dresser sets starting in the mid 1800s up until around the 1930s, when it was replaced by other plastics like Bakelite and Lucite.

Wikipedia states that "Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1856 and as Xylonite in 1869 before being registered as Celluloid in 1870.

Celluloid is easily molded and shaped, and it was first widely used as an ivory replacement. Celluloid is highly flammable and also easily decomposes, and is no longer widely used. Its most common uses today are in table tennis balls and guitar picks."

More detailed information on the manufacture and patenting of celluloid, can be found on wikipedia.

Some of the trade names used on the dresser accessories are:

• Pyralin/Pyrolin
• French Ivory
• Agalin
• Celluloid
• Fiberloid
• Ivory Fiberloid
• Ivoroid
• Zylonite
• Ivoris
• Ivorine
• Arch-Amerith
• Goldaleur
• Silvaleur

Vintage Filigree Vanity Sets

This guide will introduce you to the world of the 1940s-1960s vanity accessories manufactured by Apollo, Matson, Stylebuilt, Guildcrest, Globe and others.

These items were originally sold in department stores, drug stores and jewelry stores.