Around the house and some favorite collections.

Collecting Victorian antiques is a life long passion. IMHO, the Victorian period is the last "era of antiques" for many reasons. Earliest examples reflect artistian craftmanship while late-Victorian examples (post-Industrial Revolution) still maintain the look and charm of earlier designs. I suppose the best part of collecting Victorian antiques is that they are still available and reasonably affordable. After a few years of collecting, rooms begin to take on the character of living spaces in the mid-to-late 1800's. I can attest to the notion that it is very easy to get hooked on collecting "in depth" - or special in collecting a particular pattern, style, or manufacturer. Over the years, amber glass, milk glass, condensed milk servers, children's tea sets, pigeon blood bridal baskets, and fruit and nut carved furniture became collection niches.

Another aspect of collecting Victorian antiques is the ability to add pre-Victorian items into rooms and decor without compromising the overall Victorian theme. The reverse is not necessarily true. In colonial period theme for example, an Eastlake sofa would stand out as odd and out of place. Conversely, a Victorian kitchen will easily absorb colonial or primitive wood, copper, or tin wares - and look perfectly natural because these items would have been inherited and passed on to a new generation.