Over the holidays, my granddaughter, a true thespian, and I were watching the movie “Moulin Rouge.” Out of the blue she said, “Granny, is the Moulin Rouge a real place and what era is being depicted?” Yes, she spent many hours in her younger years listening to me talk about time periods and items specific to those times.

The Moulin Rouge is a real location, and the cabaret is still thriving with daily shows. Moulin Rouge translates into “Red Mill” and the building still sports a red windmill. It was the birthplace of the can-can dance. The dance was originally performed as a seductive dance by the working ladies to lure in clients and over time transformed into a high stepping, raucous dance revue that spread throughout Europe and inspired the opening of numerous cabarets. The interior of the Moulin Rouge cabaret is still decorated much as it was when it first opened.

It was established in Paris by two gentlemen in October 1889 and embodied The Belle Époque period. The open garden at the Moulin Rouge allowed for people of all walks of life to mingle, enjoy popular entertainers of the day, and participate in evening champagne events. It was a popular spot for artists of the time and Toulouse-Lautrec was a regular. The Moulin Rouge with its neon lights was the first fully electric building in Paris.

he Belle Époque or La Belle Époque is a period of French and European history, usually considered to have begun around 1871-1880 and ended with the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Belle Époque literally means “Beautiful Age.” Paris saw a lot of destruction of important landmarks during the Franco-Prussian war and the Paris Commune, a short-lived revolutionary government. Despite this slight setback, Paris hosted two iconic international exhibitions, the World’s Fair of 1889 and 1900. During this period, the Eiffel Tower was built along with several other buildings of great importance.

The Belle Époque

The Belle Époque was an era characterized by optimism, economic prosperity, and technological and scientific progress in both Europe and the United States, but its primary center was Paris. In this prosperous climate, artistic freedom flourished; the middle and lower classes were afforded luxuries previously not available to them. Every aspect of life was touched during The Belle Époque. Fashion brought about mutton sleeves and got rid of the bustle, department stores began popping up, the art scene changed from Realism to Impressionist. La Belle Époque was truly a time to be alive for many Parisians and people around the world.

Cute little figural Candles

Question: These cute little figural candles have been in my family for years. I don’t want to burn them because they are so adorable. One still has a label on the bottom that says “Gurley.” Can you tell me anything about them? Thank you.

Answer: You are right. These Gurley candles are precious and becoming very hard to find in good, unused condition.

The Gurley Novelty Co. began life in 1939 as the W&F Mfg. Co. owned by candlemaker Franklin Gurley. Mr. Gurley worked with The Socony-Vacuum Oil Co. to reuse the paraffin byproduct from oil production to create a number of wax products, including candle figures. The first candles were marketed under the name “Tavern.” In 1949 Mr. Gurley purchased the rights to the Tavern name and changed the company name to the Gurley Novelty Co., where production focused on candle figurines for just about every holiday. Sales were excellent until the 1970s and the company eventually closed.

Turkey Platter

Question: My mom had this platter for years and only used it on Thanksgiving, we had ham for Christmas. I think it is about the ugliest platter I have ever seen, but if it is worth anything I might just keep it. Can you tell me how much it is worth?

Answer: Turkey platters abound and as a matter of fact it is a collecting genre all of its own.

With the British economy struggling after the Revolutionary War, British potteries began targeting the American market by crafting dinnerware that would sell well in the USA. Transferware and flow blue items soon flooded the market depicting patriotic scenes, historical landmarks, and the Westward expansion. Abraham Lincoln declared the fourth Thursday of November to be the nation’s official Thanksgiving Day in 1863. Around 1870, English potters began producing turkey-themed wares for the American market in honor of the newly declared day of Thanksgiving. Even companies such as Wedgwood jumped on the turkey-themed wagon with stunning pieces.

Q: I purchased this pair of heavy metal male and female heads at a local thrift store and would like to know about them and how much they might sell for. They are each about 6 inches tall and are extremely detailed. Thank you so much.

A: These are amazing! They are referred to as Benin Bronzes. The Benin Bronzes come from Benin City, the historic capital of the Kingdom of Benin, a major city state in West Africa. Benin City became part of the British Empire from 1897 to 1960 and is now located within the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The modern city of Benin (in the Edo State) is the home of the current ruler of the Kingdom of Benin, Ewuare II, was crowned the Oba (king), of Benin in 2016. The role of the Oba is more ceremonial than political. The Edo State is one of the 36 states in Nigeria.
The Benin Kingdom was active between the 11th century AD and 1897. The Benin bronze casters started crafting bronze figures and plaques before the 13th century. The bronze works are known collectively as Benin art and are an extraordinary example of African art. The busts were made to honor kings and queens both past and present, dignitaries, and other people of importance. They traded with the Portuguese for copper and bronze and in return crafted bronze works that represented Portuguese life and lifestyle.

The Kingdom of Benin was doing quite well toward the end of the 19th century. They had managed to remain an independent kingdom while other areas were taken over by Britain. Britain was in a constant battle to control this area of Africa. Benin and surrounding areas also had a wealth of natural resources that appealed not only to Africa but also Britain. In February 1897 the Kingdom of Benin was invaded by British forces, warships from several areas and Britain, forces came at the Kingdom of Benin from every direction. This aggressive action is called the “Benin Punitive Expedition,” but it was a massacre with an unknown death toll.
The chaotic theft of royal and sacred artworks and other items by perhaps up to two hundred soldiers, sailors and administrators during the sacking of Benin City in the British naval expedition of 1897 is one of the most well-known examples of the widespread practice of military looting by European troops in the later 19th and early 20th centuries.

Through the Benin punitive expedition of 1897, the first bronze works from Africa were recorded. High-ranking British military also looted religious and important works obtained through this takeover. A British Museum is the current custodian of most of the looted art and bronzes. In the 1960s quite a few pieces that had been in private collections were auctioned off. Some of the pieces were sold to private collectors and others to museums around the world. Slowly the British Museum is collecting these looted items and has plans to return most to Nigeria.

Currently there are 160 different museums and institutions in possession of looted Benin Bronzes and to date only a few have plans on returning them. Germany is not only going to return everything that they have but are going to build a museum in which to house them. Most U.S. museums are returning looted items, including the Smithsonian.

Male Benin bronze bust.