Photograph by Jo Garrett People often ask how we got started looking for marbles.In the mid 1990s we were living in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. “Al Ain” is “The Spring” in Arabic. There were about 225,000 people living in the thriving City at the time. It is also known as the "garden city." There is a large Oasis and … [Read more...] about Looking For Lost Marbles & Finding So Much More
Roman Glass Marbles
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Fifth Avenue NY The Cesnola Collection, Purchased by Subscription, 1874 – 1876 #74.51.328 This gorgeous glass marble was probably found by Luigi Palma di Cesnola in Cypress between 1865 – 1876. It dates to the Imperial Roman period 1st – 4th CE. It is considerably older than … [Read more...] about Roman Glass Marbles
In The Shadows Of The Tomb: Marbles From The Guldara Stupa
As Imagined Copilot – Microsoft Back To The Abyss We recently published “Limestone Marbles & The Eutaw Farm” which is about fossiliferous or shelly limestone marbles. Tons of these marbles were made in Germany and exported during the 19th century. This type limestone is chock full of marine fossils and shells or shell … [Read more...] about In The Shadows Of The Tomb: Marbles From The Guldara Stupa
Marbles From the Caulker’s Homes: Historical Status Markers from Baltimore’s Iconic Past
Baltimore Heritage[1] 612-614 S. Wolfe Street (2012) Exterior View We recently had fun with the story “Limestone Marbles & The Eutaw Farm” (https://thesecretlifeofmarbles.com/limestone-marbles-the-eutaw-farm/) In that post we told you about the significant public archaeology digs in the northeast of Baltimore, Baltimore … [Read more...] about Marbles From the Caulker’s Homes: Historical Status Markers from Baltimore’s Iconic Past
Limestone Marbles & The Eutaw Farm
10.5281/zenodo.10358279 Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab[1] We have written about non-glass marbles before in the post “Why Not Dirt and Rocks” (https://thesecretlifeofmarbles.com/why-not-dirt-and-rocks/). It’s clear from a number of our stories that we really like to add any kind of clay or stone marble to our collection. We … [Read more...] about Limestone Marbles & The Eutaw Farm
Moth Marbles & Other Brevities
Etching “Marbles” by James McNeill Whistler[1] https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2010648381/ Whistling In The Newspaper Morgue Files If you have read some of our stories then you know that we enjoy reading old newspapers at the the Library of Congress digital newspaper morgue (https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/). The site … [Read more...] about Moth Marbles & Other Brevities
Ohajiki: “Looks Like Flat Marbles to Me!”
Photograph: Belongs to A.Davey, 1 September 1914, This file is licensed under the Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license[1]. We really like this photograph! Each girl is baby-sitting a child younger than her. Look at their “geta sandals”. These are designed to keep your feet dry and it looks like … [Read more...] about Ohajiki: “Looks Like Flat Marbles to Me!”
Manzanar: A Second Look at Camp Marbles[1]
In “Windswept”, which is the last section of our story Amache Marbles (https://thesecretlifeofmarbles.com/amache-marbles/) we noted that one man left two buckets of marbles in his camp when he was relocated with his parents at the end of World War II. Each person could carry only a small bag or two of the family’s possessions when … [Read more...] about Manzanar: A Second Look at Camp Marbles[1]
Lundberg Studios Marble
Earlier in September we visited the monthly estate sale at the Olde Mobile Antiques Gallery, LLC, in Mobile, Alabama. We really enjoyed this but they are closing and there will be no more estate sales. According to their website Old Mobile has offered the “most interesting selection of quality antique furniture, opulent accent … [Read more...] about Lundberg Studios Marble
Amache Marbles
Photo Courtesy of the Library of Congress[1] Ever heard of Amache? What about the Amache Internment Camp or the Granada Relocation Center in Granada, Colorado? No? Well let us tell you a story about courage, the resilience of children, the toughness of their families, lives turned upside down . . . and marbles! Regardless of the … [Read more...] about Amache Marbles
Fun With Larry Alley’s Menagerie
Every marble collector that we know has at least a handful of Alley Agate swirl marbles. Over the years we have found it a bit harder to find Alley glassware, especially children’s ware, although it is out there if you look hard enough. Do you also collect Alley Agate animals and those clear glass radio antenna strain relief … [Read more...] about Fun With Larry Alley’s Menagerie
Tips To Help You Identify Your Marbles: An Annotated List of References
Let’s say that you’ve just inherited a bunch of marbles from your father, a great aunt, or your grandfather. Or, you’re in a giant flea market in Chiefland, Florida, and you are offered this lunch pail which grandpaw carried to work on the train with him for forty years! The pail itself is an antique and it still has both a lid and … [Read more...] about Tips To Help You Identify Your Marbles: An Annotated List of References
