Jonathan Greenstein:Antique Judaica collector’s corner

Dear Mr. Greenstein:

Attached is a photo of a menorah which has been in our family for a long time. I received it from my mom and dad and they told me that my grandmother had given it to them as a wedding gift in 1937 and that my grandmother had already had it for quite awhile.  My grandfather immigrated here to Atlanta after a brief stay in Baltimore from Latvia in 1886 and my grandmother followed to marry him about 1892.  I have been informed by an antique restoration tech that it is brass and probably hand-tooled with some simple machinery.  If you could shed any light on its origins, age and/or value, it would be appreciated.

Marshall Lichtenstein

Hi Marshall.

It’s a very pretty piece.

It was made here in the United States some time in the first quarter of the 20th century based on earlier polish models. You can see from the size of the receptacles, they were crafted for candles and not oil.

We have had this model many times as it was quite popular. That being said, it doesn’t have much of a retail value, maybe about $50 - 100 or so at the most. Had it been about 30 - 50 years earlier and from the other side of the Atlantic, it would be in the $1000 - 2,000 range.

 I would like to use your picture, story and name in my weekly column in the Jewish Star with your permission.

 Be well.

Jonathan