Photographs and television didn’t exist in the early 1800s, so accurate likenesses of the famous and infamous were rare. Prints and figurines were the most common kinds of portraits that could be bought by the average person. Fame seemed to cling to the same type of celebrity as it does today: royalty, theatrical stars, sports figures, politicians and criminals. George Washington’s likeness was familiar to nearly everyone because the famous oil portraits showing his face were adapted to show him on horseback, standing or posing as a deity. These pictures were copied on dishes, textiles, framed prints and figurines that were sold in towns from London to Boston. A famous British Championship boxing match between Tom Spring and Jack Langan was held in 1824. Spring won the match, which lasted two and a half hours. The pair fought a year later with the same outcome, and Spring retired immediately after the fight. An inexpensive Staffordshire figurine showing the two boxers was made c. 1825. It sold recently for $16,800.

Q: Can you tell me more about the small table I inherited from my grandmother? Under the tabletop there’s a worn label that reads “Sept. 29, 1896, No. 568397, Conrey-Birely Table Co.” The label also includes a comment about a “problem of knock-down construction” and suggests using “a little glue” to stabilize the table’s legs and lower shelf.

A: Conrey-Birely Table Co. manufactured tables in Grand Rapids, Mich., from about 1889 to 1909. The date and number on your table refer to the U.S. patent issued to Charles Birely for his invention of a “furniture leg attachment.” Birely’s invention allowed his company to manufacture furniture using knock-down construction – a simple method that requires few or no tools. Your table was made sometime between 1896, when the patent was granted, and 1909, when Conrey-Birely became Davis-Birely Table Co.

This 7-inch Staffordshire figure is a visual record of an 1824-1825 championship boxing match. It sold at Sotheby's New York for almost 7,000.

Current prices

Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States.

¢ Hall china water server, delphinium, Montgomery Ward, 1940s, $55.

¢ Nancy Drew Mysteries lunchbox, thermos, red, Nancy on front, King Seeley copyright, $130.

¢ Mud figures, man balancing baskets on shoulders, 1920s, 7 1/2 inches, $200.