Some of the story of early America can be told through its material objects. Sources of light and heat, furniture et al. were essential to daily life, and  the resultant objects ran the gamut from simple to elegant. Hundreds of years later we view these objects quite differently. As owners and collectors and quality, aesthetics, condition and provenance are all relevant considerations. Snyder guides us through both the history of these items, their role in early American life and ultimately in understanding their value as collectible objects.