Professor Milton Kilgallen has the largest collection of worm-holes (in furniture, of course, not in the earth or other substances) in the world. In his beautiful residence on the Maine coast is one room devoted entirely to these little miracles of patience. Some of them are plain, without edging, while others are cross-sections. It is almost impossible for Professor Kilgallen to state from day to day how many he has in his possession; but at the lowest estimate there are more than twelve thousand. Professor Kilgallen is also an ardent collector of samples of patina, or the polish which comes on ancient articles from constant handling and rubbing. These samples range all the way from an arm of a desk-chair once used by Savonarola to the elbow of a frock coat worn for several years by the Honorable William J. Bryan, which last he obtained with great difficulty. Not counting kitchen utensils and garments patinated by the Professor himself, he has more than 1178 specimens of patina, which establishes a world’s record for a single collection. The American Academy for the Popularization of Antiquities counts itself fortunate to have secured the services of the world’s greatest expert on antiques in the preparation of this book and in the collecting of the enormous mass of data which is always open to any member of the Academy or to any antique-collector in good and regular standing. If this book shall further the cause of antique-hunting and somewhat lighten the arduous labors of those whose lives are dedicated to finding something old to put in the house, then the American Academy for the Popularization of Antiquities shall not have come into existence in vain. CORNELIUS OBENCHAIN VAN LOOT, D.A., C.O.J. _President, A.A.P.A._ FLORAL PARK CITY, FLORIDA _September 30, 1923_ CONTENTS ANTIQUEING AHEAD, BY EBEN S. TWITCHETT, B.B.S., F.A.A.P.A., ETC. 1 HINTS FOR BUYING FROM ORIGINAL SOURCES, BY CECILIA LEFINGWELL PRYNNE (MRS. GÜTZ) 29 THE SECRET OF SUCCESS, BY MURGATROYD ELPHINSTONE, A.B., A.M., F.R.F.H.A., LECTURER ON SCROLLWORK AND FRETS AT SINSABAUGH UNIVERSITY, 1917–18 39 OLD RUGS, OLD IRON, OLD BRASS, OLD GLASS: A BRIEF BROCHURE ON THE SEARCH FOR THE ANTIQUE BY A PROFESSIONAL, JARED P. KILGALLEN, J.D. AND R.P. 61 THE EUROPEAN FIELD, BY PROFESSOR CHARLES A. DOOLITTLE, F.R.A.C.S. 77 HORSECHESTNUT 113 A WORD ON POONING, BY AUGUSTULA THOMAS 133 LIST OF PLATES AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS REAR VIEW OF THE STATUE OF PROFESSOR KILGALLEN IN FLORAL PARK CITY, FLORIDA _Frontispiece_