Q: Recently I came across this antique stove, but I can't figure out how it works. The word "GEM" is in the middle of the base, but there are no other markings, serial numbers, or a city where it was made – nothing. I've gone to a half-dozen antiques stores and searched the web but I can't find a good match. The stove is 18 inches high and has three feet. The top is 10 inches across with a 5-inch opening where the grates are. There is a brass valve sticking out on the bottom that indicates it takes propane. I don’t know how old it is and I'd love to know its value. But even more, I would like to learn about its history. What company made it and when? Was it mainly upper-class people who owned them or did everyone have one in their house? Is it safe to use?

 

A: Parlor stoves were used in many homes in the early to mid-1800s, before central heating became available. Well-to-do families had fancier stoves with ornate decoration. The Gem City Stove Manufacturing Co. was one of several stove manufacturers located in Quincy, Illinois, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Quincy is known as "Gem City." Gem City Stove was in business by 1895 and was still operating in 1926. Early stoves were fueled by wood or coal; gas stoves didn't become common until the 20th century. Propane was first produced commercially about 1910 and was a popular home heating fuel by the 1920s. Your stove seems awfully small to be a real stove. Most parlor stoves are close to 3 feet or more. Maybe it was meant for a bedroom. If you plan to use it, you should have the stove checked by an expert who is familiar with propane stoves. There is a stove collectors club, the Antique Stove Association. Their website is www.antiquestoveassociation.org.