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JUNE 17, 2008 - MEETING TOPIC FOSTORIA’S SPRAY CUTTING BY NEAL SKIBINSKI The Spray design, cutting number 332, was introduced in 1954 by the Fostoria Glass Company of Moundsville, West Virginia. Spray is a 'Combination Cutting', meaning that some sections of the cut pattern are polished, and other sections are left with the natural 'gray' appearance from the cutter's wheel. Combination cuttings were very popular at Fostoria, especially in the 1950's. Three different cutting wheels were used in the making of this particular design. Spray was one of several cut patterns that used pieces from the 2666 Contour blank, along with Rose, cutting 827, Nosegay, cutting 834, Pine, cutting 835, Wheat, cutting 837, Plume, cutting 839, and Circlet, cutting 840. Contour was also used for three acid etched patterns, Thistle, Sylvan and Skyflower. The following pieces of Contour were offered in Spray: cup and saucer, quart jug, cream and sugar, individual cream and sugar with tray, 2-part relish, 3-part relish, 3 piece mayonnaise set, footed canape plate, 10" snack plate, 14" serving plate, 10 1/2" salad bowl, covered butter, oval console bowl and 'Flora' candleholders. The stemware line used for the Spray cutting was the 6055 1/2 Rhapsody blank, which features a pressed, four-lobed stem attached to an applied foot and a blown bowl. Eight items of stemware were offered: 10 oz. goblet, 4 1/2 oz. claret/wine, 1 1/4 oz. cordial, 6 oz. sherbet, 3 1/2 oz. cocktail, 4 3/4 oz. oyster cocktail, 5 1/2 oz. footed juice tumbler and 12 1/4 oz. footed iced tea. In addition to the Contour and Rhapsody blanks, Spray was also offered on a number of other Fostoria lines. The 7" and 8" plates are the 2337 blank, the salt and pepper shakers are the 2364 Sonata blank and the footed salver is the 2685 blank. The scarcest piece in the pattern could be the number 4185 dessert/finger bowl, a late addition to the pattern, added in 1962. Fostoria ceased production of four accessory items in 1965 but all other serving pieces were offered until 1970. The 7 and 8 inch plates and stemware in Spray were discontinued in 1972, though pattern matching was offered until 1975. Like many of Fostoria's cuttings from the 1950's, Spray was not an extensive pattern, but it was a popular one. The asymmetrical or kidney-shaped serving pieces in the mid-century modern Contour shape captured the attention of buyers in the 1950's, at a time other great American glass companies were closing. OCTOBER 16, 2007 - MEETING TOPIC FOSTORIA’S MAYFLOWER ETCH BY NEAL SKIBINSKI The Mayflower design, plate etching number 332, was introduced in 1938 by the Fostoria Glass Company of Moundsville, West Virginia. Mayflower was one of four major patterns that used the stylish 2560 Coronet blank, along with Willowmere, an elegant Rose etching, Richlieu, a gold-encrusted etching and Cynthia, a gray cutting. The stemware line used for the Mayflower etching was the 6020 Melody blank, which features a spiral twist stem and a blown regular optic bowl. The acid-etched Mayflower pattern consists of a flower-filled cornucopia below a floral garland that conforms with the patterned edge of the Coronet blank. Usually the cornucopia is enclosed in a wreath-like garland below. Many pieces also have a large, elaborate vertical ornament that separates the other pattern elements, or a small floral spray on items with limited space. In addition to the Coronet and Melody blanks, Mayflower was also used on a number of other Fostoria lines. On the 2430 Diadem blank, the console set, candy jar, mint and jelly dishes and two vases were etched with Mayflower. Also offered with this etching were the 2545 Flame console set, center-handled lunch tray and vase, as well as the 2496 Baroque handled console bowl and duo candleholders. Mayflower was an extensive pattern, with dozens of accessory pieces. The place setting items consisted of plates in four sizes, fruit and cereal bowls, a cup and saucer, twelve pieces of stemware and a blown finger bowl. Fostoria ceased production of the Mayflower pattern in 1954, though many pieces were discontinued in the early to mid-1940's, which explains their relative scarcity today. JANUARY 17, 2006 - MEETING TOPICS FOSTORIA’S DAISY ETCH BY NEAL SKIBINSKI The Daisy design, plate etching 324, was introduced in 1935 by the Fostoria Glass Company, of Moundsville, West Virginia. This particular pattern is unusual in the fact that there are two very different versions of the etched design. The version of the etching used on most of the serving and accessory pieces consists only of flowers, leaves and stems. The variant pattern has graceful scrolls and a linear pattern in the flower petals, additional design elements not found in the other version. I refer to the variant pattern as "Fuchsia-Rogene" because the scrolls are similar to those found in Fostoria's Fuchsia etch and the same line pattern in the flower petals is used in Fostoria's Rogene etching. Fostoria used quite a few different blanks for the Daisy etching, both in place settings and in serving and accessory pieces. The tall comport and eleven different pieces of stemware and footed tumblers are the elegant 6013 stemware pattern. The cream and sugar, and the cup and saucer are the Pioneer pattern, while the 6", 7", and 8" plates are the 2337 blank. Seven different serving pieces are from the 2440 Lafayette pattern and 2419 Mayfair contributed the handled four section relish. The footed mayonnaise bowl and underplate are the popular 2375 Fairfax pattern. My favorite items in Daisy would have to include the 2514 five part relish and the two stylish console sets, the 2533 and the 2536/2535. Unfortunately, no dinner plate or cream soup bowl was offered in this pattern. With the possible exception of the Lafayette blank serving pieces, Fostoria Daisy is a scarce pattern but there are a number of pieces that can be considered rare. They would include the 5000 footed jug, the finger bowl, the three different flat tumblers, the 2535 one piece cheese and cracker, the 2528 cocktail tray and the five different vases. Fostoria stopped production of the Daisy etching in 1943, though certain items were discontinued earlier, including the comport in 1940, the Mayfair relish in 1938 and the cocktail tray in 1936. Written by Neal Skibinski. FEBRUARY 21, 2006 - MEETING TOPIC FOSTORIA’S NEO CLASSIC PATTERN #6011 with NEAL SKIBINSKI & BOB CARLSON The Neo Classic Pattern, blown stemware line 6011, was introduced in January 1934 by the Fostoria Glass Company of Moundsville, West Virginia. This distinctive and elegant pattern features a delicate fluted stem shaped like a classical Doric column. A typical Fostoria stemware line of the late twenties or early thirties contained 12 different pieces. Since Neo Classic was introduced just after the end of Prohibition, several additional items were included: a 1 oz brandy, 2 oz creme de menthe, 2 oz sherry and a 4 1/2 oz Rhine wine. The other items were: a 10 oz goblet, 4 1/2 oz claret, 3 oz wine, 1 oz cordial, 5 1/2 oz saucer champagne, 5 1/2 oz low sherbet, 3 oz cocktail, 4 oz oyster cocktail, 2 oz whiskey and footed tumblers in 5, 10 and 13 oz sizes. The parfait, a popular item in most Depression Era stemware lines was not included in Neo Classic. Rounding out the pattern was a footed decanter and a footed jug with an applied handle. In 1934, Neo Classic was offered in Crystal, Regal Blue bowl, Burgundy bowl, Ruby bowl, Amber stem/base, Silver Mist etched stem and with five cuttings: Rocket, Whirlpool, Celestial, Planet and Shooting Star. 1935 saw the addition of the Directoire and Quinfoil cuttings, Mother of Pearl iridescent bowl and Golden Swirl decoration. Empire Green bowl and the Nectar etching were new additions to the line in 1936. The Mardi Gras polished rock crystal cutting was added in 1937 and the Athenian grey cutting was new in 1938. Neo Classic was discontinued in 1943 but was reintroduced in 1949 in Crystal, Empire Green bowl and Amethyst bowl. The pattern was finally discontinued in the mid-1960's. (written by Neal Skibinski) OCTOBER 18, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS #393 & #394 HEISEY NARROW FLUTE with JANICE WALLACE Heisey Narrow Flute was made mainly from 1910 to 1935, but some pieces were still being made until the factory closed in 1957. Andrew Sanford designed it in Newark, Ohio, in May of 1904 for A.H. Heisey. Like lots of other Heisey patterns, it was modeled on English glass. It came in clear, pink and green. The difference between #393 and 394 is slight—the flutes go all the way to the bottom on 393 and stop short of the bottom on 394. There are also patterns 393˝ and 395 with even slighter differences. Nearly all of the pieces are marked with the Diamond H, but if you study your reference books it should be easy to spot the pieces that are unmarked but still part of the line. Those that are not marked had paper labels that washed off. Narrow Flute is very sturdy—in fact, Janice says it is sturdy enough to withstand being dropped on the rug. It was meant to be utilitarian and is heavy enough for restaurant use. Many of the pieces were actually made for restaurants, such as parfaits and banana split dishes. Janice has 8 of these and says that “someday” she will use them to serve her family this ice cream treat. The plain berry bowl, or “nappy” as bowls are called in the catalogues, is what started Janice on the road to Heisey Heaven. She also has a nappy with “Ritter Dental Supply” sandblasted into it, which was meant to be a mouthwash cup. An article in the Heisey News says that there are 18 pieces in the line that are “unusual” because so few were made, and Janice has 8 of them: the 12” gallery-style tray, which is actually a Japanese Garden Tray for floral arrangement; two covered butters; a covered mustard pot with a Saturn-type flange and a paddle, not a spoon; a pickle jar; a handled soda glass; and two Domino sugar and cream sets. Janice is lucky enough to have acquired some actual Domino Sugar cubes while they were still available in Portland. There are hotel as well as individual cream and sugars, little salt cellars, and little footed dishes that some folks call salt cellars but are really almonds. There are Boston egg sherbets, and many sizes of tumblers, which are called “sodas” in the catalogs. The sodas can be spendy because they are hard to find. She has had a lovely cheese comport with enamel basket decoration for years and finally found the plate at the 2005 Rally. The enamel decoration is by another company. She has two styles of pitchers: one with a squared-off handle and one with a more bulbous body. The punch cups are called custard cups. There are no coffee cups, saucers or dinner plates as this set was mainly produced before glass dinner sets became popular, which was about 1925. CANDY DISH NIGHT with AL CARDER Sweet treats and even sweeter glass candy dishes—what could be more fun for a glass collector? Our annual Halloween Candy Dish Night included both, and we all enjoyed sampling the candy, viewing the wonderful dishes and voting for our favorites. The criterion this year was open, or unlidded, glass candy dishes, in two categories: colored glass and clear glass. In order to participate in the contest, the dishes had to be filled with candy. Arlene Moore won the prize for best candy with her homemade white chocolate cranberry bark. Carole White’s green Westmoreland Bramble comport won best colored, and Barbara Coleman’s Cambridge comport with Achilles cutting won best clear. Thanks to all the members who participated in the contest. Those bringing clear dishes included Dona Anderson, Barbara Coleman, Dan & Delene Haake, Lillian Hodges, Karin Sanders, Lois Stevenson and Carole White. Colored dishes were brought by Barbara Coleman, Loyce Forsgren, Dan & Delene Haake, Mable Hardebeck, Lillian Hodges, Rosemary Joslin, Veonne Kahlen, Arlene Moore, Jeff Motsinger, Karin Sanders and Carole White. SEPTEMBER 20, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS FOSTORIA’S VERNON with BARBARA COLEMAN Barbara collects Fostoria’s Vernon pattern in the orchid color, and she is trying for a service for four. Vernon was the first pattern etched on the Fairfax blank, which is the same blank that was etched with Versailles and June. Vernon was made in orchid only in 1927-28. It was also made in clear, azure, green and amber. The oval console bowl has a clear glass oval bowl insert with an orchid glass flower frog, as well as a conventional solid frog. The round console bowl has a solid round frog. The Vernon pitcher is very expensive--$500 and up in orchid! The cream soup underplate was also used for the mayonnaise. The underplate for the bouillon is the saucer. The candy box has an etched top and plain bottom, which is true of many Fostoria candy boxes. It goes for $100 or so. There was no individual cream and sugar made. Cups and saucers sometimes go for as little as $20. AND PEPPESALT AND PEPPER NIGHTR NIGHT Our Salt and Pepper Night was very spicy! Movers with shakers included Jack Bookwalter, Sandi Crain, Dan & Delene Haake, Dennis Headrick, Lillian Hodges, Ardy Kneeland, Ed & Sandra Martin, Janice Wallace and Carole White, who all sprinkled some color on the proceedings! We saw glass, ceramic, metal and wood sets, and combinations of same! In addition to standing pairs and singles, there were salt and pepper sets on trays and in holders, salt dips with and without spoons, salt dips with pepper shakers, and assorted other interesting pieces. Thanks to all who brought examples from their collections! JUNE 21, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS JAPANESE POTTERY & PORCELAIN by NEAL SKIBINSKI According to archaeological evidence, Japanese ceramics are the earliest in the world. The first pottery in Japan, low-fired, coil-built earthenware known as Jomon appeared around 10,000 B.C. Later, around the 4th century B.C., a wheel-thrown pottery known as Yayoi appeared, which seems to be the direct ancestor of later developments in Japanese ceramic culture. Perhaps the most important factor in the development of Japanese ceramics is the emergence of the Tea Ceremony, or Cha-no-yu, in the 15th and 16th centuries. The famous tea master Sen-no-Rikyu propagated the aesthetic concepts of Wabi-Sabi, derived from Zen Buddhism, and found this elegant austerity perfectly embodied in the native pottery. This appreciation for the interesting surface textures and spontaneous kiln effects of indigenous stonewares and earthenwares may be responsible for the comparatively late development of porcelain in Japan. In fact, the beginnings of Japanese porcelain can be traced to the 1590's and Shogun Toyotomi Hideyoshi's military campaigns on the Asian mainland, when he brought back Korean potters, skilled in the manufacture of porcelain, to Japan. Some noteworthy types of traditional Japanese pottery and porcelain include: Bizen - Reddish-brown stoneware from Okayama Prefecture, fired in a pinewood-fueled kiln. It is believed to have originated in the 6th century. Shigaraki - Stoneware pottery from Shiga Prefecture, an early pottery now most famous for Tanuki (raccoon dog) figures. Hagi - An earthenware pottery from Yamaguchi Prefecture, noted for attractive glaze effects and a cut notch in the foot. Mino - Earthenware from Gifu Prefecture. The most famous Mino varieties are Oribe and Shino. Raku - Delicate earthenware pottery from Kyoto, especially popular for the Tea Ceremony. Arita - also known as Imari, this was the first porcelain made in Japan. Fukagawa is a famous Arita manufacturer, established in the Meiji era. Kutani - Porcelain from Ishikawa prefecture, first produced in 1655. The name Kutani means "nine valleys". Traditional pottery and porcelain are still being produced in Japan today, and the quality of the new pieces is typically excellent. It's very satisfying to examine a modern piece of Japanese ceramics and contemplate the legacy of hundreds of years of craftsmanship. JUNE MEETING TOPIC: MADE IN JAPAN CERAMICS WITH CAROLE BESS WHITE & DOROTHY POLIZZI The United States Customs Bureau enforces the law that determines how foreign goods imported by the United States are marked. As American laws changed, backstamps on imported goods were changed to conform to our requirements. Thus, the backstamps on ceramics have changed over the years. From the 1860’s until 1891, Japanese art and ceramics were marked in Japanese, or not backstamped at all. Beginning in 1891, Congress decreed that all foreign imports had to be marked with their country of origin. At the time, Nippon, the Japanese word for Japan, was considered to be an acceptable word, so ceramics were marked “Hand Painted Nippon,” or “Nippon.” Pieces marked with Nippon are generally of very fine workmanship and are priced accordingly. However, there are a lot of reproductions being made, and they are often marked with one of the old Nippon backstamps. More often, they are not marked or have a paper label that says “Made in China.” In 1921, Congress ruled that Nippon was a foreign word and all goods had to be marked in English, so Nippon was no longer acceptable. From this time forward goods were marked “Japan” or “Made in Japan.” The “Golden Age” of Made in Japan Ceramics was 1929 to 1939. During this time Japanese ceramics grew very popular. It was the Great Depression in America, and people wanted nice but inexpensive ceramics. If you take a look through the Sears catalogs from this time period you might find pages labeled “Gifts from the Orient,” featuring Made in Japan ceramics of all types from novelties to dishes. Dorothy Polizzi brought her collections of “Golden Age” Made in Japan bird wall pockets and muffineer (berry sugar and creamer) sets. She has been collecting these for a number of years, and they were fantastic. She also brought a nice selection of baskets from the Golden Age up to more modern times. And in addition to bringing her wonderful pieces, she joined the club! Welcome, Dorothy!! Carole Bess White brought a selection of Made in Japan condiment sets. Condiment sets consist of a tray, salt, pepper, mustard pot, spoon and lid; sometimes they include oil and vinegar cruets or toothpick holders as well. The bird wall pockets have held their value very well, as have the muffineer and condiment sets. eBay has affected prices; the more common pieces usually sell for $9.99 plus postage, where before the Internet they would have been $35 or more in an antique shop. But the pieces that everyone wants—which is generally the ones that they have not seen before—continue to go high. MAY 17, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS DANCING NYMPHS with MICHELLE DeWITT Dancing Nymphs was produced as part of the Martelé (French for “hand wrought”) line introduced by the Consolidated Lamp & Glass Company of Coraopolis, Pennsylvania in 1926. Martelé, a line of glass featuring raised floral, bird and nude designs, was designed by Reuben Haley, but it was his son Kenneth who actually designed Dancing Nymphs. Reuben Haley was inspired by the glass of René Lalique, which was exhibited at the "Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifes et Industriels Modernes" in Paris in 1925. (This historic and important exhibition influenced designers in every area including glass, ceramics, furniture, industrial design and much, much more. In fact, the term “Art Deco” is the shortened form of “Arts Decoratifes.”) Dancing Nymphs clearly shows the influence of Lalique. Hazel Marie Weatherman called it “Dance of the Nudes,” and others have called it “Dancing Ladies or Dancing girls,” but Dancing Nymphs was Consolidated’s name for the pattern, which features raised dancing nude figures. It was made in what Consolidated called “ceramic colors,” which were fired-on color washes on the undersides of the pieces, usually with the nudes remaining clear. It was a difficult technique requiring extra steps and was truly a labor of love to produce. First the piece was pressed and fired, then cooled and the color applied, then the color wiped off the raised nudes, then re-fired and cooled, and then the edges were hand-beveled. Dancing Nymphs was produced in several ceramic colors including sepia, honey (yellow), orange, light blue, light green, amethyst, white, crystal (satinized all over) and French crystal (clear satin with clear nudes). The earlier pieces had the ceramic colors and later pieces were made in colored glass without the ceramic wash. The Depression forced Consolidated to close in 1932, and the Haleys went to work for Phoenix Glass. They picked out between 40 and 45 of the Martelé line molds to take with them, and Phoenix continued to produce the line. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between Consolidated’s and Phoenix’s pieces in the same colors, but Phoenix produced colors that Consolidated did not, including dark blue. Phoenix did not make the coffee cup, flat saucer, crimped and fan vase, or the candlesticks. Phoenix made the 17” palace platter, but only Consolidated made the 16” palace bowl. Consolidated reopened in 1936 with new owners, who demanded the return of their molds. They reissued Dancing Nymphs in green, crystal, pink and French crystal. Consolidated’s catalogue did not call the pieces frosted or satin, just pink, green and crystal. There were ruby stained vases in the catalog in 1944. Michael Krumme believes that Dancing Nymphs was produced up to the 1960’s. The factory burned in 1963 and went out of business. Jack Wilson, who wrote Phoenix & Consolidated Art Class: 1926-1980, believes that when the factory closed, green and other colored pieces were auctioned off without going through the acid bath and thus were not satinized. Reproductions have been made, and they are pressed from the original molds. Consolidated’s glass is thicker. Of course, technically the first “Repros” were by Phoenix from 1933 to 1936. In the 1960’s Sinclair glass bought 450 of the molds but did not make much. They did make crimped goblets in a smoky topaz color, and an 8” clear amber luncheon plate. Sinclair went out of business, and in 1992 Pilgrim bought the molds and their literature says they produced Dancing Nymphs but Michelle thinks they produced another pattern called Dancing Girls, and not in Consolidated’s colors. There are lots of Pilgrim Repros at collectors Showcase in Centralia because the woman who owns the mall was a Pilgrim distributor. Levay Glass sells an iridized Carnival repro of the 8” bowl. Sinclair had this mold, but Levay found it at Mosser Glass. Nobody knows where Mosser got it—from Sinclair or elsewhere. Levay repros have their name and numbers on them. Dancing Nymphs can be a bit expensive pattern to collect as it is very popular and not that plentiful. In fact, prices are outrageous. Goblets are usually about $125 apiece, although Michelle saw them at our show for $189. Candlesticks go for about $500 per pair. Palace platters are more than $1000. Ruby stain vases are about $200, and crimped vases are $175. Consolidated also produced Catalonian, a pattern designed to look like old, handmade, Spanish glass and which has some of the same “ceramic wash” colors; Ruba Rombic, the classic faceted Art Deco pattern, and Con Cora, their milk glass line.
We voted on our “favorite ugly glass” piece, and Ron and Donna Miller took the prize with an outstandingly nauseating slime green vase with a diamond optic that was “pressed” on them by a friend. Are they still speaking? Hmmm . . . one wonders. Wretched as it was, there were plenty of other ugly competitors! We have fond memories, a.k.a. nightmares, of the “don’t shoot—my hands are already in the air” wooden liquor decanter with glass panel and odd picture; the world’s tallest orange “unmentionable symbol” vase; a giant margarita glass that you would really need to fill with giant margaritas to live with; Fostoria’s Karnak tumbler with reptilian optic (they also made Congo and Inca in the same series—one shudders to think what they might look like!); and a Turkish cut tumbler so sharp it slices you like a knife and so ugly that one member politely declined receiving it as a consolation prize for forgetting to put her raffle ticket stubs in the box, to name but a few. But we learned a lot! For instance, we learned that our illustrious president will buy any piece of ugly glass if it’s hidden in a box lot at the Kelso auction. We also learned that eBay buyers buy in haste and regret at leisure, judging by the four truly ugly “mistakes” yours truly brought to share--but they looked so good on the screen! And we learned that whether it was ugly or lovely was all in the eye of the beholder, and that our bad taste is exceeded only by our good nature! Thanks to Al Carder for emceeing this slugfest, Neal Skibinski for running the glass, Jeff Motsinger for operating the glass cam (and why we all wanted a closer look at these monstrosities will forever remain a mystery!) and to all who braved the jeers of the crowd and brought their ugly pieces: Jack Bookwalter, Al & Carol Carder, Barbara Coleman, Michelle DeWitt, Gyrid Hyde-Towle, Rosemary Joslin, Ed & Sandra Martin, Ron & Donna Miller, Sandra Millius & Jeff Motsinger, Miriam Pierce, Neal Skibinski, Cindy Thomas, Janice Wallace and Carole Bess White. A great time was had by all, but it was the kind of program that you just had to see in person to really appreciate! APRIL 19, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS PITCHER NIGHT with NEAL SKIBINSKI Rain of Glass celebrated the beginning of baseball season with “Pitcher Night!” Neal Skibinski “threw the first pitch” by acting as moderator, with Jeff Motsinger “running the bases” by acting as glass runner and glass cam operator. And what a difference the cam makes—with it, we are able to see details on the screen that we would otherwise miss. Thanks to all who brought examples from their collections. It made for a very interesting and informative evening. ROSE PATTERN CHINA with VENITA OWEN Schumann’s Wild Rose, Briar Rose and Rosedale appear to be a mix of the two patterns that were once one, along with a few other pieces. All have the same decal with different shades of pink roses and green leaves, so it is possible to mix and match the pieces. Venita’s set actually belongs to her son, who got pieces from his grandma, whose set dated from the late 1950’s to early 1960’s. Pieces were made from as early as 1918, although the early ones were not named. By the 1930’s they had the Wild Rose name. Heinrich Schumann had a small pottery business in Arzberg, Germany from 1876 to 1879, which closed to make way for a new railroad. His only son Christoph Schumann opened a new factory in 1881, which started producing porcelain in addition to pottery. It operated from 1881 to 1932. Christoph’s son Carl Schumann took over the company in 1932. In later years it became a “Limited” company. It closed in 1994. An item of note: Carl Schumann was the only foreign manufacturer ever allowed to produce Disney’s products, i.e. Mickey Mouse figurines. Schumann factory marks changed over the years. A good source of in-depth study is the website www.efineantiques.com. The china called Briar Rose appears to be a later version of what was called Wild Rose. The earliest documentation for the “Briar Rose” name is in the 1961 brochure from E&R. Rosedale looks like the same family, but the Rosedale that Replacements Ltd. has is not the same pattern as the pierced plate that Venita showed. Then she showed a bowl with the same decal from Gerold Porzellan. Confusing? Oh yes! Briar Rose dinner plates are 10-1/2” and cost $40 at Replacements, and about half of that on the Internet. The salad plate is 7-7/8” and the bread & butter plate is 6-1/8”. The soup bowl is a coupe shape and costs $36 at Replacements, and about $25 and up on the ‘net plus shipping. There are two different fruit bowls, which cost $15 at Replacements and about $10 on the ‘net. The oval platter is about $75 at Replacements. There are both oval and round vegetable bowls. The teapot was Venita’s most expensive purchases. She bought it from Replacements before the midnight garage sales started on the ‘net and paid about $150 including shipping. Today’s price from Replacements is $180 plus shipping. There are a number of accessory pieces in Wild Rose, including an 11-3/4” chop plate, a footed cake plate with plain edge or scalloped edge. There is a 32-oz pitcher, vases, square vegetable bowl, square bonbon and square nut dish. Cups and saucers come plain on the sides or with extra gold trim. Gerold Porzellan made a chocolate pot that is 8-1/4” high with a scalloped base. along with other pieces. The prices do not vary for different names or manufacturers—since the decals match, the maker or name are not as important. The quality is good and the pieces hold up well and may even be washed in the dishwasher, although not too often! MARCH 22, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS LANCASTER CUTTINGS with MARK IMHOFF The man who was the first president of Fostoria Glass Company founded the Lancaster Glass Company in 1908 in Lancaster, Ohio. The factory made cut and decorated tableware, kitchenware and occasional pieces. In 1924 it was purchased by the Hocking Glass Company and continued to produce the same types of ware under the Lancaster name. The Lancaster factory also supplied colored blanks for cutting and etching to the Standard Glass Company, another subsidiary of Hocking, and offered blanks for sale for decoration by other companies. In 1937, the Lancaster name was discontinued. In the 1920’s and 30’s Lancaster produced pieces in green, blue, canary, pink, topaz, pale blue and black. Hazel Marie Weatherman speculates in Book 2 of Colored Glassware of the Depression Era that other colors were made as well. The type of glass they produced falls into that “mid range” of collectible glass: not machine-made so therefore not true “Depression Glass,” but not fire-polished or ground, so not true “Elegant Glass” either. Lancaster decorated its glass with “cold” and fired-on floral designs in silver, gold and other colors, stripes of red and black or yellow and black, etchings and cuttings. What is the difference between an etching and a cutting? The terms are often used interchangeably, but an etching is a design etched with acid, while a cutting is made with a wheel or needle. Lancaster produced more cuttings than etchings, and they did a lot of them! Their most famous cut design is “Jubilee,” which began life as a promotional set for an appliance company. The Jubilee cutting consists of a flower with 12 petals and an open center, leaves and stems. Jubilee collectors insist that if the flowers have a different number of petals, then it is not Jubilee. This is important because Jubilee prices are many times higher than the other cuttings. For instance, a candy box with the Jubilee cutting books for $500, while the same box with 11 petals on the flower (or a different floral cutting altogether) can be found for about $10-$25. However, the Mauzy’s Depression Glass book says that the candy jar and sherbet have only 11 petals on the flower. And Mark has pitchers made by Macbeth-Evans that have the same cutting as Jubilee, so what does that make them? Jubilee was cut on a huge number of pieces. Mark says anything in Topaz that is NOT a cup and saucer, plate, cream and sugar or 10-oz tumbler is rare. Some of the other Lancaster/Standard cuttings you might find include “Trudy,” which is a Jubilee-type flower with a striped drape around it, Martha Washington, “Grape,” Rose, “Blanche,” “Yummy” and many more. (The names in quotation marks were bestowed by Weatherman; with the exception of Jubilee, Martha Washington and a few others, the factory identified its cuttings only by number instead of name.) Mark says the three things he likes best are coaching girls’ softball, dancing and collecting glass. He began collecting Jubilee in the mid-1970’s after seeing his mother-in-law’s set. He got intrigued because the wide variety of pieces produced over a long period of time keeps the hunt interesting—you never know what you will find. To date, the Jubilee cutting and in fact no Lancaster pieces at all have been reproduced. --Written by Carole White PETALWARE FROM MACBETH EVANS CO., 1930 – 1950 BY SANDRA MILLIUS A CONTENTED COLLECTOR OF PETALWARE The pattern was first made in “Rose Pink” and crystal. In 1932 the pattern was made in the new “Monax” semi-opaque white) tableware and in 1933 the pattern was made in “Irvene” or “Cremax,” (the creamy beige “pearly tones”). By 1936, MacBeth Evans had merged with Corning Glass Works and new treatments for this pattern were underway. Hand painted and decorated designs were added: “Pastel Bands,” “Gold Rim,” and “Gold Design,” followed by the floral, fruit and bird designs. Fired-on color treatments in red, blue, green and yellow were also added to the line. ”Pastel Bands” pattern is most sought after today. The second most popular design is “Florette,” which is the pointed flower with no rim color trim. “Mountain Flowers,” the pattern with the floral spray and red trim, is likewise very popular. All of the hand painted dinnerware designs are popular with collectors. A few pieces are found in cobalt, including the mustard and under plate with a chrome cover, the large berry bowl, the sugar, creamer and low footed 4 ˝” sherbet. The MacBeth Evan’s pink is a delicate shade and popular with collectors of moderately priced pink glass. This is a relatively small -- and an inexpensive line: Bowls: cream soup, cereal, soup, and a large berry. Cup & saucer (also doubles as the cream soup under plate) Creamer, sugar and mustard (mustard only in cobalt blue) Lampshades in several sizes Plates: sherbet, salad, dinner, 11” and 12” salvers, 13” platter Low footed sherbets in 4” and 4 ˝” sizes. Tid-bit servers and/or lazy susans in several styles (so they say) There were pitchers and tumblers made to go – along with Pastel Rings, Mountain Flowers, Regency, as well as other of the designs. Recently, Gene Florence has begun listing these go-along items as part of the Petalware pattern pieces. When I find Petalware, it is most often in Monax, plain or decorated. The Irvene or Cremax is not so common – and the shade varies from a fairly light creamy color to very definite beige. It blends well with a variety of table accessories and works with décor for various holidays. It is my favorite for lunches and dessert gatherings – at any time of the year! FEBRUARY 22, 2005 - MEETING TOPICS BRILLIANCY AND JACK FROST with CAROLE WHITE “TIFFIN’S OBSCURE PATTERNS FOR THE PANDEMIC COLLECTOR” On September 9, 1914, the Advisory Committee of US Glass met to determine which factory would experiment with the production of a lighter weight type of glass. The factory superintendents were against spending time and money on something they considered to be trivial. Only a few of their better customers had even requested this type of glassware, and they had no faith in its salability. But Superintendent Dougherty of Factory “R” in Tiffin, Ohio, convinced them to let him perform the experiment at his factory. At the time, the Tiffin factory was producing heavy pressed tumblers and bar ware, with a capacity of 500,000 tumblers a week. Production of this cheaper type of glassware was discontinued, and Tiffin glass took on a new, more artistic look. The experiment worked, and business increased substantially. By 1927 other factories in the US Glass combine were closing, but Tiffin continued to produce high-quality glass, and their output was more than double that of Cambridge and Heisey. Tiffin was sold in every state and in Canada, Australia, Cuba, England, Mexico and South Africa, mainly through department stores Among the most creative of Tiffin’s early patterns were two disarmingly simple ones: Brilliancy, introduced in 1926 and produced through the 1930’s, and Jack Frost, produced from 1922 to 1935. Brilliancy is a pressed pattern with little bumps like goose pimples that give the pieces a textured look, like a leather football. Jack Frost is also pressed, but the surface is treated with acid, giving it a shattered, “cracked ice” look—like it has been tortured! Both of these patterns came in Canary (yellow), Blue, Green and Pink. The pieces in the lines were accessories--vases, candlesticks, baskets--and serving pieces. Tiffin and Jack Frost can be tough to find, but they are not really “rare” in the sense that their scarcity makes them expensive. Rather, they are more obscure. Prices for most pieces are in the $35 to $65 range. I consider myself to be a “pandemic” collector in that my collection is very widespread, and as Tom Sanders pointed out, I am incurable! Brilliancy and Jack Frost are among my smallest collections, but they are very special to me. HEISEY ORCHID with DOLORES PREAS Dolores started collecting Heisey Orchid at an early age! When she was a young girl, she sold the most Pea Festival buttons in her community and won a place setting of flatware, which she traded in for a starter set of Heisey Orchid glassware. The set consisted of a dessert plate, water goblet, sherbet, cheese comport, cream & sugar on tray and crimped bowl. Over the years she has added to the set and now has a wide array of pieces. Plate Etching #507 Orchid was Heisey’s most popular acid etched pattern, produced continually from 1940 to1957 on crystal only. When the Heisey factory closed in 1957, Imperial Glass produced a reduced line of pieces. The two main blanks it was etched on were #1509 Queen Ann and #1519 Waverly. It was also etched on #1495 Fern, #1540 Lariat and #1951 Cabochon. It was also etched onto a number of different vase blanks, including the Lariat example Dolores showed. Over the years Orchid was etched onto a huge number of pieces—Gene Florence shows 138 different pieces in his book, Elegant Glassware of the Depression Era. There is also matching flatware available. Dolores reported that prices on serving pieces and flatware are rising. Dinner plates remain high at $150 to $162 EACH without scratches. Her most special piece is the cocktail shaker with rooster head that she got at our January 2005 Rain of Glass show. This books for $295, but she got a better deal than that. Who says our shows don’t have bargains!! Florence’s book says that prices on stemware including water goblets, high sherbets and iced teas are softening due to oversupply—great news for the thrifty collector! JANUARY 18, 2005 - MEETING TOPICSS FOSTORIA’S SPINET CUTTING with NEAL SKIBINSKI Fostoria made Spinet pattern, cutting #821, on Mademoiselle blank 6033 stemware from 1950 to 1960, with matching available through 1975. Introduced in 1949, Mademoiselle was the first new blank Fostoria made after WWII. There are three main types of cut decoration on glass: gray cutting, which is not polished; combination cutting, which is partly polished; and rock crystal cutting, which is completely polished. Spinet is a rock crystal cutting. In the 1950’s, for formal blown stemware, cuttings were more popular than acid etchings. To today’s collectors, cuttings are not as popular as acid etchings, so assembling a set with cutting is more affordable. By 1940, crystal was more popular than colored glassware, and Fostoria mostly offered clear glass. The little colored glass that was produced, such as the informal tumbler lines, was not meant to be cut. Spinet was a small crystal set with only 12 pieces. If the set had been produced 10 years earlier, it probably would have included a console set, jug, fingerbowl, a wine as well as a claret, and a low 9 oz water. In the 1950’a there was a change to larger size goblets: waters became 10 oz instead of 9 oz. Also, the wine and claret were combined into a single glass. The Spinet set included: 10 oz goblet, a 4 oz claret-wine; 1 oz cordial; 4 oz cocktail; 4 oz oyster cocktail; 5 oz ftd juice; 12 oz ftd iced tea; 6 oz parfait; 6 oz low sherbet; and 6 oz high sherbet. There were also #2337 plates in both 7” and 8” size. The January 1, 1950, factory price list for Spinet shows all stems @ $21 per dozen, 7” plates @ $30 per dozen, and 8” plates @ $33 per dozen. Neal says the Spinet 8” plates are scarce as they were more expensive due to a larger surface to be cut, so fewer were purchased. Oyster and liquor cocktail glasses were gradually eliminated in the late 1950’s, and Fostoria included only one size sherbet in sets from then on. Neal displayed his Spinet set with early ruby and ebony Fostoria colored glass and two Royal Crest sterling patterns, Wild Flower and Castle Rose. Royal Crest was an offshoot of Oneida and sold by representatives in homes beginning in 1942. RIBS with ROGENE CLEMENTS What goes better with the Super Bowl than ribs? But since we are a glass club, Rogene confined her talk to non-edible glass ribs: horizontal Manhattan and vertical Queen Mary! Another name for Manhattan was “Horizontal Ribbed.” It was made from 1938 to 1943 by Anchor Hocking in crystal, pink, some green, and some ruby. The crystal is more prevalent; pink is very hard to find, and green is nearly impossible. The insets for the large tray can be found in ruby. The ribs are prone to nick, so check carefully before buying. Rogene had the most trouble finding the dinner plate, which is 10 1/4” in diameter—perfect for potlucks. Gene Florence lists it at $225, but this is a huge typo! It really goes for about $25. The saucer has no cup ring. At first there was some confusion about the candlesticks. Hazel Marie Weatherman showed a double candlestick that was later determined to have been made by L.E. Smith. The little square candlestick holders are the correct ones. The shakers are confusing because they are square, not the round footed ones made by Hazel Atlas. The most sought-after piece in the Manhattan line is the comport. In 1987 Anchor Hocking introduced a modern pattern called Park Avenue to re-create the glamour of 1938 when Manhattan was first introduced. However, the Park Avenue pieces are only similar because the measurements are different in diameter and height from the original pattern. Rogene started collecting Depression-era glass patterns with names, so Queen Mary fit right in. Queen Mary was made from 1936 to 1949 by Hocking Glass in crystal, pink and some ruby. Crystal is inexpensive. Queen Mary is sometimes confused with Jeannette’s Anniversary and Heisey’s Ridgleigh patterns. There are two sizes of cups. The smaller cup sits on a saucer with a cup ring, but the larger cup sits on a saucer with no cup ring. The candlestick is a double branch, and the shakers are round. There are two types of tumblers. Hazel Marie Weatherman tells us that the term tableware refers to all pieces used ton the home table, such as the creamers, sugars, butter dishes, tumblers, comports, jugs and candy dishes. Dinnerware refers to the tableware items PLUS the dinner plates, cups & saucers, cream soups, platters and vegetable bowls. Dinner plates must measure 9” or more. Luncheon plates must be 8”. Any smaller and it is a dessert, sherbet or bread-and-butter plate. DECEMBER 18, 2004 - MEETING TOPICS LIONEL TRAINS with DWAYNE COLE We rode the rails to fun at our last meeting of the year! Dwayne Cole brought several examples from his wonderful collection of Lionel Trains. Joshua Lionel Cowen (originally Cohen) was a gifted inventor. He claimed to have invented one of the first dry cell batteries, the flashlight, a doorbell and the electric fan, and he did invent a photographic flash lamp. Because of his work with flash devices, the Navy contracted him to produce detonators for mines. He and a partner started the Lionel Manufacturing company in 1900. In 1901 Cowen noticed a push train in a toy store, which gave him the idea of an electric train. He made a gondola on a track for a display in the same store, and in 1902 produced a trolley and a suspension bridge. In 1903 he brought out the B&O locomotive and a derrick car. From 1901 to 1905, the gauge was 2 7/8”, and from 1906 to 1919 it was standard gauge. In 1906 he added the third rail, and in 1919 he converted to O gauge in order to compete with other manufacturers. In the 1920’s Lionel produced wonderfully elaborate sets, and continued to produce them even after the crash. During WWII, Lionel produced war materiel but also had paper trains and books. After the War, they were ready to go with several new models. The only set produced in 1945 introduced the knuckle coupler and smoke. Originally smoke was made by pellets, but Dwayne says they get jammed in, so liquid smoke, available at hobby stores, is better. In 1948 Lionel converted from metal to plastic, and by 1949 all their production was plastic. Their first vertical electric motor came out in 1950, the Union Pacific “Anniversary Set.” These have gone up as high as $4000 but have leveled off at about $2000. The first magna traction came out in 1949. Each year they produced a different switcher. A pink and pastel train for girls was produced in 1956 & 57. It was not popular at the time, but today it fetches $2500-$4000. They also made a boys’ blue train for about half a day but decided it was a mistake and discontinued it immediately. Business was good from 1945 to about 1955, but it slowed from 1956 to 1959. It really declined through 1969, and they filed bankruptcy. Other companies have produced Lionels since then. Dwayne mainly collects post-WWII Lionels. He advises that the engines and tenders should be sold as pairs, and to beware if you see them offered separately as it is very hard to find the missing piece. He says not to pick up the trains by the painted areas as the oil on your fingers will damage the paint—pick them up by the wheels! If the cars are all the same color on the auto cars, they are more valuable. The sets with four different-colored cars are fairly common. NOVEMBER 18, 2004 - MEETING TOPICS PATTERN OF THE MONTH: LANCASTER’S “PATRICK” MARK & KAREN IMHOFF The Lancaster Glass Company began as a hand house in 1908 and was purchased by Hocking in 1924. Kitchenware, occasional pieces and cut and decorated tableware continued to be made under the Lancaster name until 1937. Lancaster is more known for its machine-made pressed glass with cuttings, so Patrick is a rarity for them as it is an acid etched pattern. It was made in yellow and rose pink, with a few pieces in crystal. This is a scarce pattern in any color, but especially rose. Mark has acquired one piece of rose in 30 years of collecting. Patrick was made in the early 1930’s. It is a small set, consisting of two footed tumblers, goblet, sherbet and under plate, cup and saucer, three sizes of plates, cream and sugar, handled bowl and tray, mayonnaise set, cheese & cracker set, covered, three-footed candy box, center-handled sandwich server and console set of bowl and sticks. The tumblers have ball connectors, which is characteristic of Lancaster. The handles on the bowl and tray are scroll-shaped, another Lancaster characteristic. The cheese & cracker and mayonnaise set are very desirable, although Mark thinks the mayo ladles may have been purchased from a jobber as every factory seems to have exactly the same type. The Patrick cream and sugar would fit into the under tray that goes with the Jubilee set. Prices on eBay and shows are book or higher. The 9” handled bowl is $175-$200; the sticks $200; cheese & cracker $150; cream & sugar $60 each; goblets & stem $60-$70; sandwich server $75; candy box $500; mayonnaise set $200; and plates $20-$40 each. PROGRAM: CAMBRIDGE GOLD ENCRUSTATION TOM & KARIN SANDERS Gold encrustation is gilding over etching, so it is possible to find familiar etched patterns as well as some that are not so familiar. Encrustation was more for decoration than actual use as the gold dulls, gets damaged or wears off if you use the pieces, and especially if you wash them. Tom says the condition of the gold is most important, and he collects only mint pieces with all the gold intact. He says that on a “good” piece, the gold should look brand new. Of course it goes without saying that the pieces themselves have to be mint as well! Gold encrustation is found mainly on clear glass and more rarely on colored pieces. The gold encrusted pieces Tom showed were made from about 1931 to 1934. Tom showed a green console bowl with Imperial Hunt Scene etching; an ebony vase with Rosepoint etching; a Crown Tuscan cigarette box with Diane etching and the Crown Tuscan stamp on the base; and ruby goblets with gold—all very tough to find. Sandra Millius brought a Crown Tuscan vase with gold encrustation, and Barbara Coleman an amber candy with #527 band. Tom showed a clear vase with Elaine etching (the vase is shaped like the urn but has the gold band 1“ down from the top rim); a four-footed candy with Rosepoint etching; a cheese and cracker with Portia etching; and a Dalton pitcher and water goblets with Candlelight etching. He bought the pitcher and thought that would be it, but a lucky find in an antique mall completed that set for Tom! Tom says that good encrusted pieces can be spendy, but you don’t see them that often and they are a good investment as they hold their value! OCTOBER 19, 2004 - MEETING TOPICS “PIECE” OF THE MONTH: BONBONS with NEAL SKIBINSKI Just exactly what is a bonbon? Members shared that true bonbon candies have no chocolate but are white fondant dipped in pastel coatings. The word “bon” means “good” in French, so Neal says it must mean that the candies are so good they named them twice! To glass collectors, bonbon dishes are usually small bowls with sides curved up to form little basket-like dishes. However, in their catalogs, manufacturers sometimes called other types of dishes “bonbons.” Several members brought examples of bonbon dishes. Neal brought several of Fostoria’s with etched patterns including green Wildflower and Acanthus, topaz Manor and Minuet, pink New Garland and Legion. Barbara Coleman brought Cambridge’s amber Cleo, green #739 etch, and crystal Valencia, Rosepoint and Wildflower, and a 739 cream soup for comparison. Jack Bookwalter brought a rare Fostoria American in blue, a white stretch glass piece, and Anchor Hocking’s Moonstone. Carole White brought Fostoria’s blue Versailles, Fenton’s San Toy and a scarce green one by L.E. Smith, which is more common in black. Sandra Millius brought Duncan & Miller’s Teardrops and Cambridge Caprice. Cindy Thomas brought Fenton’s Persian Medallion, Macy Rock brought Heisey’s Cristolyte, and Sally Cole brought Heisey’s Lariat. ALL ARTICLES WRITTEN BY CAROLE WHITE UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED |
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