Merry Quirky Christmas!

While looking around for Christmas sites I found the movie The Nightmare Before Christmas. This is a link to wikipedia with info on the movie. Merry Quirky Christmas!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Nightmare_Before_Christmas

Antique Bohemian Beaded Christmas Ornaments

Antique Bohemian beaded Christmas ornaments from 1870 - 1940.http://www.gablonz.com/Antique_bohemian_beaded_Christmas_decorations._~_1870-1940._Area_of_Jablonec_nad_Nisou___Gablonz/Gablonz_Collection/Gablonz_Collection.html

Friends of the Creche

Friends of the Creche is a society dedicated to the Christmas nativity. http://www.friendsofthecreche.org/

The Christmas Story House

If you loved the movie you will love this! http://www.achristmasstoryhouse.com/

The Golden Glow of Christmas Past

This collector webpage is all about antique Christmas ornaments pre 1966. They have a tab for collecting areas. Wow, they have a 1000 members worldwide. http://goldenglow.org/

Snow Babies!

Snow babies and snow bunnies? http://snowbaby.com

Kralik and Bohemian Glass

Do you need to identify your piece of Bohemian glass? This is the place! http://www.kralik-glass.com/

The Frederick Carder Gallery at the Corning Glass Museum

I know that some would say Frederick Carder who?  He was the designer and manager at Steuben from 1903 until 1932. His glass was and is fabulous! Take a look at the top banner and hit the white dots and you will see a feast for the eyes.

http://www.cmog.org/collection/galleries/frederick-carder-gallery

A Different Epergne Bowl

Last year we were contacted by a customer who needed a cut glass insert dish for a sterling sliver epergne.
The one dish had to match perfectly the other 3 existing inserts.We contacted David McDermott of McDermott's Art Glass Studio. David made two blanks just in case one did not work out. Lucky for us we had an extra. The first bowl that was cut was about 85% done. It was sitting on the work bench when Wayne heard a light "ping". It had been sitting there for over an hour, by itself. He knew exactly what the ping meant. DANG! The bowl cracked from stress. This will occasionally happen on new glass as well as old.
He had about 5 hours into the bowl. He started over on the second bowl with great success! After 7 hours to cut the bowl we shipped it to the customer. It matched perfectly and he was very happy. The cracked bowl was put on a shelf and forgotten about until our post Tuesday on the epergne bowls.

             This photo shows the bowl. Notice the bottom step cuts and a deep rayed cut on the base.

     This shows the rayed base and step cuts and the sawtooth top. The gray area is the unfinished pattern.
     That was the easy part left to do.

                                         This photo shows the unfinished underside of the bowl.

                                         It can be hard to see the the crack it a about one clock

This piece could not be salvaged. We intend to use it has a display piece of how cut glass can be cut. With the several hundreds of thousands of glass items we have repaired or re-cut this has happen to about 30 items both new and old.

Making, Cutting and Decorating Epergne Bowls

We were contacted by a customer who needed 4 6" bowls and 1 8" bowl for a sterling silver epergne. All but one of the original bowls had been damaged due to a basketball. Our customer was unable to find any matching bowls that would fit the epergne. She needed to have them custom made. We contacted David McDermott of McDermott Studios who made the blanks for us. David worked for Pairpoint for many years. Now he has his own art glass studio with his wife. They are out of Salem Maine.

Photo #1 shows the 4 6" bowls unfinished from David. The first step is to flatten the bottoms so the bowls sit level.

 Photo 2: the height of the bowls is measured and marked. They are then cut to the correct height.

                                                    Photo 3: one bowl with the cut off top.

                Photo 4: bowl that has been cut flat and is ready to be marked for cutting with the pattern.

 Photo 5: all 4 bowls are marked and the 8" center bowl is marked with the pattern and ready to be cut.

                                                   Photo 6: cutting started in rough cut.

Photo 7: showing smooth cut is done. It is ready for the pumice and then followed by diamond polish with cerium.

                                                          Photo 8: shows finished bowl.
                                    

Photo 9: all the bowls are finished with the plugs put on the bottoms for ready insert into the sterling holders.


From the customer's first inquiry to finished product was 4 months. Actual preparation, cutting and polishing was 5 hours per bowl.

Uncorked: Wine, Objects and Traditions

This link is to the Winterthur Musesum. You can learn about wine vessels, history etc.
 http://uncorked.winterthur.org/

Stretch Glass Society

Learn about stretch glass! This group has virtual conference calls periodically to discuss stretch glass. They have a convention once a year. Also quarterly newsletters.  http://www.stretchglasssociety.org/

Thank you veterans for your service!

Thank you to all our veterans on this Veterans Day! We are free because of all of you!
May your legacy continue in this generation and beyond! We will never forget.

Shanghai Museum of Glass

The Shanghai Museum of Glass. Wow. http://en.shmog.org/index.php

Historical Glass Museum in Redlands California

This museum was founded in 1976 and with a lot of hard work by the founders. The museum is called the Historical Glass Museum located in Redlands California.

http://historicalglassmuseum.com/

Ghost in the Cemetery

 Happy Halloween everyone!!

http://www.wordcraft.net/ghosts1.html

Halloween Museum

This site has an online museum of  Halloween items. http://www.castlehalloween.com/photogallery.php

Antique Halloween Decorations

This company, Beistle, started in 1900. They are still in business today. They manufactured great Halloween graphics. The link has an article about them and then a link below the article to the present company.

http://www.spookshows.com/beistle/beistle.htm

Winterthur Museum

Family home of the DuPonts is a museum. Check out their collections: http://www.winterthur.org/?p=362

Campbell Collection of Soup Tureens

When we first saw this we thought the soup company? The chairman of the company started collecting soup tureens in 1966. They are now on display at the Winterthur Museum. http://www.winterthur.org/?p=363

Meriden Flint Glass Company

The Meriden Flint Glass Company was in business in Connecticut from 1876-1888. The link to the website tells us that even though they were in business for a short period of time they made an impact on the world of glass. www.meridenflintglass.com.

Connecticut Historical Society eMuseum

Here you can search through over 8,000 objects from the Connecticut Historical Society collection, including clothing, furniture, weapons, needlework, tools, household objects, photographs, paintings, prints, drawings, and more.

http://emuseum.chs.org:8080/emuseum/

Cigar Factory Reader

This photo shows a reader in a cigar factory. If you scroll down you can read the info submitted by Cigar Historian. Interesting history on what a reader was and cigar factories in general.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/1440

The Museum of Connecticut Glass

The Museum of Connecticut is exhibiting, preserving, researching and educating about the many glass factories that called Connecticut home. Among the companies are Meriden and Pitkin. http://www.glassmuseum.org/index.htm

Mt. Washington and Pairpoint Glass Society

From their webpage "The Mt. Washington and Pairpoint Glass Society focuses on Mt. Washington Glassworks and its sucessors, the Pairpoint Companies who began manufacturing fine art glass in the 
mid-19th century". There are picture galleries that can be view. Wonderful glass! http://mwpgs.org/

More Glass Pumpkins

On Oct 26 the Sandwich Glass Museum will be having it's 2nd Pumpkin Fest. I saw one or two I think would look good in my house!

http://www.sandwichglassmuseum.org/events.php?pgID=17

Halloween Postcards

Awhile back we were shopping at a local antique store and there was a decoupage tray for sale with about 20 Halloween postcards on it. I stood there for about 15 minutes trying to figure out if I bought it how would I get the postcards off the tray. I decided it was more work than I wanted to do. I am sure that the trendy looking space owner thought she was making a wonderful item using those cards. She would have made more by selling the cards individually. Anyway, here is a link to Halloween postcards from the early 20th century.
http://antiques.about.com/od/collectingbookspaper/ig/Halloween-Postcard-Gallery/Romantic-Halloween-Greeting.htm

Extreme pumpkins? Who knew?

Warning adult content.
http://www.extremepumpkins.com/pumgivbir.html

This one is my favorite: 
http://www.dudelol.com/pumpkin-giving-birth

Haunted Collectibles

This is a fun read!

http://antiques.about.com/cs/holiday/a/aa102203.htm

Ice Skater Club

From their webpage: " The Antique Ice Skate Club was established in 2000. The club was formed to allow  collectors and lovers of the history of ice skating to share knowledge, learn from each other and collect memories." http://antiqueiceskateclub.com/

Got my skates ready! It was 33 here during our morning walk. Brrr.

How do you make the world's largest glass pumpkin?

http://www.cmog.org/video/hq-version-how-do-you-make-worlds-largest-blown-glass-pumpkin

Antique Desk Made In Germany

Wow, so many cubby holes and secret compartments!

The Rushlight Club

From their webpage:  "The Rushlight Club, founded in 1932 for the study and preservation of LIGHTING, is one of the oldest organizations dedicated to a single aspect of material culture.  The collecting and researching interests of members range from the earliest primitive lighting devices through lighting by gas and electricity." http://www.rushlight.org/

We attended an Aladdin lamp convention a few years ago. There was a representative from the Rushlight Club there. He lived in Washington D.C. in an historic home that had working gas lights.

Coleman Lamps

This site is about Coleman lamps. Members collect, restore and preserve the lamps. Their next convention will be in Michigan on July 26, 27, 28, 2014 http://www.internationalcolemancollectors.com/

Evelyn & Russell

This photo was taken in 1913. It kind of ties in with the posts we had on earlier this week on clothing and sewing items. It shows an example what the style for the wealthy was like in 1913. Mom had quite a history by the way. http://www.shorpy.com/node/16118

Victorian Sewing

This website is devoted to help you make clothes from the Victorian Era. There is also info on Edwardian clothing. Two articles on how what is in a Victorian sewing box and a housewife needle case.  http://victoriansewing.com/

laglass

Michael is a dear friend and knows more about glass than the average antique and glass dealer, us included, will ever remember. He sells on ebay under laglass. Here is one of his past listings. The details are in his description. The toothpick without the wording is rare. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Ruby-Stained-Heisey-TOURAINE-toothpick-holder-/141063292187?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item20d807051b&nma=true&si=dgglbE%252Bj3OzRN6uOGJoEj0NefYg%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

The Writer Automaton

This small boy automaton is over 240 years old. What a marvel!

http://www.chonday.com/Videos/the-writer-automaton

Thimbles and Thimble Holders

This site is about thimbles and thimble holders. A life long collection is up for sale from the Thimble Holders Museum. The link to the page below features 20 treasures from the early 19th and mid 19th century. Check out the other categories on the site from children's kits, clamps, tables etc, etc. 

http://www.thimble-holders.com/twenty-treasures

Antique Golf Clubs

Fore! Interesting site on antique golf clubs. There is also a page on antique golf balls. Just type golf balls in their search box to show that page. Have a good weekend everyone. Stay out of the rough!
http://antiquegolfclubs.org/Antique-Golf.html

National Autumn Leaf Collectors Club

Autumn has arrived in Southwest Idaho. The colors of autumn are warm with shades of orange, gold, green  and brown. The link we have today is to the Autumn Leaf Collectors Club. Autumn Leaf is the name of the pattern and it decorated many items made by the Hall China Company of Liverpool, Ohio. The china was offered for sale by the Jewel Tea Company as a premium. Learn more at http://nalcc.org/

Relics of America's Gilded Age

This link is to the Lightner Museum in St Agustine Florida http://lightnermuseum.org/main_lightner.html
If you want to see how life was in the 19th century this is the place. There are displays ofAmerican Brilliant Cut Glass, Victorian glass and the stain glass of Tiffany.

Blenko Glass

"For over 100 years Blenko has maintained and will carry on the tradition of hand-made glass. We offer a wide range of products which include functional glassware, art glass, mouth blown sheet glass, dalle de verre and other quality products". 

Blenko has been in business since 1893. Every year they have a Festival of Glass were courses are offered to students of all ages to learn how to make hand crafted glass items. They are keeping the tradition of glass making alive in the U.S. http://www.blenko.com/

Carlo Bugatti, Father of the carmaker Bugatti

Carmaker Ettore Bugatti's father, Carlo Bugatti, was a designer and manufacture of Art Nouveau furniture. This link is to auctions of his furniture by Christies. 

http://artist.christies.com/Carlo-Bugatti--53642.aspx

Couldn't you see a Lalique Mascot on a Bugatti ??

Yesterday we had a link for Lalique mascots. Then I happen to read an article on Ettore Bugatti. I can just see a Lalique mascot on the hood of one of these cars!

http://www.rarecars.co/cars/bugatti/

Lalique Mascots

We would call them hood ornaments. The Lalique Mascot Collector's Club is hosted by the BrmmBrmm Classic Network & Directory. 

http://www.brmmbrmm.com/lbcc.bb

The Glass Art Society

This site is about contemporary glass artists. " The Glass Art Society (GAS) is an international nonprofit organization founded in 1971 whose purpose is to encourage excellence, to advance education, to promote the appreciation and development of the glass arts, and to support the worldwide community of artists who work with glass. GAS members are artists, students, educators, collectors, gallery and museum personnel, writers, and critics, among others."
http://www.glassart.org/

Loetz and other Bohemian Glass Companies

In addition to Loetz Glass this website is about the many Bohemian glass factories that operated at the turn of the 20th century. The words on the title page below Loetz Glass are Tiffany Twisted and Mercedes Bends. What? Where did those words come from? A book title? A billboard sign? Yes, this is a bonus question. No prizes except for the satisfaction that you know stuff that may help you win a trivia game.

http://www.loetz.com/

Corning Glass and their ideas for the future!

A fun video to watch. How soon will we have some of these products?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZkHpNnXLB0

Maxfield Parrish

Maxfield Parrish was a very well known artist in the early part of the 20th century. His illustrations were everywhere: advertising, books, magazine covers, murals etc.  When Wayne and I traveled up down the central valley of California for shows in the late 1990's we would stop at a restaurant in Mojave. They had about 30 Maxfield Parrish original prints in their dining room. We would tell the waitress we would love to buy them. Each time we were told they were not for sale. One day we came through and stopped for breakfast at this restaurant. It was still open, but there were new owners and the prints were gone.

http://parrish.artpassions.net/

Hudson River Landscape Stained Glass Window By Tiffany

Imagine that you owned a home on the Hudson and you commissioned Louis Comfort Tiffany to make a stained glass window. It is finished in 1905. In the 1970's the home is sold and so is the window. Thank goodness it ended up in a museum, the Corning Museum of Glass.
http://www.cmog.org/artwork/window-hudson-river-landscape

Ruba Rombic

So Art Deco. The pattern is called Ruba Rombic. Made by Consolidated in 1928.
http://www.cmog.org/artwork/ruba-rombic

Phoenix and Consolidated Glass Collector's Club

Fabulous home page with great photos of Phoenix and Consolidated glass. In addition to Phoenix and Consolidated glass  they have info about Kopp Glass and Muncie Pottery.  There is a quarterly newsletter with membership. http://www.pcgcc.org/

Labor Day Greetings

Ok, ok so you had to work today, but at least you may have had a childhood. Howard worked hard for the money. Happy Labor Day to all who labor!

http://www.shorpy.com/node/12783

Shoe X Ray Machine

We are at the end the week and time for a subject other than glass. This site is all about quackery -  unproven or fraudulent medical devices.  One of their pages shows an x-ray machine for taking pictures of the foot inside a shoe. The machines were outlawed in 33 states by 1970. The machine shown was found in a department store in 1981!  http://www.museumofquackery.com/devices/shoexray.htm

Buttons! Buttons! Who Has the Button?

Well, these two collector groups have lots of buttons! My daughter in law saw me cutting buttons off a old shirt. Why are you saving buttons? In case I need one I answered. But then I talked about my mom, my aunts,and  their friends all saving buttons in jars and tins. I have memories of my childhood playing with buttons. Ok, so I am easily amused. But now every time I save a button I think of those ladies who wasted nothing and saved buttons ( and foil and paper bags and string and glass jars)

http://buttonsintime.com
http://nationalbuttonsociety.org

The Antique Glass Salt & Shaker Club

This club is all about salt and shakers from the 19th and 20th century. They have pages for research, ways to collect, conventions, photos, etc. http://antiquesaltshakers2.com/

The L.G. Wright Glass Company

If you are collector or seller of glass how many times have you been fooled by reproductions? It can happen to anyone no matter how much knowledge you may have. This book shows many color photos and information on glass that was reproduced by the L.G. Wright Glass Company from the mid 1930's through the 1990's.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1570800308/ref=nosim/glassmuseumonlin

Westmoreland Glass Club

This club has been around since 1969 and is still going strong. Their mission statement is "to promote the appreciation for the artistry and craftsmanship of Westmoreland glass and to continue the preservation of this important part of American history."

http://westmorelandglassclub.org/

Electrotherapy Museum

All things one can do with electricity. If you like the show Oddities this is a site you might be like. There are pages about history, experience, restoration and creation of electrical items. Also lots of pictures.

http://www.electrotherapymuseum.com/about.html

H. C. Fry Glass Company

This site is dedicated to preserving the heritage of the H.C. Fry Glass Company of Rochester, Pennsylvania.
The link is to their museum page. The company was in business from 1901 until the early 1930's. Their newsletter is called the Shard. Conventions every three years. They have Fry Glass for sale at different on line auctions and links to sellers with Fry glass for sale. Kudos to them for keeping the flame alive!

http://thenostalgialeague.com/fryglass/index.htm

Aladdin Alacite Dancing Ladies Urn Lamp

Check out the Dancing Ladies Urn Lamp made in 1942. The glass is called Alacite and was made by the Aladdin Company. 

http://www.aladdinknights.org/electric-alacite.php

Plated Amberina

Amber on a plate? What?  Plated Amberina was patented June 15, 1886, by Joseph Locke and was made by the New England Glass Company. It is similar in color to amberina, but it has a cream colored or chartreuse lining. There are small ridges or ribs on the outside.Check out these two links for great photos and info.

http://www.kovels.com/Price-Guide/Glass/Plated-Amberina.html 

http://www.earlyauctionco.com/art-glass-gallery-spring-08/Plated-Amberina.asp

Who's looking at you kid?

There does not seem to be any collector groups or web sites for antique glass eye collectors. Many of the new manufacturers of glass eyes have information on the history of glass eyes. Here is one with great photos and info:

 http://artificialeyeclinic.com/history.html

Original Dorflinger Label

This is an original Dorflinger label. It was confirmed by members of the Cut Glass Association as well as the Dorlinger Museum as being authentic. There are not many labels left because the label would dissolve in water. This label is on whiskey 3 part tumble up. The label we think was used between 1897-1910. The container is very dirty as we don't dare get the label wet. It is a floral rye pattern and at this point the start of the floral period in cut glass.

American Brilliant Cut Glass By Dorflinger

Our link today is to the Dorflinger Glass Museum. They opened on May 20th 1989. They have the largest collection of Dorflinger Glass at  over 900 pieces.  Christian Dorflinger was from France and worked at the St Louis Glass Factory. He came to America and in 1852 started Dorflinger one of the premier companies of  American Brilliant Cut Glass in the United States.

From their web page: "That the firm's reputation for excellence in glassmaking was unsurpassed by any American competitor for over fifty years is further attested by the many special commissions with which it was entrusted. Foremost among these was the distinction of supplying the tableware for the eight presidents of the United States from Abraham Lincoln to Woodrow Wilson. The first of these sets, and one of exceptionally fine and delicate design, came from the Brooklyn plant in 1861 when Mrs. Lincoln was refurbishing the White House, and was purchased through A.P. Zimandy, a Washington dealer, at a cost of $1,500. All were engraved with the U.S. coat of arms, each having its own individual pattern, and it is further interesting to note that Theodore Roosevelt ordered the first highball glasses. Other prominent customers were the Smithsonian Institute and the United States Navy. Many orders of elaborate design were prepared at the White Mills factory for use on some of the largest private yachts, including the Vanderbilts, Goulds, Reids and one for Henry Clay Pierce, valued at $60,000. In the early 1890's, a set of fluted tableware was specially designed for the Prince of Wales and another, comprising 2,300 pieces, was assembled for President Mario Menocal of Cuba, and engraved with the coat of arms of the Cuban Republic."

http://www.dorflinger.org/glass_museum.html

Christian Dorflinger died in 1915. The firm closed in 1921.

Dating Belleek

Belleek Pottery started in the mid 1850's and is still going strong. Their company web site has pages for the Belleek Collector's Society. And this page shows the different back stamps so you can identify the age of your Belleek.

http://www.belleek.com/Company-Info/Company-Information/Date-your-Belleek

Glass Memorial Urns?

Have you ever thought about a hand blown art glass cremation urn or, hand crafted crystal cremation keepsakes or cremation jewelry?  There are probably more sites that offer this service, but we found 3 when doing a quick on line search:

 http://americanartglassurns.com/
http://www.memorials.com/glass-urns.php
http://www.urns.com/udc-1908.html

American Art Glass

We have had this book, The Collector's Encyclopedia of American Art Glass, in our library for many years. It was published in 1988. The author is John A Shuman. A second edition was published in 2006 with 15 new chapters and many new photos and information. Whichever edition you own this is a book we highly recommend to learn about American Art Glass from the late 1880's through the 20th Century.

Vaseline Glass vs Vaseline Glass

What? Vaseline Glass vs Vaseline Glass?  There are two definitions for Vaseline Glass. Definition number 1 the glass itself is a yellow color. Definition number 2 is anything that fluoresces a yellow color under a black light is Vaseline Glass.

The Vaseline Collector webpage  http://www.vaselineglass.org/  states " Vaseline Glass is a particular color of yellow-green glass that is made by adding 2% Uranium Dioxide to the ingredients when the glass formula is made". And "yellow to yellow-green glass that turns fluorescent, bright green (under UV light) is the only true verification of Vaseline Glass".
 
This means that if the glass is clear or pink and glows green it is not Vaseline Glass. We think this "controversy" could be solved by calling any glass that fluoresces Fluorescent Glass and any glass that is a yellow color and fluoresces yellow to yellow-green Vaseline Glass.
           

Historic Glass Bottle Identification & Information Website

 While searching on line for 19th century glass making machines we ran across this website. What a wealth of information! All you ever wanted to know about bottles is here. You can identify marks on bottles and styles and age and on and on. Great site! http://www.sha.org/bottle/index.htm

Durand Art Glass

Sadly, there do not seem to be any group or clubs for Durand art glass.Victor Durand was a contemporary of Tiffany, Steuben, and Quezal. Durand began producing art glass in 1924. In 1926 Durand won a medal of
honor at the Sesquicentennial International Exposition in Philadelphia. Durand died from injuries from a car accident in 1931. By 1933 the company was out of business.

We found a link to historical information on the company: http://antiques.about.com/od/artglass/a/Durand-Art-Glass.htm  Also a link with great photos of Durand glass for sale http://www.earlyauctionco.com/art-glass-gallery-spring-08/durand.asp

In 1998 Edward J. Meschi wrote the book: Durand The Man and His Glass. Published by The Glass Press Inc. It can still be purchased. We did a search of the author, but no luck, except for finding the book still for sale. The book has great photos of Durand Glass in addition to info on shapes, cuttings and signatures.

More On Glass Automation

We also found this article on the Corning Museum of Glass. Owens worked for Libbey.

http://www.cmog.org/article/fabulous-monster-owens-bottle-machine

Glass Blowing vs Automation in the late 1880's

Automation began in the glassblowing field in the late 1880's.  Bottles were starting to be made by machine. This would phase out the glassblower in the bottle industry. Take a look at these glass making machines.

http://www.cmog.org/article/one-step-closer-iron-glassblower

Antique Trader article about us!!!

The Antique Trader did this article about us in 2008. Before we had a blog. 
http://www.antiquetrader.com/antiques/living_on_the_edge_couples_glass-repair_business_has_a_clear_mission

Glass of the Maharajahs

The Corning Museum of Glass has an exhibit that will run until November 30, 2013. The exhibit is called the Glass of the Maharajahs. The pictures of the glass items are breathtaking! http://www.cmog.org/collection/exhibitions/maharajahs

European manufacturers made one of kind glass items for wealthy Indians in the mid to late 19th century. There are glass chairs and tables. Wow.

Tiffin Glass Museum

 We don't think we can say it better than they can:

"The Tiffin Glass Museum honors the heritage established by the men and women of Tiffin’s “Glass House.” Through preservation and education, the Museum safeguards glassware made by the artisans from the factory’s nearly hundred-year history. Museum preservation work includes acquiring memorabilia and historical documents from the factory’s beginning in 1889 until its closing in 1984."

 http://www.tiffinglass.org/

The Glass of C.F. Monroe: Wave Crest, Nakara, Kelva

The C.F. Monroe Glass Company was in business from 1880 to 1916. They were a decorating company. They purchased undecorated blanks from France and  American glass companies such as Mt. Washington. The glass they decorated on was opal glass, a creamy white color. They called their decorated ware
Wave Crest, Kelva and Nakara.

The glass may or may not be signed. The metal fittings on the glass may or may not be marked. If the metal is marked it would be with the letters CFM Co.They also decorated cut glass blanks.

To learn more about this glass that is iconic in the world of glass visit the Wave Crest Collector's Club at  http://wavecrestcollectorsclub.org They have a yearly convention. This year it will be in November in Santa Barbara, California.

A Glass Shot Tower

What is a shot tower? A shot tower is built of brick or stone. It can be 75 to 160 feet tall. Lead is heated until it is molten.  It is dropped through a copper sieve high in the tower. The molten lead forms tiny spherical balls as it falls. The balls fall into a water filled basin. After they cool they are checked for roundness. If they are out of round they are re-melted. The balls are sorted by size. And there we have shot for use in firearms.

The link we have is for a miniature shot tower made of glass. It sold at auction in 2008. We were discussing the old days with dealer friends about the most unusual item we have ever owned and sold. They mentioned that they had bought and sold a  glass shot tower many years ago. We could only find one link for the a glass shot tower on line and here it is. http://www.soldusa.com/rainworx/detail.asp?id=13969&bigpic=0#img

Interested in Canadian Glass?

Glasfax is dedicated to the study of glass manufactured and used in Canada from before Confederation right up to the present day.  Glasfax was founded in 1967 during Canada's Centenial celebrations.  There are three chapters – District 3 with members in the Greater Toronto Area; District 4 with a membership based in southwestern Ontario; and District X for members in all other locations. Their members are interested in the history of glass in all its phases from raw materials to the finished article. This is a very nice site on Canadian glass with lots of links and info. http://www.glasfax.ca

Glass Knife Rests

When looking for something to blog about today I thought of knife rests. There use to be quite a few collectors for them. I did not find any collector associations for knife rests while surfing the net. I did find an article on the Antique Trader web page: http://www.antiquetrader.com/antiques/antiques-americana/museums/american_brilliant_cut_glass_knife_rests_at_historical_glass_museum

Does anyone know of any collector groups for knife rests?

Fenton Glass

The Fenton Glass Company was in business for 106 years. While the company is not making tradition glass items they are still in business: http://www.fentonartglass.com/

If you are interested in learning about Fenton Glass here are two web pages to check out: http://www.fentonglasscollectors.com/  and http://www.fentonfan.com/ and for information on the future of Fenton Glass: http://www.fentonartglass.com/newsletter/2013/USGlassClub.asp

What is an epergne?

Definition of epergne: a tiered centerpiece consisting of a frame metal or glass with dishes, vases of candle holders. The link below has photos and pictures of epergnes. http://myoldhistorichouse.blogspot.com/2011/07/victorian-epergne-pronounced-e-purn.html

Glass Canes

This website is about canes of all types. They have an article on glass canes. http://www.canequest.com/glass-canes.aspWe had been told years ago that glass canes were carried in parades by the glass workers. It was symbol of their profession. We have owned and sold several glass canes over the years. We have also repaired them by mending broken sections. Or making them shorter.

Quezal Glass

If by chance you had thought Tiffany and Steuben were the only two companies that made art glass check out this link http://www.journalofantiques.com/Apr03/featureapr03.htm . Quezal Glass was right up there with them in quality and design. This is a great article on the company.

Duncan Miller Glass

This group was started in 1975 to celebrate and educate on Duncan Miller glass. Duncan Miller was a Pittsburg, Pennslyvania glass house that manufactured many styles and colors of glass from 1865 to 1955. 
Their yearly sale is in November. http://duncanmiller.net/

Glass Whimsies

Glass House Whimsies were non-production glass items made by the glass workers on their own time. The glass items were given as gifts or to demonstrate their ability to work with glass. We have a few cut glass whimsies ourselves. Whimsies are fun to collect. Check out this link: http://whimsey.org/

Heisey Museum & Heisey Collectors of America

 The museum has been owned and operated by the Heisey Collectors of America, Inc since 1974.
 Heisey Collectors of America CA is a non-profit tax-exempt corporation dedicated to the education, preservation and encouragement of collecting the fine handmade glassware produced by A.H. Heisey and Company in Newark, Ohio. Twenty dedicated collectors founded the club in Newark on October 15, 1971. Today there are more than 1,700 members all over the United States http://heiseymuseum.org/

They also have a newsletter and a yearly convention!

Fostoria Glass Society of America

The Fostoria Glass Society of America celebrates the Fostoria Glass Company of  Fostoria,  Ohio started in 1887 and closed in 1986. Many brides received Fostoria glass for their weddings. The longest made pattern was American. Among other patterns made were Navarre, June, Versailles, and Trojan. They have  a museum at their location in West Virginia. Once a year they have a convention.
 http://www.fostoriaglass.org/

Cambridge Nudes

The Cambridge Glass Company produced these wonderful glasses from the 1930's to the 1950's. The company called them Statuesque Nudes. This is a link to an article from the National Cambridge Collectors web site: http://www.cambridgeglass.org/articles/0508/08crystalball415b.php

July 4, 1776

Words from the Declaration of Independence:

...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security....

 The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor for freedom.

Stars & Stripes

Tomorrow is July 4th, American Independence Day. While looking on line for glass items reflecting our country's heritage and history we found a link to a Wheeling Glass Stars and Stripes pitcher set made circa 1890. http://www.prices4antiques.com/Wheeling-Glass-Hobbs-Brockunier-Co-Opalescent-Cranberry-Water-Set-Stars-Stripes-D9734099.htm. Many  glasses houses manufactured glass in patriotic themes. http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/eapg-clear-creamer-stars-stripes-by-mckee-glass

Morgantown Glass

Innovative. Stylish. Creative. These words come to mind when we think of Morgantown Glass. The company started in 1889 in Morgantown, West Virginia. From the late 1920's through the 1960's they produced quality glass items. For more info see the links below. Also we recommend the book Morgantown Glass: From Depression Glass Through the 1960's by Jeffrey B. Snyder.

http://www.oldmorgantown.org/
http://www.morgantownglassmuseum.com/

The Ruby Lane Repro Shop

Ruby Lane is an online site that hosts about 2500 antique and collectible shops all under one umbrella. To educate yourself on repros check out the Ruby Lane Repro Shop: Modern Reproductions, Fakes & Fantasies.  Ruby Lane has high standards for selling and they do not want items misrepresented. While they have info on many different catagories the link below is for glass reproductions. Items shown are not for sale.
 http://www.rubylane.com/shop/rlreproshop/ilist/,cs=Glass

Toothpicks

Many glass companies in the United States made toothpick holders. Toothpicks were also made in porcelain  and metal.  Here is a link to the National Toothpick Holders Collectors Society.                http://nthcs.org/    Their webpage seems to be open to members only.

To learn about toothpicks we recommend:
Glass Toothpick Holders by Bredehoft & Sanford
1000 Toothpick Holders, A Collector's Guide by William Heacock.
The National Toothpick Holder Collector's Society, Toothpick Holders: China, Glass & Metal.
Is It Old? Is It New? by Pauline Breer Griscom in collaboration with Helen Boyd & Harry Ware.
This little book shows side by side comparisons of old and reproduction toothpicks.

And don't forget toothpicks holders made today are collectible!

The Indiana Glass Company

Here is a link to info the Indiana Glass Company. http://indianaglass.carnivalheaven.com/ Lots of great photos and history on the company. They offer a CD on identifying Indiana Glass. The company was in business from 1907 - 2002. They are believed to be the largest manufacturer of Goofus Glass.

Among the patterns they produced are Avocado, later called Sweet Pear, Pyramid, Tea Room, and Lorain. For 70 years they produced nesting hens in over 70 colors. Whew! In the 1950's they made items in white milk glass. Don't forget the King's Crown pattern. In 1970 the Tiara line was started. Have fun looking at this informative site!

There was an Indiana Glass Society formed in 2005, but it is not on line, in fact the domain is for sale.

Greentown Glass

You never heard of Greentown Glass? Now is your chance to learn, http://www.greentownglass.org
The National Greentown Glass Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and collecting Greentown Glass. They also promote education and research on the history and products of the Indiana Tumbler and Goblet Company, which operated in Greentown, Indiana from 1894 to June 13, 1903.
If you love Victorian glass or you want to learn about it this is the place.  They even have a Junior Division for youngsters!

Fairy Lamps

The Fairy Lamp Club, established 1996, is dedicated to the research and advancement of information related to Victorian and contemporary fairy lamps. Fairy lamps are what we would consider night lights. These lamps were made by many companies including Webb and Fenton. Collector's Weekly has named this site one of the best collector's site on line. Enjoy! http://fairy-lamp.com/

Boise Art Glass

Shortly after we moved to Emmett we took our pink and white cameo lamp shade from the late 1800's to Boise Art Glass in Boise. We wanted to hang it and thought having glass chains made with white glass would be perfect. Filip and the crew  looked at the shade and commented respectfully: "Wow, that is so old school". Yes, it was made in the old school way. Boise Art Glass uses the new way of glass blowing with borosilicate glass and torch work. They offer classes so you too can bring out the inner artist within. Located in Boise, Idaho http://boiseartglass.com/

Art Deco Red Pyrex Glass Iron

 Whoa! How cool is this! A glass iron!  Saunders "Silver Streak" Pyrex Glass Electric Iron in red. This iron was produced in 1945 by Corning Glass (Pyrex) of New York and Saunders Machine & Tool Company for a short amount of time during World War II. Also made in green and blue!

http://www.decophobia.com/art+deco+red+saunders+pyrex+glass+silver+streak+iron/

http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/opencollection/objects/2151

http://www.designboom.com/history/iron_pyrex.html

Paperweight Collectors Association

This group is a non-profit organization dedicated to appreciating and collecting glass paperweights. For a half-century, they have championed the study and collecting of antique, vintage, and contemporary glass paperweights. They have bi-annual conventions, 4 newsletters per year, and a yearly Bulletin.  http://www.paperweight.org

Milk Glass

The National Milk Glass Collectors Society was established in 1987. They have a yearly convention. Their website has been voted one of the best collector's site by Collector's Weekly.  Everything you ever wanted to know about milk glass is here: http://www.nmgcs.org

American Bell Association

The American Bell Association has been around since 1940. http://americanbell.org/
They are a non-profit organization of nearly 1,500 members located in the United States and other countries. The organization's purpose is to further knowledge of bells among it's membership through magazines articles, books, workshops and exhibits of different bell collections. Such programs are presented at local Chapter meetings, Regional meetings, and at an Annual Convention.

Also if you are interested in bells check out Glass Bells by A.A. Trinidad Jr, published by Schiffer. This is a great book on bells. Wonderful color photos and descriptions. We especially like the chapter on wedding bells.

Vaseline Glass

This group has been around since 1998. Their convention is coming up in October in Rhode Island.
Their webpage is very specific on what Vaseline glass is. Great pictures and info. 
 http://www.vaselineglass.org/

Antique Poison Bottles

Links below to information on antique poison bottles. Why you could collect by color, by shape, by labels, by companies or ?
 
http://www.fohbc.org/2013/03/american-poison-bottle-collectors-association/
http://poisonbottleclub.org/
http://www.antiquebottles.com/poison/

Aladdin Lamps

No, these are not the lamps that Aladdin rubbed and a genie would appear to grant him three wishes. These are kerosene lamps made by the Aladdin Mantle Company of Nashville, Tennessee. They produced metal and glass lamps from the early part of the 20th century until present day. The Aladdin Knights have a gathering each year.  We have been Aladdin collectors for years. We attended the 1998 Gathering in Nashville as speakers. We talked about glass repair. We had a great time!

As I am writing this I see our Aladdin cobalt blue glass table lamp sitting on a shelf.  We came home from Nashville. with it It sat in the center of the table at the dinner that evening. Each chair around each table had a number on it. The person whose number matched the number on the lamp won it! Wayne was in the right chair. We have great memories of the week! Wayne's Aladdin membership number is 1445. He joined in 1978.

http://aladdinknights.org/
http://aladdincollectors.org/

National Depression Glass Association

 Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage. Need we say more? http://ndga.net/

Early American Pattern Glass Society

As their web page states their goal is to foster and encourage the collection, appreciation, study, preservation, and documentation of early American pattern glassware, and its place in American life, past and present. http://eapgs.org/

Carnival Glass

Carnival Glass is a type of colored pressed glassware with iridescence fired on. Most carnival glass was made in the United States. The American Carnival Glass Association webpage has info on patterns etc.  They have a quarterly newsletter and an annual convention.  Membership is $25 per year. Check it out. http://myacga.com/

What to do with that old typewriter?

Oh my! What a great idea for an old typewriter!!!!

http://www.yankodesign.com/2010/03/18/for-the-love-of-steampunk/

A Crystal Glass Casket?

The world of glass can be interesting. Check out this link http://www.shorpy.com/Crystal-Glass-Casket
It has been a long week. Everyone enjoy their weekend! Stay safe!

J&W

American Brilliant Cut Glass Association

 This group hosts a convention each year at different locations. This year it will be in Texas in July. They educate on the finest glass made in the early part of the 20th century: American Brilliant Cut Glass. Check out their site http://cutglass.org/

Also our web page has a new look! We have had the old one since 1994. Change is good!

J&W

The International Perfume Bottle Association

Everything you ever wanted to know about perfume bottles is here: http://www.perfumebottles.org/
They have a virtual museum of bottles. Great fun and interesting! You can join and get their quarterly
newsletter. They have a yearly convention also.

J&W

Corning Museum of Glass

Wow, quick note here. The Corning Museum of Glass offers glass making for all ages. Might be a fun thing to do for your kids if you live in the area or are visiting. Age 4 can make a night light! Click link below for more info!

http://www.cmog.org/visit/make-your-own-glass

The Carder Steuben Club

Hello all,

We are updating our web page. It should be up soon. We have a link to the Carder Steuben Club, http://www.cardersteubenclub.com/

Frederick Carder was the designer and manager for Steuben from 1902 until 1932.
The Carder Steuben Club is a wealth of information on Frederick Carder and his glass. Frederick Carder was a genius in design.

Membership is $35 per year and well worth it. There is a Symposium once a year the third week in September in Corning New York. It is co-hosted by the Corning Museum of Glass. There will be a link to them also.

Enjoy your day!

J&W

Hey I'm back and it hasn't even been a year! Just kidding. I forgot to mention that we are no longer traveling to work at antique shows in California. Items can be shipped to us at anytime. We do miss our customers and friends. Hello and love to all! Gosh, I am making the blog sound too girly...

Jan

Has it really been over a year since I blogged

Yes, it has. I guess you could say I am here for our yearly plus check in. We are still repairing glass. Even with the state of the economy people still have glass to repair and restore. A recent repair we received is a large Lalique vase. It is chipped on the base. The base will be re-cut and then re-frosted to match the original Lalique frost. It will look great when it is finished.

We are in the process of updating our web page. The present web page was done in 1994. Time for a change. We hope everyone will like it as much as the old one. From what we have seen so far we do!

Happy Spring to all. Our prayers are with the people of Moore Oklahoma. And to all our veterans who gave
their all. Thank you! This Memorial Day the Emmett Idaho Cemetery placed U.S. flags along the driveways and placed flags on the veterans graves. It was a very moving sight as the wind picked up and flags unfurled.

See you next time and I hope it won't be a another year.

Jan (& Wayne)