Depression Glass Club of Rochester

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A Celebrity in Our Midst! (2000) by Kathy McCarney

As many of you know, our own Don Shilling has published a book titled Rochester’s Lakeside Resorts and Amusement Parks. This book details the history of the waterfront area from Sea Breeze to Manitou Beach and is comprised of photographs and postcards with captions detailing the heyday of the area. The book is available at local bookstores, or by contacting Don directly. On November 18 I had the privilege of attending a talk by Don as part of the ‘History at High Noon’ series at the Rundel Library (ok, so I bribed my boss to get 2 hours for lunch). The lecture was entitled “Tinsel Mecca’s at the Golden Shore” and also covered the areas turn of the century resorts and amusement parks. The lecture was an expansion on the information in the book, and Don shared many slides and bits of information that had not been included in the volume. Don even had pictures of his research in trying to locate the original Natatorium at Sea Breeze; he found evidence of foundations and a drain somewhere underneath the Jack Rabbit! If you don’t know what the Natatorium is, ask Don — he will be happy to tell you all about it. I would give anything to have seen these places the way Don describes them. Don, keep up the good work — with a book like this you make history fun!

Bonding Through Glass by Norma Smith

A few years ago, on a very nice fall day in September, something drew me to the Depression Glass Club’s Show & Sale. Their ad in that morning’s newspaper sounded interesting so I cut it out just in case I decided to attend! Not wanting to spend the day inside (and trying to cure the empty-nest syndrome), I took off for a ride, not even sure that I would end up at the Show & Sale. Although I was not at all familiar with Depression glass, I kept thinking that I really wanted to see what this was all about. I soon found myself walking through that auditorium door. My body stopped and my mouth dropped almost to the floor! I could not have even imagined how gorgeous the displays of rainbow glass would be! Instantly, I was hooked! And, something very unusual happened—I was speechless! For some reason, glass had always attracted my attention. I remember as a little girl in the late 50’s and early 60’s when I would often browse in the huge discount store near my home. Nothing else mattered in that store - just the glass. I couldn’t wait to see what new and exciting pieces they had stocked on their shelves, some of which included butter dishes, creamer and sugar sets, really pretty juice pitchers and lots more. With my allowance that I had saved, I was always buying my mother some type of glassware for special occasions! I loved it! My mother probably got really sick of receiving glass all the time, however, she always acted happy to get it. It was this early interest that drew me back. But, this time, color was discovered! Wow! Where had this Depression glass been all these years? I had never seen this stuff before!! Unfortunately, I was not able to know my grandparents so I never had any of these precious treasures handed down to me. Thus, a new quest in my life was founded. I would begin collecting depression glass to hand down to my children! Sure—that was a great idea!! At first I thought I would be perfectly satisfied to get a couple of pink sugar and creamer sets along with other odds and ends. But, I found out very quickly that that was just not going to do! Soon, my collection began to overflow in the antique china cabinet I had won at a local auction. I kept begging my husband to let me have another cabinet. My husband, not liking clutter and wishing that I would sell all of my glass, repeatedly refused this request. Finally, he told me that I could choose either a second china cabinet or him. Well, I got all excited and told him I couldn’t wait to invite everyone over to see my new china cabinet once it was all filled up! “Ok!” he said. He relented and took me to visit an old Mennonite guy we had heard about who made special order oak furniture. This guy helped me draw up plans for the exact cabinet I had been wanting. Now, that is filled up, too, with all different colors of luncheon sets that I have been lucky enough to find and put together. It ended up that my husband now loves this new china cabinet and even told me I should have made it bigger. I think he is coming around!! Words can’t even describe how magnificent this colored glass looks in the morning sun! I now have my very own mini-display of rainbow glass! This treasure hunt has been so much fun! Not only can I seek out new treasures by myself, it is great to be able to just call someone and say, “Let’s go!”. I never have to be bored again! This may not be the cure for the empty-nest syndrome but it sure helps! There will always be yet another quaint little antique shop or flea market waiting to be discovered! I have made many friends though the Depression glass club and have also been able to share the meetings, bus trips and happy times with my niece, Wendy, who joined the club at the same time I did. My co-workers think I am the “expert” on Depression glass now, which I think is really funny. I have introduced a few of them to this unique and splendid glass. But, after checking out the most recent Show & Sale, upon my recommendation, they have also now become hooked! (Oops!) One day my boss overheard me telling people that I had a Depression glass meeting that night. He replied, “You’re a little too perky to be going to a depression class, aren’t you?”. I laughed and told him it was Depression glass, not depression class! Everyone says that my enthusiasm for this glass is contagious. They have now been welcomed into this world of gorgeous glass! What a way to bond! Not only are we learning about our country’s history of glassmaking and the important role it played in our ancestors’ lives, we are all enjoying this journey together!

Library News by Kathy McCarney 

The Club would like to thank our new Librarians, Carolyn Bastian, Carol Gorcheski, Carol Wheaton, Donna Lacey and Dayna Shaw. (See what happens when you carpool together — you get drafted together!) We would like to remind everyone of the library rules:
Books that have been checked out are due back at the next meeting. If you cannot make it to the meeting, please call one of the officers or Carolyn to let them know that you still have books out. We will make a note so that you will not be charged with an “overdue book”. A reminder card or phone call will be made if the books are not returned after 2 meetings. Please be considerate - other members may be waiting to withdraw the books you have. If you know you will not be able to attend meetings to return the books, make arrangements to have them returned to one of the officers. When returning a book, please find the index card and Cross Your Name Out. Put the card back in the pocket of the book, and place the book on top of the cart. We will then be able to double check that all books going back into the library have cards in them. We pride ourselves on having a first-rate lending library. With everyone’s cooperation, we can keep it that way for a long time to come!

Reamers by Mary Stephens

I have this great collection of reamers. Some may call them orange juicers, but we who belong to the NRCA, which is the National Reamer Collectors Association, know the little gadgets as REAMERS. I started collecting them in 1970 on a vacation in the 1000 Islands and have been at it ever since. When we moved out of the home we'd lived in for 35 years, I had to divide the collection, and I have about 100 on display here in Largo, Florida, and another 125 on display in Rochester, New York. I also have about 150 in the basement in Rochester being readied for sale. I have sold a number and currently have about twenty on display out in Bloomfield at a nice shop there. She sends me a check whenever she sells one. Those who are online can find the club's website at NRCA@yahoogroups.com and those who are interested in reamers or who have questions about them can email reamers@quiltart.com and get the scoop from Judy Smith. Another reamer url is http://www.reamers.org where you can see pictures of pretty reamers. Apparently, reamers were so popular, the copycats started making copies of some of the interesting old glass ones. The glass on most of those is slippery, almost greasy so beware; really old depression reamers will have wear marks on the bottom from being abraided by the surfaces they were held on while juicing. We will be back at the end of May and I'm always happy to show off my collection. Mary Stephens.

Stretch Glass (The Other Iridescent glass) by Maxine Murphy

Stretch glass is the term coined for the iridescent glass made from about 1906 until the early 1930’s. It was made by at least nine companies including Diamond Glass-ware Company, Fenton Art Glass Company, Imperial Glass Company, H Northwood & Company, the United States Glass Company, Central Glass Works, Jeannette Glass Company, Lancaster Glass Company and Vineland Flint Glass Company. These companies used the terms “Rainbow”, “Crackle”, “Lustre”, “Cobweb” and “Iridescent” to describe their glass.
Stretch glass was made in a mold either by pressing or blowing into it. Many different pieces were made using the same molds in order to save money. The glass was then sprayed with metallic salts while hot and then reheated to achieve an iridescent effect. The glass was pressed, pulled and rolled into the many different sizes and shapes needed. This hand working would stretch the surface of the glass causing the iridescence to have a cobweb or cracked effect. Pieces that did not have to be worked when they came out of the mold did not have the crackled appearance but are still labeled as stretch glass. The most common colors of stretch glass are transparent blue, green, yellow, white, pink, marigold, teal, ruby-orange, ruby, cobalt blue, purple and greenish-brown. There are many other opaque and transparent colors. Cobalt blue, Fenton’s or Imperials red pieces, Wisteria (purple), and Tangerine are some of the sought-after colors.
Stretch differs from carnival glass because most pieces have very little pattern and are often plain. Their patterns are usually limited to simple ribs, panels, rings or an optic. Carnival pieces have heavy or ornate patterns. Stretch glass was also not made in complete dinnerware sets like Depression glass. Tableware was limited to luncheon plates, sherbets, liners and some cups & saucers. Beverage sets (Pitcher and Tumblers), punch bowls, large serving plates, fruit bowls, mayonnaise bowls & under plates, nut dishes, sugars & creamers, candy dishes, floral bowls. Candleholders and Vases are the principal items found in stretch glass. Cologne bottles, puff boxes, cigarette boxes, cigarette jars, ashtrays and light shades are also some of the harder to find items in stretch glass. Pitchers, whimseys, and cups & saucers and guest sets are also hard to find items.
(Thanks to Laurel Wagner for the suggestion of an article on stretch glass and sending me the information from the Feb./March issue of Glass Collector’s Digest)

October 1999 Meeting - Duncan and Miller Glasses by Mary Czech

The October meeting boasted record-high attendance, with over 60 members and guests present. We welcomed four new members to the Club: Linda McCauley, Judy Milhausen, Katherine Krewer, and Laurel Wagner. Results from the surveys returned indicated many members would like to have a picnic in 2000, so we are looking into a good time and date, location, etc. Many members responded that they would prefer shorter business meetings. As a result, the Club officers have agreed to hold more executive committee meetings to discuss club business “offline” and present suggestions at the meetings. We’ve asked members to try to arrive by 7:15 so we can start meetings on time, and hopefully, get everyone out before bedtime! Our library cabinet got a good reorganizing, thanks to Carol and Carolyn, the “library ladies.” Our collector of the month was Jeanne Cochran with a variety of sugars and creamers in different patterns and colors. Thanks to Kathy McCarney for her help in identifying patterns! The featured program was Duncan Miller glass. There was a table full of beautiful examples from this elegant manufacturer.

Depression Glass Show September 1999 by Mary Czech & Sherry McClain

Despite (or maybe helped by) the Clothesline Art Show being held on the same weekend as our own Glass Show, we had another great show. No doubt the publicity we received in the Democrat & Chronicle, the article which featured Kathy McCarney and some of her collection, helped entice people. There were almost 300 first-time show-goers this year and overall attendance was up by over 100 from last year! Besides all the beautiful glass for sale upstairs we had our usual fair in the kitchen downstairs and desserts were a big hit - there were very few left over. Our kitchen did a booming business, thanks to all the hard workers who manned it. Once again, the basement was transformed into a beautiful autumn backdrop with artful floral arrangements and decorations. The number of volunteers this year made everything run smoothly and helped contribute to a successful show. —MC
The displays at this year’s show will have the same basis as the rest of this year’s activities. Since we are in a brand new millennium, we are stressing “A New Beginning”, or “Back to the Basics” as the theme for the year, and the displays. (By the way, if anyone has a real “catchy” name, I wouldn’t mind some ideas - hint, hint.) Anyhow, we need people to set up individual displays in 1/4 to V2 of a table, (based on how many people sign up) using a minimum of 5 pieces of any pattern shown in the very first of the “basic” depression glass books, Colored Glassware of the Depression Era, otherwise known as “Weatherman’s I”. Place settings are always fun, but not essential. Whatever else you add to the display, like flowers, is up to you, but we would like to show the basic depression colors and patterns. There may be people that have some items you need to fill in a display, if you only have a partial set and would like to show more of the pieces. We will have a list, starting in April, of the displays and people who would like to do one, but need “help”. Do plan on a table cover, or under cloth of some sort, as we are unsure of what will be on the tables at this point. There will be something that covers the tables, to the floor, but it won’t be anything fancy and might be maroon or navy. Remember, we do ask the public to vote on their favorite display and the winner is rewarded, so start planning now. --SM

November 1999 Bus Trip by Mary Czech

This year’s bus trip was quite an experience, according to many who attended. The bus and its driver were, shall we say, unique. We almost got into trouble at the Canadian border, which actually kept Lynn quiet (and we know that doesn’t happen often!)
Despite the trip’s shortcomings, though, there were lots of treasures that came home. And everyone had a memorable trip!

December 1999 Meeting - Christmas Social by Kay Salerno

Our Christmas Social was a festive affair! Members began arriving around 6:00 p.m. with their glass place settings, dishes of appetizers, items for the centerpiece contest and non-perishable food items for the Catholic Family Center for Emergency Services. The tables had been set up earlier with basic coverings and then the fun began. EVERYONE brought depression-era GLASS place settings and many used their artistic talents to put together beautiful centerpieces. As the tables were being set, members circulated to check out patterns and colors of glass and voted on their favorite centerpiece. While members were busy setting their tables, the Christmas Social committee was setting up the hors d’oeuvres table and Doris and Kathy were making their famous punch. On a very special note, the punch was served from GLASS punch bowls.... Imperial and Fostoria. It didn’t take long for everyone to discover the goodies. “May I have your recipe?” was heard more than once. Everything was very tasty. Our social hour was the perfect beginning to a special evening. Dinner was served promptly at 7:00 p.m. The sumptuous buffet was set up and served by the Mulberry Mill staff. Everything tasted as good as it looked. Following dinner, we were treated to delicious desserts, made by our members. Once again, recipes were requested. We are a talented group! The winners of the Centerpiece Contest were announced. Carolyn Bastian and Carol Gorcheski won for their crystal and gold creation. The pattern that they chose was SANDWICH by Anchor Hocking. They received a one-year free membership as their prize. Tables were cleared and the FUN began! The CARDS were distributed and the gifts were placed on the front table. Several boxes were very intriguing and the stealing was rampant. We had loads of laughs. When we finally were able to open our gift(s) (some people were lucky enough to have more than one!), it was great fun seeing the beautiful glass etc. It seems as if they get better each year. Shortly after the wrappings were cleared away, the serious business began, BINGO!! We played until almost 10:30! Many members would have stayed longer if we didn’t close shop the committee was tired! The room was cleaned up and the donated food loaded into Kathy’s van. It was jam-packed! We really outdid ourselves this year. THANK YOU to all who brought in the much-needed food. It was a fun filled evening that was enjoyed by everyone in attendance.

January 2000 Meeting - In The Beginning by Kathy McCarney

The January meeting was attended by about 30 hardy souls who braved the snow and —20 wind chills to join us. The meeting introduced our ‘Back to Basics’ theme for the year, with emphasis on learning the Basic Depression patterns. We also handed out folders, and explained that the folder should be used to keep the different articles and handouts that we will be using this year. Folders are still available for those that have not yet received one. (If you lose your folder and want to replace it, there will be a $3 charge). We will have extra copies of the handouts in case you miss a meeting during the year. The first handout was Mary Czech’s listing of Basic Patterns by Company. Mary indicated which patterns were included in the Weatherman’s I book since these are the patterns that can be used for this year’s show displays. The second handout was a brief description of the major Glass Companies compiled by Kathy McCarney. The initial listing covered the companies Akro Agate through Imperial. She will complete this listing for a future meeting. Lynn Mantione and Kathy brought examples of patterns that were produced by the companies on the handout. Pieces of Cameo, Patrician, Lincoln Inn and Katy Blue were among those on display.

February 2000 Meeting - Class Identification: Pass the Shakers, please and other Oddities by Jerry Vaccarella

The meeting started off well by having spring-like temperatures that brought many members out of winter hibernation! I brought in part of my shaker collection to display and use for teaching pattern identification. The talk began with the idea that glassware identification is fun and even profitable if you have a library of good reference books. It was noted that Hazel Weatherman’s Depression Glass Book 2 is thought of by Jerry and others as the “Bible of Depression Glass identification.” If you can’t find it in Book 2 (Book I is a great compliment to Book 2 also) you’ll at least get an idea what company to go to in your research. Identification should be approached in different ways including thickness, clarity of glass, shape, shape of handles (on creamers, sugars, pitchers, tumblers and cups) and color, of course. This second part of the process, clarity, requires careful examination of the glass. Use light (natural and man-made) and look for clarity or lack of it to determine a pattern. Is the piece machine or hand made? Is it ground on the bottom? Wheel etched or pressed? Sometimes odd colors that look like K-Mart (recent vintage) could be older than you think! The very clear quality alerts us to having an elegant piece in our hands. A clearly impressed pattern as opposed to blurry, faded patterns distinguishes old patterns from reproductions (so much for modem technology). Odd patterns like my black Bubble candleholder and yellow Waterford bowl suggest what we expect in glass (and life) don’t always turn out that way! Handouts to club members included 24 glass and china companies in addition to approximately 50 patterns. Seventy-three glass and china shakers were displayed and numbered. Club members had a certain amount of time to identify as many shaker patterns and companies as possible. Four prizes were given out to the club members who could name the most patterns and companies. Trish Bowers helped set up the shaker display with beautiful backdrops for familiar and rare shakers from my collection. Other club members were generously helpful in the display and taking down of the exhibit.

March 2000 Meeting - Information, Please? by Trish Bowers

Even with the snow falling and slippery roads, there was a number of us who made it to the meeting. Lynn and Kathy shared with us the many web sites geared towards glass. Not only for purchasing but for browsing and educating us as well. Also, they shared with us different sources of monthly, bimonthly and quarterly publications. For instance, Heisey Museum in Ohio sent many copies of the ‘Heisey News” There were brochures on the Fenton gift shop and museum, forms to order the Hazel Marie Weatherman’s Colored Glassware of the Depression Era Book 2, and lots, lots more. Several members informed us about upcoming shows. Some are just around the corner from Rochester, others where you could spend two or three days shopping. It was suggested that one of our members may be working on a calendar of events which would list all these shows — wouldn’t that be fun to have! Lynn and Kathy talked about and showed us some of the ‘outrageous’ purchases they’ve made over the years. We saw glass Love Bugs, a Ruby Owl tanker and Fenton crest heart-shaped dishes. Each purchase had an interesting tale and was lovely to look at. Though our meeting group was small, the meeting was very informative and fun-filled and as always the treats were delicious!

January 2001 Meeting – Winter White by Maxine Murphy

This was the first meeting I had ever attended in the Depression Glass Club, even though I had been a member for a year. It was the start of a new year and I made a resolution to attend as many meetings this year as I could. Now I wish I had attended the meetings last year. It was fun and informative. I met lots of very nice people and learned about milk glass. Oh, what milk glass I saw. It was eye boggling, there were animals, vases, glasses, bowls in so many different shades of white. There were thick white items, thin white items and even items in different shades that still get classified as milk glass because they are opaque. We learned from Lynn and Kathy that some of the better and older milk glass could be held up to the light and we could see an opalescent effect through it. (fire in the glass). There were even those absolutely beautiful items called epergnes. I really loved those. (I hope to have an article on epergnes in the next newsletter). I hope everyone will forgive me since I am still learning who everyone is and who collects what, that I am only going to mention the pieces I saw. There were white rabbits in various sizes that were oh so nice. There were Fenton glass pieces with emerald, pink, ruby and silver crests. We learned how to identify Westmoreland from the little w found in a lot of their pieces. If I remember correctly a lot of the glass was either Fenton or Westmoreland. We had Kathy McCarney up there telling us who manufactured most of the items and what they were. I would like to thank Kathy and Lynn for sharing with us such a wealth of knowledge of all kinds of glass items and, of course, their fabulous collections. I would also like to thank everyone who brought in pieces to share with us.

February 2001 Meeting – Children’s Dishes and Glass Miniatures by Maxine Murphy

Well, here I am again writing an article about the second meeting I ever attended. The subject of this meeting was children’s dishes and glass miniatures. I even brought an item for the snack break. (I brought my tiger butter candy.) We again have Kathy to thank for bringing many items of Akro to share and explain to us. We again had a table full of items to see and learn about. One member brought in an original box set of children’s dishes that was lovely. We even had miniatures of many pieces such as small sugar bowls and creamers and small vases. I would again like to thank everyone who brings in the treats to eat and their glass to share. While looking at these pieces I could remember my Grandmother letting my cousin and me play with some old pieces of glass that were in the root cellar of their cottage during the summer when we stayed with them. They were gold and red and we had so much fun with them. I know now that they were depression glassware and I wish I knew what had happened to them so long ago.

March 2001 Meeting - A Tisket, A Tasket by Kathy McCarney

With Spring on the horizon, March’s meeting would have made the Easter Bunny very happy. There were big baskets, small baskets, and everything in between! Thanks to Laurel Wagner, Doris McMullen, Kathy McCarney and everyone else who shared their treasures with us. Kathy brought 2 Akro Agate baskets (of course) and an Emerald Crest, Doris brought several lovely baskets including one by Heisey (no, it’s not being donated to the auction!), Fenton’s Ebony Crest and Mary Gregory on Cranberry. Laurel Wagner shares the prize by bringing 30+ baskets; everything from Cambridge to Fostoria, Fenton, Westmoreland and a few unknowns. We were able to help her identify about half of those she was unsure of. A quick side note: Believe it or not - with all of the glass that she has, Lynn Mantione does not own a basket!!!!!

April 2001 Meeting - Cambridge Glass Report by Jerry Vaccarella 

When glass was king in the developed American industry of hand made glass (helped by the "machine age") Arthur Bennett had a vision of a manufacturing plant that would produce glassware superior in quality to that of the older glass industry of England. His vision spawned the Cambridge glass company(1901) that eventually surpassed all companies in terms of consistent superior quality glass and variety of tableware. In 1991, I decided to tour one of the most famous and prestigious department stores in Great Britain, Harrods. I saw a magnificent bowl displayed in an elegant, glass domed case in the Egyptian room of, perhaps, the most famous and largest department store in the world. The bowl glistened in splendor, labeled an exotic antique from England and priced (as I recall) at 330 pounds ($825). I had stopped short at this grand display (on velvet) as my eyes carefully refocused on this splendidly sculpted, four toed bowl. A smile crossed my face as I realized, at this world famous landmark now, as well as many antique stores, estate sales, and flea markets in the past, I had found a mislabeled, unrealistic price on a wonderful piece of glass! It was unmistakably the #3400/4 12 "four toed Cambridge bowl. The correctly priced label (in 1991)at Harrods should have been $35-$40. The exquisitely coifed saleswoman gave me the name of Harrods's antique buyer who would talk to me about this bowl as I explained I knew where some others were! I mused that Mr. Bennett was right, he did surpass the British glass products. The British are now trying to sell his beautiful product for high quality English ware at a staggering price! The presentation about Cambridge glassware at the April glass meeting included examples of various Cambridge patterns including a Caprice (Moonlight blue) 80 oz ball jug, a rare black ball jug with a pewter collar (grape design), Tally Ho amber pitcher, cobalt blue Tally Ho celery, Gadroon three part relish with a Farber Bros. chrome base, and other wonderful, varied hues and patterns that made Cambridge famous. The magnificent variety of exquisite colors (about 50) were discussed as well as the variety of pieces (5000 different manufactured at one time) in its production history. It was noted that the Cambridge company was the first company to produce a full line of transparent colored tableware in 1927. The tour book produced by Cambridge in 1939 was a tribute to fine glassware, Cambridge's part in it and how to properly display and recognize fine glassware. Club members displayed many other fine examples of Cambridge glass including a rare draped lady (oval base) flower frog, a magnificent amber two kids flower frog, bridge hound and many other dazzling examples.

May 2001 Meeting - Heisey Benefit Auction by Carole Stepinski  

The business meeting on May 24th was brief in order that we have the maximum time for the program. Announcements made by Lynn Mantione were as follows: Gil Herrick had an accident but was recovering nicely. Cards and well wishes for him are always welcome. Regretfully, the House Tour/Garage sale scheduled for June 9th has been canceled for this year. A future date for this fund raiser is possible and would be discussed in the future. Sharon Orienter extended club members an invitation to the Heisey Club's quarterly meeting to be held in Rochester on September 22. (See details elsewhere in this newsletter).
Auctioneers for the program were Jeff Frew and Bruce Schwendy from the Rochester chapter of the Heisey club along with DGC member Harry Van Buren. Members and guests had ample time to peruse the wonderful array of donated goods ranging from plants to glass and baked goods. And so with pocketbooks and auction numbers in hand we were off and running. There was much spirited bidding and many giggles during the evening. Some notable glass included depression glass items, a Duncan duck ashtray, champagne glasses, candleholders, Occupied Japan, and much Heisey including two pink plates diligently conquered by Kim Stolp. Among the non-glass but equally sought by the blood-thirsty group were a fudge pie, and a Montana Mills bread basket. Perennials from club members gardens also brought handsome prices. When all was said and done, few if any escaped empty handed, and most people went home poorer but happy. The amount raised for the benefit of the Heisey museum in Newark Ohio totaled $865. The format for this annual event has been perfected over the years with Sherry McLain logging bids electronically and an efficient system of tagging items, so it runs smoothly. Our thanks to all participants enabling this donation to such a worthy cause. One visit to this museum in Newark, Ohio, would show you just where the dedication and hard work by members all over the country comes from. It's definitely worth the stop should you be passing through southern Ohio in your future travels.

Local Heisey Collectors to Host National Meeting 2001

In the past few years the Heisey Collectors of America has held one of its general and board meetings in a location other than Newark, Ohio (where the Heisey Museum is located). The meeting chosen for this is the fall meeting. This year the Heisey Collectors of the Rochester Area are hosting this event. The event includes a meeting of the Board of Directors, a Fundraiser and the Percy & Vivian Moore Dinner. All of the events will be held in the Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County at 115 South Ave. The Board Meeting will be Saturday morning in the Rundel Board Room; the dinner will be in the Reading Garden and Gleason auditorium. This year the fundraiser is a raffle (the details follow) that consists of four prizes of Heisey Glass of a value of approximately $200 each. The local Heisey Club is also including admission to the 25th Annual Depression Glass Show & Sale in the registration. The Percy & Vivian Moore dinner is named as a memorial to a couple who were not only avid Heisey collectors, but were also instrumental in providing much of the financing and support of the museum, museum expansion and mold acquisition. The dinner also features a souvenir. This year it is a "Top Hat" in light blue with an irridized finish, pressed in a Heisey mold. Only 69 of these souvenirs have been made so they are a very limited edition. Members of the Depression Glass Club are invited to attend the dinner, which are $40 for dinner and souvenir, $25 for dinner alone and $20 for the souvenir alone (orders for dinner and souvenir will be filled before orders for souvenir only). If you are interested please see Sharon Orienter at a meeting or call her at 288-8076. The Heisey Collectors of the Rochester Area and the Heisey Collectors of America hope you will join us for this festive event.

Fundraising Raffle for HCA Quarterly Meeting 2001

In order to raise funds to offset the expenses of the quarterly meeting and provide a fundraising event, the Heisey Collectors of the Rochester area are raffling off some very nice pieces of Heisey glass. Tickets are $2.50 each or a book of five for $10. Each prize is worth approximately $200 and ticket purchasers may choose which prize they would like to win. The prizes are: 
Verlys by Heisey "Wild Duck" bowl. For a short period of time right before the factory closed, the Heisey company made items in the molds of the French company Verlys. The molds had been sent to the US for safe keeping during the war. The Wild Duck bowl is a 14" bowl with the characteristic smooth, frosted finish. The molding is very deep and detailed. This is an unusual and very attractive piece. 
Heisey "Square on Round" gardenia bowl. Heisey made this pattern only for a short period of time, again, late in the history of the company. There are only three items in this pattern, the 12" bowl, a large ashtray and a small ashtray. The bowl is very heavy, clear glass and is a rare, hard to find item.
Heisey "Waverly" three-light candlesticks (pair). The Waverly pattern was made from 1941 until the factory closed in 1957. A great deal of this pattern is found decorated with the popular Orchid and Rose etches. These three-light candlesticks, though not etched, are quite hard to find. 
A wine & cheese basket featuring Heisey glass. Six Heisey wine glasses, two each of three different colonial patterns (#300 Peerless, #393 Narrow Flute and #359 colonial), all dating from the early 1900s, and a Yeoman footed cheese and matching cracker plate with a cutting and silver decoration are the glass items in the wine and cheese basket. The basket which is very attractive white wicker, will have a hand embroidered royal blue liner and will also contain two bottles of NYS wine, NYS cheese, a silver-plated cheese knife in a rose pattern, crackers & napkins. Members of the Heisey club will be selling tickets from now until the dinner on September 22.

July Meeting 2001– Stemware by Maxine Murphy

The July meeting began with the usual old business and new business information. Members were asked to sign up to help on various functions for the annual show. Sherry McClain and Lewis Wagner will coordinate decorations. Jeannie Cochrane volunteered to help with the dealers’ dinner, and Carol & co. volunteered to set up the lunch for Friday afternoon. Please remember to sign up on the daily sheets to help out at the show. Members who volunteer at least 2 hours on the weekend are eligible for early admission to the show on Saturday. Fliers and posters are available for distribution. Admission to the Dealer’s dinner is a dish to pass that will serve 8 people (couples bring 2 dishes) Show dates are 9/22 and 9/23/01. The Heisey Collectors meeting will also be held that weekend, and members are anticipated to shop the show. New Business: The bus trip to Toronto is November 4th. Afterwards, we will go to the Southworks Co-op like last year. Signups will begin at the August meeting. The bus will again stop at Exit48A to pick up members. The bus leaves at 6 am and will arrive home at 6 pm. There are several new reference books available (look for list in this newsletter). We will be selling replacement shaker lids. Maxine Murphy and Phil Bray volunteered to help with the packaging. If anyone needs a nametag, please let Kathy McCarney know. Linda McCauley demonstrated how to put together a show display. (Look for her how to article in this newsletter). This year’s theme is a celebration. Required pieces are a stem and a candlestick or candelabra. The program following the business meeting was on stemware. Stemware – Phil Bray and Kathy brought in many different kinds of stemware so there was an excellent demonstration. We learned some of the following facts about stemware. There are over 20 different styles of stemware from a 1/6 oz hoos café to a 14 oz goblet. Other styles are water goblets that can be 7-10 oz. (Lunch Goblet that is 9 or 10 oz. Hotels and Railroads had an 11 oz water goblet. Ice Tea stem is 12 oz. Sherbets or champagnes can be 3, 3 ½,4 ½, 5 & 6 oz. Sherbets or champagnes could be a low, medium or tall stem length. A grapefruit stem looks like an oversized sherbet stem. Another style of stems includes Claret or wine stemware that is 4 or 4 ½ oz. Other styles include parfaits, eggcups, cocktail, oyster cocktail, juice and tumblers. The cordials are ¾ oz – 1 oz. Beer or Ale flagons had a wide range of sizes from 3 oz to 14 oz. We saw a wide range of stemware from solid colors to crystal to mixed colors having the stem one color and the bowl another color.

August Meeting 2001 - Jade, Jadite and Jadeite by Maxine Murphy

At this meeting we learned that McKee Glass Co. called theirs "Skokie Green" when it was first marketed in the 20's-30's. The Jeannette Glass Co made glass of a very similar color. Later, in the 40's-50's, Anchor Hocking Fire-King line called theirs "Jade-ite". The Fenton Glass Co made some items in a jade green color, as well. Mary Czech and Lynn Mantione cleaned out their cupboards to bring us their favorite pieces. There was a long table full of the beautiful green glass available for our perusal. Just a note everyone who brings glass to the meetings, make sure you take it home with as Lynn found a shaker left over from this meeting that she didn’t own and held it hostage (tried to keep) from Anne Phillips. 

September Meeting 2001 – Paden City Glass Co. by Maxine Murphy

Paden City Glass Company was located in Paden City, West Virginia. Paden City Glass Co. was known as the Color Company. Paden City made colored glass from the very beginning of operations in 1916 through their closing in 1951. The colors included opal (opaque white), ebony (black), mulberry (amethyst), cheriglo (pink), yellow, dark green, crystal, red (ruby), amber (three shades), primrose (amber with a reddish tint), blue (cobalt and several shades of light blue), rose (dark pink), green (several shades). Paden City did not make the opaque green known as jadite nor did they make any opalescent colors. There are some variances in the colors, however, most of the colors remained constant. Most often the variations in the color occurred over time because of formula changes by successive glassmakers. Paden City did etch and decorate their glass with gold and silver trims, cuttings, plate etchings, hand painting and fired-on colors but their primary business was to produce glass that was sold to other decorating companies. The glass they made was not marked and mostly consisted of plain, wide borders. Some of the decorating companies that bought glass from Paden City were Van Deman, Bison, Butler Bros., Susquehanna, Pitman-Drietzer, Silver City, Empire Silver, National Silver Deposit and Lotus. The most common etchings that Paden City did produce were Utopia, Trumpet Flower, Samarkand, Gazebo, Ardith, Frost, Orchid, Orchid II, Gothic Garden, Peacock and Rose, Nora Bird and Cupid. Club members brought many very fine pieces with them to display. Doris McMullen brought a swan neck server with the gazebo etching and a cupid ice bucket. Lynn brought a peacock and rose cake plate, and a cupid creamer and sugar. Kathy brought an amber colored cup and saucer with the crow's foot pattern, a black forest colored plate and several other pieces. There was a good assortment of Paden City’s colors for everyone to view. Lynn also brought some of the Barth Art Animals. These are solid glass animal figurals in various styles and colors. These are in fact the creation of Harry G. Barth of the Barth Art Co.. They were produced from molds designed by Mr. Barth and produced under contract for his company. They were made for the Barth Art Company by Paden City Glass Company and the Indiana Glass Company of Dunkirk, Indiana.


September Show and Sale & Dealers Dinner 2001 by Maxine Murphy

This years show was held on September 22nd & 23rd. Our theme this year was a celebration since the club was celebrating it’s the 25th anniversary. As part of the celebration the auditorium was decorated in silver and white with lots of balloons. Available for purchase were 25th commemorative sun catchers and totes with our 25th anniversary logo on them. This club also had the new cookbook available. All of the members and participants were given 25th anniversary pens. The theme for the front displays was “A Celebration”. The displays could depict any kind of celebration with the required pieces being a vase and a candleholder. This year’s winners were Jeanne Cochran and Carolyn Bastian with their 4th of July display. All of the displays were gorgeous and the glass was simply breath taking. The dealers were set up in the auditorium and there was a lot of variety so that everyone had plenty to choose from.

October Meeting 2001– A Spot of Tea, Anyone? by Maxine Murphy

Teapots, coffeepots, tea cozies and assorted tea tools were some of the various items at this meeting. There were many teapots of various materials, styles and colors brought in by the club members. Items brought in included miniature tea sets, teapot card decks, teapot salt & pepper, teapots with figures and animals on them, tea bag holders, a tea case and other items used in the serving of tea. We learned that the little hook inside the lid of some teapots is for hanging the strings from the tea bags or a tea ball on so that they don’t fall completely into the water.

November Bus Trip 2001 by Maxine Murphy

The annual bus trip to Toronto occurred on Sunday, November 4th. Everyone showed up on time and the bus was able to leave right on schedule. We picked up additional passengers at the Pembroke exit on the thruway and then continued on to Canada. This year everyone needed two forms of identification with them in order to get across the border and return. The bus trip to Toronto was fun with everyone anticipating what they were going to purchase. When we arrived at the Toronto Glass Show everyone was given 1 ½ hours to look at the glass and make their purchases. Barbara Mauzy was appearing there to promote her new Depression glass book and Bruce was upstairs photographing items. I saw a lot of colored glass and the traditional cornflower pattern of Canada. 

Heisey Collectors Dinner and Raffle 2001
From Carole Stepinski

Congratulations to the winners for the raffle to benefit the Heisey Museum in September. The actual Annual Dinner was cancelled due to travel limitations as a result of the 9-11 tragedy. We were happy three of the winners were Rochester locals, one of whom bought her ticket at the door during the glass show. The thrilled owners of Heisey glass are: 
Barbara Adams of Phelps, NY – Pair Waverly 3-light Candelabras
Bob & Hilda Ryan of Ohio – Basket with Wine & Cheese and other goodies 
Maryellen Potts of Rochester, NY – Verlys Wild Duck Bowl 
Pam Ostrosky of Pittsford, NY – Square on Round Gardenia Bowl 

How to Check Glassware for Damage 
Submitted by Maxine Murphy

Learning to check glassware for damage before you make a purchase will help you avoid costly mistakes. 
Here's How: 
1. Run your finger along the rim, handle and base of the piece to check for sharp spots indicating a chip. 
2. Hold each piece to the light to inspect for cracks and dings not easily detected otherwise. 
3. Inspect the surface of the item, especially plates and bowls, for excessive scratching from utensils. 
4. Examine the bases of all handles for stress fractures. 
5. Make sure glass appearing to be dirty isn't really "sick" by moistening it. If the clouding comes back when dry, the film is permanent. 
Tips: 
1. Avoid purchasing damaged glassware if you're concerned with resale value. 
2. Remember that the base of handles, especially on pitchers, are prone to stress fractures that can be easily overlooked. 
3. Glassware "sickness," a dirty looking film, cannot be reversed easily and should be avoided when purchasing glassware.

The Month After New Year’s Submitted by Lynn Mantione

Twas the month after New Year's, and all through the house Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse. The cookies I'd nibbled, the eggnog I'd taste At the holiday parties had gone to my waist. When I got on the scales there arose such a number! When I walked to the store (less a walk than a lumber). I'd remember the marvelous meals I'd prepared; The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared, The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese And the way I'd never said, "No thank you, please." As I dressed myself in my husband's old shirt And prepared once again to do battle with dirt---I said to myself, as I only can" You can't spend a winter disguised as a man!" So--away with the last of the sour cream dip, Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip Every last bit of food that I like must be banished' Till all the additional ounces have vanished. I won't have a cookie--not even a lick. I'll want only to chew on a long celery stick. I won't have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie, I'll munch on a carrot and quietly cry. I'm hungry, I'm lonesome, and life is a bore---But isn't that what January is for? Unable to giggle, no longer a riot. Happy New Year to all and to all a good diet!

Guidelines for Upcoming Swap Meet in March 2002

Each member may bring one box of items for sale to other club members. Items must be collectible in nature – no “garage sale” cast-offs. This may help you determine what you would like to bring to sell. There will be a $1.00 charge in order to participate as a seller. Each item must be marked with the price and sellers name/initials (3 initials preferred). You may also wish to have your name in your space so that if someone has a question about an item you have for sale, they will be able to find you; this will allow everyone the opportunity to look around. If the seller is not at his spot, you may put a “hold” on an item by placing your name on it, but to be fair to everyone, make the arrangements for purchase as soon as possible. All price negotiations and payment terms will be between the buyer and seller. Table space is limited and will be on a first come, first serve basis. You can, if you wish, bring a card table on which to display your items, or you can just throw a cloth on the floor. The Swap meet will run from 7:00pm to 7:45pm followed by the business meeting. Members may sell during the refreshment break.

 

Meetings are held in the Eisenhart Auditorium, on the Rochester Museum and Science Center Campus at the corner of East Ave. and Goodman St. Meetings start at 7:30pm and usually last until 9:30pm.

copyright © Depression Glass Club of Rochester  website designed by Maxine Murphy