The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester (New York) hosted its 40th annual show on Sept. 16-17 at the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s Eisenhart Auditorium.
To broaden the reach of the show to patrons interested in antiques, though not specifically Depression glass, dealers exhibiting at the show were encouraged to bring items of affiliated interest including vintage china, silver, linens, kitchenware and books, along with their customary inventory of Depression glass.
Sandra Willson of Churchville, New York, was one such exhibitor. In addition to sterling silver flatware and serving pieces, her booth also featured an oversized Asian porcelain bowl ($295). Likewise, Laurel C. Wemett of “Cats in the Kitchen” (Canandaigua, New York) presented vintage cookbooks, a substantial collection of aprons and Luray pastel dinnerware. Both Willson and Wemett were first-time exhibitors at the show.
Customers were invited to bring pieces of vintage glassware to be identified by experienced club members. Information to be provided included age, pattern, piece and manufacturer.
The Rochester Club offers an educational exhibition displaying a diversity of glass examples, typically in table-top settings as might be found in a period or contemporary home. This year’s theme was “Holidays and Celebrations.” In the lobby area of the auditorium, about a dozen displays offered thematic examples of work produced by such manufacturers as Fostoria, Hocking, McKee, Hazel Atlas, Cambridge and Jeannette.
Those attending the show and who spend time with the educational displays also, of course, have opportunities to purchase similar examples at the show as well as build their knowledge on the subject. People attending the show vote for their favorite display, and the winner decides the theme for next year’s educational display. This year’s exhibit winners, from first to third place, were: Labor Day in Green Tea Room, Mardi Gras in Beaded Block, and St. Patrick’s Day in Sandwich.
More than a dozen glass shoes as well as a selection of fairy lamps were on display from Two J’s (Jim Dwire and John Toomey, Bolton, Connecticut). A pair of Oriental perfume lamps ($65 each) and a large selection of modern tone cobalt glass was presented by John and Paula Trisket (Corry, Pennsylvania).
A Roseville dogwood pattern jardinière and pedestal took center stage (table, in fact) in Peddler’s Antiques’ booth. David, Jamie and Nancy Reifinger (Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania) also featured a large collection of glass reamers in a variety of colors as well as an Imperial amethyst water carafe in a berry pattern ($195).
Diane Cacicia (Rochester, New York) had an enormous collection and selection of Jewel Tea Autumn Leaf pattern goods, including tablecloths and linens. Floral pattern clear glass cake plate, serving plate and handled dish, all with advertising pasted on to indicate each was a premium ($55 each) was presented by Marcy McClain (Rochester, New York).
Sharon Orienter (Rochester, New York) offered a wide selection of clear glass, displayed on and with mirrors that accentuated each one’s virtues. A Duncan Canterbury three-part covered candy dish was $35 and Art Deco-style wine glasses with rectangular clear bases and stems and cobalt blue cups were $50 each.
Lotus cased low candleholders ($65 for the pair) and a matching mayo with under-plate ($45) were on display from Bill and Yvonne Dufft (Shillington, Pennsylvania). A statuesque Cambridge ivy ball vase ($225), a molded and frosted ceiling fixture ($55) and a Fire King table top warmer and serving tray (“for gracious living”) were presented by Paul and Yvette Berube (Tiverton, Rhode Island).
In addition to the educational displays in the lobby, there was Jerry Vaccarella’s presentation entitled “Valley of Glass – West Virginia.” In an informational talk offered on Saturday and Sunday, Vaccarella covered some of the state’s major manufacturers including Paden City, Central Glass and Fenton.
Depression glass was inexpensive, mass-produced glassware manufactured in the United States during its Great Depression, 1929-1940. Frequently used as a premium (for product purchases) or as a giveaway (at, for example, movie theaters with the purchase of an admission ticket), contemporary analysts suggest the vibrant colors were counterpoints to the otherwise dreariness of economic distress.
Beginning with the stock market crash in October 1929, within just a few years a quarter of the American workforce was out of work and dustbowls swirled across the Midwest, ruining crops as they disrupted and uprooted families. There was barely a faint glimpse of economic relief on a very distant horizon. The depression grimly and relentlessly persisted for a decade, until America’s engagement in World War II. Clearly there was little about which to be cheerful.
That contemporary antiques collectors can transform the products of the nation’s worst economic disaster into collectibles meriting economic investment is roughly analogous to the beverage industry’s ability to make lemonade out of lemons. Nonetheless, promptly at 10 a.m. customers began filtering into the lobby and finding their way to the exhibition floor.
One need not spend a lot of money to buy something nice at the Depression Glass show. One can spend a lot of money, but there is plenty to choose from at very reasonable and moderate price points.
The Depression Glass Club of Greater Rochester sponsors the only show in the region focused solely on the brightly colored pressed glass and attendance at the show is a longstanding tradition for area collectors.
The show offers a genuine opportunity for collectors and the curious. For more information, check the group’s Facebook page, phone 585-281-5008 or email them at dgclub@rochester.rr.com.
Read Bruce Austin’s blog, posted every Monday morning: http://www.rit.edu/cla/wild/blog/. Contact him at 585-387-9820 or baagll@rit.edu.
