Part 2

19. Chancellor Livingston—Auxiliary sailing vessel with paddle wheel, full rigged with flying jibs, American flag at stern, dotted waves, word “Chancellor” above and “Livingston” below ship on clear ground. Border two shields, two hearts, and four large stars on stippled ground. One of America’s first steamboats named after Robert Livingston, chancellor of New York State, a partner of Fulton in ship building.

20. Chancellor Livingston same as No. 19 but with stippled ropes.

Uncommon.

21. Chancellor Livingston—With line waves and different arrangement of spars, an earlier design than No. 19.

22. Benjamin Franklin—Full rigged ship covering entire center of plate, flag inscribed B. F. at mast head. American flag at stern, stippled rigging and elaborate equipment. Border with spread eagle, four anchors, stars and scrolls.

23. The Maid of the Mist—Boat on rough water showing the Suspension Bridge at Niagara, the falls and sun above bridge. This cup-plate was issued in honor of the completion of the bridge across the Niagara River. A later plate but exceedingly rare. N. E. G.

Very rare.

_THE HENRY CLAY GROUP_

24. Henry Clay with one star under small head in center facing left. Words “Henry Clay” in stippled circle around head. Thistle and medallion border.

25. Henry Clay with five stars,—a rare plate and one that easily escapes the notice of the collector who mistakes it for No. 25. Two of the stars are placed over the head and two outside the center circle, not in border.

Rare.

26. Henry Clay with no name—A smaller head, than any of the others without inscription—uncommon but not rare, probably a mold superceded by No. 25.

27. Henry Clay facing right—A large head facing to the right, in inner circle of clear glass. Two laurel branches crossed and tied with ribbon to form a half wreath under portrait. Words HENRY CLAY in large letters above head, border of fine stippling with ten large fleurs de lis serrated edge. The author considers this the rarest cup plate in spite of the recent furor over the Washington, seven of the latter having turned up in Pennsylvania alone while it is a fortunate collector indeed who can boast of a perfect large head of Henry Clay facing right.

28. George Washington large head—octagonal, on background of rays, very rare. Laurel wreath at edge of border with tiny stars and scrolls at extreme edge. Much confusion has been occasioned by a six inch plate with small head of Washington in center. Inscription George Washington spelled backward. This is of course not the Washington cup plate although it is a rare specimen of Sandwich glass.

29. Major Ringgold—Large crude portrait, bust on clear ground, twelve sided serration. Inscriptions Ringgold left side of head—Palo Alto to right. Major Ringgold fell in battle at Palo Alto and was very popular at the time. This cup plate is very rare,—it pictures the hero of the Mexican war and is one of the crudest plates ever made. Specimens are seldom found in good condition. N. E. G. A.—Larger lettering and not twelve sided edge.

_THE HARRISON GROUP_

These plates as well as the Clay group were gotten out during the time that Harrison and Clay were running for president in 1840. His nomination was also responsible for the log cabin group which follows. Harrison was an old frontier woodsman and the log cabin was supposed to be typical of his rugged nature. Horace Greely edited a Whig newspaper at this time called “The Log Cabin.”

30. Head of Harrison on clear ground—Inscription “Maj. Gen. W. H. Harrison, Born Feb. 9, 1773” in circle around head, outer circle of 26 stars, rope border with blank labels above and below.

Uncommon.

31. Head of Harrison with labels with word “President” above and date 1841 below.

_THE LOG CABIN GROUP_

32. Log cabin with words “Fort Meigs” above on clear ground, border with vine and acorns and inscription “Tippecanoe” above and “Wm. H. Harrison” below. This cup plate belongs equally in the Harrison group as it was a souvenir in the Harrison Campaign. All the log cabins were gotten out with this in view.

Uncommon.

33. Log cabin with flag—Flower border, cider barrel, and tree. The cider barrel typified Harrison’s hospitality; no chimney on cabin.

34. Log cabin with flag—No barrel—Cabin fills entire center of plate—two windows—Top only of log chimney showing. Smaller flag than No. 33, plain border.

Rare.

35. Log cabin, cider barrel; plain border; large tree in full foliage; one window. Liberty cap on top of flag pole with waving flag. Bench at base of tree.

Very rare.

36. Log cabin with a large chimney at end, cider barrel under one window, clear background, the earliest plate issued in this series. N. E. G.

Rare.

37. Log cabin with acorn border type of No. 33.

Not shown.

_MISCELLANEOUS_

38. Bee hive medallion border—Laurel wreath border hive and nine bees.

39. Bee hive medallion border small plate with 11 honey bees above hive, fine stipple, one of the rarer plates.

A—Same with variation in border.

40. The Lyre—Large Lyre, four strings and two palms filling center of plate, border groups of rays and pointed, stippling deeply indented, bulls eye edge.

41. The Hound—Reclining gray hound with branches left and right, oak leaf border, broken by six circles, clear ground.

42. Harp with laurel wreath and seven pointed star above—a very beautiful plate. Shamrock border.

A—A four inch plate is found with small harp in center. This is of course not a true cup plate.

43. The Anchor—Similar plate with large anchor stippled ground stars and stippled triangles alternating in border.

44. The Butterfly—A butterfly on stippled center ground, border of eight forget-me-nots on clear ground.

45. The Unhappy Marriage or double face—Two heads with inscription above “The Wedding Day”—invert the plate and the same heads are seen with distorted visage and the words above “Three Weeks After.” Border of very handsome flowers, clear ground.

_THE FLORAL GROUP_

46. The rose and pansy on stippled ground, size of bee hive, border of pointed leaves on clear grounds.

47. The daisy—Size of bee-hive, large daisy with ten petals filling entire center of plate, 13 large five pointed stars in border on fine stippling. A most delicate and beautiful design.

48. The open rose—Size of bee hive, wild rose in center with two rows of petals.

49. The thistle—A large thistle in center of plate, fine lacy stippling.

_CONVENTIONAL CUP PLATES_

It is impossible to describe fully the vast number of conventional cup plates but there are two in the author’s collection that do not fit into any group. One “A” has 26 large stars on a clear field. N. E. G. It is a very early plate and I like to call it “the States.” The other “C” is a later plate of which I do not know of a duplicate. The center is a feathered nine pointed star in octagon medallion and the border is a mother goose design with four children, four trees, a pig, and other nursery rhyme scenery. We illustrate these together with a rare slipware proof of the ship Cadmus “B”.

_THE HEART SERIES_

H1. Single large heart in center background of concentric circles. Fourteen clear glass hearts in border.

H2. The Valentine. Two hearts in center pierced with arrows, small flowers on stippled background, lyres in border.

H3. Four interlaced hearts in center, nine hearts in border with sheaf of wheat between.

H4. Same as No. 3 with variation in wheat and three stipples above.

H5. Ten sided edge serrated, thirteen stippled hearts in border, geometrical center with stipple background.

H6. Twelve sided edge, thirteen stippled hearts in border, center like No. 5, no serrations.

H7. Thirteen stippled hearts in border, center like No. 5.

H8. Same as No. 7 with twelve stippled hearts in border, two lobes of center design also stippled.

H9. Same as No. 8 with two stars between each heart, center like No. 6.

H10. Same as No. 7 larger size cup plate.

H11. Larger plate type of No. 8 with four lobes of center design clear.

Not illustrated.

H12. Small plate (size of bee hive) six hearts forming center with wheel of dew drops between, edge has bull’s eye in each serration. Hearts are very heavily stippled in waffle design.

H13. Fourteen stippled heart border with fourteen five pointed stars in diamonds super imposed on hearts in border, center peacock feather design with star in each bull’s eye.

H14. Twelve sided flower border serrated edge, small stipple triangle in center, three small hearts in feathered scrolls.

H15. Thirteen stippled hearts in border slightly larger cup plate than No. 7, background of center clear.

H16. Fourteen rope stippled hearts in border, eight pointed conventional star in center within a pointed larger star.

New England’s Glass Works Type.

H17. Four clear heart center forming clover leaf design, stippled background, border twelve hearts reversed stippling.

H18. Same center, as No. 17, no stipple in center but plain border made up of stippling.

H19. Same center as No. 17, no stippling in either hearts or background, no hearts in border.

H20. Twelve sided serrated edge, twelve stippled hearts in border with drop ornaments between them. Center design of four motives, rosettes and stippling.

H21. Six hearts “Waffle Design,” in outer circle of center with rosettes between them; large six pointed star with rosette in center, clear ground, vine and wheat border New England Glass Works type. A companion plate to No. 16.

H22. Eight hearts in center, four with leaves and four stippled, wreath border.

Previously not much attention has been paid to the Heart Series by collectors. These are of rare beauty when gathered in sequence. They were among the most popular plates of the time. They were called the Sentiment or Valentine cup plates and were more often given as tokens of regard than any other designs.

Colored cup plates were issued in smaller numbers but were not found practical because of the expense connected with their manufacture. Many people considered them not in good taste for table use but the opalescent conventional plates were more popular. These have necessarily become rare and the collector who goes in for colored plates to any extent has a hard undertaking to make his series complete. A conventional plate popularly called “The Wheel of Fortune” seems to have been made in lovely shades of lavender, green, amber, mauve, and blue.

Tints or “off-shades” are much sought after by collectors in cup plates. These color variations were produced by the chemical reaction of an over-dose of one of the ingredients in the mixture—a “mistake” in composition.

Of the hundreds of conventional designs we have tried to illustrate only a few of the unusual and particularly lacy ones.

The author illustrates 78 different cup plates, trusting that the reader will appreciate the effort made.

_PRESSED GLASS SALTS_

Many of the little salts used on our grandmothers’ tables reflected the political feeling of the times as did the cup plates, and in noting the following from the Sandwich works I am including a number of specimens which the New England Glass factory made in imitation of the Sandwich at the time. These will be marked N. E. G. in the text. These are heavier, less transparent, and are from molds crudely carved. The period is 1840.

One salt has come to light marked Robinson & Son, Pittsburgh, Pa. It is a boat salt similar to the Lafayette boat made at Sandwich but shorter and broader. It is of clear glass of a later type. Blown glass salts will be taken up in a subsequent book by the author. The beautiful conventional designs produced by artists of the Sandwich Glass Company are so numerous and delicate in workmanship that we illustrate as many varieties as possible hoping that collectors of these charming little pieces will understand our purpose and forgive omissions of specimens that they hold dear. All salts shown are from the author’s collection and most of them are in pairs, but we show one only for reference. New varieties are being found daily adding to the fascination of collecting. The following types are worthy of note:

All salts illustrated are in numerical sequence except those marked in the text “Not shown.”

1. American eagle, nine stars, colonial column at corners, vine at top, ends with tree in full bloom. N. E. G.

2. Side-basket of fruit, ends—wild rose, bottom—marked New England Glass Company, Boston.

3. Diamond waffle design, colonial column at ends, scallop above, star bottom. N. E. G.

4. Diamond waffle design, irregular wavy sides, vine above, hob nail in diamond on bottom. N. E. G.

5. Large diamond waffle star on coarse stipple background, flaring sides. N. E. G.

6. Grill work with large heart on side in diamond design, column at ends. N. E. G.

7. Portrait of Lafayette on side of salt, Washington on other—very rare. N. E. G.

Not shown.

8. Boat shaped salt, side wheel marked Lafayette with star, stern marked B & S Glass Company.

9. Same in blue glass with opalescent tinge marked Sandwich on bottom. A fine specimen piece to own.

Not shown.

10. The Chariot race, clear white glass, very rare, ends reptile in medallion, bottom—scroll with six five pointed stars, very rare.

A—Same in opaque light blue glass, exceedingly rare.

11. Eight sided flaring salt, earliest period, fine stippled background with rose, fleur de lis and beautifully designed American eagle on bottom. The eagle is in flight with olive branch in one claw three arrows in the other and a shield on its breast. The author considers this one of the rarest Sandwich salts ever found. It is like a bit of old lace.

12. Round with three alternate Cadmus ships and eagles—rare.

13. Four large eagles with feet on balls forming sides and base of salt, two curled surface from beaks of eagles forming top of salt, large shield on each side below—very rare.

14. Presentation salt, unusually large, early type, on ornamental base with scroll bracket feet, shielded ends with two eagles’ heads, marked Providence on bottom. A—Same in blue glass with oak leaf on bottom, all types of this salt are very rare. They were a special order at the Sandwich works and very few have been found. We know of only one specimen in the deep blue.

Very rare.

15. Four letter S scrolls forming sides and base, basket of fruit on stippled ground.

A—Opalescent slightly opaque stippled ground.

16. Two letter S scrolls forming ends and feet, horns of plenty with two stars above, lyre on stippled ground of side, two inverted horns of plenty below.

17. Oval salt deeply scalloped edges, four horns of plenty on stippled ground, star bottom, early period, very delicate.

A—Same opalescent—rare.

B—Same purple—very rare.

18. Circular on collar base, four medallions in stippled ground, four mold piece, antimony tint.

19. Six sided gothic with deep points, stars in points—later mold but very lacy.

20. Simulated carriage on four wheels, stippled, scrolled ends, star and diamond on side.

21. Deeply cut out top and scroll foot beautiful rope and panels at end, unusual bottom.

22. Typical early period—oblong—molded foot and medallion and diamond top.

A—Same in transparent jade—green very rare.

23. Oblong, eight sided, hearts at corners—round applied foot.

A—Same, sides unstippled and without feet.

24. Very early heavily scrolled, wavy top and ornamental base, four prominent oak leaf scrolls.

A—Same in deep amber very rare. The dark amber in American glass was at this early period a “mistake” in manufacture. It was caused by a piece of paper getting into the mould which in contact with hot glass charred at once giving a beautiful amber color.

25. Basket of fruit on sides with scrolled ends terminating in leaves, two rosettes on side, leaves and drilled scrolls on feet—bottom with 11 crossed bars—a very popular design at the works—first period—

A—Opalescent.

B—Green.

C—Blue.

To meet the demand this design was a frequent repeat so that fine specimens in color and pairs are not uncommon.

26. Diamond all-over design with deeply scalloped edge with row of dots. Unusual base with claw feet and scalloped apron. This ground work has a pattern of N. E. G. and is rare in this form of Sandwich.

27. Sleigh shape, very shallow, grilled convex base, rope ends, green tinge.

28. Same except sleigh on runners.

Not shown.

29. Scrolled ends and feet, crown with feathers and star on side, band of stippling below crown.

30. Petalled and looped clear glass on standard six petals-period 1850. This must not be confused with the heavy late salts in this pattern.

31. Chicken salts period 1860. A tiny glass chicken with ball in beak, the back hollowed out to form the salt, receptacle white glass.

Not shown.

A—Vaselene yellow.

B—Blue.

C—Clear white.

_VICTORIAN ANIMALS_

For the West Mustard Company about 1870 the Sandwich works made a number of designs consisting of chickens and other animals on nests of semi opaque white glass. Many of these had glass eyes and the less common ones found to-day are in colors, a remarkable blue predominating. These were filled with their products, labeled with a red and orange label and sold to the public destined later to become useful receptacles. Many collectors of these objects confuse the marbled glass which comes in mauve and white and ocre and white in many designs similar to the above with the Sandwich of this late period. This marbled glass in Whieldon effects was made at Phoenixville, Pa., and may be put in the same class as the advertising of the West Mustard Co. During this last period of the Sandwich Glass Works their products became cheapened to meet the demand of commercial advertising and an endless number of cheap glass premiums were sent out to all parts of the country in the era just preceding the soap wrapper and the patent medicine man.

An interesting bit of information in regard to the opalescent edges often found on pieces of Victorian glass is that this opalescence was produced by re-heating the edges to a dull red heat after it was molded.

The pattern for the opaque glass chickens was inspired by the early Staffordshire hens. This has led many to believe that the former were made in England but they are decidedly a late Sandwich product made of the same composition as many of the lamps and candlesticks. The author has found nests bearing the original orange and red labels of the West Mustard Company.

1. Opaque white chickens large and small.

2. Opaque all blue chickens large and small.

3. Opaque blue and white roosters.

4. Pair opaque dark purple chickens.

5. Opaque white owl quite opalescent at edges.

6. Opaque blue and white cats.

7. Opaque blue and white dogs.

8. Opaque white squirrel.

9. Opaque white rabbit.

10. Opaque white duck.

11. Baskets in blue and white.

12. Chickens in clear white, transparent blue and amber glass—rare.

In this group are steamboats, sleighs, Uncle Sam, and various political objects, all of which are uninteresting and not worthy of collection. Little glass bears were made for a concern promoting bear ointment. Heads of these jars have been dug up at the Sandwich works. Complete ones are hard to find.

CANDLESTICKS _HOW TO TELL OLD STICKS FROM NEW_

1. Genuine old glass candlesticks were always molded in two sections and fused together. This fusing section varies from one-sixteenth to one-quarter inch in thickness and is irregular on different sides of the same stick. This is an absolute test and never fails.