Part 3

2. If you will examine the mold seams along the side of the stick you will find that where the sections are joined the perpendicular line is not continuous. The seam may be in line on one side but turn the stick and you will find the rule holds good. This is because in fusing the parts by hand they were slightly rotated and it was impossible to keep the mold seams in a straight line. Also the old hand carved molds varied slightly in size so that no two tops and bottoms were exactly alike. The modern glass candlestick is molded in one section released from machine made molds and the side line is continuous from top to bottom. This test should be applied to all the colored glass sticks of the hollow base type that are appearing. The earlier sticks with scarred bases have not been imitated except in shapes never found in old glass. Reproductions of blown glass will be taken up by the author in another book.

3. The collector of American glassware finds a very handsome type of candlestick with blown bobèche top and molded base. It is safe to say that these tops were imported from England for use at the Sandwich works. They are only found on the most expensive sticks of the period, and are identical with English candlesticks of the same time, except for the typical Sandwich pedestal and base, fused to the blown bobèche. We know that elaborate lamp bowls were imported and combined with Sandwich glass bases and later joined with brass standards to marble bases, thus it is safe to assume that many of the elaborate candlesticks are in part of similar origin.

_CANDLESTICKS_

1. Period 1830. Petal top, loop base, scarred bottom, earliest type.

Clear White Opaque White Pale Lavender Combination Blue and White Purple Blue Green Vaselene Yellow Peacock Opalescent Dark Amber—very rare

A. Plain top looped base.

B. Petal top, plain hollow, six sided molded base, period 1850.

C. Petal top, round base.

2. Plain top and base varying heights, and colors. This is the commonest type and one that must be most carefully examined by collectors as being most liable to reproduction.

3. Colonial Column, generally found in opalescent glass, period 1859.

A. Opaque two color sticks, blue and white, jade green and white.

4. Blown bobèche top, fused to early pontilled base in steps.

A. Various later bases and tops cut and etched.

B. Opaque white glass sticks.

Vases were made in many colors of glass at the Sandwich works with bases corresponding to the whale oil lamps. The output was not large as the demand for ornaments at this time was not as great as for practical commodities. See illustration in upper right hand corner.

_THE DOLPHIN GROUP_

The Dolphin Candlesticks are found in seven distinct types. The single base usually has two scars near the hollow base of the Dolphin showing the earliest form of ejection from the mold, a kind of modified pontil. The single base Dolphins while not as delicate in modelling and design are decidedly earlier and much rarer than the double base. The head of the Dolphin is hollow for a greater distance than in the double base sticks showing that these earlier forms were blown into the molds before the stamp machine was in common use. There is also a sunken bobash of glass not found in the double base types.

Type 6 and 7 is mentioned by the author with reluctance as it is of Victorian origin. The little pentagonal base stick type 5 is dainty and well molded but the bell shaped Dolphin is ornate and of less value to collectors. The dishes on Dolphin standards with opalescent edges are of this period also and mentioned only to make this work complete.

Type 1. single base 1840

a. Clear white. b. Vaselene yellow slightly cloudy—rare. c. Opalescent.

Type 2. single base embossed 1845

a. Clear white ornamented with small Dolphins and shells in relief.

Type 3. double base 1850

a. Clear White. b. Opalescent white. c. Opalescent blue top opalescent white Dolphin base. d. Clear blue. e. Clear green very rare. f. Clear purple very rare. g. Vaselene yellow. h. Opaque blue.

Type 4. round base 1859

a. Clear white. b. Clear white with heart in tail of Dolphin.

Type 5. Pentagon base small stick.

a. White. b. Yellow. c. Blue.

Type 6. Bell shaped base small Dolphin ornamented with shells. 1860

a. Clear white with opalescent top. b. Blue green with opalescent top. c. Vaselene yellow with opalescent top.

Type 7. Milk white opaque glass measurement eight inch small Dolphin on round base with 16 scallops. 1875

Illustration 8 page 68 is a very remarkable clear white Dolphin dish on standard. It measures 9 by 10½ inches. There is a full size Dolphin, early type, with hollow head supporting a balanced shell. The piece is unique.

Illustration No. 9 page 70 is so far as the author knows, the only lamp which has been found with a single Dolphin base. It is of clear white glass and is a beautiful piece.

A—Lamp supported by three Dolphins—late.

Illustration 10 page 68 is one of the later Dolphin dishes referred to at the head of this group.

_WHALE OIL LAMPS_ Period of 1850

A burner was invented consisting of two tin tubes soldered to a brass or pewter screw cap. This took the place of the single tube of the earlier lamps and gave a double flame. It was adaptable to use in lamps of ornamental glass and the enterprising Sandwich factory at once started the manufacture of pressed glass lamps to meet the demand.

The earliest type was in clear glass. Later more elaborate and costly forms were introduced and a blown receptacle for the oil fused to a molded base often had a beautiful blown center section. The patterns in these old lamps are endless. Etched and cut tops were imported and fused to Sandwich bases at the factory. The Victorian era brought in a demand for two color combinations and opaque glass lamps. We stop at the introduction of marble bases as they are very much later and the bowls for many of these lamps were foreign. No attempt has been made to illustrate all specimens, a few of the more decorative being chosen. With the early lamps no shade was used and the flickering flame of the spirit tubes gave little better light than candles but it saved the housewife the endless dipping and molding. The wick had to be constantly picked through the small opening at the side of the burner as it burned down. The fluid used was camphine. This is proof alone that no shade was used. The glass shades came into use with the “boudoir burner” which took a flat wick through a round opening patented by E. M. & Company in 1865. At this time people fitted the earlier lamp with these burners and substituted a new fluid for the earlier whale oil and camphine. We illustrate a very rare lamp of clear white glass with Dolphin standard in the Dolphin group.

Type 1. New England Glass Works, blown top, molded four sided base column at end, baskets of fruit on each side, lions’ heads at corners, a very early and rare lamp.

Type 2. Fluted overlaid molded howl, four sided base with two steps with fluted Colonial Column joining base and bowl. Colors similar to Type 6.

Type 3. Shows a lamp of rare design. The quality of the glass in the fragile scrolled base with lion’s claw feet is very early, and the frosted blown bowl of great delicacy. Lamps are seldom found of this type which closely resembles the flatware of the first period.

Type 4. Was a costlier product. It was fused in three parts and included a bulbous blown center section and cutting was often introduced on the bowl.

Type 5. The most popular inexpensive lamp of the period was a molded lamp in various designs, clear glass hearts, lyres, diamonds, bulls eye, and hob nail patterns appealing to the public. The molds were heavily grouved and fine stippling was avoided because this caused greater tendency to breakage which was undesirable in anything containing inflammable material.

Type 6. Fluted over laid molded bowl, six sided base, clear white.

a. Blue.

b. Green.

c. Purple.

d. Vaselene.

e. Opalescent white.

f. Opalescent blue top, white base.

g. Opalescent jade green top, white base.

h. All jade green, very rare.

i. Opalescent white top, blue base.

_FLAT WARE OF THE EARLY PERIOD_ 1835-1849

The author believes there were made during the first period many large dishes for table use to match the cup plates. These are necessarily rare as such objects were more expensive and more liable to breakage. To illustrate we have given specimens the additional designation of C when there is a cup plate of corresponding design and have affixed the measurements. The following dishes are rare and have in every instance been collected by the author from their original sources.

1. Washington, 6 inch plate—C—inscription. “George Washington” spelled backwards.

A. Same without head medallion center—See No. 13.

2. Heart border plate, N. E. G., 7 inch—C.

A. Compote on stand.

Not illustrated.

3. Oblong dish with large lyres in four comers 9 inches—C.

4. Heart border, deep dish, N. E. G., 7½ inches—C.

5. Octagon dish, large American eagle and 13 stars in center—6 inch—rare—C.

A. 8 inch dish same—rare.

6. Octagon dish, 9 inch, bee hives in conventional center design with bees, often called “strawberry pattern” but upon examination the bees and bee hives are very distinct. This plate, 10 inch, was very popular and since the furor for collecting pressed glass numbers have come to light. It represents very beautiful designing and was in all likelihood sold as a cake plate. There are four large stars with four thistles around the bee hives in the center design.

7. Octagon dish, 7 inch, C, with the ship “Constitution” in the center and the word “Union” below, typifying a union sentiment against the junking of “old ironsides.” One of the rarest pieces of early Sandwich glass in existence.

8. Octagon Dish, 7 inch, C, Pennsylvania Steamboat in center. Companion piece to No. 7, very rare.

All the above large dishes match cup plates and must have been made for the most fastidious housewives of the period with that particular object in view.

9. Round plate, 8 inch, peacock feather border, three thistles and beautifully feathered scrolls in center.

10. Round deep dish, 8 inch, border of scrolls and twelve thistles. Center twenty rope circles with six pointed flowers two thistles on back ground and fine stippling.

11. Compote on standard with waterfall base—7½ inch, very rare. A. Top view of same piece.

12. Deep dish, oval, grouved corners, 6 x 8, very rare. All-over design of great delicacy. I consider this dish, which is one of a pair, made for a special order in 1839, one of the finest specimens ever produced in Sandwich glass. The detail of design is marvelous and the shape necessitated an eight grouved mold.

13, 14C, 15, 16C are 6 inch plates two of which have cup plates to match.

17, 18, 19, 20 are 6½ inch deep dishes. 20 being the sun flower design familiar in cup plates.

21, 22 are tray shaped dishes of great brilliancy.

23, 24, 25, 26 are sauce dishes, period 1839.

27. Harp and grape center and 28, grape border, conventional center, are Toddy glass plates mentioned as a type of large cup plate and very much sought after by collectors.

A. The grape eagle, blue, in this size is very rare.

29. Presentation piece, Crown above, three feathers and motto—“Ich Dien.”—This is the badge on the Coat of Arms of the Prince of Wales and was made at the time of the visit of the late Edward VII to the U. S. in 1860.

30. Presentation piece, Gladstone, “For the Million” Imitation of English pressing. Made for the Canadian market.

31. Early Sandwich creamer rare.

A. Opalescent.

32. Covered sweet meat jar or sugar bowl, eight sided. Gothic treatment.

A. Blue. B. Purple. C. Opalescent.

33. Eight sided Jam dish, 5 inch, rose and thistle clear inset in corners. Rose and thistle in panels of border and is beautifully carried out in the center.

34. Jam dish, 4½ inch, deeply fluted.

A great number of 4 inch plates were made and these are becoming very popular with collectors. These may have been “toddy plates” a large cup plate made for use with flips as many in the author’s collection bear signs of frictional wear.

Small slightly concave dishes resembling cup plates were made for “best jam” or honey. The patterns in these dishes were not in the finest designs. They were too small to be popular and larger sauce dishes were first made at the works about 1839. The covered sweet meat jars later used for sugar were rare (see illustration) and a really early Sandwich cream pitcher is the delight of the collector.

Sugar bowls and creamers were made in clear white, blue, opalescent, and purple glass. Not many of the colored ones have survived hard usage and the white many sided bowls with covers are getting very difficult to find.

Little toy pieces were made at the works in the early period such as covered tureens, tiny plates and platters, dolls’ cream pitchers, etc. These are not illustrated as the detail is too fine to be of value.

_“PETALLED AND LOOPED” PATTERN CLEAR WHITE SANDWICH GLASS PERIOD 1830_

The author has a collection of nearly thirty pieces in this design, many of the pieces being pontil marked. This pattern matched the candle sticks of type 1.

Some few pieces have been found in this pattern in vaselene yellow and purple. The secret of yellow glass was conveyed to the Sandwich factory by a workman from Bristol, England. The process was too costly to admit of the manufacture of many pieces in this color. Some lovely scent bottles were made, lamps, vases and candle sticks and the author has a pair of rare salts on standards. We refer of course to the earlier pieces as Victorian yellow glass is found in abundance.

_PRESENTATION PIECES_

For special occasions the Sandwich works got out dishes to be presented as souvenirs. These show special designing and are exceedingly rare. We illustrate a piece issued for the Prince of Wales’ visit to America. Also a piece known to have been made at Sandwich in simulated English design with words “Gladstone” and “For The Million,” thistle center.

The “Victoria” plate, 7 inch, shows the head of the young Queen—in size like George Washington’s head in the Washington cup plate—with “Victoria” above and with a beautifully stippled lace border of the early period. An exquisite and rare plate.

Not illustrated.

No mention is made in this volume of the endless President Garfield, railroad trains, puss in boots, and Venus designs whose name is Legion and without whose presence the cabinet of the true collector will not suffer, such pieces looking entirely out of place on the shelves with early Sandwich.

As personalities are painful to the collector I have tried to refrain from them in this volume, trusting that those who have something to add or subtract from my text will do so in a kindly spirit. We as Americans are too prone to make our collections general. We seek quantity rather than quality and the author is a believer in elimination. The following are a few suggestions for the amateur collector:

1. Don’t think you have the best collection until you have seen others.

2. Don’t think that money can buy the best specimens, courtesy and patience can buy better.

3. In collecting old glass he who “hesitates” has lost it to his neighbor.

4. Don’t believe all you hear—investigate.

5. Don’t collect EARLY “WOOLWORTH.”

6. Don’t let envy keep you from enjoying and studying another’s collection.

7. Don’t tell everybody what you are looking for, a rival collector is born every minute.

8. Don’t seek numbers of specimens, seek fine workmanship.

9. Don’t call everything that you cannot classify Canadian, English, or Spanish. Comparison of specimens and time will change your opinion.

10. Don’t quote prices for by so doing the market is ruined for both dealer and collector. The value is according to what you pay and to-morrow you may obtain the same piece for more or less.

11. Don’t keep your glass in a dark cup-board done up in paper. Let others enjoy the fruits of your labor.

12. Considering that everyone’s taste is not alike “an unfair exchange is no robbery.”

13. Don’t say a thing is “very rare” or “very common” remembering that what is rare in Pennsylvania may be common in Massachusetts. Most antiques depend upon locality for their rarity and your opinion may be very local.

14. Don’t subject old glass to very hot or very cold water in washing. Early Sandwich is subject to atmospheric conditions. Sudden changes of heat and cold will cause cracks.

15. Last and not least, don’t “hoard”; give the other collector a chance. By exchange and sale of specimens you will improve your own collection and if you help some one else to get what he wants it will come back to you ten fold in unexpected moments. An old house, old glass and old friends is a combination worth living for.

_The End._

COLLECTOR’S DATA

INDEX.

_Page_

Bunker Hill group, 22-24-25

Candlesticks, 66 to 69

Colored cup plates, 51

Composition, 14

Conventional cup plates, 42 to 51

Cup plates, 18 to 51

Dolphin group, 68-70 to 73

Don’ts, 95-96

Eagle group, 20 to 22

Flat ware, 78 to 90

Floral group, 40-41

Harrison group, 30-34-35

Heart series, 42 to 49

Henry Clay group, 28-30-31

History, 7 to 10

Log Cabin group, 34 to 36

Miscellaneous cup plates, 38 to 41

Molds, 12-13

Notes for Collectors, 15 to 17

Petalled and Looped glass, 92-93

Preface, 5

Presentation pieces, 88-89-94

Pressed glass, 11

Ringgold, 30-32

Salts, 53 to 63

Ship group, 24 to 29

Victorian animals, 62 to 65

Washington cup plate, 30-32

Washington six-inch plate, 78-79

Whale oil lamps, 74 to 77

End of Project Gutenberg's Sandwich Glass, by Lenore Wheeler Williams