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reference book updates
Section IBelknap’s Milk Glass1. (Unpublished): Frontispiece in color [page 1] is a picture of the Lavender Ram’s Head Bowl which is a product of Cambridge Glass. The color is Opaque Helio. Reference Colors In Cambridge Glass by the National Cambridge Collectors, Inc. This bowl is shown on pages 21, 41, and 115. On page 20 is an explanation of the Ram’s Head Bowl by Cambridge. "Note: This bowl has a smooth top edge, an embossed leaf border around the top, embossed vertical flutings about the body, and handles in the form of ram’s heads. It is in the style of the Wedgwood earthenware pattern known as "Belmar." On page 18 is an explanation of the color Helio: "Helio, introduced in 1923, is an opaque color of the purple family, delicate in tone and very rich in appearance. A fair amount of variation in depth of color will be found between pieces, but in general, the color is consistent within a given piece. Only occasionally will light color streaking be found." Belknap claimed to have seen it blue, black, and this purple. He had not seen it in white. 2. (Opaque News - June 1994): Frontispiece in color [page 3] and repeated as 295c Ribbed Leaf Celery: This celery, in purple marble, was made by George Davidson, probably 1882-4, and appears as item 30 in a Davidson catalog. 3. (Opaque News – September 2005): Plate 3c: Easter Bunny & Egg Plate: Shown in a Gillinder & Son advertisement in Crockery & Glass Journal, January 1, 1903. 4. (Opaque News - March 1997): Dithridge Attributions see Ferson 592: From the Dithridge advertisement shown in Ferson 592, we may attribute all of the following items to that company: Ferson 30, Belknap 3f, Belknap 24d, Millard 18 (both plates), and Millard 24. 5. (Opaque News - March 1997): Plate 4b & Millard 20 Gothic Border Plate: An instance of mistaken identities. Although both are named Gothic and have very similar designs, they are not the same plate. The one shown in Belknap, Plate 4b and attributed, perhaps correctly, to Canfield glass has very thick spokes on the inner edge and a linked series of heavily rimmed open circles on the outer edge. Millard, Plate 20, on the other hand, not only has much thinner spokes, but the outer edge is an open work lattice with sharp tips. Millard also alludes to this same plate embossed with the profile of Bryan. It is illustrated, together with the companion McKinley plate, in Ferson, Plates 548 and 549, and attributed to Canton glass. Until a suitable name can be found or invented for one of these near twins, Bart has suggested we refer to the former as Gothic-Thick and the latter as Gothic-Thin. 6. (Unpublished): Plate 5a Columbus Plate (Newbound - 270) (Millard - 11): In her article Canton: The Glass Company that Refused to Die, Part 1 (Glass Collector's Digest December/January 1999, Volume XII, Number 4), author Marg Iwen quotes from the 1902 National Glass Co. Export Catalog Number 2. One of the references is to a "Columbus" plate designed by David Barker for Canton Glass in 1892, made in clear and opal. 7. (Unpublished): Plate 7f, Millard Plate 5f, and Newbound Plate 259: In an August 16, 1900 China, Glass and Lamps, page 40 there is an advertisement and illustration by Dithridge Stamp Plates that exactly match these plates. So mark this plate as Dithridge until another maker comes along. 8. (Opaque News - March 1993): Plate 8e A.B.C. Alphabet Plate (7"): A popular children's item, "Alphabet Plates" are found in many different sizes and decorations, made by a number of different glass companies. The one pictured in Plate 8e is definitely a Westmoreland Specialty Co. product, shown in its catalog dated 1926. It is sometimes found with gilt highlighting the letters and the beaded border. 9. (Unpublished): Reference the various Scroll and Eye plates that appear similar. However, one version has a "spoke" or straight glass peg inserted while one version does not. Look at Ferson, Plate 388B & Belknap, Plate 9a. The Challinor-Taylor catalog reprint shows the plate with the spoke in it. Belknap also attributes this particular plate to Challinor-Taylor. Now look at Millard, Plate 20. This plate does not have the spoke and Millard attributes it to Atterbury. I have also found a picture of this plate in Fenton Glass, The Second 25 Years by William Heacock, pages 58 & 78 (without the spoke). So we know that there are at least two makers (Challinor-Taylor and Fenton). Is there anyone who has an Atterbury catalog reprint on this plate to confirm the third manufacturer? 10. (Unpublished): Plate 9e The Serenade & Millard, Plate 1: Look closely (as well as you can make out the Millard picture) and you’ll see that these two plates have two different borders. Notice how some of the flowers are inside the border? So the mold for the 6½" plate was a little different from 8¼" plate. 11. (Opaque News - December 1992): Plates 12e & 271 and Millard, Plate 21 (Ancient Castle Plate): A few months ago I acquired a marvelous book, American Historical Glass, by Bessie M. Lindsey, c. Japan 1967, 1st printing; 4th printing 1980, Charles F. Tuttle Co., Inc., Rutland, VT and Tokyo, Japan. It contains 350 black and white photographs, many of them of milk glass items, throughout the thoroughly researched text. Plate 306, p. 312, shows Belknap's "Ancient Castle," also named in this fashion by Millard. On p. 303 Lindsey identifies the plate as the Garfield Monument, located in Lakeview Cemetery, Cleveland, Ohio. 12. (Opaque News – September 2005): Plate 15b and Millard 30 Sunken Rabbit Plate: Shown in a Gillinder & Son advertisement in Crockery & Glass Journal, February 27, 1902. 13. (Opaque News - March 1997): Plate 17b and Millard 1 Arch Border Plate Belknap follows Millard in attributing this pattern to Challinor, Taylor, although neither of them cites a source. Belknap, however, takes exception to Millard's belittling the quality of the glass. The difference in their appreciation of the plates may be explained by the possibility that they were made by two different companies. Apart from the obvious difference in the thickness of the border open work, notice that in Belknap, Plate 17b, which we will call Version #1, there is but a single band at the top of the rounded arch, whereas in Millard, Plate 1 (Version #2) two bands are found instead. To further complicate these two near look-alikes, Frank Chiarenza reports having yet another variant of the Arch Border pattern, a Version #3. It appears to have escaped previous notice in the standard milk glass literature, and is shown here: If you compare these plates, you will see Version #3 differs from Belknap’s in that the single band at the center of the rounded arch continues on and through the smaller round arch below it, ending at the plate’s inner border. A similar alteration also results in creating a "Y" configuration inside the pointed arch of Version #3. Three different makers, perhaps? If anyone can solve this puzzle, we wait to hear from you. 14. (Not published): Plate 14b, Backward C Round: I had never noticed the difference but compare Belknap, plate 14b and Millard, Plate a. These are both Backward C patterns but are difference. The Belknap plate was made by Dithridge. In an April 22, 1896 China, Glass and Lamps, page 9 there is an advertisement and illustration by Dithridge for "New designs in Rococo plates for stamp decorating. Made in Opal, Blue, and Black and in Opal Decorated." So correct Belknap here. Dithridge made these plates in black, Opal, Blue and Opal Decorated. 15. (Opaque News - June 1994): Plate 17c Daisy Band and Roman Key Plate: Common Davidson pattern of around 1886. Mr. Bateman says he has not seen anything in milk glass made by Davidson in this pattern which was also made by other glasshouses. Davidson, incidentally, referred to it as Daisy and Greek Key rather than Roman. 16. (Opaque News – September 2005): Plate 20d and Millard 44 He’s All Right Plate: Shown in a Gillinder & Son advertisement in Crockery & Glass Journal, January 1, 1903. 17. (Opaque News – September 2005): Plate 21a and Millard 43 Little Red Hen Plate: Shown in a Gillinder & Son advertisement in Crockery & Glass Journal, January 1, 1903. 18. (Opaque News – September 2005): Plate 21b and Millard 22 Chick and Egg Plate: Shown in a Gillinder & Son advertisement in Crockery & Glass Journal, January 1, 1903. "Bill Heacock had a tendency to attribute the manufacturer based on color and characteristics, and that's what he did in this case. That tray was not made by Fenton" 32. (Unpublished): Plate 111 Basketweave Compote, Ferson, Plate 343; & Millard, Plate 121; and Newbound, Plate 100: All the compotes except for Newbound plate are missing the lid shown in the 1881 Atterbury Catalog (Ferson 337A). Back to Top
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