– JC, New York, NY, via e-mail

ANSWER: I forwarded the photographs that accompanied your e-mail to Debbie and Randy Coe, authors of “Elegant Glass: Early, Depression, and Beyond, 3rd Edition” (Schiffer Publishing, 2007; coesmercantile.com) and among the best glass pattern identifiers I know. Your bonbon or nappy (candy dish works as well) is Jefferson Glass Company’s Pattern #192, known to collectors as Sea Spray, and was made between 1906 and 1907. The piece is found in three colors—blue, green, and white.

Harry Barstow, Grant Fish, George Mortimer and J. D. Sinclair founded Jefferson Glass, located in Steubenville, Ohio, around 1900. Steubenville is the county seat of Jefferson County, hence the firm’s name.

Jefferson Glass produced fancy tableware, e.g., vases, and plain and decorated novelties, many of which were made in opalescent glass. Jefferson Glass remained in Steubenville until 1906, at which time it moved to Follansbee, W.V. Imperial Glass leased its former Steubenville plant. The Follansbee site produced non-opalescent glass and remained in operation until 1933.

A link existed between Jefferson Glass and Northwood. William Heacock, a leading glass researcher focusing on late 19th- and early 20th-century glassware, revealed Jefferson Glass sold a few of its opalescent molds to Northwood. Heacock’s “Collecting Glass, Volume 3” states: “George Mortimer, a prime force in the establishment of the Jefferson factory, went to work for Northwood in 1905, which may be why Northwood copied some fast-selling Jefferson designs.” With these few exceptions, most of Jefferson Glass’s opalescent molds vanished following the move to Follansbee.

Debby and Randy also noted that some collectors confuse Jefferson Glass’s Sea Spray pattern with the S-Repeat pattern. “We don’t feel that it is close to it. The piece shows the beading below the pattern and this is different than the S-Repeat … the pattern really looks like ocean waves as they are breaking on the beach.”

While many glass patterns included numerous forms, often enough to set a complete table, Sea Spray was only available as a bonbon/nappy. As a result, it has more appeal to opalescent rather than pattern glass collectors.

When I assumed the editorship of “Warman’s Antiques and Their Prices” in the early 1980s, opalescent and pattern glass were hot collecting categories. This is no longer true. Many glass collecting categories fell upon hard times after the dawn of the twenty-first century. Pattern and opalescent glass are on the list.

Your bonbon/nappy is more than 100 years old. If age determined value, its value would be high. Alas, age is now a minor value consideration and often discounted completely. The buyer is the key. If there is no buyer, there is no value.

Your Jefferson Glass Sea Spray bonbon/nappy has a secondary market value of between $30 and $45, down more than fifty percent from what it was worth 10 years ago. Its value derives from its conversation/decorative potential as opposed to its collector interest.

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QUESTION: I own a FADA Model 605W radio. It works. What can you tell me about it?

– C, Reading, PA

ANSWER: FADA, because several of its radios were housed in Modernist design catalin cases, is a magic name among radio collectors. Although your Model 605W has a plastic case, it is not catalin.

Frank Angelo D’Andrea (1888-1965) founded FADA. As a youth, he worked for Frederick Pierce Company, a firm that helped inventors develop working models of their inventions. Frank D’Andrea left Frederick Piece and founded FADA (his initials) to produce crystal detectors for radios. D’Andrea’s company was operating in three different locations on Jerome Street in the Bronx, New York, by 1921.

FADA began manufacturing radios in 1923. FADA had a stormy employer-employee relationship, and 500 of the 600 works went on strike in 1926. Lewis Clement, FADA’s chief engineer, left in 1927 for a better offer, as did Dick Klein, second in command. A group of Boston businessmen purchased the company in 1932, filing for bankruptcy in 1934.

A group headed by Jacob M. Marks bought the company and renamed it Fada Radio and & Electric Company. It remained in operation until 1955.

An advertisement in the August 1946 issue of “Radio News” pictures FADA models 605W, 1000 (the famous bullet case), and 1001. The Model 605W is listed as having five tubes.

Had your FADA Model 605W not worked, it would have little to no value. A dealer who restores radios might pay $5 to $10 for parts salvage. Even in working condition, the value is low, i.e., between $50 and $60. Collector interest in the common radios of the 1920s through the 1950s is fading. The collecting community is graying, i.e., collectors are getting older and not being replaced by younger collectors. If you are thinking of selling your radio, the longer you wait, the less you will receive.

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QUESTION: I have a copy of “The Ku Klux Klan in Prophecy, 2nd Edition.” What is its value?

– CB, via e-mail

ANSWER: Bishop Alma Bridwell White authored “The Ku Klux Klan in Prophecy,” a 144-page book, in 1925. White was the founder of the Pillar of Fire Church and author of more than 35 books. The Reverend Branford Clarke provided the illustrations. Arthur H. Bell, the Grand Dragon of the New Jersey Ku Klux Klan, wrote the introduction.

“The Ku Klux Klan in Prophecy” was a compilation of articles written by White for “The Good Citizen,” the Klan’s political periodical. The book’s primary focus was a violent diatribe against the Catholic Church. In addition, it promoted anti-Semitism, white supremacy and women’s equality.

“The Ku Klux Klan in Prophecy” enjoyed numerous editions and printings. It is still in print. Apparently, it is very popular in India. Unfortunately, your e-mail provides only a minimum of information. Go to abebooks.com or bookfinder.com and research the printing you have. If you are fortunate enough to have a first or very early printing of the second edition in very good or better condition, your book can be worth between $75 and $100.

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QUESTION: You write that most 78 rpm record albums are not worth much. There must be exceptions, and I hope I might have one. Attached to my e-mail is a picture of the RCA Victor record album cover for Robert Merrill’s Brooklyn Baseball Cantata, with music by George Kleinsinger with words by Michael Stratton. The piece was composed in 1937 but not recorded until 1948. There are two 78 rpm records in the album. Play time is approximately 12 minutes. What is its value?

– LE, Reading, PA, via e-mail

ANSWER: Robert Merrill, one of the Metropolitan Opera’s leading 20th-century baritones, was an ardent baseball fan. In fact, he died in his chair listening to a World Series game.

Although best known for the playing of his recording of the national anthem at Yankee Stadium, especially on opening day, Robert Merrill recorded the “Brooklyn Baseball Cantata” about a legendary World Series game between the Brooklyn Dodgers—“dem Bums” —and the New York Yankees. The 12-minute cantata is somewhat disjointed. A disgruntled umpire takes out the frustrations of his own failed baseball career on the players. The game seesaws back and forth. A Cookie Lavagetto-pinch-hit homerun wins the game. Alas, it is all a dream. The cantata ends with a “wait until next year” theme.

“The Brooklyn Baseball Cantata” faded from the scene before the runner reached first base, albeit it often is include on Robert Merrill greatest hits albums. “The Brooklyn Baseball Cantata” was one of several Dodgers’ songs recorded in 1948-1949, including Negro bandleader Buddy Johnson’s “Did You see Jackie Robinson Hit That Ball?”

George Kleinsinger (1914-1982) is far better known as the co-author, along with Paul Tripp, of “Tubby the Tuba” and the numerous musical scores that supported the book. Kleinsinger’s “Brooklyn Baseball Cantata” is a mere footnote.

Copies of the RCA “Brooklyn Baseball Cantata” are readily available. The album sells for between $15 and $20 in the general marketplace. Collectors of Brooklyn Dodgers memorabilia pay a bit more.

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Rinker Enterprises and Harry L. Rinker are on the Internet. Check out his Web site.

You can listen and participate in “WHATCHA GOT?,” Harry’s antiques-and-collectibles radio call-in show on Sunday mornings between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Eastern Time. It streams live on http://www.gcnlive.com on the Genesis Communications Network.

“SELL, KEEP OR TOSS? HOW TO DOWNSIZE A HOME, SETTLE AN ESTATE, AND APPRAISE PERSONAL PROPERTY” (House of Collectibles, an imprint of the Random House Information Group), Harry’s latest book, is available at your favorite bookstore and via Harry’s Web site: http://www.harryrinker.com

Harry L. Rinker welcomes questions from readers about collectibles, those mass-produced items from the 20th century. Selected letters will be answered on this site. Harry cannot provide personal answers. Photos and other material submitted cannot be returned. Send your questions to: Rinker on Collectibles, 5093 Vera Cruz Road, Emmaus, PA 18049. You also can e-mail your questions to harrylrinker [at] aol [dot] com. Only e-mails containing a full name and mailing address will be considered. Please indicate that these are questions for WorthPoint.

Copyright © Rinker Enterprises, Inc. 2009

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Depression Glass vs. Elegant Glass: What’s The Difference?

By Linda Carannante

One big misnomer that I often hear is the assumption that all Pink and Green Glassware is Depression Glass. This isn’t always the case, and the pieces in question may very well be Elegant Glass. So what is the difference and where did these names come from?

Depression and Elegant is actually a modern name bestowed by price guide writers who had to find an easier way to describe the glass they were writing about. In the end, both names were appropriate. Both types of glass began production around the same period of time; the late 1900s. The overall “recipe” to make the glass was basically the same. Some companies even made both types of glass, and, to confuse you even more, they used the same molds to produce them!

The name “Depression Glass” was given to a period of glass whose production began around 1920 and continued until the late ’40s. However, some patterns which are still considered Depression were still being made into the 1980s. Throughout glass collecting circles, Depression glass is typically American-made glassware, but we must not forget that this glass was also being produced throughout Canada, Europe & Australia.

If not made only during the Depression years, why then is it called Depression Glass? I’ve heard several assumptions over the years as to why it acquired the name. The most accepted reason seems to be this is a form of “pressed” glass, originating during a “depressed” era, thus the name was born!

The simplest way to explain it is that for the most part, Depression Glass is machine-made glass that was mass produced and did not have to be touched by human hands. Imperfections were a natural part of the process and often left alone. It was usually a premium item or sold in a dime store.

Depression Glass was produced in a variety of colors in addition to pink and green; blue, amber, yellow, crystal and even white to name a few. Jeannette Glass, MacBeth Evans, Anchor Hocking, Imperial, Hazel Atlas, U.S. Glass were just some of the companies that produced Depression Glass.

Elegant Glass

Elegant Glass—although it has many of the same characteristics such as color, production and era—had to be touch by “human hands” in its production. Elegant Glass, unlike Depression, was polished to get rid of the imperfections in the glass. These same imperfections are one of the things we expect to find in Depression Glass. The base of bowls, platters, etc. in Elegant Glass were ground so it would sit evenly on your table; acid etching or hand etching was used to create the pattern, one more beautiful then the next.

Another, and probably the biggest difference, is the way in which two were distributed. As we said before Depression was usually a premium item or sold in the 5 & 10 stores. Conversely, Elegant Glass was sold in the finer stores and never given away.

These patterns were marketed as wedding patterns, as early on china was not really used. One reason may be it was much more expensive and American Companies were far behind Japan and other foreign countries in producing colorful, attractive china in a large variety. Elegant glass provided a variety of beautifully etched designs in an equally attractive array of colors as well as pieces. There was a piece of glass created for every possible use, and available in many patterns! This was something else Depression Glass did not offer. The more successful an Elegant pattern was, the more pieces you would find. Take Candlewick for example. You have your standard table setting, but you also have a Card Tray, which the lady of the house would have her cards on and setting in the middle of her bridge table when her guests would arrive; lights were made for every room of your house; not only the glasses were made for your cocktails, but the decanter, the bitters bottle, and even the muddler was made; All you needed to serve a proper drink!

Elegant Glass was made by several glass companies; Heisey, Fostoria, Cambridge, Imperial, just to name a few. Because of the the onset of World War II, many glass companies went out of business or were bought out by other companies. Molds continued to be utilized and patterns went on just under other names.

One more thing: Where Depression Glass, for the most part, was fading away in the 1940s, it was the opposite for Elegant Glass. The momentum for this type of glass was increasing. Think about it: Families were benefitting post war and wanting to add the finer things. People disposed of their Depression Glass as it represented a time they couldn’t afford anything else! Elegant Glass represented status, change and an individual affluence. I remember when I was 16, I purchased my first piece of Depression Glass and my mother’s first words were: “What did you buy poor man’s glass for?” My response was if she would have kept hers, she would have been a rich darn woman! However, that shows you the mindset of a particular item. A single piece of glass represented a status to many.

There is beauty in both types of glassware as well as an economic building of a nation. Their common threads are stronger than their differences, although great. These two sets of glass were developed early in our history, their production kept this country going during a hard time, and they lived on for future generations to cherish!

Well, now that you know the definitions of each. Aren’t they a perfect fit?

Reference: The Collector’s Guide to Depression Glass by Marian Klamkin 1973

WorthPoint: Get the Most from Your Antiques and Collectibles.

Now is the time to buy antiques and collectables. Some of the greatest collections have been assembled when the economy and antique market were down. Henry Frances DuPont amassed one of the greatest collections of Americana during the Great Depression, which are now on display at the Winterthur in Delaware.

Winterthur is an American country estate. It’s the former home of same Henry Francis du Pont (1880-1969), collector of antiques and horticulturist. H. F. du Pont and his father, Henry Algernon du Pont, designed and built Winterthur in the early 20th century – in the spirit of 18th- and 19th-century European country houses.

I recently watched Academy Award winner “A Room With A View” and marveled at the period costumes and sets. The “country cottage” and manor featured in the film were overflowing with gorgeous art, furniture, and country gardens. It renewed my appreciation of veils, button boots, and gave me a strange yearning to have afternoon tea. I’m overcome with a similar sensation viewing the collection at Winterthur online. Antique furniture, silver, needlework, textiles, paintings, prints, ceramics, and glass are the ingredients for an English country house in Delaware. I look forward to viewing the du Pont masterpiece in person. A visit to the home and grounds is a must for both collectors and non-collectors.

Falling market prices on antiques means more for your dollar in buying and upgrading your collection. Lowered prices and lowered demand mean significantly more bang for your digital (or tangible) buck.