L128 RAREST C F MONROE HP WAVE CREST MATCHED GLASS FONT BRANCHED CANDELABRA

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LOT # 128 Detailed Photos Estate Road Show L128 RAREST C F MONROE HP WAVE CREST MATCHED GLASS FONT BRANCHED CANDELABRA Item Description In the 1987 classic reference, Wave Crest The Glass of C.F. Monroe / by Wilfred R. Cohen, Page 71 showcased a pair of candlesticks listed as EXCEPTIONALLY RARE , AND LISTING AT $800 25 YEARS AGO!. Mr. Cohen alluded to the fact that he had even seen the pattern in a Branched Candelabra, MAKING THEM THE RAREST OF THE RARE!! Well, HERE IS A MATCHED PAIR, identical in every respect to the bases, stems, hand painted glass fonts (identical blue florals), bobeches & cups seen in the book. One scenic plate is also identical to the book lady with her apron, walking down the path from her home! For Wave Crest collectors, this pair is an absolute must!! In 1877, Charles F. Monroe was hired as a decorator by the Meriden Flint Glass Co. He showed such promise and imagination, that he was frequently sent abroad to study new designs and techniques of European glass manufacturers. Having developed an exceptional sense of style, C.F. Monroe opened his first shop in Meriden, CT. in 1880, located at 36 West Main Street, operating initially in the format of a European glass importer. Shortly thereafter in 1882, he began his decorating studio, and by 1885 had opened an art academy also in Meriden, that became the C. F. Monroe opal glass decorating works in 1886. The C.F. Monroe Co. was formally incorporated in 1892, and introduced the Wave Crest line that was patented on Oct. 4, of that same year. Using primarily the highly stylized original glass forms from Mt. Washington / Pairpoint Glass, the Monroe decorations became some of the most beloved creations of the late Victorian and early Edwardian eras. When the 1890⿿s arrived and the demand for finely decorated glass was its height, the Monroe company was located in several large buildings on the corner of West Main Street and Capitol Avenue, and employed such fine artists as Carl V. Helmschmied (the Helmschmied swirl pattern was designed and patented by C.F. Monroe Co. during Carl⿿s employ), Walter Nilson, J.J. Knoblauch, Joseph Hickish, Carl Puffee, Flora Fiest, Gustave Reinman, Florence Knoblauch, Emil Melchior, and Alma Wenk, Blanche Duval, Gussie Stremlan, Elizabeth Zeibart, and Elizabeth Casey. While many of Monroe⿿s most commercial pieces were signed, a large number of the finest pieces, especially in the Wave Crest line were not signed. In the opinion of renowned expert Wilfred R. Cohen, in his masterwork ⿿Wave Crest ⿿ The Glass of C.F. Monroe⿝, he states that ⿿In my opinion, the signature is totally unnecessary in 99.9% of C.F. Monroe glass, and does not make the piece worth more or less. The glass and decoration are usually so distinctive, to even the early collector, that it can easily be recognized as a piece of C.F. Monroe. As Monroe himself believed, his glass does speak for itself, and no serious student of glass needs a signature, true or otherwise, early or late, in identifying the elegancies produced by this fine company. The financial details are not entirely clear, however by the start of WW I, external pressures were taking a major toll on C.F. Monroe. Consequently, the glass decorating works only survived until 1916, when inexplicably, Monroe took a lesser position as the glass foreman for Edward Miller & Co. Glass Works of Meriden. Stranger yet, C.F. Monroe soon relinquished the position at E. Miller & Co., subsequently moving to New Hampshire in 1919, C.F. Monroe passed away quietly on Nov. 19, 1919 at his home in Meriden, and was buried in the Swan Point Cemetery in Providence, R.I. Retail Value Estimate: $1000-$1200 Condition: 1 EXC minor wear, 1 with repaired font Weight: 7lb Measurements (LxWxH): 7 inches x 7 inches x 14 inches Estate Road Show read more

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