| Although no tradepaper entries for "Minerva- Mars" were
found to give its original name and date it seems likely that this is a pattern
of the mid-1880s along with "Thousand-Eye", which Brothers identifies as the
"Sensation" patterns, which was announced in the AP & GR on Feb. 19, 1885.
"Their new 'SENSATION' line of ware occupies three tables... The
shape is round, and the exterior of the pieces is covered with small convex bulbs, which
refract the light and cause the ware to present a brilliant and dazzling
appearance. Among the novelties of this pattern they are showing are a sugar and
cream arranged in a glass stand with handle. . . , also a fruit basket of very
elegant shape, with plated handle; molasses pitcher of unique shape with patent
spring lid, berry dish shaped like an old Roman chariot, and several others ...
Likewise an ABC plate with representation of a clock in the center. Their No. 85
set, just out, is in imitation of cut glass and is a very highly polished and
brilliant representation of the more expensive ware."
No. 85 is the set named "Valencia Waffle" by Heacock. Both of these pattern previously
attributed to Adams, as they appear in the late catalogs, but have been
incorrectly dated. Mrs. Lee mentions the sugar and creamer in stand in her
pattern classification as well as the alphabet/clock plate, which confirms that
"Thousand-Eye" and "Sensation" are indeed the same, and thus the introduction of
this pattern in 1885 rather than earlier. The fact that "Thousand-Eye" and
"Wildflower" are found in color is also a reason to assign the latter to
1885-1890.
"Good Luck", "Sphynx", "Actress", "Minerva-Mars" and "No. 75 square"
were all out of production by the time Mrs. Lee's catalog was printed in the
late 1880s. Tradepaper notices of the introduction of "Apollo" (Nov. 18, 1886),
"Hidalgo" (Jan. 6, 1887), "Cottage" (June, 1887) 13 and "Palace" (June 21,
1888)14 were also found and indicate that the patterns in the published catalogs
were all of 1885 and after except for "No. 75 square" and "No. 329", both plain
patterns which could be engraved.
---------------------
13AP & GR for "Apollo", "Hidalgo" and "Cottage".
14Kamm, Bk. 6, P. 93.
15Lee, Sandwich Glass, p. 529.
16Lee, Early American Pattern Glass, p. 371.
17Ibid. pp. 644-645, p. 429 and 549.
18Revi, op. cit., p. 106.
19Kamm, Bk. 4, p. 44.
20Kamm, Bk. 3, P. 118. 12 |
In searching the literature, I found a number
of other pieces and patterns attributed to Adams by one author or another, and
trying to confirm these has turned up some interesting possibilities.
Ruth Webb Lee, in Sandwich Glass,15 attributes "Rose in Snow" to Adams, but in Early American Pattern Glass,16 she
attributes it to Bryce Brothers. In the latter book, she attributes the
"Railroad" and "Niagara Falls" platters as well as the "Grant Peace" plate to
Adams & Company, and she mentions that an elderly glass-blower told her that
the "Garfield Drape" pattern was made by Adams.17 Mr. Brothers assigned "Flower
Pot" to Adams, but Mr. Revi attributed "Flower Pot", "Dahlia" and the "Railroad"
platter to the Canton Company on the basis of an ad he had seen.18 Kamm assigned
"Rose in Snow" to Bryce, saying that a member of the Bryce firm had confirmed
this for Mrs. Lee.19 Unfortunately, none of these attributions is confirmed by a
glass company catalog.
The Corning Museum Library has three catalogs of the New
York jobbers, Spelman Brothers, a firm located at 361 and 363 Broadway in New York and selling china, glassware and all sorts of novelties. Two of
these are dated "Spring, 1886" and "Spring 1886, Second Edition"; the third is
undated but was probably printed the year before. The 1886 catalogs both
contain the following notes, which tell us something about selling practices:
"We have this season introduced a new feature which is highly appreciated by
the general trade. In addition to our popular glassware assortment we have a
large line of useful and ornamental articles in glass, put up in one dozen or
half dozen boxes, so that our customers can purchase a great variety without
being compelled to buy packages," and "GLASSWARE AND CROCKERY ARE SOLD BY THE
PACKAGE ONLY. N.B. We charge the Combination rate on all Class and Crockery
pack- ages... The Glassware Combination exact this charge from all dealers, and
we are compelled to charge it on the bill." This seems to confirm that the
assortments were packed at the glass factories and not repacked at the jobbers
except for the "useful and ornamental articles" boxed in lots of a half-dozen
or a dozen. The following pattern attributions, then, are made on this basis.
The undated catalog refers to the recent "great depression in the glass
regions." Most of the assortments can be attributed to Adams or to Bryce
Brothers; some are unattributable. The first assortment of interest to us is
No. 155 (Fig. 15), which shows four butter dishes is "Curtain Tie
Back"20 (here
called "footed, festooned pattern"), "Good Luck" (here called "floral panel
pattern"), "Egyptian" (here called "Oriental") and a fluted pattern. The scene
shown on the "Egyptian" pattern butter dish is not exactly correct, but since
we know it to be an Adams pattern introduced in 1883, the attribution of "Good
Luck" to Adams is confirmed, and the festooned and fluted |