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Posted 10 months ago
Alfredo
(349 items)
I have just completed yet another article on Dugan Art Glass, this time for the Journal of West Virginia Museum of American Glass. Then I realized I had not posted anything on it!
My interest was sparked by a picture in the Passau Museum Catalog IV, where it was classified as "Unknown Bohemian". Truitt I picks up the information without questioning it. How could documented American glass be classified by experts as Czech?
Dugan is well known for its Carnival glass. However, by 1902 Tom Dugan was experimenting with iridescent finishes, and by 1906 he launched a line of art glasses variously called "Venetian", "Pompeian" and "Japanese", arbitrary terms designed to place them within the leading aesthetic fads of the period. They were advertised in the 1906 Butler Brothers' catalog.
All of them used iridescent frit, were mold blown, and resembled Czech glass shapes. No wonder they were able to fool the experts! Some have even shown up marked "Czechoslovakia"! Mostly made in small sizes, larger pieces are rare.
Pic. 1: Celery vases. Though technically Northwood, they do show in later art glass decors. The yellow one glows under UV. 6"
Pic. 2: Stippled Estate. The golden one was my very first.
Pic. 3: Honeycomb.
Pic. 4: Peach Opal. A personal favorite. The color has been called a version of Carnival, but the shapes are distinctly Art Nouveau.
And on to more decors.
American Art GlassAmerican art glass refers to decorative household glass objects made in fac…
Art NouveauArt Nouveau architecture, furniture, jewelry, and graphics took their inspi…
Great photos!
Nothing like family photos!
Great stuff, Al. I have always loved Dugan art-glass, and it's great to see; and I agree your photos are excellent.
I have to admit, I had NO idea there was this large of a selection in shape, size, color, etc. But I mostly appreciate all the time it must have taken for you to gather these up and post for me to learn by. Your knowledge seems to have no boundries? How? Did your family have ties to the glass industries somehow. I cannot help but seem amazed and quite literally shocked that there seems to be no area of glass where you have not contributed in some way or another. Don't mean to pry or seem nosey, it's just that I live, eat, and breath glass every chance I get but have a hard time retaining all the information. Yet you seem to have the answer to every question anyone on here can ask and Im just curious as to how you manage to do it???
In fact, my mother colllected 50's Italian (which I hate to this day) and Swedish Flygsfors, which I loved, but I gave my collection of miniatures to my sister. Once I started on glass, I went from A to Z--like I do with everything. But I callect Czech, Dugan and Imperial Art glass.
Wow, I guess I should of expected your answer to seem so effortless coming from you and yet overwhelming to me just thinking of collection one of the areas that you have focused on collecting...Once again thank you for taking the time to feed my curiousity and questions with the knowledge you have gathered over your years of experience. It is because of people such as yourself and others here on CW that have been kind enough to tolerate my ignorance as I attempt to gain as much information about glass I now own and hope to own some day, that inspire and motivate me to not just collect but to grow intellectually WITH my collection as well. Thank you for everything you contribute for us all to enjoy and for allowing me to peek into your amazing collection every once in a while. It has been not only a pleasure but an honor to be a small part of it here on CW. Please continue to share with beginners like myself so that I can someday pass it along to the next generation in hopes of preserving some part for those who come long after we are gone. That is essentially what I hope to do in some degree with whatever my collection matures into...Thank you again, truly.