 21st
Annual "Age of Elegance"
Glass Show
Coming to the Waxahachie Civic Center
By Mary A. Flowers
The
Depression was an awful time for a lot of folks in the United States
after the stock market crash of 1929. Rampant unemployment and bread
lines were the norm all across the country. There was nothing much to
look forward to and families struggled along, hopeful that tomorrow
would be a better day.
Housewives struggled to put food on the table and
still make a warm delightful place to call home. Money was spent only
for food and necessities. Competition for those meager dollars was
tough. It was especially delightful to bring home a box of oatmeal or
laundry detergent and pull out a beautifully patterned piece of
glassware in colors of amber, red, green, pink, crystal, and blue.
This cheaply-made glass was the bonus for buying many products in the
grocery and department stores.
 Made from the
late 1920's until the late 1940's, Depression Glass, as it came to be
called, was made by companies from the East Coast to Oklahoma. Heisey,
Fostoria, Cambridge, Tiffin, Morgantown, Paden City, Westmoreland,
U.S. Glass, Hazel-Atlas, Hocking (later Anchor Hocking), McKee,
Lancaster and Jeannette were some of the best-known manufacturers.
At the same time that most Americans were scraping by, a certain
segment of the population did not suffer financially from the effects
of the economic downturn. Glass companies catered to this clientele by
manufacturing high quality "Elegant" glass. Many of these pieces were
designed for displaying on large dining tables, sideboards or living
room tables. Many would hold cut flowers or candles. Stemware in
myriad designs was made for wine, Champagne or cordials after dinner.
Some pieces were one-of-a-kind and were signed by the artist who
created it.
Add to this the many glass storage pieces made for the kitchen. Now
called "Kitchenware", these pieces were mostly utilitarian. Before
Tupperware, housewives stored food and condiments in glass.
Refrigerator manufacturers often offered stacking colored, and
decorated, glass storage ensembles to lure prospective customers into
buying what they had to offer. Mixing bowls, canisters and rolling
pins were all made of glass.
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 All of these
items, made from the late 1920's to well into the 1950's, have come to
be known loosely as "Depression Glass." And collecting this glass is a
passion shared by many worldwide. All around the country, depression
glass shows are going on, with dealers and collectors lining up to
find that treasured piece to finish out a particular collection or
obtain a coveted piece for a customer.
 Yearly the prices
continue to go up as people amble up and down the aisles of the latest
glass show exclaiming that they should have kept that glass deer
dresser jar or grandma's old glass mixing bowl. As dealers like to say
– "You'd better buy it now because this stuff is no longer being made
and you won't be able to find it."
Maybe it is a reminder of bygone days that we all long for or maybe it
is because the glass is so pretty when all the different colors and
patterns are lined up with the lights on them just so to make them
sparkle like jewels. Whatever the reason, collecting Depression glass
is one of the most enjoyable and satisfying hobbies a person could ask
for.
Luckily for the residents of Waxahachie and the North Central Texas
area, the 21st annual "Age of Elegant" Glass Show and Sale will be
held on Saturday, October 27th from 10:00 am until 5:00 pm and Sunday,
October 28th, from 11:00 am until 4:00 pm at the Waxahachie Civic
Center, I35E (Exit 403) at U.S. Hwy. 287 in Waxahachie. Admission is
$5.00 and is good for both days.
The dealers here are nationally known and offer elegant glassware as
well as Depression glass. This is a quality show presented by The
Fostoria Glass Society of North Texas and proceeds benefit The
Fostoria Glass Society of America Museum in Moundsville, WV. If you
have inherited a nice piece of glass that belonged to your
grandmother, and it won't fit into your décor, it might be possible to
donate it in your grandmother's honor to the museum. Or, if you just
want to identify the manufacturer and determine its value, glass
identification and educational materials are also available at the
show. For information call 817-991-5506 or e-mail
r.rider@sbcglobal.net
The Moore's from Tulsa Oklahoma |
