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Glass Houses

June 20, 2016June 27, 2016 ~ Rheta P ~ 6 Comments

I was cruising through one of my favorite thrift stores on Friday; work had ended and I was taking a poke through this little haven. I’d gathered a few things which were sliding around in my basket when I spotted this little goody.

C360_2016-06-18-18-48-44-076 — Duncan-Miller Butter Dish (photo courtesy of Vintage Eve’s)

It wasn’t much to look at when I found it. The top was all tarnished and spotted. The glass was dirty. I wish I had taken a picture before I cleaned it so you could all see, but I was eager to see the treasure hiding behind the tarnish. Even my daughter said “Wow!” when she saw the cleaned-up version. It is a pretty little piece. I recognized the pattern of this butter dish as a Duncan-Miller piece. I know because I have this other piece shown below that I found a few weeks ago. My daughter says the pattern above reminds her of little feet – that’s what I thought, too! Like little toes.

dm1 — Duncan & Miller Teardrop Divided Dish (photo courtesy of Vintage Eve’s)

So who was Duncan or, for that matter, Miller? Well, according to the National Duncan Glass Society, the beginning of what was to become Duncan-Miller happened when George Duncan bought a glass factory formerly owned by Ripley & Company of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There was some association between Duncan and Ripley but they did not go into business together.

dm2 — Duncan Miller Swan (photo courtesy of King’s Fortune)

There is a connection to Duncan Glass and Heisey Glass, though, as Duncan’s daughter, Susan, was married to Augustus H. Heisey (check out my post on Heisey Glass “Hooray for Heisey“). It’s definitely a small world! So, originally Duncan formed his company with his 2 sons James and Harry and his son-in-law, Augustus. They were originally named George Duncan & Sons. They were located near the Monongahela River giving them easy access to glass-making resources by barge.

dm3 — Duncan Miller Opalescent Shell Dish (photo courtesy of Julie’s Vintage Treasure)

In 1874 John Ernest Miller was persuaded to join the company. He had over 20 years experience manufacturing glass already. The National Duncan Glass Society states that Miller was hired as a designer for Duncan’s company. He eventually became “internationally famous for his designs of Duncan and Miller Glass during the next fifty-two years” (National Duncan Glass Society).

dm4 — 3-Footed Duncan Miller Mayonnaise Bowl (photo courtesy of Diane’s Bargain Shack)

As time went on Augustus left to start his own glass business. Then the Duncan & Sons factory burned down, which seemed a common occurrence back then if you read some of my other posts! George Duncan died in 1877 so his son James took over. The factory was moved to Washington, Pennsylvania where natural gas for the furnaces was easy to get and cheap. They were also close to railroads there, which replaced the river for ease of getting the glass-making resources to the factory fast and inexpensively.

dm6 — Duncan Miller Canterbury Candleholder (photo courtesy of Meeka Maye’s Market)

Late in the year 1900, the structure of the company was changed to include Miller. That time was known as the “Duncan-Miller period” (National Duncan Glass Society). In a time when there was plenty of glass being produced, they were known for their great designs, workmanship and colors. They produced many patterns and designs for the next fifty years.

dm7 — Duncan Miller Ruby-Flashed Buttons Arches Pitcher (photo courtesy of Vintage Treasures 4U)

Unfortunately, they fell prey to the machine age. It was not as economical to make fine hand-made glass as it was to mass produce it with machines. When they closed, the National Duncan Glass Society says that people came from hundreds of miles to buy up the last pieces of Duncan-Miller glass at clearance prices. The plant closed in 1955 and the building was destroyed by fire on June 29, 1956.

dm5 — Duncan Miller Amberina Relish Dish (photo courtesy of Annie’s Old Stuff)

Some of the patterns that were well-known are: Diamond Ridge, Block & Rosette, Ladder with Diamonds, Colonial, Thumbprint Block Band, Clover, Homestead, Sunburst in Oval, and King Arthur (Patternglass.com). So know that any Duncan-Miller glass you own was produced before 1956.

dm8 — Duncan Miller Language of Flowers Plate (photo courtesy of Kathryn’s This and That)

I hope you have enjoyed this look at Duncan-Miller! There are so many great companies that we have just touched on at Vintage Eve’s with so many more to explore. I’m looking forward to sharing lots more with you.

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I’m Gonna Ex-Spode!

June 13, 2016June 28, 2016 ~ Rheta P ~ 18 Comments

Look at this amazing set of Copeland Spode I found while thrifting the other day! It’s so pretty!

IMAG1262 — Copeland Spode Saucer and Cup Set circa 1940s (photo courtesy of Vintage Eve’s)

Now, Spode has been around since the late 1700s when Josiah Spode opened his Spode Pottery in 1776. He opened at Stoke-on-Trent in Staffordshire England where there were a bunch of other potteries (Collectors Weekly). Because there were so many other potteries, Spode needed to find a way to stand out.

spode1 — Spode Tower Vintage Egg Cups (photo courtesy of Gwen and Almas)

The Spode Museum website states that Josiah Spode’s company “developed the technique of underglaze transfer printing on earthenware” around 1784.

spode2 — Transferware Pitcher India Tree (photo courtesy of Gizmo and HooHa)

Collectors Weekly says Spode’s first success came in the 1790s when they began producing a line of blue-on-pearl china designed by Thomas Minton. Spode found a way to stand out by the richness of their blue cobalt hues.

spode3 — Copeland Spode Herring Hunt Set (photo courtesy of Decades Antiques)

Early on the patterns were usually designated as a number on the bottom of the piece along with the Spode name. They started at number 1 in the 1800s and by 1833 they had more than 5,000.

spode6 — Copeland Spode Queen’s Bird Teapot (photo courtesy of EMOharra)

Joshia Spode passed away and his son Josiah Spode II took over in 1797. It was he who finally perfected the proportions of bone ash to porcelain to create some of the finest porcelain in the world. Collectors Weekly says the mix was “between 33 and 50 percent burnt animal bone, plus equal amounts of feldspar and quartz, yielded porcelain that was extremely white, strong, cheap to produce, and translucent.”

spode4 — Spode Chelsea Wicker (photo courtesy of Sweet Water’s Antiques)

That formula became the “forerunner of all modern English Bone China” (Spode Museum website) which is saying a lot. Some popular designs were Willow, Tower, Camilla and London. They also did imitation Chinese pieces.

spode5 — Spode Camilla Blue Sugar Bowl (photo courtesy of Minnie’s Flea)

Josiah Spode II died in 1827 and William Taylor Copeland took over at Spode when Josiah Spode III died in 1833. The company became Copeland and Garrett which then became W.T. Copeland and then W.T. Copeland and Sons by 1867.

spode7 — Spode Indian Tree Plate (photo courtesy of Jo’s China Shop)

From 1870 to 1970 the Copeland name was used in many different forms. Many times it was combined with the Spode name. That would create the name that my lovely set featured at the top of this post has as a backstamp, Copeland Spode.

spode8 — Copeland Spode Teapot in Fairy Dell (photo courtesy of Ye Olde Swap Shop)

One of the most successful of the Copeland Spode designs was The Christmas Tree pattern. It was designed by Harold Holdway in 1938 according to the Spode Museum website. It was originally marked 1938 on the back but they dropped that in subsequent years.

spode9 — Spode Christmas Tree Set Incl. Coffee Pot, Creamer, Sugar and Serving Set (photo courtesy of Meadow Lane Vintage)

The Christmas Tree pattern was one of the transfer prints they were famous for that took a lot of skill to create. Before computerization, each copper-plate that was created for the design took around 6 man-weeks to produce and multiple sizes were needed for the different pieces within a set.

spode10 — Spode Ivanhoe Set (photo courtesy of Wendy Hunter’s Window)

In 1970 the name went back to Spode Ltd. which then became Royal Worcester Spode Ltd. in 1976 (Collectors Weekly). So the company definitely went though a number of changes. As you know, when you are the best everyone copies you. It may be the “sincerest form of flattery” to be copied, but in business, it’s devastating. They went out of business in 2009 filing for bankruptcy. Cheap knockoffs killed the pottery star in this case.

spode11 — Spode Teacup 893 Georgian circa 1805 (photo courtesy of One Baker Street)

So that is the history of Spode in a tiny nutshell. Visit the sources I’ve cited in this post for more in-depth information. Clicking on the pictures will take you to the shops featured in this post.

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Bella Rosa Antiques

Lincoln Was Here

June 6, 2016June 27, 2016 ~ Rheta P ~ 20 Comments

I was poking around a thrift store the other day when I spotted a lovely little cake cover in a box. It was the pretty copper and white enameled one you see here.

IMAG1221 — Lincoln BeautyWare Cake Keeper (photo courtesy of Vintage Eve’s)

Unfortunately, I was disappointed to see that there was no bottom. But I took out my trusty phone and looked at what the bottom should look like — if it was attached. I saw a picture of a square piece of hobnailed glass with feet. So I started poking around the store some more. Maybe it got separated, right?! My hopes were up and it couldn’t hurt. And there, lo and behold, on a lower shelf the bottom was just hanging around topless! AND it was in perfect condition! Score one for me! I was excited in case you can’t tell.

IMAG1227 — Lincoln BeautyWare Cake Keeper Glass Bottom Feet Side Up (photo courtesy of Vintage Eve’s)

It’s such a pretty piece of history that was made by the same company that made my breadbox (which will never be for sale because it’s my favorite kitchen piece). I love the aqua blue of this bread box and it has shelves. It’s a little beat up but I love it.

My BeautyBox by Lincoln Bread Box (sitting on top of the table my dad made)

The cake keeper and my breadbox are both by Lincoln BeautyWare. Maybe some of you have heard of it. There is not a ton of information out there, mainly because BeautyWare is actually a brand of the Lincoln Metal Products, Corporation which I had to trace through trademark information.

lb6 — Lincoln BeautyWare Canister and Breadbox Set (photo courtesy of Karen’s ReKreations)

From what I was able to research, Lincoln Metal Products, Corporation came into being sometime in the late 1940s. There is very little information about the company itself other than it was located in New York, NY. They made kitchen and home products.

You could have canisters, breadboxes, trashcans all in matching shades and designs. Everything the modern housewife in the 1950s and 60s could ask for to make her kitchen look put together. I say this with no sarcasm.

Lincoln BeautyWare Canisters (photo courtesy of Bright Daisy Days)

I have been a stay-at-home mom as well as a working single mother and I have respect for both. No matter which direction you think about this, women do 70% of all housework and you want your house to reflect the work you put into it. That was the angle that Lincoln Metal Products, Corp. was banking on. And I really do love my breadbox which has a cutting board on the door.

lb4 — Lincoln BeautyWare Paper Towel and Wax Paper Dispenser (photo courtesy of Retro Warehouse)

There were a few brands that Lincoln sold under; BeautyCan (a step-on trash can), BeautyWare, BeautyBox and Paperola (a holder for tinfoil, wax paper and paper towels). There were a couple of other brands that were registered under the Lincoln Metal Products, Corporation such as Fold-A-Matic and Hide-A-Matic but I couldn’t find any evidence that these brands were ever produced.

lb1 — Lincoln Beauty Can (photo courtesy of Yesterday Found Dot Com)

Lincoln churned out many items over the years. Their advertisements aimed at the housewife of the day promoted their cleanliness and clean lines. For their step-on pedal canister their slogan was “BeautyCan sells on sight” (Lincoln Metal Products), Brooklyn, N. Y. (cladriteradio.com). I know I love many of their items.

lb3 — Lincoln BeautyWare Mid Century Modern Canister Set (photo courtesy of Catamount Curios)

They seemed to have petered out around the late 1970s for unknown reasons. I cannot seem to find a date as to when they closed. Their registered trademarks seem to have not been renewed since that time.

lb5 — Lincoln BeautyWare Canisters (photo courtesy of SN Little Bits)

This is all the information I could gather on Lincoln Metal Products, Corp. For such an iconic brand, they disappeared quietly, at least as far as I could tell. But I know that their products are out there just waiting to be loved by a new generation! Have a great week! And remember, I love to hear from everyone so leave me a note if you have a chance.

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