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Ruby Lane's Past Times Newsletter For November 2006

IN THIS ISSUE:

• W. J. Hughes Corn Flower Glass - My Canadian Obsession by Elaine of Everlasting Treasures
  
• The Vintage Weiss Wide Rhinestone Bracelet...It's HOT By Donna Hines of Donna's Dally
  
• November Editor's Pick: A Patriotic Antique
  

W. J. HUGHES CORN FLOWER GLASS - MY CANADIAN OBSESSION BY ELAINE OF EVERLASTING TREASURES

Durng my first visit to the Dufferin County Museum and Archives in Ontario, Canada and viewing their outstanding collection of W. J. Hughes Corn Flower glass, I realized - I was hooked! I became fascinated with is amazing glass. And I wanted to learn more about the glass and the man who created it.

Corn Flower glass is fine elegant glass cut in the surface by sandstone wheels. It has a pattern with a distinctive 12-petalled flower with a hexigonal grid-like design in the center that was created by lines crossing each other in two directions. The design also has elegant flowing stems and leaves. The design was created and developed by W. J. Hughes.

W. J. Hughes was Dufferin County born on April 22nd, 1881. His mother passed away in 1888 leaving her husband Henry to raise 6 children aged two to ten. The family survived on very little money but Hughes was raised in an atmosphere of a loving family. They were so poor he received limited formal education, but he learned the values of hard work, family, and helping others. These values followed him through his life.

Hughes learned the fine art of glass cutting while apprenticing at a company in Toronto. He had a wonderful talent for cutting glass so that it would catch the rays of light. In 1912 he built a cutting frame for creating designs on glass and set up his own business in his home in Toronto. He experimented with cutting different patterns and designs on blanks of glass that he had purchased. Once he had sufficient product he approached retail friends and when a piece sold, he would cut another to replace it. Floral designs were very popular at the time. This is when Hughes developed his personal favorite creation as described above, which would become known as Corn Flower glass.

In 1914 Hughes left his place of employment to pursue his own business full time. As his business grew, he was able to hire some experienced people. He trained most of these employees himself. As he was a perfectionist, only flawless pieces made it to retail stores. He sold "seconds" to friends and neighbors. One of his goals was to sell glass at an affordable price. His early years of poverty had not been forgotten. He knew how even one simple luxury item could bring joy to a family.

Hughes purchased only the finest quality glassware blanks to cut. At the time the mass produced glass that was being made that we now call Depression Glass, was low grade. During this same era there was a superior grade of glass being produced which we now classify as Elegant Glass. It was produced in small batches with better quality raw materials. Hughes used these finer examples of glass. He selected blanks that were uncluttered in design so he would have large clear surfaces to cut his Corn Flower design.

Glass blanks were being produced in a variety of shades of green, yellow, amber, blue, pink, amethyst and a yellow-green vaseline glass. He cut his corn flower design on colored pieces of glass as well. These colored pieces are highly collectable today. Collectors pay top prices for these rarer treasures. I was at an auction about a year ago where 4 pieces of pink Hughes Corn Flower sold for more than double the current book value!

Hughes purchased glass blanks from many different companies such as Beaumont, Cambridge, Duncan Miller, Federal, Fostoria, Heisey, Indiana, Jeannette, Lancaster, New Martinsville, Paden City, Tiffin, Westmoreland and others. The most successful line of Corn Flower pieces were produced on Imperial Candlewick glass. This was very popular with consumers then, and remains popular with collectors today. Some collectors also specialize in collecting only pieces from a specific glass company.

While both crystal (clear) and colored Corn Flower glass has been collected and cherished, it is the early Corn Flower items that are most desired. These pieces will have more details such as more stems and leaves and more corn flowers. Over the years the details cut on the glass became less and less due to rising labor costs.

Unexpectedly, Hughes died of a heart attack in April 1951 at the age of 70. His funeral was well attended. Hundreds of faithful customers and friends traveled from across Canada to show their respects. Representatives of many of the American glass companies also attended.

Although Hughes was gone, his son-in-law Peter Kayser continued to run the company. By the end of January 1988, the company had sold all it's inventory and assets. All but one cutting frame was gone for scrap metal. That last cutting frame is now on display in the Dufferin County Museum.

There is much to be learned if one wants to seriously collect original Hughes Corn Flower glass. I am only just beginning to learn about it myself. One hint is to study the quality of the glass because W. J. Hughes only used top quality glass. As with any glass, be sure to check carefully for cracks, chips and scratches. The best advice is to research, learn and read all you can about the subject. I have found the following 3 books very helpful and informative:

Lemiski, Walter T. "Elegant Glass With Corn Flower", Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, PA, U.S.A., 2005

Taylor, Krista, A. "Canadian Identification & Price Guide to W. J. Hughes Corn Flower Glass", Published by Taylored Heritage, Grand Valley, ON, Canada 2003

Townsend, Wayne "Corn Flower Creatively Canadian", Hignell Printing Ltd., Winnipeg, MB, Canada 2001

There are pieces out there that look just like Hughes Corn Flower glass. R.G. Sherriff, an ex-employee began cutting a "copy" of Corn Flower in his own business. The label that he applied was very similar to the W. J. Hughes label. He was eventually court ordered to stop copying the cut and label as it was "confusing to consumers". There have also been some Czech pieces produced that have almost an identical corn flower pattern.

For over three generations Corn Flower was sold to working class people who wanted to have some elegance in their home. It was very affordable and was often the wedding gift of choice. It is in the memories of generations of people, and highly collected in today's market. It is a recognized Canadian product in demand by collectors in Canada and the U.S.

Glass will probably always remain popular with collectors. As the years pass, pieces become broken and discarded making the surviving pieces even more sought after. It's hard to resist the appeal of a beautiful piece of cut glass!

Thank you for reading this article, we hope you enjoyed it. Perhaps we were able to spark an interest in you for the beautiful Corn Flower glass of W. J. Hughes.

We invite you to view some examples of Corn Flower glass in our shop: Everlasting Treasures.

THE VINTAGE WEISS WIDE RHINESTONE BRACELET...IT'S HOT BY DONNA HINES OF DONNA'S DALLY

One of the hottest costume jewelry items making the scene in a big way recently is The Vintage Weiss Wide Cuff Rhinestone Bracelet. They have become tremendously popular in the past year and are in great demand among collectors as well as the gals in the retail market who want this ultimate glamorous accessory. Just to look at one of these vintage beauties will get you Hepburnized (as in Audrey) and take you back to a wonderful romantic place in time. To wear one is divine, transforming you to the hottest of the hottest Runway Divas. It is the Ultimate Oh Mama I Want One, Gotta have bracelet. And, it feels so very good to wear one.

As you would expect, demand for such a popular item has increased greatly. This has resulted in higher prices and lower supply adding up to a screaming "Buy" signal for me. And yes, I'm still buying. Thankfully they are still affordable. But for how long - who knows?

My love affair with these bracelets began many years ago with my first purchase of a wide rhinestone bracelet name Kramer. I couldn't get enough. Sadly the Kramers became very expensive and were becoming harder and harder to find so I had no choice but to leave them for Weiss. I never looked back.

For those of you who want one of these great Weiss pieces for yourself, I'm going to help you find Mr. Right..., I mean..., the perfect Weiss. Although I consider all my Weiss bracelets lovely, the best of my best have a few things in common:.
1.) They are 7 to 7 ½" in total length with the bracelet itself over 6" end to end not including the clasps pieces.
2.) They are at least 1" wide..
3.) They have a wider (over ½") clasp either push and lock or cross over..
4.) They have a smooth Rhodium Finish..
5.) Their stones are uniform in color..
6.) They are heavier in weight..
7.) The cuff style almost always has a jewel on its clasp..
8.) They have the most comfortable smooth fits..
9.) They almost always are marked, Weiss. Now, as most collectors of Weiss will tell you, "not all Weiss pieces were signed." This is true. In my own collection I have a few Unsigned Weiss pieces that I feel confident that they are in fact Weiss. However, I have purchased more than a few bracelets that were described as Unsigned Weiss in which I'm just as confident that they are not Weiss. They are very similar in design, but do not have the fit or the feel. They are pretty and collectable in their own right, but they are not the "Oh Momma I Want One, Gotta Have One" put it in your investment portfolio piece!

Trust me, sometimes you have to kiss a lot of toads before you find the prince. And believe me I did. So I know. For the best Weiss look for the 9 common quality traits I outlined above.

Also, beware! You may be tempted to purchase a Weiss that may have been discounted because it has a missing stone or cloudy stone or broken clasp. The seller almost always states something like, "an easy quick inexpensive repair a jeweler can do or you can do yourself." Take a moment and ask yourself (I know I have), if this is true how come the seller didn't do it? First off, it is very difficult to find a jeweler who will work on old costume jewelry. And, when you find one, there are still risks involved. I'm fortunate enough to have a wonderful qualified jeweler (Benvenuto's Jewelers) in my neck of the woods (Belair, Maryland) who will take the time and make the effort to perform the best repair they can. They have advised me that all rhinestones are not the same. It takes time to get a matching stone to blend with the rest of the bracelet and even more time to get a stone if it has an unusual shape or size. When removing a stone or replacing a stone there is always a risk of breaking a prong. This is not repairable. If there is soldering involved in the case of a broken clasp or break in the bracelet, there is danger of damage to the surrounding stones where the soldering is being done. The stones around the area should be removed first, then do the soldering and then remount the stones. This takes time and we all know time is money. A minimum soldering repair is going to cost at least $45. Sure, if you have a/the matching stone that fell out and all
is needed is to put it back in that is a $15 inexpensive repair as is the cost if you just need a new safety chain attached. But pretty much anything else; expect a much higher repair bill.

Okay, so now I've armed you with everything you need to know about purchasing the best Weiss you can purchase. Now you need to know where to go to find them. Sorry to say, forget yard sales, flea markets, and most local auctions. I haven't found any at these places in years. Most of my purchases in the past 3 years have been from the Internet. In fact the last 4 bracelets I have purchased have been right here from other dealers at Rubylane. Buy from reputable dealers and sites that require their sellers to stand behind their products and who will accept a return and full refund if requested. If you're "Diva enough" to own one of these beauties, you're "Diva enough" to expect and demand the best.

Oh, one last note: I was watching Mission Impossible III last night with my husband. In one scene the female agent working with Tom Cruise slips out of a fancy expensive sports car in a little cut out red number with only rhinestone dangle earrings and 3 or 4 wide rhinestone cuff bracelets on her left arm. My husband said to me, "Look honey! She's wearing those bracelets you like to collect." Remember earlier in this article I said every gal should have one... maybe every gal should really have 3 or 4.

We invite you to visit Donna's Shop: Donna's Dally.

NOVEMBER EDITOR'S PICK: A PATRIOTIC ANTIQUE

Desiring to be separate from the union of states of which the United States of America is made was not a concept first devised in the years just prior to the American Civil War. The independent Republic of Vermont, with its own currency, coinage and postal service existed from January 15, 1777 to March 4, 1791.

A plan for a Northern confederacy of states to secede, including the New England states and the state of New York, was proposed in 1803. Secession appears to have historically appealed to certain Northern states, with New England in particular having again threatened to secede in protest of the War of 1812.

But, only 88 years after its inception, the future of the United States' unity as a nation was never more in peril than during the American Civil War. The rhetoric of both sides, the North and the South, was infused with words like 'freedom' and 'truth.' The concept of patriotism, likewise, seemed to lend itself well to either cause. By 1863, with the Battles of Chancellorsville, Gettysburg and Chickamauga just recently fought, the state of the union was bleak. Losses on both sides were now staggering in number, making the possibility for future reconciliation and repose equally gloomy. Even so, on October 3, 1863, President Lincoln issued an eloquent Thanksgiving day proclamation, with text that seemed intended to cross a country's great divide:

"I do therefore invite my fellow-citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the imposition of the Almighty hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the divine purpose, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity, and union."

-Abraham Lincoln  

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