Building Resource References
The questions I am asked most often are: “Who is this by?” and “How can you tell who made it?”
Can you ‘id’ the makers? Answer at article end.
Well, the obvious answers are “experience and experiences.” And you gain those through learning. Not only learning through personal experience but also by piggybacking on collective experiences through this Web site, belonging to a collectors’ group and sourcing and building legitimate resource materials. And this can be easy. Not effortless but certainly easy.
How? Make sure you read all the pages and articles here and check back weekly to see updated and new information. If you haven’t already, join a collectors’ group. And participate! Ask questions. Share. Get to know the other members. In the ’50 Shades’ group, we have developed a “Resource Library” filled with film clips, historical information, tutorials... There are themed posts to elicit information, sharing and photographs. Collectors are generous in sharing pictures of their new pieces, displays…There are reference books and catalogue pages. Taking advantage of all this without leaving your chair. So, there is no excuse not to make a modicum of effort by familiarizing yourself with resources immediately on hand.
In ‘Chalet Crystal Clear’, there is a 5 page/59 photo “Similar yet Different’ quiz. It places very like pieces from different makers together without identifying the glasshouse in the photo. Answers are provided at end. Why? To show how alike art glass pieces truly can be, to provide proof positive (all pieces are verified) of shared characteristics, to stop/correct assumptions and to test your knowledge. I get incredible feedback about this feature. Collectors love the visuals and the challenge.
Not an identification nightmare if you have built references and resources. See end of article for ids.
However, learning through personal experience is invaluable and the lessons learned that way tend to stick a lot better than those just “offered up.” Yes, I am certainly talking about “Hunting in the Wild’ but budget, location, demands on time and glass availability can negatively impact personal experience. Therefore, supplement this by creating your own learning experiences.
Again – how? Set up a “Glass Reference File” that is personalized and easily accessible so you do not have to go searching every time you have a question or have a thought. Keep it updated – this does not take a lot of effort. And most importantly – get in the habit of consulting it before you ask for outside advice. You may find you already have the answer at hand. A very rewarding experience! And that type of learning sticks with you. You can always present what you believe you have discovered for further validation. And your proofs of why you believe it. If you are right – wonderful! If not, you will have discovered a flaw in your reasoning that can be corrected so your next process stands a better chance. Invaluable experience and knowledge gained! And belonging to the right group so that you fee comfortable in doing this is key/
A resource reference data base can be built very easily. When you see a photo of a piece that you do not own or have on file, take a minute right there and then to capture it. A MUST is to include its verification – signature, sticker or a reference to catalogue/inventory number. If there is not any – if you already have one from another piece, no problem as the overwhelming majority of pieces were done in more than one size and colour. However, if this is a piece new to you, ask if it is signed or stickered or catalogued. Maybe it is not but it is more than likely that another will then be posted in the thread by another collector to help verify – the domino effect of sharing and learning. Make sure that when you capture images, you are consistent with how you describe so all relevant photos are filed together. Memories are not reliable but the written word is!
Everyone will have their own version of what cataloguing works best for them. I have thousands of pictures and inventory pages and historical information so I find being very precise the most helpful. What does this look like for me? I have my main “Glass Refence Files” separated into “Chalet’, “Lorraine”, EDAG”, “Mosaic”, “Rossi” and “Other”. Within each, I then have specific sub-categories as needed – 2 tones, 3 tones, animals, ashtrays, baskets, verified rare Chalet, stretches etc. And then within those, if needed, I have even more precise definition. For example, in my Lorraine 2 tones, I have separate files for green/blue, salmon/green, blue/purple, tie dye, rose/blue and amber/green colour combinations. Another example, in my Chalet animal files, the main folder is further divided into ”species” and also by technique (bullicante, avventurina, clear crystal, opaline, solid coloured) and style of figurine (large pedestal based or smaller flat base pieces). I also have a general file for “Unknown” and “Unverified”. As well, I have a few files with differing company examples for comparison and contrast – bird centerpieces, bases, specific pieces common to more than 2 of the companies (leaves come to mind).
Is there duplication – sometimes, but I assure you – it makes for easier reference when I need to find a certain piece. Many of you have asked me to answer questions and 99% of the time, I can give you a picture reference immediately. That is because I have specific separation based on company and style/topic and also because I keep the files updated and I use them.
So, here are some specific examples from my “Glass Reference Files”:
My bomboniere folder.
1. bomboniere catalogue pages (Chalet and Riekes Crisa)
2. bomboniere tutorial – October 7, 2019
3. picture(s) of each bomboniere piece – each captioned with relevant information (owner, size, marking)
4. separate file for Tex Novelty stickered, Chantili stickered and Chalet stickered pieces
My bird centerpieces folder:
1. separate file for each - Chalet, Lorraine and EDAG. Chalet file has catalogue sheet showing the 2 styles of bird dish.
2. each file then has styles separated – tail, base, bowl shape, size.
3. separate file for EDAG uranium bird and bullicante bird
4. file with pics of bird groupings from the different companies shown together.
5. bird centerpiece tutorial – March 2, 2020.
As I said above – how you sort, file, and categorize will be up to you and how “deep” your files grow. However, the basics are the same – keep precise, keep updated and keep more rather than less information. You can build a ‘Reference Resource’ quite easily.
Makers:#1 photo: left vase by Lorraine Glass Industries/right vase by Chalet Artistic Glass
#2 photo: EDAG background/left foreground Chalet Artistic Glass/right foreground Lorraine Glass Industries.
