Inside This Issue:

January through June 2012
Inside This Issue:
From the President
pg. 2
Meeting Minutes
pg. 3
Treasurer’s Report
pg. 4
June Show Report
pg. 5
Museum Update
pg. 6
Jan. Show and Tell
pg. 7
Feb. Show and Tell
pg. 8
Mar. Show and Tell
pg. 10
April Show and Tell
pg. 12
Lily of the Valley Cologne &
U.S. Glass Ivory
pg. 14
Briefs
pg. 16
From the Archives
pg. 17
Western Glass
Hunting
pg. 18
Constitution Rev.
pg. 19
2012 Officers
pg. 20
Club Calendar
pg. 20
Tiffin Glass Museum
25 S. Washington St.
419.448.0200
See more photos
on page 11.
Scenes from
June Show Weekend
TIFFIN GLASS
COLLECTORS
CLUB
P.O. Box 554
Tiffin, Ohio 44883
The Tiffin Glass Collectors Club is a nonprofit corporation with tax exempt status
which was formed to study the history of
Tiffin Glass, known as Factory R of the
United States Glass Company, and the
glassware manufactured there. Membership dues are $20.00 per year.
The Tiffin Glassmasters Newsletter is the
official publication of the Tiffin Glass Collectors Club and is published semiannually for the benefit of members. Back
issues are available for $5.00 each.
The opinions contained in articles published in the Tiffin Glassmasters Newsletter are those of their authors and not
necessarily those of the Tiffin Glass
Collectors Club. The Editorial Committee
reserves the right to edit or refuse any
material submitted for publication.
Anyone wishing to submit an article for
publication should send it and any photographs to the club’s address noted above or
by e-mail to museum@tiffinglass.org. We
will be delighted to share any pertinent
articles in future issues. If requesting information, please include a self-addressed
stamped envelope. Closing dates for issues
of the Tiffin Glassmasters Newsletter are
May 15 and November 15. Please submit
your articles no later than these dates.
MEMBERSHIP
EXPIRATION NOTICE
Last summer, the decision was made to
have our memberships run on a calendar
year, January 1 to December 31 for everyone. Please note the year shown on the
mailing label on the back page. Your membership will expire, on December 31st of
that year. The annual dues are still $20 per
person ($40 per couple).
2
Message From The President
Dear Club Members,
Simply Stunning! The way the summer sun displays the unique pieces of
Tiffin Glass in their beautiful colors and forms. The Tiffin Glass Museum
has a couple of large windows which let the sun shine in and the beautiful
glassware sparkles.
Our Museum hours are 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. As
always special tours are available by appointment which can be made by
calling 419-448-0200 or by email at museum@tiffinglass.org. A big
thank you goes to our Museum director, Ruth Hemminger. She has our
Museum looking very attractive and inviting. Please take the time to stop
by and see the beautiful displays of glassware and visit the Shoppe while
you’re there.
Our annual Rummage Sale brought in almost $2,200.00. It was held on
April 23 & 24 and included a bake sale this year. We were hoping the
bake sale would increase the number of rummage customers - much like
we would like to see the numbers increase for Tiffin Glass Club’s memberships. Thanks to all those who volunteered to donate their money, time
or in-kind for this event.
The club’s largest fund-raiser is our June Glass Show and Sale which was
held on June 23 and 24. It was held at the School of Opportunity, south of
Tiffin. I hope you were able to attend the June Show. Once again we
offered a consignment booth. In that booth not all the glassware for sale
was Tiffin Glass. Our raffle item this year was a #1 twilight ash tray with
controlled bubbles. While the Glass Show was going on, the Tiffin Glass
Museum and Shoppe were both open on Saturday and Sunday. And on
Saturday evening a banquet and auction was held at the T.J. Willie’s
Restaurant.
What an honor it was to be asked to display Tiffin glass in the
Glasmuseum Hentrich in Düsseldorf, Germany. Once again Tiffin Glass
makes its way around the world. They were seeking only examples of
high-quality American glass that portrays excellence in glass design and
artistry. We accepted the invitation.
If you have concerns or questions regarding the Club or Museum, please
let us hear from you. We welcome your comments and suggestions.
Sincerely,
Joyce Brown
TGC President
Consolidated General Meeting Minutes
January through June 2012
ATTENDANCE
January – 32 members & 2 guests; February – 27 members & 1 guest; March – 24 members; April – 26 members & 2
guests; May – 19 members; June – 23 members.
REFRESHMENTS
Refreshments were provided by: JoAnn & Dave King in January; Brian Courtney & Martha Ziegler in February;
Marilynn Flechtner & Connie Campbell in March; Robert & Lucille Dunn in April; Stan & Joyce Brown in May; and
Nancy & Paul Coffman in June.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Cash-on-hand balance – January $12,996.00; February $13,319.66; March $13,021.16; April $11,757.91; May
$13,756.43; June $14,839.41. The Endowment Fund balance as of 12/31/11 is $19,867.87. We anticipate a refund of
approximately $600.00 from the State of Ohio based on a review by Lonnie Corthell and Robert Manz, retirees from the
Ohio Department of Taxation, on tax-exempt billings.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Show
The 27th annual Show & Sale is scheduled for June 23-24 at the Seneca County Opportunity Center. Contracts were
mailed to dealers in February. Show flyers and cards advertising the Show are available for distribution. Donations are
needed for the glass auction, and food items and cash for the food booth. Raffle tickets are being sold for a Tiffin
Twilight #1 Ash Tray. Tickets will also be sold during the Show at the club booth with the winner’s name being drawn
at the end of the Show.
Museum
January—58 visitors, Sales $168, Jar donations $27.00; February—78 visitors, Sales $566.50, Jar donations $91.00;
March—111 visitors, Sales $626.40, Jar donations $49.19; April—232 visitors, Sales $1,035.40, Jar donations $96.26;
May—526 visitors, Sales $1,348.50, Jar donations $124.10.
A new $25 heart-shaped paperweight is available. The Rummage/Bake Sale scheduled for April 23-24 had income of
$2,197.75. Rosalyn Lalli, Treasurer of the Duncan Miller Club, Washington, PA met with the Tiffin Glass Club Board
Members on May 19th to pick up materials, catalogs, drawings etc. our club had accumulated on the Duncan Miller line.
Editorial Committee
The committee reported monthly on the progress being made on the semi-annual newsletter covering January-June 2012.
Pictures are taken each month of glassware brought in for Show & Tell. Pictures will be selected that will be shown in
the newsletter, and Stan Brown will provide identification. A mailing will be sent out to all members to keep in touch
with the membership while the first issue is being worked on. The committee will start to organize articles and will meet
with the newsletter designer to begin the layout of the newsletter. A tentative mailing date of the first issue is scheduled
for mid-July.
NEW BUSINESS
January – Madolyn Key, Marilynn Flechtner and Donna Overholt were appointed to review the club’s Bylaws and
Constitution. March – proposed updates to our Bylaws and Constitution as approved by the Board of Directors on
February 23, 2012 were presented to the membership.
OLD BUSINESS
April – members were reminded that when they furnish the refreshments for the meeting, they are also responsible for
disposing of all accumulated trash.
Continued on page 4
3
Show Report
Treasurer’s Report
Our financial situation continues to improve. Listed below
are the items that make up our INCOME and EXPENSES.
These amounts are from January 1 through June 30, 2012.
INCOME
Contributions
Memberships
Dealer’s Booth Rent (in Shoppe)
June Show
Rummage Sale
Auctions after meetings
Merchandise Sales (cash)
PNC Deposit (charged sales)
Checkbook Interest
Misc
TOTAL INCOME
$ 1,634
1,600
3,267
5,787
2,198
0
4,294
6,430
4
973
$26,187
EXPENSES
Rent
Utilities
Printing
June Show
Merchandise
Advertising
Fees & Taxes
Dealer Charged Sales
Office Supplies
Misc
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 6,750
2,441
1,043
2,183
4,090
1,104
535
3,104
204
318
$21,772
The Income and Expenses for the Show were:
INCOME
Admissions
Food Concession
Banquet Reservations
Dealer Space Rental
Banquet Auction
TGCC Booth Sales
Consignment Table
Raffle
TOTAL INCOME
$ 600
1,131
575
945
1,514
353
160
797
$6,075
EXPENSES
Advertising
Food Concession
Banquet
Auditorium Rent
Tables
Raffle Tickets
Flyers (paid in 2011)
Consignment Payments
TOTAL EXPENSES
$ 268
35
589
735
336
67
216
278
$2,524
Please note that the TOTAL INCOME shown on this
report is different from that shown on the Treasurer’s
Report. A portion of the amounts shown in the “Booth
Sales” and “Consignment Table” includes merchandise
being reported as “Merchandise Sales (cash)” in the
Treasurer’s Report.
Jon Eakin, Financial Secretary/Treasurer
Minutes...continued from page 3
SHOW AND TELL
January – members’ special pieces; February – red crystal (Stan Brown presenter); March – all shades of green (Madolyn Key presenter); April – etched
Tiffin patterns (Paul Coffman & Ed Goshe presenters); May – tape from an
earlier Show & Tell; June – slides of Glass House workers (Paul Coffman presenter).
April – Paul Coffman showed three binders he assembled for references on
stemware, blueprints & drawings and Duncan Miller and T. G. Hawkes. Former
Tiffin Glass mold maker, Roger Mann, now living in Texas, donated to the
museum his arbor and personal tool box used while at the Tiffin factory (see
photos at right).
Martha Ziegler, Recording Secretary
4
June Show Report
T
he 27th Annual June Show & Sale was held at the Seneca County Opportunity Center over the weekend
of June 23 & 24. Approximately 200 visitors from 16 states attended, making purchases from nine
dealers, the Club Booth and a Consignment Booth.
An interesting booth was set up by Club member Paul Coffman (see
photo at right). It contained archival material from the Glass House
that he has been organizing over the past year. A TV was set up to
play a continuous loop of pictures of workers in the factory along
with a photo album of those pictures. Visitors were invited to look
through the album and help us identify the workers. This obviously
generated a lot of interest from the visitors. In addition to the pictures, molds, various documents and artwork were on display.
Another interesting booth was that of dealer and Club member
Shelly Maiberger (see photo at right). On display, and for sale,
was jewelry she has made using shards of glass from the
factory. Very beautiful, indeed.
We would certainly be remiss if the “Kitchen Krew” was not
acknowledged. This hard working group continuously generates a significant portion of the net income realized over the show
weekend (see photo at right). Starting Friday evening, they bring in
various refreshments for the dealers to snack on during set-up. Then
on Saturday and Sunday, they oversee the selling of home-made
sandwiches, soups and pies. Not only is this one of the busiest areas
over the weekend, but also the one having way too much fun.
And speaking of fun, there was plenty of that at the banquet Saturday
evening at T.J. Willie’s. Although the number attending was a little
smaller than past years, glass collecting stories were swapped over
the meal. After dinner, an auction was held with all the proceeds
going to the Club (see photo at right). And “yyuuuppp”, we had a
good time doing it. A big thank you to our auctioneer, Jerry
Volkmer.
The Museum had a temporary display of paperweights, loaned to
us by Paul Tiell. He worked at the Glass House and the weights
were some that he had made. Look for an article about Paul and
pictures of some of his weights in the next newsletter.
The winner of the Raffle was Angie VanRiper, a Club member
from Attica, Ohio. She won the #1 Twilight ash tray. The Door Prize winners were: Gerald Schreiner of Tiffin,
Jim Brandt of Fostoria, and Kathryn Carter of Sandusky. CONGRATULATIONS ALL!!!
5
Museum Update
2
012 has been a very busy and productive year for our
Tiffin Glass Museum. We have, to date, welcomed
over 900 visitors, hosted six special tours, and held a
successful rummage and bake sale.
the museum the past six months: Stan and Joyce Brown,
Connie Campbell, Paul and Nancy Coffman, Herb Crum,
Jon Eakin, Marilynn Flechtner, Lyman and Ruth Hemminger, Madolyn Key, JoAnn King, Kathryn Miletti, Bob
The tours included Tiffin University art students and their and Donna Overholt, Bill Reyer and Randy Studer. Thank
instructor, groups from the Franklin Car Club, Ohio Travel you everyone!
Treasures, Our Travel Club, St. John’s Lutheran Church,
We are also indebted to all who furnished monetary,
and 315 third-grade students and their chaperones from
in-kind and glass donations: Howard and Janet Beisner,
Tiffin Elementary Schools. It was a privilege to share our
Al and Norma Berry, Betty Booth, Stan and Joyce Brown,
museum with each visitor. In addition to these special
Connie Campbell, Paul and Nancy Coffman, John Chantours, we welcomed additional visitors and shoppers from dler, Brian Courtney, Eunice Cover, Herb and Paula Crum,
various cities all over the United States.
David and Kathy Dariano, Robert and Lucille Dunn, Linda
and Jon Eakin, Phil and Rayella Engle, Rosanne Flanders,
We have several new museum acquisitions, each one
beautiful and difficult to find. The pieces include a crystal Marilynn Flechtner, Ken and Jan Foy, Ed Goshe, Gene and
compote with Classic etching, a black satin cupped dahlia Jodi Haugh, Pauline Heebsh, Lyman and Ruth Hemminger,
Madolyn Key, Dave and JoAnn King, Geralyn Lang, Helen
vase with
Latham, Ruth Leonard, Ted Lownie, Tom and Cheryl
Osceola decoMaiberger, Kathryn Miletti, John Miller, National Duncan
ration, a crystal
Glass Society, Ohio Travel Treasures, Bob and Donna
#15360 handled
Overholt, Bill Reyer, Cris and Bruce Rohrbacher, Curt
cake plate with
Root, Don and Sandy Rouser, Vicki Simon, Elizabeth
Coronet etching
Sproul, Randy Studer, Angie and Randy VanRiper, Gail
(see photo at
Zeitler and Martha Ziegler. Your generosity is greatly
right), a milk
appreciated!
glass crucifix
candleholder, a crystal cream and sugar with Flanders etching, a pink 8 inch cupped dahlia vase with Empire etching,
and a #6206 Wistaria bud vase. It’s always exciting to find
new examples for our museum and a pleasure to share them
with our visitors.
The following volunteers made it possible for us to operate
The American Bell Association
International, Inc.
P.O. Box 19443
Indianapolis, IN 46219-0443
www.americanbell.org
We encourage you to visit the museum where you can find
great buys in the retail shop. Our dealers stock their cabinets with exceptional merchandise from every era of Tiffin
glass. Perhaps you will find that pattern or elusive piece
you’ve been searching for. We look forward to seeing you.
By Ruth Hemminger
Please note the year shown
on the mailing label
on the back page.
Your membership will expire
on December 31st of that year.
The annual dues are still
$20/person or $40/couple.
Thank you!
6
 January Show and Tell 
As is our tradition, the January focus for Show and Tell was
 Item 7 – Black satin #151 cupped dahlia vase with enamel and
silver overlay
“Member’s Choice”. It gives us the chance to bring in many

Item 8 – Original Black 6” Tiffin shield crest with gold decodifferent pieces and talk about what makes them special. Among
ration
the items shared were:
 Item 9 – Reflex Green #151 7” sweet pea vase
 Item 10 – King’s Crown #4016-35 wedding bowl & cover, 6”
 Item 1 – Crystal Bridal champagne stems with connecting
diameter and 10½” high
chain.

Item 11 – Duncan and Miller chartreuse Canterbury flower
 Item 2 – Cerulean #5529 oval bowl
arranger
 Item 3 – Milady #331 3½” white satin powder box

Item 12 – Blue satin Milady ring holder (can also be used as a
 Item 4 – Crystal #17306 stem line with satin stems
pin tray)
 Item 5 – Black satin electric candlesticks with Kimberly deco
Item 13 – Wistaria disc-stem 12” vase with diamond optic
ration

Item 14 – Cerulean #17430 7½” rose bowl with strawberry
 Item 6 – Black satin #16271 10½” floral vase
diamond cutting
Item 1
Item 5
Item 2
Item 10
Item 14
7
 February Show and Tell 
In keeping with the Valentine’s Day spirit, the focus for
the February Show & Tell was the color “Red”.
If you would like to see any additional pictures of these
items, please send an email to museum@tiffinglass.org.
Refer to “February Show & Tell” in the subject line and
let us know the item number.
The following items were shared by members:
 Item 1 – 3-faceted paperweights in mushroom, square, and
pyramid shapes
 Item 2 – Ruby and Crystal #30-81, 7” swan with cut body
 Item 3 – Flame #127, 7” flared Murano vase
 Item 4 – Ruby and Crystal paperweight with controlled
bubbles
 Item 5 – Red Duncan & Miller Canterbury flower arranger
 Item 6 – Ruby #179 cake plate (aka cake salver) with
Kimberly decoration
 Item 7 – Flame #127-108, 10” crimped Murano bowl
 Item 8 – Ruby stain & crystal grandfather mug (not Tiffin)
Item 3
Item 11
Item 6
8
 Item 9 – Desert Red #30-97, 5” ash tray
 Item 10 – Tiffin Red #319, 10” candleholders & #179, 7½”
High foot compote
 Item 11 – Ruby & Crystal #5477 Empress free form bowl
 Item 12 – Desert Red apple paperweight with green leaf and
controlled bubbles
 Item 13 – Ruby stain creamer with sand carved rose
 Item 14 – Ruby & Crystal #6553 Empress flower basket
 Item 15 – Ruby & Crystal #6554 Empress ash tray
 Item 16 – Ruby & Crystal #6602 Empress jug (with satin
finish on inside)
 Item 17 – Clear #8226, 8½” poppy vase with red paint on
inside
 Item 18 – Cranberry stain #4016-2 King’s Crown 5½”
sundae
 Item 19 – Desert Red #1 ash tray
 Item 20 – Ruby candleholders
 Item 21 – Cranberry Stain #4016-10, 11 oz. ice tea tumbler
 Item 22 – Rancho Ruby #120-1, 9 oz. goblet
 Item 23 – Ruby blown swan
 Item 24 – Twilight ash tray
 February Show and Tell 
—continued—
Item 16
Item 23
Item 19
9
Item 20
 March Show and Tell 
The focus for the March program was the various colors of
green produced. If you would like to see any additional
pictures of these items, please send an email to
museum@tiffinglass.org. Refer to “March Show & Tell”
in the subject line and let us know the item number.
The following items were shared by members:
 Item 1 – Clover Green #120-3 Madera 12 oz. ice tea
 Item 2 – Clear #8226, 8½” poppy vase with green paint on the
inside
 Item 3 – Pine with Mica #5508, 15” cornucopia
 Item 4 – Reflex Green basket with floral decoration
 Item 5 – Green satin #81, 7” candleholders
 Item 6 – Greenbriar #115-107 Canterbury 9” crimped bowl
 Item 7 – Killarney Pearl edge bowl
 Item 8 – Greenbriar #121-06 Canterbury 6 oz. juice/wine
 Item 9 – Greenbriar #123-96, 3” ash tray
 Item 10 – Pine #31 Heart shaped ash tray with controlled
bubbles
 Item 11 – Green various small baskets
 Item 12 – Greenbriar Apple whimsy signed by Orie Mitchell
 Item 13 – Reflex Green satin #15151, 7” art basket
 Item 14 – Jade small dolphin candlesticks
 Item 15 – Reflex green satin #310, 8½” fan vase with lattice
work at the top
 Item 16 – Reflex Green satin #179, 7½” conic candy box
 Item 17 – Green satin 6” compote (may not be Tiffin)
 Item 18 – Jadite 7½” low foot compote
 Item 19 – Apple Green #6555, 10” flared vase with controlled
bubbles
 Item 20 – Killarney w/crystal #17394 candle holders
 Item 21 – Emerald Green satin ladle
 Item 22 – Greenbriar 6” whale whimsy
 Item 23 – Green Opal #530-2 Duck candy box & cover
 Item 24 – Clear Reflex Green#16273, 5” aster vase
 Item 25 – Reflex Green satin #151, 6” vase with floral
decoration
Item 10
Item 3
Item 11
10
Item 14
 March Show and Tell 
—continued—
Item 19
Item 22

More scenes from the June Show

Above left: a show visitor looking for relatives in a photo album; above middle: the display of door prizes; above right:
Paul Tiell’s paperweights.
11
 April Show and Tell 
Glass decorating included a variety of techniques and
specialties. Some of them are cutting, engraving, etching,
sand carving, enameling, gilding, pressing and others.
The focus for April was etched patterns.
One of the techniques that Tiffin Factory R used to decorate glass was acid etching. Acid etching, also called plate
etching, is a cold working process that provides a design
by eroding the surface of the glass. A more detailed
description of this process will be in the next newsletter.
(See item 9 on next page.)
shield. Hand operated sprayers blew fine grain sand,
etching the pattern. The process was labor intense and
created a dusty work area. Used primarily on predepression products, it was tried again in the 50’s but was
short lived. (See examples bottom right.)
The following items were shared by members:
 Item 1 – Eldorado pattern
 Item 2 – Unidentified pattern w/gold trim on #15018 stem
line
 Item 3 – N/E 259 Needle etched design
 Item 4 – #675 Sand Blast design
 Item 5 – Various stems with #675 design
Needle and sand etching were more complex processes
 Item 6 – Grape fruit & Liner w/Princess design
than acid. Needle etching required a rather large machine  Item 7 – Princess design
 Item 8 – #5250 Mitrovich cocktail w/Fuchsia etching
with diamond tipped pins. Breakage was a problem and
 Item 9 – Fuchsia etching
this method of design was fairly short lived. (See item 3
 Item 10 – Champagne w/hollow stem decorated w/Fuchsia
etching
below.)
 Item 11 – #45, 2½ oz Whiskey Sham & #13872 7 oz Hi Ball
Sand etching required use of metal shields placed over the
Sham

Item 12 – #5831 cup w/Fuchsia etching
glassware. A design would have been cut out of the
Item 2
12
Item 3
 April Show and Tell 
—continued—
Item 6
Item 9
13
Item 8
Lily of the Valley Cologne
A recent auction turned up this beauty of a Tiffin Glass
cologne (#9735). The cologne stands 7 1/8 inches to the
top of the stopper. The stem and top of the stopper have
a faceted cutting, while the ‘fat’ part of the stopper is
engraved with a series of ‘circle’ cuts. The body of the
cologne has a “Lily of the Valley” cutting, with a ribbon
at the base of the stems.
The U.S. Glass publication, The Glass Outlook, shows
the cologne on a page dated April 1924. Two additional
colognes are also shown from that same period.
The catalog page (right) clearly shows the three colognes
that are referenced in The Glass Outlook. All the items on
the catalog page are quite hard to find, with the exception
of the toothpick holders that seem to show up on a semiregular basis. Questions may be addressed to me at
egoshe@heidelberg.edu.
both stories
by Ed Goshe
U.S. Glass Ivory
Little is known about the U.S. Glass color “Ivory.” Commonly, collectors refer to the color as “Custard”. William
Heacock’s book, Custard Glass from A to Z, states that
U.S. Glass introduced the color “Ivory” in 1899, and it
was used for the Vermont Line, one of the state patterns
of patterned glass.
The pieces shown here are typical U.S. Glass shapes of
14
the 1920s and 1930s. My guess would be that this “custard”
color was made for these shapes in the early 1920s.
Whether the name was changed from “Ivory” is also
unknown. Until proven otherwise, we should still refer to
the color as “Ivory.” It’s taken me about 20 years to amass
the items shown here. “Ivory” must have been a color not
widely produced, given how rarely it is found.
15
 Briefs 
Franklin Car Tour
A
ntique Franklin automobile owners from over a dozen
states visited the glass museum on May 17th. On a
five-day tour based in Tiffin, the cars parked behind the
museum on property owned by, ironically enough, Bill
Franklin. The air cooled engine cars were produced from
around 1910 till 1934.
Franklin closed cars often used pocket vases in the rear
passenger compartments. It is unknown if Factory R was
the provider, but manufactured the vases especially for
autos during that time frame.
A hit with the women on the tour, Ruth Hemminger guided
the groups with the M & M team (Madolyn Key and
Marilynn Flechtner) working the desk and sales room. The
museum has been visited by several antique car groups
over the years and always is an unexpected highlight for
the ladies.
By Paul Coffman
Visit from Rosalyn Lalli
R
osalyn Lalli, representing the Duncan and Miller
Museum in Washington, PA, visited the Tiffin Glass
Museum on May 19. The purpose of her visit was to
receive papers, catalogs, drawings and art work originating
with that company prior to its purchase by U.S. Glass in
1955. The material had been stored for many years in the
hands of a collector and at the Tiffin Museum. Some of the
material filled in gaps in areas they were unsure of in their
research.
She expressed gratitude on
behalf of the Duncan and
Miller collectors for getting
this material. Rosalyn is pictured with Paul Coffman who
had spent many hours sorting
and organizing the material.
Seneca County Museum Glass
O
ver a four-day period in January, Seneca County Museum docent and glass club member, Brian Courtney
assisted with documenting glass on display at the county
museum. Jon Eakin digitally photographed each piece,
Donna Overholt wrote the identification and my wife,
Nancy and I did the running. The project required nearly
ten hours of time to complete and over a thousand pictures
were taken. Jon not only took a picture of the entire piece,
but also did close-ups of cuttings or etchings.
Many of the pieces can only be seen at the county museum
and not all pieces are on display at one time.
Among the items documented were: a four-piece set
16
showing each of the steps for acid etching, experimental
pieces which did not go into production, glassware that
came off the production line and were not finished, cuttings
by master cutters Duke Griener, Lester Shelton, Clyde
King and others, and two Guild Gossamer pieces by master
glass maker Victor Hendrix. He also made a miniature
table service for his granddaughter that is displayed.
The process of photo selection and organizing information
is underway with hopes that the information can be used to
help others document their glass. Other collections are
being considered for similar treatment.
By Paul Coffman
From the Archives...
The following is an article previously published in the Spring 1990 edition of the Tiffin Glassmasters Newsletter.
How It All Started
Perhaps you are among the many who have wondered what prompted Fred Bickenheuser to write the three Tiffin Glassmasters books. What sparked an interest so intense that he would spend countless hours researching records, patiently
putting the pieces together until at last the publications were a reality? This question was asked of his wife, Ruth, during
the recent Christmas open house held at their home for our club members. Her reply made such an interesting story that
we felt it should be shared in the newsletter and Ruth very graciously agreed to do so. We are indebted to her for the
following account of that “green bowl” that started it all.
“In the mid 60’s we were living in Cleveland. One of my sisters stopped on her way back to her home in southern Indiana after visiting another sister in Holland, Mass. They had gathered together some things for a church rummage sale. I
was nosey and I wanted to see what she had in the boxes. I found a green bowl with gold trim and asked to keep it for
my dining room table. The bowl had been found in a barn full of chicken dirt. Fred decided it looked like good glass
and proceeded to start a research. The bowl went to lots of shows and shops. Finally someone told him it was U.S.
Glass, Colorado pattern. This search caused a collection of about 300 pieces of Colorado, all colors and shapes.
Somewhere along the line, Fred met Bill Heacock who was working on some books. Fred had acquired a lot of information on the U.S. Glass Co. and was asked to help with “U.S. Glass from A-Z”. In his research it was discovered all the
records from U.S. Glass were stored in the loft in Tiffin. He spent many days up there. After a lot of research on all the
plants that made up U.S. Glass, we decided we should stick to collecting from just one company and we like Tiffin.
There were no publications on Tiffin so that became his next challenge. Results – three books, lots of glass and lots of
good friends.”
By Ruth Bickenheuser
17
Western Glass Hunting
I
n the last newsletter I wrote of our glass findings in
Arizona and New Mexico. I also spoke of paperwork
from the glass house in regards to bills and shipping during
a 3-month period and how it related to the locations where
we found Tiffin glass.
Worth and San Antonio—accounted for over forty percent
of the shipments, that still left over 75 shipments going to
43 other cities and towns spread across its entire geographic area. And my guess is almost all those places have
antique shops.
Reviewing those same financial statements, I was amazed
by business transactions in Texas. It is probably a stretch of
the imagination to assume the number of pieces we saw
compared to number of businesses shipped to, could be
used to guess the amount of glass in Texas. But just for
giggles I thought I would recheck the documents. Using the
above assumption, it would mean Texas is about a foot under water just from the weight of glass.
If you plan a trip, save some of your cash and time to visit
the many shops and antique malls in the communities up
and down the interstates. Nancy and I noticed that nearly
every exit through Missouri on I-44 and across Illinois and
Indiana on I-70 had signs just off the highway advertising
antiques. While we didn’t take the time to explore them,
you never know what we may had found. Had we been
traveling in a much smaller vehicle, we think we would
have seen some great treasures. After all part of the joy of a
great find is the thrill of the hunt.
Arizona and New Mexico had seven shipping locations.
Texas for the exact same time frame had 134. Arizona had
two cities with stores, New Mexico had three, and Texas
had 48. Of course the largest cities—Dallas, Houston, Fort
By Paul Coffman
In Memoriam
Alfred M. Berry, 86, died May 15, 2012, at his residence in
Tiffin. Al worked at Buckeye Beverage Company for 30
years, and retired from Klepper’s of Tiffin. A World War II
Navy veteran, he was a member of the first wave on
Omaha Beach in Normandy.
Al started Little League Baseball in Tiffin, and was coowner of Berry’s Antiques for over 48 years. He and his
wife, Norma, were dealers at the Tiffin Glass shows and at
numerous shows in New York and Pennsylvania.
Survivors include his wife, six children, 16 grandchildren,
29 great-grandchildren, three brothers, and the many
friends who visited their booth at shows over the years.
Private funeral services were conducted in Tiffin.
Donald F. Smith, 87, died May 5, 2012, at his residence.
Don worked as a quality control analyst for the Tiffin General Electric factory for over 40 years, and was an insurance agent following his retirement from GE. He served in
the United States Marine Corps during World War II at Iwo
Jima in the South Pacific.
Don was a member of Harmony United Methodist Church
where he served as treasurer for many years. A former
member of the Tiffin Glass Collectors Club, his hobbies
included photography, collecting old cameras and Tiffin
glass.
Surviving Don is his wife, Phyllis, a son, a daughter, two
grandsons, and his many friends in Tiffin and surrounding
communities. Funeral services with military rites were in
Sycamore, Ohio.
Do we have your e-mail address?
If you’d like to receive this newsletter via e-mail,
send a message to museum@tiffinglass.org
18
Revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws
Revisions to the Constitution and Bylaws were completed this spring. The major changes/additions that affect the operation of the
Club are shown below in red. Other minor changes to these documents have not been included and were primarily to correct grammar and spelling. If you would like a complete copy of the constitution, please e-mail your request to museum@tiffinglass.org.
Members for revision of Constitution and Bylaws appointed in 2011 were: Marilynn Flechtner, Donna Overholt, and Madolyn Key.
CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 5 – OFFICERS
Section 1.
There shall be the following elected officers:
E.
Financial Secretary/Treasurer
ARTICLE 6 – BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Section 3.
The BOARD shall consist of the elected officers: three (3) elected directors, an appointed
Museum director and an appointed internet coordinator. The three elected directors shall
serve on the BOARD for three (3) years.
BYLAWS
Section 1.
Section 5.
The President shall:
G.
Appoint a qualified persons, either member or non-member, to conduct an annual audit (to be completed
by April 30) of the Financial Secretary/Treasurer’s records.
H.
Consider the need for an external audit of the Financial Secretary/Treasurer’s records at least every three
years. The focus of the audit would be to confirm compliance with “Non-profit” regulations. To proceed,
a majority vote of the Board is necessary. This audit can be in lieu of the annual audit.
J.
Appoint an internet coordinator for a two-year term with the approval of more than two thirds of the entire
BOARD.
The Financial Secretary/Treasurer shall:
Collect, deposit, and account for all monies as received by the TGCC and the Museum Tiffin Glass Shoppe;
B.
Shall keep an ongoing inventory of merchandise available for sale;
C.
Document the receipts of non-monetary assets;
D.
Account for all monies and expenditures and pay all bills of the TGCC;
E.
Maintain the membership roll of the TGCC;
F.
Make a monthly and annual financial report, or any other requested report, to the
membership;
G.
Prepare and submit to governmental agencies all required reports pertaining to the financial operation of
the TGCC;
H.
Submit all records for an audit to the persons designated by the President;
I.
Receive a report of all assets (displays, cabinets, furnishings, etc), with monetary value owned by the
TGCC from the Museum Director on an annual basis;
J.
Be a member of the Financial Committee.
ARTICLE 5 – COMMITTEES
Section 2.
STANDING COMMITTEES: There shall be the following standing committees which shall prepare and submit a
comprehensive budget to the Financial Committee by September for the following year; Editorial: prepare and
distribute the newsletter, The Tiffin Glassmasters, at least twice a year;
B.
Internet coordinator; oversee all information conveyed between the Web Site and TGCC and provide
reports to the BOARD.
ARTICLE 6 – MEMBERSHIP DUES
Section 1.
Dues are payable yearly January 1 to December 31. The amount of the annual dues shall be recommended by the
BOARD and made valid by a majority vote of the membership in attendance at a regular meeting.
ARTICLE II – MUSEUM DIRECTOR
Section 1.
The Museum Director: Shall keep an ongoing inventory of assets owned by the TGCC.
ARTICLE 12 – INTERNET COORDINATOR
Section 1.
The Internet Coordinator;
Oversee all information conveyed between the Web Site and TGCC and provide reports to the BOARD.
Section 2.
An Internet Coordinator who does not comply with the assigned responsibilities may be relieved of the position by
a more than two-thirds affirmative vote of the entire Board of Directors.
19
Tiffin Glass Collectors Club
P.O. Box 554
Tiffin, OH 44883
2012 Officers and Committees
President—Joyce Brown
Vice President—Donna Overholt
Recording Secretary—Martha Ziegler
Corresponding Secretary—Ruth Hemminger
Treasurer—Jon Eakin
Trustees—Bob Overholt, Lyman Hemminger, & Stan
Brown
Nominating: Randy Studer, Marilynn Flechtner, & Ruth
Hemminger
Program: Donna Overholt (Chairperson), Madolyn Key,
Stan Brown, & Paul Coffman
Museum: Ruth Hemminger (Director), Madolyn Key,
Lyman Hemminger, Marilynn Flechtner, Donna Overholt
& Bill Reyer
Show: Lyman Hemminger & Randy Studer (Cochairpersons), Stan Brown, Madolyn Key, Ruth Hemminger, & Geralyn Lang
Finance: Jon Eakin (Chairperson), Bob Overholt, & Cris
Rohrbacher
Publicity: Ruth Hemminger (Chairperson), Geralyn Lang
& Kathryn Miletti
Editorial: Linda Eakin (Chairperson), Nancy & Paul
Coffman, Connie Campbell, Jon Eakin, & JoAnn King
Internet: JoAnn King, Laura Quickle
20
PRSRT STD
US POSTAGE
PAID
FINDLAY, OH
PERMIT NO. 24
2012 Club Calendar

August 14
Meeting at Tiffin Glass Museum
Show & Tell – Duncan Miller/Tiffin
September 11
Meeting at Tiffin Glass Museum
Show & Tell – Member’s Choice
September 24 & 25
At Tiffin Glass Museum
Rummage & Bake Sale
October 9
Meeting at Tiffin Glass Museum
Show & Tell – Orange & Black (Halloween)
*NO FALL SHOW*
November 13
Meeting at Tiffin Glass Museum
Show & Tell – Feather Party
(pheasants, swans, ducks, birds, etc.)
December 11
Meeting at Tiffin Glass Museum
Show & Tell – Christmas Party
January 8, 2013
Meeting at Tiffin Glass Museum
Show & Tell – Member’s Choice