2021.05.18 Tuesday Stretch

Cal here for Tuesday Stretch. Sometimes Brian picks a topic which is easy for Dave and me to contribute some stretch glass to and other times his topics are more challenging. The European Tour we are on is beyond challenging for stretch glass because NO stretch glass was made in Europe or anywhere else outside the United States! So, I cannot jump on your European Tour but I am still going to share some stretch glass with you.

The Stretch Glass Society’s Annual “In-Person” Convention is coming up on July 15-17, 2021, in Cambridge, OH. Our Convention display – drawn from our members’ collections and always educational and amazing – will feature US Glass Co’s Lines 151 and 179. Those numbers might not mean much to you, but when I show you some of the items which comprise those lines, I think you will see some familiar stretch glass. So, let’s jump on a plane and head back to the great USA for a brief visit to the US Glass Co’s two factories which made stretch glass – the King Factory in Pittsburgh, PA and the Tiffin Factory in Tiffin, OH.

We are going to start with the “Mae West” Candlesticks which are in Line 151. You have seen these – maybe you have a few pair of them. They were made with a wide base and a not-so-wide base and they were made in many of the US Glass colors and decorations. Here they are with a wide base in crystal and blue.

Let’s take a look at two pair which are very hard to find: Coral (opaque yellow-orange slag) and Pearl Blue (also slag glass). These do not have the wide base, are lightly iridized and require an eagle eye to spot in the wild.

Here is one of the vases in the 151 Line. Sometimes it is found with a cupped top and other times it has a flared top, as you can see from these photos.

Here is the other vase in the 151 Line. It is found with a number of top treatments; here are two of the more readily available styles. The crystal one has a painted green edge decoration and is not easy to find.

I’ll try to show you some of the 179 Line next time. In the meantime, I want to invite each of you to join us for our Annual Convention. We have a fun-filled agenda which will provide lots of insights and stretch glass education plus a visit to the Cambridge Glass Museum and more. Registration information is available at www.stretchglasssociety.org. We look forward to seeing/meeting you in person at our convention.