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1 ADIRONDACK EXPERIENCE LIBRARY ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION Lynn Nichols oral history interview 1975 ECHO project Cassette/CD#: C39 Object ID#: Note: Moments where the speakers are unintelligible are labeled with the audio file name and timestamp for listeners reference (i.e. C39_01.wav, 03:34) NICHOLS: -- much larger field [C39_01.wav, 00:19] very hard to define, just what depression glass is. There are four main criteria. One is the - relatively inexpensive to make it, but -- Another is the color and stuff. [C39_01.wav, 00:42] Certainly it s primarily - primarily machine made, and [C39_01.wav, 00:49]. During or near the time of the Great Depression [C39_01.wav, 00:54] for the criteria explain what depression glass is. Now, there are about 80 major patterns - major patterns. In addition, there s well over a hundred more. So, kind of a wide-open field of probably -- I mean, there is so many different kinds, and real experts from the field are Hazel Marie Weatherman and [C39_01.wav, 01:26], a gentleman who s appeared upon the scene and written recently. Hazel Marie Weatherman, I think, has the gotten the most researched in this area having gone many miles across the United States back and forth. This is different glass [C39_01.wav, 01:48] we re involved C39_01.wav, 01:50] kind of what the real thing was or when it was made, what color it was made [C39_01.wav, 01:58]. Now, when it comes to naming these 80 major patterns and you know, a hundred others, this becomes more difficult than one might image. First of all, some companies never seem to name their glass, they sold it by line number. Others, did name it, but the records are lost or something like that. So, when Mrs. Weatherman would talk to us [C39_01.wav, 02:31] various - one of the glass companies, and say well, did you make this particular pattern glass, and they would say, yes, but they couldn t remember the name. [C39_01.wav, 02:41] some of the names are way off because this one was [C39_01.wav, 02:50] for years [C39_01.wav, 02:53] has a spoke, but it s not. They finally traced it. It looks like spokes and the wheel, but when they trace it, it is really called Patrician. There s another pattern that - I had a green, and out of their two clearly [C39_01.wav, 03:10]. So, you would think, well naturally you would call it peas and carrots, but [C39_01.wav, 03:17] called silva. So, you have quite a [C39_01.wav, 03:23]. MODERATOR: What would a plate like that cost in this day? NICHOLS: It [C39_01.wav, 03:27] MODERATOR: Well, and it s [C39_01.wav, 03:29] came out of the [C39_01.wav, 03:29]? Lynn Nichols Page 1 of 8

2 NICHOLS: Where did you [C39_01.wav, 03:30]? Yes, many of these [C39_01.wav, 03:35] dinner plates made up as a premium for something, but I don t know what, soap boxes or something. So, you find quite a few of the - other things came in boxes in oatmeal, I understand. MODERATOR: Okay, is that valuable today or semi valuable, or? NICHOLS: Well, it depends if it -- depression glass is not considered an antique. It is considered a collectable. If you re trying to collect a set - the whole set of Patrician, you know, you want this piece and it has value to you. Other people, um, didn t find - don t find glass interesting or valuable. So, if I say in terms of value with many different sets - different types of pieces have greater value than others. Plates had low value of something, like, salt and peppers had high value and butter dishes have very high value. This is the only butter dish I own, and two years of looking for butter dishes. So, it s really very valuable in it that way. I have some terms that go along with talking the depression glass that are sort of interestingly something like [C39_01.wav, 04:58]. For example a bowl is not a bowl in that era, or was not -- it was a nappy -- NICHOLS: -- and it had two handles on it, and was called a cream soup bowl. Something that I learned was an orange or a grapefruit squeezer, which is called a reamer, and this is an example of a reamer. A very nice example actually, because of the fact that Sunkist is imprinted right on the side. Now, if you want a collectable that s a little bit of depression glass -- other things as well -- you could start and collect reamers, because this is one of the new collections --people advertising in your [C39_02.wav, 00:49] places just for reamers. This is -- like the opaque green, but also, I have an example of it in a clear green that you can see through, like this green, or a clear crystal. I don t know what other colors it might come in. It also came in many different styles. Many different companies make it. MODERATOR 1: Are their colors that are more valuable than other colors? NICHOLS: Well, from my own personal point of view, I would say yes, and it s -- that just from being, sort of, in the business. People that come are most particularly interesting in pink. That is by far the best seller. MODERATOR 1: [C39_02.wav, 01:34]? Lynn Nichols Page 2 of 8

3 NICHOLS: No. No, in fact, not at all. I think green, from what I ve read, I get a feeling that there was more green made, basically, but I think just because the pink is dainty, some people buy the pink to go with china that s white with pink flowers on it or something or things like that. MODERATOR 2: Do you have any pink? NICHOLS: Yes. NICHOLS: I was gonna [C39_02.wav, 02:02] get to the colors. MODERATOR 2: Okay, go ahead. I can wait [C39_02.wav, 02:06]. NICHOLS: I ll just head the colors. When I bought my first piece, it happened to be a piece of green, and I think I thought that the only colors it came in were green and pink, and since then, I ve discovered that -- cream and yellow, various shades of blue, white, purple, black, red, crystal. I mean, it s made [C39_02.wav, 02:29]. If you have [C39_02.wav, 02:32], if you re interested in it, pulling together from several sources. As listed, the major patterns, and then what colors you are apt to see that pattern in. Now, that s not say that you might not find x pattern in another color, but it would be most unusual. You might have a real find on your hands. [C39_02.wav, 03:07], I think I might have a find in this piece, which looks rather ordinary, it s very pale, or I d say a very pale blue, but this is lace edge [C39_02.wav, 03:21] it is not listed in blue at all, so Now, the different colors -- a couple of examples of pink, and when I say pink, pink isn t straightforward just pink. Every company has their version of pink, so there s quite a bit of variety in shade, probably less so in pink than in any of the others. Now, this is a pink. This is what they call satin finish. It s not actually a color, it s the way they treated the glass. It started out as pink glass, and then has this frosted look, and many companies did this. I didn t realize this was depression glass, not at first, and I seen other pieces of this before [C39_02.wav, 04:19] where they had painted flowers on a vase, or -- I don t know, a plate -- something like this, and what they did around holiday time - take the satin finish pieces, do -- and someone hand painted the flowers on. It was a special promotion. Then, the green - even within one company, the colors might vary. This pattern is cameo. They re both cameo, but as you can see, this is the palest of green, and this is a very different green, so this is a very well-worn piece by the way. It s not a terribly good example, because the more use these plates had, the more worn the pattern became. MODERATOR 1: Is mint condition [C39_03.wav, 00:14]? Lynn Nichols Page 3 of 8

4 NICHOLS: Yes. MODERATOR 1: It s actually very intelligent in [C39_03.wav, 00:25]. NICHOLS: The yellows, they re a great deal. I showed you - some companies call them amber, some topaz, some yellow, some -- anything --any shade thereof. MODERATOR 2: So, that s amber? NICHOLS: Yes, amber. Patrician called it amber. This, perhaps you can see, is slightly different, a more clear yellow. Now, this is a pattern of which I have six pieces, which I have been unable to identify despite all the looks. I don t know what I have here, and it s very one of the more fragile. MODERATOR 4: [C39_03.wav, 01:04]? NICHOLS: Yes. Yes. MODERATOR 4: Oh, okay. NICHOLS: Yes. MODERATOR 5: How do you determine that dainty [C39_03.wav, 01:12], but champagne glass is depression glass, so how did you determine that since it looks so different from the other glass? NICHOLS: Only the style is similar, see, and the color, and then to have a [C39_03.wav, 01:27] to check the glass you have against the four criteria. Another thing is where did you buy it too. Sometimes that gives you a clue. I m not absolutely positive, but I m three quarters convinced. This is another [C39_03.wav, 01:47], what they would call yellow, the amber. Now, blue is - unfortunately, I don t have as many examples of it as I would like to show the different shades. This is the cobalt blue. This pattern being modern [C39_03.wav, 02:09]. Does anybody remember seeing something in this color? NICHOLS: All right. I sort of [C39_03.wav, 02:22]. NICHOLS: Kitchenware. Yes, the Shirley Temple pieces that were given away as premiums were basically this blue with a white [C39_03.wav, 02:36], so Lynn Nichols Page 4 of 8

5 MODERATOR 1: I never played with those things, so I wouldn t have been able to recognize that. It was before my time. NICHOLS: So, you have the cobalt blue, and then they had a shade called ultramarine, and that s a very deep blue-green, and that s, you know, a lovely item, and I have examples of that. I have some of each. It shows that beautifully in the book if you would like to look at it. This is a lovely shade of blue. They call -- some people call this like blue milk glass, but it s not really, it s called delphite, and this is in a cherry blossom pattern, which interestingly enough, is on the back of the black instead of the front, and I m a little vague on this, but something about when they changed the molds to use a different color or something, sometimes is happens. MODERATOR 1: Wow. NICHOLS: This is actually a piece from the child set. Only one company, and that was the Jeanette Glass Company, made depression glass in children sets, and they are very sought after. This is - one of these would be the plate, and then the saucer, but there s no cup. MODERATOR 2: Why do these pieces have makers marks on them? NICHOLS: Yes, they do. This has a -- a great deal of interest to me, and I probably don t -- I don t know if I have one or not, but the Cambridge Glass Company had a little c and triangle, and [C39_03.wav, 04:17] you might be familiar with Heisey, which is an H and a little diamond. That s sort of a different subject, because that s, you know, a more specialized glass and there s more history to that. You call it -- some of the pieces are with depression, but [C39_03.wav, 04:36]. MODERATOR 2: In other words, you can collect depression glass by flipping them. NICHOLS: You could. MODERATOR 5: Lynn, were the glass factories all in the east, or some in the south, or any special areas, or all over? [C39_04.wav, 00:00-00:41] NICHOLS: Finally, Hazel had this glass company that it s in West Virginia and currently owned by Continental Can. They made a lot of depression pieces. They made a lot of the cobalt blue, and they re the other ones that make some of the Shirley Temple pieces. MODERATOR 1: Lynn, do you find a lot more competition at auctions now than when you started collecting glass, or is it a pretty open field? Lynn Nichols Page 5 of 8

6 NICHOLS: Well, [C39_04.wav, 01:20] it s very hard to say, and it s been competition right from the beginning. I bought my first piece in 71, and it really hasn t been a few years. There s quite a few individuals collecting that would buy -- would have been high for a set, for example, and you don t see too many sets. The isolated piece - still they often put [C39_04.wav, 01:46], so that you sometimes can get a nice piece that way. I don t think the competition is any greater. There was some concern with falling off and [C39_04.wav, 01:59], but the depression glass moves with just the [C39_04.wav, 02:07] any indication. They ve gone to two sections, and just multiply greatly. There are depression glass plugs. There are all the depression glass shows. The closet one that I seen advertising was in the Hudson Valley. I never been to a show, but MODERATOR 2: I m trying to keep her away from the [C39_04.wav, 02:48]. NICHOLS: Oh, I would - you could buy at the show unless I was trying to complete my set here. MODERATOR 3: [C39_04.wav, 03:01]. NICHOLS: There s a column in that one person studies [C39_04.wav, 03:12] like how many salt and pepper shakers are there in this pattern [C39_04.wav, 03:17] had one, and that s really fun. Maybe some questions perhaps? MODERATOR 4: I thought the [C39_04.wav, 03:24] on this glass was sold [C39_04.wav, 03:26]. RESONDENT: That s right. MODERATOR: I think I want a whole set of the pink, [C39_04.wav, 03:30]. MODERATOR 5: What did they not do when the depression came along? Obviously, something cost too much, and they stopped doing it [C39_04.wav, 03:39] depression glass. What did they stop doing because of cost or what not, or is that not [C39_04.wav, 03:45]? NICHOLS: I don t know, unless that was you see things went over to machines. I don t know about the glass in general, but they hand mold or hand make a lot it. MODERATOR: [C39_04.wav, 03:56]. MODERATOR 5: All the tableware? Lynn Nichols Page 6 of 8

7 NICHOLS: Many of these pairs were made in complete dinner services, but you will find hundreds of hundreds of what they call occasional pieces, so - it might have a name, but there might be only two other pieces that the company made that matched it, so if you wanted to collect in terms of a table setting, that s what collectors started out to do. That s what this newspaper purposely - this newspaper starting a lot with the different views, advertisement pieces that [C39_05.wav, 00:14] the complete set, but see, just like depression glass, you can the different colors, or all one color, or just have what they call the occasional piece, where you can collect all kitchenware, or you can [C39_05.wav, 00:32] branch out. MODERATOR 1: Did you say you would start like a plate first then, because that s something that could be basic? NICHOLS: Plates very easy - fairly easy to come by. MODERATOR 1: Right. If you wanted to, say, collect a set of something and have cups, and saucers, and bowls with nappies with it, then, usually if they would make a plate they would make other things to go with it? NICHOLS: You have to check your pattern, yes. NICHOLS: You know, some Patrician, but - I had a sample here, but it s just made for an occasional piece, but you have to check the pattern [C39_05.wav, 01:18] make a table set. I ve had several people come to buy pieces, and didn t matter that they weren t the same pattern to match - to blend in with the china, this is a popular collectors. MODERATOR 1: But didn t the cups [C39_05.wav, 01:41]? NICHOLS: Well, the cups are a lot more valuable in terms of book value or whatever, then the saucers, and that s another reason why the butter dish is probably so valuable is, because I have three bottoms. MODERATOR 2: I was wondering if anybody has [C39_05.wav, 02:08] made for the Chicago World Fair made a nappy special for that, because they were having [C39_05.wav, 02:18] Lynn Nichols Page 7 of 8

8 MODERATOR 3: I think it s from [C39_05.wav, 02:23]. NICHOLS: Wouldn t that be something that [C39_05.wav, 02:28]. Any other questions or - MODERATOR 3: [C39_05.wav, 02:38]. MODERATOR 4: What are the greatest varieties in the field? I mean, what s are the things that you request on [C39_05.wav, 02:45]? NICHOLS: Oh, well, it depends on you pattern, for example. MODERATOR 4: Was it by pattern or by color, or by [C39_05.wav, 02:59] or what? NICHOLS: Well, if you re trying to get all in one pattern, they re gonna keep the pieces, because there weren t many made or for something that you can t get in a complete set, like there s a [C39_05.wav, 03:09] punch bowl and punch cups. Now, that would be hard to come by, and in terms of color, I don t think - it s more by pattern than getting a complete set. People are still trying to get set. MODERATOR 5: Are you trying [C39_05.wav, 03:26]? NICHOLS: I like it all, in general, and I have a china with green in it, and I once in a while, I save a piece, you know, [C39_05.wav, 03:39] green glass, and it goes with my china. So, green would be my color. This is one - an example of one thing that I collect, I guess they had crackers in them, or I ve seen clear ones, but had tobacco and label still on them. These came in different sizes. This is a small [C39_05.wav, 04:08] cannister. MODERATOR 3: It s almost [C39_05.wav, 04:14]. NICHOLS: This is a really pretty piece. I ve seen a lot these, but these would be called occasional pieces, you know, the pink or the green, or the silver. [C39_05.wav, 04:32] pointed out, it probably made a lovely wedding piece Lynn Nichols Page 8 of 8

Reviewing 2018 and Setting Incredible 2019 Goals You Will Actually Achieve

Reviewing 2018 and Setting Incredible 2019 Goals You Will Actually Achieve Hello and a really warm welcome to Episode 42 of the social media marketing Made Simple podcast. And I am your host Teresa Heath-Wareing.