VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2 MARCH-APRIL Finials

Transcription

1 VOLUME 22, NUMBER 2 MARCH-APRIL 2008 Finials

2 FLOW BLUE INTERNATIONAL COLLECTORS CLUB, INC. The FBICC is organized to stimulate, educate, and maintain interest in the collection and study of Flow Blue, Mulberry, and related fields of china, and to promote the exchange of information regarding same between members worldwide. OFFICERS: President - Robert Ferriani (IN) 1st Vice President - Jon Houserman (MI) 2nd Vice President - Dale Covey (KS) Past President - Helen Swan (KS) Treasurer - Ray Schomas (IL) Recording Secretary - Margaret Taylor (IN) Corresponding Secretary - Ginny Mueller (WI) Membership Chair - Jim Swan (KS) Newsletter Editor - Cindy Neff (IN) Legal Advisor - Joel Brosk (IL) Education Chair - Jerry Taylor (IN) REGIONAL DIRECTORS: Region 1 - John Laudermilch (MD) Region 2 - Marilyn Holm (MI) Region 3 - Katrina Franklin (GA) Region 4 - Rosalie Ingle (MO) Region 5 - John Kirk (AR) Region 6 - Marcia Jurgens (AZ) The Blue Berry Notes is the official newsletter of the FBICC. Photographs submitted by members become the property of the FBICC, Inc. and no article, photograph or drawing may be reproduced without the express permission of the FBICC, Inc. Use of photos in the BBN does not imply that the item is either Flow Blue or Mulberry. Editor - Cindy Neff Associate Editors - Barbara Kamerance & Josslyn Lucas Copy Editor - Agnes Holst Layout - Jim Swan DEADLINE FOR THE NEXT ISSUE - May 15, 2008 Please send all news, notes, articles, photos, suggestions, questions, comments, and Blueberry Market items to: Editor CINDY NEFF 6843 Pebblebrook Ct. Brownsburg, IN (317) Address: neffpc@cs.com For change of address and membership information, please contact the Membership Chairperson: Jim Swan 2404 Westdale Road Lawrence, KS (785) Address: jswan@sunflower.com Check out the FBICC website at Cover pictures of Fabulous Finials Table of Contents President & Editor Letters... 3 Finials - Fearful and Wonderful... 4 At the Show... 8 Flow Blue Annual Service Award... 8 In Praise of Pitchers... 9 The Rare and Unusual Piece Blueberry Market Bluetique Club Bulletin Board Proposed Amendment to the By-Laws Something Extraordinary - Square Carafe FBICC Financial Report

3 FROM THE EDITOR Recently, my mother and uncle were left with the memoryfilled task of emptying my grandparents home. When asked what I might want, I had to admit that I already had it. My grandmother gave me the fudge platter not long after my simmering interest in flow blue came to a full boil. Grandma told me that Ella and Cora, sisters and dear friends of hers, pulled the platter out each December and poured their homemade fudge onto it to cool. It must have been very thin fudge, because this ARGYLE (W.H. Grindley) platter isn t very deep, but I ll bet it was superior to anything we make today. After Ella and Cora were gone, the fudge platter came to Grandma s house, and now it s at mine. That s enough of a keepsake for me. FROM THE PRESIDENT Looking back at what seemed like dark holes just a few years ago can now be called accomplishments. I refer to our application to the IRS for a tax exempt status (501c3) for the Flow Blue International Collectors Educational Fund (FBICEF) and the purchase of the Petra Williams books. This year we ll see some of the benefits of the 501c3 starting at our convention, and I can now report that the majority of the books are sold! Both of these projects put a lot of strain on a number of club members who volunteered so much time and effort to reach this point that it s great to be able to say we did it. Jon Houserman, Jerry Taylor, Bob Hohl, Bill Wetherton, their spouses, and the many others who bought books and those who are still storing a few, thank you very much. I would offer them all a pay raise, but they are all volunteers! This club has survived on volunteer help for 22 years and though we may make a few mistakes, put off some things for a while, and try to climb mountains that are too tall on occasion, we usually get the job done and done right the first time. Accompanying this issue of the Blue Berry Notes, you ll find lots of goodies, including a 2008 Convention Special Edition in full color and the convention registration forms. The Rochester convention will be filled with fun, education, and many pieces of flow blue and mulberry. Make your hotel reservations and send in your convention registration soon. Hoping to see you as we are Going With the Flow.back to Rochester! 2008 Schedule Blue Berry Notes Issue Deadline Distributed May/June/July May 15th Late June Aug/Sep Aug. 15th Late Sept. Oct/Nov/Dec Oct. 15th Late Nov. FBICC 2008 Calendar Your FBICC board met in St. Louis recently and worked on a slate of officers, the pattern identification project, future conventions, and a host of other things! Results and more information will be found in this BBN and those that follow. Dave Crumb and his committee are working hard to pull this year s convention in Rochester together. An event that is rare and unusual in itself will be the display of soup and sauce tureens. I don t believe this has ever been done before, so bring your cameras. To commemorate the event a special cookbook of soup recipes is being printed for all club members, including those who can t attend. I m looking forward to it and hope to see you there. International Convention Rochester, NY July

4 Finials - Fearful and Wonderful By Ellen Hill Stepped domes Six-sided Gothic. 1840s. Let s start with a definition of a finial the terminal ornament of any object, but particularly on the cover or lid of a pot, bowl, tureen, vase or other container, where it also serves as a handle. It is sometimes termed a knop. Finials are made in a great variety of forms, such as a figure, animal, flower, fruit, nut, leaf, vegetable, shell, sphinx, loop, bar, ring, sphere, bun, etc. In flow blue and mulberry wares there are finials in tea services (coffee pots, teapots, covered beverage pots), dinner services (vegetable dishes, sauce/soup tureens, butter dishes), chamber/toilet sets (chamber pots, soap dishes, brush/toilet boxes) and miscellaneous things like pot-pourri vases. The styles evolved from early to late Victorian from simple stylized flowers, conical forms, pyramids and pagodas to fruits, flowers and nuts to loops, bars and rings. PELEW (E. Challinor) Six-Sided Gothic teapot six-sided, stepped-dome finial Banded domes Pumpkin Shapes, eight or ten sided. 1840s. Stylized flowers an arrangement of petals around a central bud Classic Gothic (aka curly mushroom ), Cockscomb Handle and other early gothic paneled forms the number of petals may reflect the number of sides or panels. 1840s. MANILLA (Podmore Walker) Eight-Panel Pumpkin teapot eight-sided, banded dome finial Banded pyramid Full Panel Gothic. 1840s. MORNING GLORY (unknown) Cockscomb Handle, Six-Sided Base teapot Flower-shaped, grooved, with center bud, high stem finial JEDDO (W.Adams & Son) Full Panel Gothic teapot eight-sided, banded pyramid finial 4 (Continued on page 5)

5 Finials - Fearful and Wonderful Pagoda Primary (or acorn on Morley primary). 1840s. BLEEDING HEART (unknown) Primary Single-Line sugar bowl eight-panel pagoda finial IRIS (Josiah Wedgwood) mulberry mustard pot simple sphere finial Foo-dogs, etc temple jars/pot-pourri vases late. 1850s, 1860s and onward Realistic flowers and fruits lily/pomegranate (Grand Loop), grapes with stem (Grape Octagon), rose bud (the famous Alcock form on dinner service pieces), apple (Columbia shape), etc. 1850s. AVON (J. Furnival) Grand Loop teapot pomegranate finial HYSON (Dimmock) pot-pourri with pierced lid foo dog finial Spheres and buns simple ball or flattened ball. These simple forms were often used on children s dishes and on pieces made for the English market. 1850s. Rings, loops, bars plain or embossed late 1850s through into the 1900s (see page 6). (Some of the bars/half hoops in the late Victorian flow blue are so heavily embossed it is difficult to determine the 5

6 Finials - Fearful and Wonderful (Continued from page 5) actual shape.) The finials were cast separately and applied to the center of the lid or cover. The simple early ones usually had a short stem and were attached with slip. Some of the more elaborate fruits, flowers, etc. were applied to the lid that had additional embossing, i.e., a pear shaped finial applied on top of embossed leaves. HAWTHORNE (Mercer Pottery), c.1890 child s teapot loop finial INDIA (Villeroy & Boch), c.1845 Ten-Panel Fluted teapot fancy, embossed ring finial PERSIAN SPRAY (Doulton), c.1885 teapot bar/bracket finial CARLTON (Samuel Alcock), c Rococo teapot ring finial Prize Medal, c.1851 soup tureen loop finial CELTIC (W.H. Grindley), c.1897 teapot VanBuskirk shape: Gr-E bar/bracket finial 6

7 Finials - Fearful and Wonderful Fruit, flowers, nuts, pagodas, shells, fans, spheres, buns, animals, single loops, double loops, rings, bars, brackets and many more shapes are found as finials. UNKNOWN open flower finial FLORE (U&C), c.1860 Shell finial CIRRUS (Wood & Brownfield), c opening flower finial LaBelle (Wheeling China Co.) c fancy loop finial VINCENNES (J & G Alcock) c.1844 stylized flower finial UNKNOWN (Alcock) shell finial AMOY (Davenport), c.1844 four-petaled flower finial NORMANDY (Johnson Bros) c.1900 double-loop finial ARGYLE (W.H. Grindley) c.1896 Knob finial MONGOLIA (Johnson Bros), c.1900 bud finial LILY (Adderley), c.1885 tree knot finial JEDDO ( W. Adams & Son) Eight-sided, banded pyramid finial BRAZIL (Grindley), c.1891 knob finial WASHINGTON VASE (Podmore Walker) fig finial Unknown (T. J. & J. Mayer) flower bud finial 7

8 At the Antique Show displayed many different offerings (1); including this entrancing brush stoke plate (2) that I am sure George Wells will lust after. By Helen Swan Kansas City recently hosted the Overland Park Antique Show March 14 th -16 th. As I strolled through the show, I noticed several flow blue pieces in different booths. Carolyn Nickerson, a long time dealer, 2. The next dealer (from Minnesota) had several different plates (3), SEVILLE serving pieces and a few vases that were very attractive. 1. And then I happened upon the Flow Blue Brothers and was overwhelmed with their selection. Busy all day, flow blue appeared to be flying out of their booth. I loved the jardinière and stand with outstanding blue (5). Interesting in their offerings was the whey bowl (6). It is the first I have ever seen and was reportedly used to make cottage cheese by our ancestors. 5. And finally, the cream of the show 6. was the Flow Blue Brothers themselves (7). They graciously let Jim and I take pictures of plates for the upcoming web pattern identification project that will be helpful for all members in recognizing what patterns they possess. 3. Further down the aisle was the wonderful flow blue art nouveau vase that was uniquely formed (4). Flow Blue Annual Service Award Each year the FBICC Board recognizes a volunteer who has made significant contributions to our membership. Honored in the last three years were Bill Byers, Jim Swan, and Margaret/Jerry Taylor. It is now time to select a new honoree, one who has shown dedication and commitment to our organization. Anyone may be nominated with the exception for those members who are life time members. Please send your nomination to Helen Swan, 2404 Westdale Road, Lawrence, Kansas Include what things this individual has contributed to the club and why you feel he or she is worthy of this nomination. The award will be presented at the 2008 Flow Blue convention. 8

9 In Praise of Pitchers ALBANY (Johnson Bros) - Mead KYBER (Adams) - Mead WASHINGTON VASE (Podmore Walker) VIENNA (Johnson Bros) - Woodall On right: 9, 8.75, 8, 7.75 inches high Below right: 10.25, 10, 9, 8.5, 5.75 inches tall - Pines WHAMPOA (Dillwyn) 8, 7.25, 6.5 inches tall - Sapira TOURAINE (Stanley) - Hoye VIRGINIA (Maddock) - Neff 9

10 In Praise of Pitchers WASHINGTON VASE (Podmore Walker) 10, 8, 6 inches tall - Pines NON PAREIL (Burgess & Leigh) - Mead TONKIN (Vieillard) 7 and 4 inches tall - Sapira LANCASTER (New Wharf Pottery) 7.5, 5.5, 4.75, & 3.5 inches tall - Warfel CLOVER (W.H. Grindley) - Lorne WASHINGTON VASE (Podmore Walker) - Pines 10

11 In Praise of Pitchers P. N (Johnson Bros, Burslem, Brittania Pottery) 8, 6, 3.75 inches tall - Sapira COREAN (Podmore Walker) - Kamerance UNKNOWN (Ford & Sons) - Casey MARCHAL NEIL (Grindley) 3.5, 5, 7.25, 8 inches tall - Provine NON PAREIL (Burgess & Leigh) - Mead HONG KONG (Meigh) - Hohl WASHINGTON VASE (Podmore Walker) - Pines 11

12 The Rare and Unusual Piece 2. BAMBOO (Dimmock) Jug with a face on the spout 1. BAMBOO (Samuel Alcock) - compote 3. UNKNOWN green ground and polychrome jug 5. MORNING GLORY (unknown) cockscomb handle, polychrome strawberries 6. Santa plate with flow blue edge 4. CHINESE (Dimmock) pot-pourri 7. MORNING GLORY (unknown) Brushstroke plates and platter 8. & 9. MORNING GLORY (unknown) (left) toothbrush drainer (right) view of the bottom of the toothbrush drainer 12

13 The Rare and Unusual Piece By Warren Macy Editor Cindy is cracking the whip again and, as I mentioned in my last article, I have used all of the pictures from the Indy R&U program. Adding to my plight, none of you have sent pictures of your rare and unusual pieces. I could take pictures of a few pieces from my vast collection of rare and unusual pieces and feature them but, being a humble and modest man, I decided against that course of action. Oops one slipped in! After hours of handwringing and stressing about a subject for this issue an idea struck me. What is more rare and unusual than presidential china? No, not Washington s, Lincoln s, Roosevelt s, or Bush s but FBICC President Bob Ferriani s china. I doubt if those other guys had any flow blue anyway. Bob, Nancy, Connie and I were planning to attend the Methodist Hospital Art and Antique Show in Indy the next day, so I called Bob the morning of the show and invited myself to his home after the show and lunch to photograph a few pieces of his huge collection. He tried all sorts of excuses saying he felt he was coming down with trench mouth, dysentery, and malaria at various times, but I showed up anyway. After all, those things are nothing compared to the sting of Editor Cindy s whip! The show proved to be rather costly when FBICC members JoAnn Woodall and Paul Woolmer lured Connie and me into their booth and sent us home with a large Royal Doulton Babes in the Woods jardinière that is one of the most striking pieces of blue I have ever seen. I have penciled it in for the St. Louis 2009 R&U program. MILTON (Pountney) four piece sauce tureen The Ferrianis collection includes MILTON by Pountney as their flow blue pattern and BOCHARA by Edwards as their mulberry pattern. However, they also have growing collections of green ground polychrome pieces (Pics. 1-4) and MORNING GLORY brushstroke pieces (Pics. 5, 7-9). In addition, Bob has become the Dean of Drainers (see pages 14 & 15) with a wonderful MORNING GLORY (unknown) collection circling their kitchen on the bulkhead and his super-rare and unusual ones, such as CASHMERE and BLUE BELL/ ROYAL LILY, locked in a display cabinet. As extensive as Ferriani kitchen President Ferriani s collection is, he is still searching for certain pieces. At the top of his wish list is the cockscomb 13

14 The Rare and Unusual Piece MORNING GLORY creamer with small red strawberries to match the pictured teapot (Pic. 5) and his sugar bowl. Also, his huge BO- CHARA soup tureen needs a ladle and BOCHARA (Edwards) sauce and soup tureens his MILTON set is missing its four-piece soup tureen. He would not turn down SCINDE, AMOY, and MANILLA drainers, either. Well, depending on the price, he would not turn them down! Bob also collects Santas and each year at Christmas his mantle is covered with a couple hundred Santas. It is a collection so spectacular it has been featured in the Indianapolis Star newspaper. So, as I can personally attest, he is a sucker for any flow blue piece with a Santa on it (Pic. 6). While you are at it, start picking out what you will bring for the R&U program. I desperately need more pictures! Editor Cindy tells me I have one more article due before the convention. I have been thinking about an article on Vice Presidential china, but our FBICC Vice President, Jon Houserman, is not answering my calls. Drat that caller ID! CHINESE (Dimmock) (above) bowl-shaped drainer on four feet (below) view of underside showing drainer detail, note the heart-shaped piercings Where does President Bob feel he has the best chance of finding these pieces? Why, at the next FBICC international convention, of course. At past conventions, and through the network of friends he has made at these conventions, he BOCHARA (Edwards) has experienced great right and left handed mitten relish dishes success matching up items and completing sets. As I write this it is just over four months until our next international convention in Rochester, New York. President Ferriani already has his room booked. It is time to start planning your trip, too. BOMBAY JAPAN (Samuel Alcock) polychrome platter and drainer UNKNOWN green ground mulberry candlesticks 14

15 The Rare and Unusual Piece BLUE BELL or ROYAL LILY CASHMERE (Ridgway & Morley) MADRAS (Samuel Alcock) CHINESE (Dimmock) ORIENTAL (Samuel Alcock) MANDARIN (Thomas Dimmock) CARLTON (Samuel Alcock) 15

16 Blueberry Market Each member may send in three Wanted items per issue at no charge. For Sale ads are available at the rate of $5 for one or two items and $10 for three or four items in one issue. Each ad may also include one picture. Make checks payable to FBICC and send to the editor. Wanted: Creamer with Cockscomb Handle, MORNING GLORY with Tiny Strawberries pattern. Contact Bob Ferriani at or Wanted: Lugano teapot, pitchers, soup tureen with undertray and ladle, double salts or any rare pieces. I m also looking for any double salts in Flow Blue. Contact: JoAnn Woodall, joann@wagonwheelantiques.net or Wanted: 1830 and earlier, (any) pieces of Flow Blue, mint to excellent condition. Let s shake the tree and see what falls out. Contact Chris Hagan, or ckhagan@kyol.net. Wanted: 1. HADDON pattern flow blue by Grindley. Especially cups/saucers, fruit dishes, and butter dish. 2. OXFORD pattern flow blue with gold, by Johnson Brothers, bottom to the butter dish. 3. LORNE pattern flow blue, Grindley, top to butter dish. Contact: Toby Mattingly at trmatts@hotmail.com or Wanted: 1. RHONE SCENERY (T.J. & J. Mayer) mulberry. Need bowl to a pitcher and bowl set. 2. PANAMA mulberry. Ladle for a soup tureen. 3. AMOY (Wm. Davenport & Co.) flow blue. Ewer or water pitcher. Call Dick or Jane Kropp at Wanted: CASHMERE ladle for soup tureen. Just reward for same. Contact Lenny Sturmak at or fabskin@ptd.net Wanted: VIRGINIA (John Maddock) creamer. Good friends in desperate need of a creamer to ease the tension between a clumsy husband and an irritated wife. A pitcher in the VIRGINIA pattern, in addition to the creamer, would go a long way toward helping him out of the doghouse. To get this relationship back on track, contact concerned friend, Jan Kobach at or jkobach@aol.com. Wanted: One W.H. Grindley MARIE cream pitcher. One La Belle teapot. Mary Merriwether, 530 Racquet Club Circle, Rohnert Park, CA (707) or cissym424@sbcglobal.net Wanted: BLUEBELL or ROYAL LILY pattern cheese dome base or 11" - 12" charger. Also, polychrome turkey platter in the LIN- COLN pattern by Bishop & Stonier. Back stamp will read Lincoln by Bisto. Contact Jerry & Margaret Taylor m-jtaylor@sbcglobal.net or Wanted: Brushstroke pattern in flow blue, TULIP AND SPRIG by T. Walker. Any pieces but especially 9 inch plates. (excellent condition) Contact Jan Kobach, jkobach@aol.com or Wanted: Brushstroke pattern BLUEBELL & GRAPE WITH CHERRY BORDER Marilyn Sharko sharkom@comcast.net or (904) Wanted: SCINDE by Alcock. Mint or excellent quality and condition. Various paneled forms, including 7 inch plates, cup plates, sauce dishes. Contact Jim Northup, Wanted: SHELL by E. Challinor dinner plate and serving pieces. Bob O Neill 560 Ocean Road, Narragansett, RI or call (Continued on page 17) 16

17 Blueberry Market Wanted: (2) lids for TOURAINE sugars and a lid for a SCINDE sugar. George L. Cook 2924 St Paul Blvd, Rochester, NY or call DESPERATE!!! rochesteriu@rochester.rr.com For Sale: 1. Polychrome inkwell, A Present From in faint gold print on left side of attached saucer base. Hinged lid. 3 inches high. $ Auld Lang Syne Cup 3.5 inches high, 5.5 inches across. Marked British Anchor Made in England. $49 3. Two WATTEAU butter pats Doulton, England, Gaston mark 46. $100 for the pair. 4. WATTEAU 3.5 inch high creamer and open sugar. Doulton, England Gaston mark 46. $198 for the pair. Bluetique All items in excellent condition. Please contact Jean Abbott, 832 E. Garvord Street, Lebanon, OR 97355, or telephone SALE!!! Set of two GODDEN DAY video cassettes: $ 7.50 plus shipping SALE!!! Don t Drink From the Finger Bowl The Art of Victorian Dining: $ 5.00 plus shipping Flow Blue China Additional Patterns & New Information by Norma Jean Hoener: $25.00 Flow Blue & Mulberry Teapot Body Style Book (Only pages, no binders available): $20.00 One available per membership Early Victorian supplement pages: Free 2007 Late Victorian supplement pages: Free Available Pamphlets: The Johnson Bros., A Dynasty in Clay: $12.00 William H. Grindley & His Flow Blue Dishes: $ 6.00 William H. Grindley Part II: $ 6.00 The Meigh Potters: $ 6.00 Shipping costs for SALE!!! items are $3.15 for 1 tape and $3.50 for 2-3 tapes. Send a check/money order made out to FBICC to Jerry and Margaret Taylor, 3026 Gus Emmett Trail, Sellersburg, IN at m-jtaylor@sbcglobal.net or telephone at , before 9:00 pm EST, please. We can not accept credit cards at this time. Petra Williams Books - Sales to benefit the Flow Blue International Collectors Educational Fund. Single books of Volume 1 or Volume 2: $ 5.00 each book NOTE: $4.60 postage is charged for 1 book. $9.00 postage is charged for 2-6 books. These charges are for the continental U.S. only. If purchasing more than six books or if you are an international buyer, please request postage information before sending your check. For all sales of Petra Williams books, please send a check/money order made out to FBICEF (not FBICC), to Jon Houserman, 509 W. Bridge St., Lyons, MI at jonsueh@ionia-mi.net or telephone at , before 9:00 pm EST, please. We can not accept credit cards at this time. 17

18 Club Bulletin Board Remember to save the dates of July 24-27, 2008, to be in Rochester, New York, for the Flow Blue (and Mulberry, too) annual international convention. We are, Going With The Flow. The Condition Classification Guide used by the Flow Blue International Collectors Club is below. When consigning items to the club convention auction, please adhere strictly to these guidelines which were developed to help you accurately rate your pieces. Items that are described correctly help the auction process to run more smoothly. Class Crazing Chip(s) Crack(s) Discoloration Restoration Superior None None None None None Excellent May Have None None None None Very Good May Have Small Indistinct Slight Professional Good May Have Moderate Small Mild Professional Fair May Have Large Moderate Pronounced Amateur Poor May Have Large Large Pronounced Amateur Needed: Photographs of BLUE BELL / ROYAL LILY pieces. A future issue of the Blue Berry Notes will feature the marvelous old pattern BLUE BELL, or as we know it now, ROYAL LILY. If you have any items in that pattern, please send photographs along with the type, size, and markings on the piece to the editor by regular mail or (see page 2). The Education Committee is searching for photos of teapots by the Meakin potteries to extend the Teapot Body Styles book. Please send pictures by paper mail or to the BBN editor (see page 2). Club Historian, Ellen King, needs items from the conventions of 1988 in Rochester, 1989 in Wisconsin, and 1990 in Tampa, Florida. Any papers, articles or photos you have to contribute for any of these would be appreciated. You don t need to send originals, copies will do just fine. Send your items to: Ellen King, 359 Peaceful Valley Rd., Hilliards, PA or ellenk2@earthlink.net. Ms. Mulberry is tending the Curiosity Shoppe. Please send any flow blue or mulberry wonderments or inquiries to MSMULB@aol.com or Ellen Hill, th Ave. NE, Apt. 5, St. Petersburg, FL Take advantage of the club website at Convention news, articles, links to other collectors clubs, a message board and the Blue Berry Notes in bright, digital color. Update home or addresses by going to the website, Click on contact us and select Membership Chair from the drop down list. Provide your new information and send it on its way. Pattern Identification Project The FBICC Education Committee Pattern Identification Project will develop a database of flow blue and mulberry patterns to be placed on the club s website. This invaluable project launches in earnest at the 2008 convention. The initial effort will be to photograph as many patterns on 8-10 plates as possible, along with any markings on the back. Club members attending the convention are asked to bring one dinner plate from each of the different patterns in their collections. There will also be other opportunities over the next couple of years for each of you to contribute plates to be photographed so that the most complete repository of pictures can be assembled. The database is an investment in the future of the club and will need the support of each member to track down and record every possible pattern. 18

19 Proposed Amendment to By-Laws The following proposed amendment to the FBICC by-laws has been approved by a majority of the Board of Directors and is published here in accordance with Article VIII, Section Ib of the by-laws. Each member may cast a vote either at the annual business meeting at the 2008 convention in Rochester, New York, or a proxy vote may be sent by the USPS or to Recording Secretary Margaret Taylor no later than June 30, Please address paper mail to: Margaret Taylor, 3026 Gus Emmett Trail, Sellersburg, IN at m-jtaylor@sbcglobal.net. FLOW BLUE INTERNATIONAL COLLECTORS CLUB, INC. July 2008 Proposed Amendment to By-Laws Article IV: Officers; Section 3. Term of Office Reason: Currently the Club By-Laws limit terms of the various officers (including 2nd Vice President) to two (2) years, with the exceptions that Regional Directors may serve a second two (2) year term and the Treasurer may serve additional two (2) year terms subject to Board of Directors approval. While beneficial for bringing fresh ideas and newer members into Club leadership roles, the 2nd Vice President position is a key position for maintaining continuity of Club leadership and for annual convention planning. Seeking more flexibility to retain qualified individuals in the 2nd Vice President position, the Board of Directors (at its March 2008 Mid-Year meeting) voted for a revision to the Club By-Laws. Proposed By-Laws Revision: Modify Article IV: Officers; Section 3. Term of Office. Item b, as follows: b. Regional Directors and the 2nd Vice President may serve two (2) consecutive terms. The Treasurer, subject to approval of the Board of Directors, may serve additional consecutive terms of two (2) or more years. Something Extraordinary Editor s note: Members Dan and Haya Sapira, who live in Israel, find the most extraordinary flow blue objects. Here is another example along with a portion of the note that accompanied the photographs. As promised here are two pictures of the carafe. One is with the separated stopper and the second with it half way inside. (It looks to me like a drunk man). It has a half cork that is held by a wire and a metallic finial. I decided to call the bottle a carafe, but it may be a decanter. Pic. 1 Pic. 2 UNKNOWN flow blue carafe with its stopper - a cork topped by a metal sphere finial Two square carafes in the exact same pattern. One is flown and the other is not. 19

20 FBICC Financial Report by Ray Schomas, Treasurer A Treasurer s summary of the FBICC s 2006 financial status was printed in the Blue Berry Notes early last year. As many of you may know, the Treasurer also gives detailed quarterly reports to the Board of Directors and has the financial committee review the Club s financial status and recordkeeping. In keeping with these practices, the Club s 2007 financial summary is being reported here for the general membership. Several years of successful conventions and cost controls have caused substantial improvements in the Club s financial health. That success caused the Board to create several initiatives in 2006 (and again in 2007) to use some of the Club s extra cash reserves to improve member services. These initiatives have included: color pages and special educational supplements in the Blue Berry Notes, improvements to the FBICC website, creation of the Flow Blue International Collectors Educational Fund (FBICEF), the Petra Williams book inventory purchase, and purchase of computers and software to reduce costs of Blue Berry Notes production and convention auctions. The primary intent has been to add value to your membership by enhancing Club services. The cost of these initiatives is reflected in reduction of the Club s reserves from $66,900 (2006) to $61,800 (2007). If you have any questions about the club s finances, feel free to contact me at or rschomas@core.com. The 2007 Financial Reports and the 2008 Budget will be available for review at the 2008 Rochester convention Financial Summary Expense Comparison Income Comparison $20,000 $25,000 $15,000 $20,000 $15,000 $10,000 $5,000 $ Membership Dues $22,650 $23,900 Auction Proceeds $7,850 $8,450 Interest $1,300 $1,500 Miscellaneous $300 $2,000 $10,000 $5,000 $ Blue Berry Notes $16,300 $18,300 Membership Costs $7,500 $7,300 Business Costs $4,200 $10,250 Board Costs $5,100 $4,250 Convention (Net) $2,800 $5,800 Education $1,350 $2,600 20