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    Paperweights 101: An Introduction to Collecting Glass Paperweights
    Paperweights 101: An Introduction to Collecting Glass Paperweights
    Paperweights 101: An Introduction to Collecting Glass Paperweights
    Ebook225 pages2 hours

    Paperweights 101: An Introduction to Collecting Glass Paperweights

    By Doris B. Robinson

    5/5

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    About this ebook

    The purpose of this book is to introduce paperweight collecting to those people who may be interested in these fascinating and mysterious small glass objects, but are not quite ready to start a collection without some basic knowledge.
    Back in 1969, when my husband and I first became interested in paperweights, information was at a premium. The limited number of books about paperweights were often hard to come by. Occasionally, articles were published in magazines, and once in a while, an article appeared in a newspaper. You were lucky if you heard about the article and luckier still to find a copy!
    Some wonderful books were published as far back as 1940 when paperweight collector Evangeline Bergstroms book Old Glass Paperweights first appeared.* In fact, many old books, paperweight journals, newspaper and magazine articles have become valuable in their own right, now sought after as collectors items.
    The positive side about this paucity of literature was that you read everything you could get your hands on, good, poor or terrific. Today, even the very best of these publications, many still considered top notch, contain at least some information that could be updated and corrected as a result of recent findings. Still, many of these books and articles remain as valuable resources.
    Since the Paperweight Renaissance in the mid twentieth century, the number of available books about paperweights has increased explosively. To consider acquiring and/or reading all of them creates a heavy burden on reader, purse and bookshelf. Some are wonderful, containing well documented information; some are even extraordinary, the result of careful research; and a few are mediocre and will probably end up on the back shelf, the pages barely worn.
    Before a potential paperweight aficionado becomes confused or overwhelmed by the vast number of books, it seemed there was an opportunity to provide a general view of the topic that could be easily read and referred to at just the right time. It was to meet this perceived need that Glass Paperweights 101 was written. As the title suggests, this book about glass paperweights is intended as an introduction to and overview of the subject. Should this book inspire readers to delve into these more scholarly works, I will personally consider this introductory volume to have been a great success.

    After digesting the contents of this purposely limited volume, I hope readers who are new to this area of collecting or perhaps just thinking about it, will be inspired to become impassioned paperweight collectors who will develop a discriminating eye.

    Great adventures are in store for the new paperweight collector.
    *This was one of the earliest books published a about paperweights. Although the Bergstrom book contains many inaccuracies, considering the scarcity of available information about paperweights at the time, it is amazing that so much that was written is correct.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherXlibris US
    Release dateMar 4, 2014
    ISBN9781483608860
    Paperweights 101: An Introduction to Collecting Glass Paperweights

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    • 5/5
      The book is beautiful, the information is invaluable for the beginner and the experience of reading it is a pleasure!“All I really need to know about paperweights”, I learned in Doris Robinson’s “Paperweights 101”, edited by her husband Harvey. Both are experts in the field, and the book is written for the beginner. I might be considered a prequel to a beginner when it comes to paperweights, but as I looked through the book, I realized that all I needed to discover to whet my interest was what was enclosed between the covers. The paperweight on the cover of the book is particularly lovely, and it invited me into the pages, warmly. The photographs of the paperweights, throughout the book, are of a wide variety and their method of creation is carefully explained in a way to inspire interest. The instruction is not overwhelming in detail, but rather it is stimulating in its presentation. My personal favorite of those displayed was the unusual Millville pair of Lily inkwells. The glossary at the end of the book was the perfect conclusion since it explained and tied up all of the loose ends I encountered in my humble beginning foray into the world of paperweights. Who knows, although a novice I may be, I may just be the next in line to have a beautiful collection, lovingly amassed, with care and precision, as I travel down the years inspired by the Robinsons. So, “Here’s to you, Mrs. Robinson”!

    Book preview

    Paperweights 101 - Doris B. Robinson

    Copyright © 2014 by Doris B. Robinson. 537443

    ISBN:    Softcover    978-1-4836-0884-6

    Hardcover    978-1-4836-0885-3

    Ebook    978-1-4836-0886-0

    All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

    Rev. date: 06/13/2014

    Xlibris Corporation

    1-888-795-4274

    www.Xlibris.com

    Photographs by Harvey Robinson and

    L. H. Selman, Ltd., Chicago, IL

    Contents

    Preface

    Dedication

    Acknowledgement

    Chapter I: Some Basics About Glass Paperweights

    Chapter II: Why Collect Glass Paperweights?

    Chapter III: So Whose Idea Was It Anyway?

    Chapter IV: The Anatomy of a Glass Paperweight

    Chapter V: Making a Paperweight

    Chapter VI: The Cutting Edge Facets, Printies & Flutes

    Chapter VII: What To Look For When Buying A Paperweight When Looks Count For Almost Everything

    Chapter VIII: Learning How To Identify Glass Paperweights

    Chapter IX: Fakes, Foneys and Other Forms of Flattery

    Chapter X: The Care and Keeping Of Glass Paperweights

    Chapter XI: Paperweight Glossary

    Chapter XII: Flower Names and Descriptions

    Chapter XIII: Recommended Books

    Bibliography

    End Notes

    Welcome

    to the

    Wonderful World

    of

    Glass Paperweights

    PREFACE

    The purpose of this book is to introduce paperweight collecting to those people who may be interested in these fascinating and mysterious small glass objects, but are not quite ready to start a collection without some basic knowledge.

    Back in 1969, when my husband and I first became interested in paperweights, information was at a premium. The limited number of books about paperweights were often hard to come by. Occasionally, articles were published in magazines, and once in a while, an article appeared in a newspaper. You were lucky if you heard about the article and luckier still to find a copy!

    Some wonderful books were published as far back as 1940 when paperweight collector Evangeline Bergstrom’s book Old Glass Paperweights first appeared.¹ In fact, many old books, paperweight journals, newspaper and magazine articles have become valuable in their own right, now sought after as collectors’ items. 

    The positive side about this paucity of literature was that you read everything you could get your hands on, good, poor or terrific. Today, even the very best of these publications, many still considered top notch, contain at least some information that could be updated and corrected as a result of recent findings. Still, many of these books and articles remain as valuable resources.

    Since the Paperweight Renaissance in the mid-twentieth century, the number of available books about paperweights has increased explosively. To consider acquiring and/or reading all of them creates a heavy burden on reader, purse and bookshelf. Some are wonderful, containing well documented information; some are even extraordinary, the result of careful research; and a few are mediocre and will probably end up on the back shelf, the pages barely worn.

    Before a potential paperweight aficionado becomes confused or overwhelmed by the vast number of books, it seemed there was an opportunity to provide a general view of the topic that could be easily read and referred to at just the right time. It was to meet this perceived need that Paperweights 101 was written. As the title suggests, this book about glass paperweights is intended as an introduction to and overview of the subject. Should this book inspire readers to delve into these more scholarly works, I will personally consider this introductory volume to have been a great success.

    After digesting the contents of this purposely limited volume, I hope readers who are new to this area of collecting or perhaps just thinking about it, will be inspired to become impassioned paperweight collectors who will develop a discriminating eye.

    Great adventures are in store for the new paperweight collector.

    DEDICATION

    This book is dedicated to the memory of the late Paul Jokelson without whom there would have been no reason to write a book about glass paperweights.

    In 1923, Paul Jokelson—at that time serving an eighteen month volunteer enlistment in the Army of France, the country of his birth—purchased a paperweight known as the Bird and Nest² for 15 francs. Little did he imagine that this small crystal object bought in a modest shop on Rue des Saints Père in Paris would later shape the course of his life.

    After World War II, Paul Jokelson came to the United States. Still enthusiastic about glass paperweights (and with friends and contacts in France), M. Jokelson motivated the Baccarat factory in France to try to make modern sulphide paperweights. The first attempt, a sulphide of Dwight D. Eisenhower, was not successful but the next effort, made on the occasion of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, a double profile of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, proved that making fine sulphide paperweights was possible. He was then able to convince the Cristalleries de Saint Louis to also produce sulphide paperweights. The paperweights made at both factories were both an artistic and commercial success. Within a few years, these two French factories were also producing lampwork and millefiori paperweights.

    In response to an increasing cadre of paperweight enthusiasts in the United States, M. Jokelson founded the Paperweight Collectors’ Association, which he presided over as President from 1953 to 1980. During that time, he wrote Newsletters and published full color, limited edition Bulletins. He planned and managed twenty-three PCA Bi-annual Conventions that took place in sites from coast to coast across the USA.

    Recognized and respected as an expert on paperweights, M. Jokelson was considered the foremost authority on sulphides. He was the author of three books on the subject of paperweights.

    If indeed the ingredients necessary for a Paperweight Renaissance in the Twentieth-Century existed, it remained for a man such as Paul Jokelson, a gentleman of adventurous spirit and discriminating taste, to become the catalyst.

    Paul Jokelson died peacefully in 2002. He was 97 years young. It was an unforgettable privilege to have known him and he will never be forgotten.

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

    My most sincere thanks go to my husband, Harvey, for his belief that this book would be useful to collectors who are new to the world of glass paperweights and his help in getting it published.

    There are many fine books about paperweights. Some are for general reference, others hone in on a particular area of interest. Many include photographs, a very valuable asset to any paperweight collector. However, none of the books seemed to be just right to appeal to someone who was just beginning or considering starting a paperweight collection.

    My idea was to present a book that was easy to read and covered many topics connected with paperweight collecting from history to Paperweight Collectors’ Association Conventions. The goal was to write a book that would interest people who know little or nothing about glass paperweights, give them some basic knowledge and guide them to more books about paperweights.

    Of course, I had to tell them what fun it could be!

    With this thought in mind, the idea for this book was conceived, and, in the winter (down time for gardeners in the Northeast) of 1994, begun on an unused computer in our business office. Much of it had been completed, when in 1995, disaster befell. The computer froze. Many experts were called but all delivered the same diagnosis: it was beyond salvage! Everything in it was gone forever—or so I thought.

    From 1996 to 2004, our winters were warm ones, spent in Florida, where we met many of the paperweight collectors at one of their winter meetings.

    In the winter of 2005, to my surprise, Harvey presented me with a printed copy of the book which he had saved when the business office was closed.

    Once again, as a winter project, I began to revive and rewrite Paperweights 101. In the intervening years, collectors had researched and written some excellent books introducing many facts about these wonderful Flowers which clothe the meadows³ that could not be ignored.

    When the book was finally completed, Harvey stepped in again. He designed the book, found and added the necessary photographs, set it up in a publishable form and arranged to have it printed. He is deserving of my most sincere thanks.

    I hope readers of this book who find it helpful in their quest for paperweights, will add their thanks to mine.

    Chapter I

    Some Basics About

    Glass Paperweights

    mock-up%20with%20images-2.tif

    Antique Baccarat Wheatflower & Garland

    Some Basics About Glass Paperweights

    Since the mid-nineteenth century, when glass paperweights were first produced, people have been intrigued by these fascinating decorative objets d’art which feature an exquisite little motif captured and enhanced by the glass which holds it prisoner.

    Paperweight subjects include flowers, buds, bouquets, butterflies, fruit,

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