Searching the Prism of U.S. Glassworks

Question: Because I’m interested in collecting old bottles, particularly those with American origins, I’d like some information on how far back America’s glass industry goes.--F.S.

Answer: The roots of American glassmaking go back to the Colonies, when British investors underwrote some of the earliest glass operations in this country. But these operations were very limited, and most glass had to be imported from Europe until the mid-18th Century.

Much of the problem in this country’s formative years was that the ruling British government didn’t encourage new products, but instead wanted the early settlers to produce raw materials that could be manufactured in Great Britain and then exported back to the Colonies.

But growing demand for better containers for wine and spirits kept the fledgling bottle industry alive. It really didn’t take off, however, until after the War of 1812. With the British out of the American market, the glass industry began to thrive up and down the Eastern Seaboard.

By the mid-19th Century, bottle factories had spread to the Midwest. At about this time, self-taught doctors began hawking myriad cures. Such medicine proved practically worthless--like watered-down alcohol--but the bottles that contained these miracle cures have become sought-after collectibles.

Old “medicine” bottles are particularly valuable if they can be found with the original instruction labels still stuck to the bottle; or if the bottle is still in its original package.

By the dawn of the 20th Century, mass-production techniques had generally replaced small bottle factories as large companies took over the industry.

Glass collecting has been an extremely popular pastime in this country for more than half a century. Part of the fun of collecting bottles and related glass items is the insight it gives collectors into American history. This is particularly so in terms of identifying individuals and companies that played a role in shaping the glass industry and understanding the political events that sparked the design, inscriptions and patterns of these collectibles.

Q: We recently toured the Middle Atlantic area of the United States searching for genuine folk art. We believe we’ve come back with some fine pieces, such as some quilts, weather vanes and sculpture, but isn’t it always difficult authenticating such items?--W.M.

A: The reputation of the dealer counts for a lot. Additionally, it’s important to do some advance reading in the area of your anticipated purchases.

Part of the problem inherent in this subject is that it’s so amorphous. Folk art is really the product of common people, and the media range from painting to baskets; from household objects to wall hangings.

Moreover, there is no set period associated with folk art--it covers a broad time frame going back to the Founding Fathers.

Purists argue that the folk art label shouldn’t be applied to items produced in the 20th Century. The reason, they say, is this is the period when industrial techniques spread across the nation, leading to a decline of many items that had once been produced by hand.

Other collectors contend, however, that age doesn’t have to be a qualifier for folk art. There are artists throughout the country, they underscore, who are creating works that rank in quality and value with folk art produced one and two centuries ago.

In short, folk art is an evolving art form, many experienced collectors say, and the age of a collectible, although important, is not the final factor in determining value.

Whatever the case, there is general agreement among collectors that it wasn’t until about half a century ago that folk art became a target of serious interest.

Collecting hint: Unlike fine art, collectors note that it’s not of paramount importance to determine the name of the individual who produced the folk art item. In many, if not most cases, old folk art was fashioned by anonymous craftsmen. Therefore, the value of the work is largely linked to its condition and the integrity of the seller/dealer who can identify the region of the country where it was made and who can give the item an approximate production date.