Glassmaker Clearly Saw Safety Need
Famous American glassmaker Victor Durand Jr. worked with glass most of his life, and his concern for the safety of his job seems to have foreshadowed his death.
Durand was born in France in 1870. His father and grandfather worked in the glass industry, and when the family immigrated to America in 1882, it continued to make glass. Victor worked for Whitall-Tatum and Co., Wheaton Glass Works and other glassworks in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Canada.
In 1897, Durand started his own company in Vineland, N.J., the Vineland Flint Glass Manufacturing Co. This company and others that followed were all successful.
Durand worried about the dangers to workmen who could be cut by broken glass. He even ordered his workers to put safety glass in the windshields of their cars, a strange idea at the time.
Durand liked fast cars, and in 1931, while driving his new Pierce-Arrow, he lost control of the car. Because the car was new, he had not yet replaced the original window glass with a safety-glass windshield that could have saved his life--his face was cut from the windshield, and he died from the loss of blood.
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Question: My Arts and Crafts-style oak chair has a small brass tag on the back. It reads “Knaus Meisterwerk Furniture, The Knaus Manufacturing Company, Constantia, N.Y.” How old is it?
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Answer: Members of the Knaus family were making furniture in Syracuse, N.Y., by 1899. Norman Knaus was a foreman at the Gustav Stickley plant. He started making sofas at his own furniture company in 1902. It was called the N. L. Knaus Co. By 1905, Knaus and other family members were making furniture very similar to Stickley pieces. Knaus Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1908 in Constantia, N.Y. The company was sold in 1913 but kept the name. Some of this furniture was marked with a metal tag like that on your chair. The chair was made before 1915, when the company closed.
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Q. My grandmother has given me her favorite ceramic mixing bowl. She calls it “yellow ware.” What is yellow ware?
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A. Yellow ware is named for the color of its clay. The clay can vary from pale yellow to light brown. Yellow ware was baked at a high temperature, then covered with a clear alkaline glaze so the yellow finish could be seen. It is sturdy and heat-resistant, so it was primarily used for kitchenware, including bowls of all sizes, baking dishes, pitchers, canister sets, cookie jars, plates and cups.
Yellow ware originated in England and Scotland in the late 18th century and was being made in the United States by the 1830s. When molds and mass production were introduced in the 19th century, the output of yellow ware skyrocketed. Some pieces were made with bands of color, or with sponged or molded designs. Most production ended by the early 20th century.
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Q. Please help me identify the mark on the bottom of each of the four pieces of a silver tea service that was a wedding gift to my mother’s parents in the 1880s. The mark reads “Made and Guaranteed by Meriden B. Company, Rogers Bros, 2071, USA.” The words “Meriden B. Company” surround a picture of a balance scale in a circle.
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A. Meriden Britannia Co. bought out Rogers Brothers Manufacturing Co. of Hartford, Conn., in 1862, but the mark you describe was not used until about 1900 to 1917. The mark was one of many Meriden Britannia Co. marks that was used after the company merged with others in 1898 to form the International Silver Co.
For a listing of helpful books and publications, include a self-addressed, stamped (55 cents) envelope to Kovels, Los Angeles Times, King Features Syndicate, 235 E. 45th St., New York, NY 10017.
Current Prices
Current prices are recorded from antique shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary because of local economic conditions.
* Beam bottle, Churchill Downs, 98th Kentucky Derby, horse & rider, 1971: $40.
* Hall china butter dish, cover, Phoenix blue, Westinghouse: $55.
* Daum Nancy crystal sailboat, signed, 10 inches: $150.
* B&W; coupons for U.S. War Stamps, 20 by 30 inches: $210.
* Graniteware teapot, red, cobalt, orange & black, c. 1900: $430.
* Cocktail dress by Mainbocher, black lace over nude silk bodice, 1950s, size 12: $500.
* Simon & Halbig doll, No. 1299, bisque, blue sleep eyes, accented nostrils, open mouth, two upper teeth, mohair wig, white lace dress, 13 1/2 inches: $1,000.
* Tiffany Favrile amber glass goblet, tapering ovoid bowl, inverted lip, 1899-1928, 10 inches: $1,035.
* Pedal car, fire ladder, Seagrave, by American National, white walls, ringing bell, head and taillights, chromed steering wheel, 1920s, 46 inches: $3,600.
* L. & J.G. Stickley oak bookcase, rectangular outline, shaped gallery, cupboard door, shelves, makers brand, 50 by 22 inches: $4,310.
