Glass Consciousness in America

Perusing the collection at the Historical Glass Museum Foundation in Redlands, you find yourself wondering if glass really is an inanimate substance. Among the wares on view are a crystalline brilliant-cut ice cream dish once owned by Liberace, and several mysterious-looking vintage epergnes, each with three jack-in-the-pulpit-shaped flutes. Guests here journey through two colorful centuries of American glassmaking, uncovering bits of trivia from bygone eras along the way.

“Epergnes are just an artistic display of glass and color,” explains Bill Summers, vice president of the Historical Glass Museum Foundation, of the stemmed centerpieces that hold separate dishes. “They don’t serve any real purpose. Glass companies made them to show what they were capable of creating.” Every weekend, Summers or other foundation colleagues guide visitors (some from as far away as England and Japan) through the seven cozy rooms of the Victorian storybook-style house. The docents readily proffer tutorials about the products by Heisey; Fostoria; Hobbs, Brockunier & Co.; and other premier glass factories now out of business.

Fragile deely-bobs such as sparkling glasses, jewel-toned vases and Lilliputian spice jars glow from the lighted mahogany cabinets. A Pyrex glass iron from World War II harks back to a time when the country was called upon to preserve metal for the war effort. Dainty spoons hang from an aristocratic spoon rack (circa 1884) with a tiny crystal elephant perched on top. Additional highlights include an entire vitrine of handsome Depression-era jadeite creations by Fenton Art Glass and jade candleholders from 1845. “The number of collectors has skyrocketed over the last 10 years so naturally there’s an increased demand for antique glass,” says Summers, who has been hunting translucent treasures for more than two decades.

Although the displays change regularly, visitors can always expect an abundance of colored glass, including a few pristine examples of iridescent “carnival” glass (named for its onetime role as a carnie prize) and cranberry opalescent glass (a rich ruby intertwined with a layer of white). Good color contrast is the key to high-quality hued glass, Summers says. “Avoid anything that doesn’t have robust color. Cranberry glass shouldn’t look pink.”

Former Redlands residents and collectors Dixie and Dee Huckabee established the foundation in 1976 to connect with other glass enthusiasts. They presented the foundation with the century-old Victorian that they had earlier purchased. Countless fund-raisers and volunteer hours later, the museum opened in 1985 with additional works donated by friends. The Huckabees have since passed the torch to a board of directors and core members who keep the museum running through fund-raisers, donations and loans from their personal collections.

The foundation meets about once a month to review finances and administrative matters, but the gatherings usually veer into spirited conversations about new finds or ideas for future displays. “It’s so easy to get hooked,” Summers says. “Throughout school, I was never interested in anything that had to do with history. Then I found glass, and all of a sudden I wanted to learn everything I could about it.”

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Historical Glass Museum Foundation, 1157 Orange St., Redlands; (909) 798-0868.