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- Findlay Onyx Victorian Muffineer or Sugar Shaker, Very Rare
Findlay Onyx Victorian Muffineer or Sugar Shaker, Very Rare
SKU:
$925.00
$925.00
Unavailable
per item
Beguiling and rare, this is one of the most sought after patterns in collectible glass. With its delicate tracery of shimmering floral vines atop creamy ivory glass, Onyx holds an opalescent fire that is unique among glass. This is American glass at its finest—lovely, mysterious, and full of drama.
The Full Story: "Findlay Onyx" is the shorthand name for this shimmering handblown glass that condenses the rise and fall of an entire town's history—as well as the mysterious production of one of the rarest of American patterns—into two simple words.
In the early 1880s, Findlay, Ohio was discovered to have huge reserves of natural gas, and it led to a sudden burst of land speculation and business boosterism that skyrocketed the small city to national prominence. Since glassmakers require enormous volumes of clean fuel to produce their wares, many were persuaded to relocate to Findlay to take advantage of both their gas boom and their easy access to several main rail lines. Five principle firms moved or formed there, and they are generally collectively know as Findlay glass even though they were separate entities with different aesthetics and a multitude of competing products.
The Dalzell, Gilmore, and Leighton Company were the originators of the Onyx pattern, as well as its similar sister pattern, Floradine, introduced at the same time in January of 1889. Both were well received and proved popular with retailers. Their combination of different colored glasses and richly patterned ornament was striking, and Onyx in particular was unique in American glass at the time. Aesthetically, they were a hit.
Monetarily, however, they were less successful. Through a combination of mismanagement of both natural and human resources, DG&L found themselves in dire financial straights. The glass sold well, but it was too costly to produce. It was prone to breakage because the layers of different glass made it brittle, and it often cracked during glassblowing and, after, during shipping. Ultimately, they were not profiting from its beauty since so many pieces were lost in the making of it.
Plus, of all the industries that have been labeled a sweatshop, glassmaking is one of the few that begs a literal interpretation of the phrase, with harsh conditions under forceful heat and rigid time constraints. In the Wild West meets east coast boomtown atmosphere that prevailed, many business owners profited handsomely while workers suffered through quite miserable working conditions. This led to strikes in many plants, the inevitable union busting, and a fair amount of social unrest. In turn, productivity plummeted, and DG&L suffered more than most during the time they were launching Onyx and Floradine.
Those were, however, not the only problems. Beginning in 1888, with both supply and legal issues threatening the flow of gas, many manufacturers couldn't run their furnaces. DG&L successfully converted to oil around the turn of the decade, but it was an arduous process and added one more setback to the production of Onyx. Strikes and fuel supply problems combined with the technical issues nearly bankrupted the company and they only produced the patterns for a short time. Their records are incomplete, but it was not likely produced for more than a year, and probably far less.
Once they had abandoned Onyx and Floradine's production, the company regrouped and then moved on to design and manufacture other successful lines of glass that helped to right their finances and ease the conditions of workers to the point that the plant could function more or less smoothly. They launched many other collected patterns, such as Amberette and Beaded Medallion, and were eventually acquired by National Glass—in a perhaps somewhat shady deal—all the while making and selling popular glass. National oversaw DG&L and its somewhat uneven success until 1901, when they moved their production to Cambridge and shuttered the Findlay plant.
The city of Findlay's fortunes were tied directly to their glassmakers. With the loss of its natural gas supply, and the resulting contraction of the real estate market and manufacturing, the town fared ever worse. It struggled to keep its industries happy, most of which fled the town, and the economy and workforce collapsed.
CONDITION: The shaker is in excellent condition: the glass has no chips or cracks, and shows no scratches. Additionally, the rim is very smooth for this type of glass, which, being brittle, was often chipped during manufacture and is always rough to some degree. The lid is in good condition: the silver is worn on the outside and there is a small dent, but the threads glide easily and it presents beautifully still. It could be polished if desired. In all, the glass itself is in remarkable condition given that the lid clearly indicates a good deal of use.
SIZE: 3” diameter by 5.375” tall
CIRCA: 1890
SHIPPING: Shipping is free to the mainland US and includes insurance.
The Full Story: "Findlay Onyx" is the shorthand name for this shimmering handblown glass that condenses the rise and fall of an entire town's history—as well as the mysterious production of one of the rarest of American patterns—into two simple words.
In the early 1880s, Findlay, Ohio was discovered to have huge reserves of natural gas, and it led to a sudden burst of land speculation and business boosterism that skyrocketed the small city to national prominence. Since glassmakers require enormous volumes of clean fuel to produce their wares, many were persuaded to relocate to Findlay to take advantage of both their gas boom and their easy access to several main rail lines. Five principle firms moved or formed there, and they are generally collectively know as Findlay glass even though they were separate entities with different aesthetics and a multitude of competing products.
The Dalzell, Gilmore, and Leighton Company were the originators of the Onyx pattern, as well as its similar sister pattern, Floradine, introduced at the same time in January of 1889. Both were well received and proved popular with retailers. Their combination of different colored glasses and richly patterned ornament was striking, and Onyx in particular was unique in American glass at the time. Aesthetically, they were a hit.
Monetarily, however, they were less successful. Through a combination of mismanagement of both natural and human resources, DG&L found themselves in dire financial straights. The glass sold well, but it was too costly to produce. It was prone to breakage because the layers of different glass made it brittle, and it often cracked during glassblowing and, after, during shipping. Ultimately, they were not profiting from its beauty since so many pieces were lost in the making of it.
Plus, of all the industries that have been labeled a sweatshop, glassmaking is one of the few that begs a literal interpretation of the phrase, with harsh conditions under forceful heat and rigid time constraints. In the Wild West meets east coast boomtown atmosphere that prevailed, many business owners profited handsomely while workers suffered through quite miserable working conditions. This led to strikes in many plants, the inevitable union busting, and a fair amount of social unrest. In turn, productivity plummeted, and DG&L suffered more than most during the time they were launching Onyx and Floradine.
Those were, however, not the only problems. Beginning in 1888, with both supply and legal issues threatening the flow of gas, many manufacturers couldn't run their furnaces. DG&L successfully converted to oil around the turn of the decade, but it was an arduous process and added one more setback to the production of Onyx. Strikes and fuel supply problems combined with the technical issues nearly bankrupted the company and they only produced the patterns for a short time. Their records are incomplete, but it was not likely produced for more than a year, and probably far less.
Once they had abandoned Onyx and Floradine's production, the company regrouped and then moved on to design and manufacture other successful lines of glass that helped to right their finances and ease the conditions of workers to the point that the plant could function more or less smoothly. They launched many other collected patterns, such as Amberette and Beaded Medallion, and were eventually acquired by National Glass—in a perhaps somewhat shady deal—all the while making and selling popular glass. National oversaw DG&L and its somewhat uneven success until 1901, when they moved their production to Cambridge and shuttered the Findlay plant.
The city of Findlay's fortunes were tied directly to their glassmakers. With the loss of its natural gas supply, and the resulting contraction of the real estate market and manufacturing, the town fared ever worse. It struggled to keep its industries happy, most of which fled the town, and the economy and workforce collapsed.
CONDITION: The shaker is in excellent condition: the glass has no chips or cracks, and shows no scratches. Additionally, the rim is very smooth for this type of glass, which, being brittle, was often chipped during manufacture and is always rough to some degree. The lid is in good condition: the silver is worn on the outside and there is a small dent, but the threads glide easily and it presents beautifully still. It could be polished if desired. In all, the glass itself is in remarkable condition given that the lid clearly indicates a good deal of use.
SIZE: 3” diameter by 5.375” tall
CIRCA: 1890
SHIPPING: Shipping is free to the mainland US and includes insurance.
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