The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-06
BY MRS. c. o. ROBINSON
Times Hobby Editor


l. cestors cherished, naturally
have become their heirlooms of to-
day because if grandmother had
not loved and preserved them they
never could have survived the
many moves and migrationS and
the havoc wrought by large faml-
lies of children that always
swarmed around and over them.
To those careful and conscien-
tious housekeeperS of the last CEN
fury We owe the abundance OF
lovely and fragile old glass and
china which will be displayed at
the second annual Early American
Glass and China show for the
benefit of the Children's Museum
of this city to be held on the
eighth floor of the L. S. Ayres &
Co. store on Nov. 81, %, % and "a.
Although un doubt e dly the
transparent nineteenth century
pressed glass with its wide range
of colorS and patterns will DOM
mate the show, there also will be
Diversified exhibits of other varie-
ties of glass, particularly the
pressed Opaque which is found
most frequently in milky white.
Entire dinner sets can be COL
lected in many handsome pat
terms of milk white glass as well
as hundreds of individual pieces,
including that Victorian atrocity,
the setting hen" and the lacy,
open edge plates and bowls which,
during the era of poor taste, the
elegant eighties" were entwined
with brilliant ribbons.
Opaque pressed glass also was
made in colors, principally in blue,
green, purple, yellow, chocolate
ard a mixture of milk white and
colored glass called marble, onyx,
mosaic, Connecticut, calico, or
what have you, and which looks
like grandmother marble cake.
MRS. POST MILLIKEN of this
1Vl city, who has a very rare,
extensive and varied collection of
purple and white marble glass,
says that around Provincetown, in
the Cape Cod district and the To-
cality adjacent to the old Sand
wich glass factory where she
found many of her pieces, it is
also called bottom of the pot,
meaning that it was made from
the last glass left in the pot after
a move" of glass was finished.
Sometimes bits of remaining metal
were mixed together and in this
manner, presumably, marble glass
originated.
Miss Anna Hasselman of this
city suggests another possible
origin for the glass. Her grand
father had large iron foundry
in indianapolis in the final quar-
ter of the last century and as a
child she often watched the week
ly smelling when the molten iron
was poured into the great mOuldS
to make castings. She has vague
recollection that the residue from
the melted iron was used to make
a notified or varigated glass
which her grandfather presented
as gifts to his patrons.
For many years she treasured
piece of this marble glass pressed
into the shape of a small dish
but as it can not be found for
comparison, it may not be the
same kind of glass.
Eventually marble glass became
a definite and popular variety of
pressed glass and during the 70's
and 80's was made under the trade
name Mosaic" in a paneled pat
tern, edged with scallops.
1t is a dense glass resembling
porcelain ano is represented in
the above illustration by Mrs.
Milliken's butter dish at the ex-
IRENE left.
The marble glass open-edged
plates are strikingly beautiful, es-
pecially when several are dis
played together. No two are alike
and this infinite variety makes
them exceedingly attractive. Their
trade name is o. W., but they are
called peacock" because a swirl
of color in the center of the plate
seems to form the figure of pea
cock.
The porcelain like tiny cups and
saucers which almost never are
found and the candlesticks here
shown are the rarest pieces of the
porcelain like marble glass.
MFRS. MILLIKEN' collection
1V1 also includes an opalescent
marble glass in a variety of pieces
suitable for table service such as
the cream and sugar here shown.
They are formed very artistically
and are decorated with graceful
pressed design Of dainty, delicately
iridescent beads.
Mrs. Milliken will set table in
her veryN beautiful and unique
marble glass for display at the
glass and china show as will sew
eral other collectors who have dis
tinguished and interesting glass.
AS a special treat for children
and with a view to "dolling" up
the show, Mrs. Frank B. Shields,
general chairman, has invited all
the quaint and amusing old dolls
that once delighted today's grand
mothers, to come forth from In
dianapolis attics and treasure
boxes and watch over the exhibit
ton from a reserved section of
their own.
The first seat has been taken
by Mrs. Theo D. Griffith in behalf
Of Mrs. Perkins" once beloved
doll member Of the Griffith
family.
AS exhibitors are charged no
entry fee, Mrs. Elmer E. Scott,
chairman of the entry committee,