My Mom, Your Friend, June E. Riccio

Feb 10, 2021
Issue 3507

First and foremost, I would like to apologize for this late notice. Mom passed on June 6 of last year, a time we lost several club members. Mom was a wonderful, graceful person and mother and I always enjoyed her company when ever we got together. Mom’s collecting began in the mid 60’s when we would go to Flea markets, Swap Meets, Thrift Stores, Antique Shops and Antique Shows. Mom and I really enjoyed ‘The Hunt’ as we found many things if interest and treasures. Mom soon amassed a large collection of glassware and filled our garage! Mom and Dad decided to open an Antique Shop and thus ‘House of Memories’ became the ‘shop’ in Santa Monica, Calif.. Soon after Mom’s interest was Heisey Glass. She had at one time collected over 3200 pieces of Heisey glassware. During her research she became friends with a gentleman named Mr. Gerald or ‘Mr. G’ as we knew him. Mr. G was a glass engraver with the Heisey Glass Co. until their close in 1957. At the young age of 82 Mr. G taught me to wheel engrave glass and repair (chips etc.) in glassware. I was 15 at the time! We then added ‘glass repair’ at our shop and had boxes of glassware sent to us for repairs from other dealers, we kept busy and as a kid I made some good change ($) too! In the late 60’s Mom and a good friend of hers, Kathy Isaacs founded the ‘National Heisey Collectors Club’ and she enjoyed sharing her vast knowledge with fellow Heisey collectors. 1969; enter ‘the love of Carder Steuben’ rollercoaster ride! My high school was 3 blocks from the shop and after school I would open the shop during the week as Mom and Dad both worked at their jobs. I would do repair work and while waiting for customers to come in I would read magazines and books on Antiques that Mom had in the shop. I soon became fond of all the colors of Carder Steuben. Mom joined in on the ‘Steuben’ fondness when one day I went across the street to the Thrift store and found a clear vase with controlled bubbles and ‘as Mom called it’ Cerise Ruby reeding around the top 1″. I bought that vase for $1.00 and Mom gave me $12.00 for it! Not a bad profit in those days, for a kid! That vase became the first item in Mom’s Steuben collection. I always thought that the reeding was ‘Gold Ruby’ and the vase could very well be a ‘Fry’ item, who knows! None the less, we were on our way to Steuben collecting. I think at last count Mom and Dad have close to 400 Carder ‘Objects of Desire’ (thanks Alan!) in their house on display in 6 beautiful cabinets (that my Dad built) and throughout the their home. Mom’s favorite shape was the 6031 vase and I think there were 35+ examples of this vase in her collection in various colors and decorations (a.c.b., etc). In closing, Mom met many friends and enjoyed the camaraderie of the Carder Steuben Club members. I thank you all for your thoughts. A beloved mother and graceful friend, she will be missed.

Sincerely,

Guy J. Hoskins

Art Deco vs. Art Nouveau: Period Features and Examples

The two styles, both prominent in early-20th-century design, are easy to distinguish if you know what to look for.

Symposium 2025
Carder Steuben Glass Association
19-20 September 2025
© Carder Steuben Glass Association Inc.