Hi Alan,

I know a little about the Reifschlager’s from what Mr. Rockwell told me. They were friends of his from Texas, I think, and he helped them amass their collection.

When they both passed they left their whole collection to the Rockwell Museum. Mr. Rockwell said that he had a woman bring him a piece of Florentia that she thought he would be interested in it. When he ask why she thought that, she showed him his book and it was on the back cover. He said he was not interested as he already had that piece but that he had someone who might be. Then he called the Reifschlager’s to see if they wanted it and they said yes and had him purchase it for them. He shipped it to them and the sent him payment for it.

Now on to the Rotary Gallery, Mr. Carder actually started the first Rotary club here in Corning when he first came here. They didn’t have one prior to that. The Rotary Club help raise funds for the Rockwell Museum when it started and the funds were used to set up the gallery before it opened in 1982 in the old city hall.

ÿ
I would like to think that if Mr. Carder hadn’t come to Corning from England to help Hawkes there wouldn’t have been a Steuben factory or maybe not even a Rotary club too.

Beth Shaut

Northwood

Hi Alan,

Here is some help for the hanging light fixture that Gwen Stebbins’ lucky friend owns.

The mold for this piece originated at Northwood Glass Company. It was part of the Antique Ivory line introduced in 1915. The information I’ll share comes from Harry Northwood: The Wheeling Years 1901-1925 by Heacock, Measell & Wiggins, pages 141 and 143.

“Perhaps the most spectacular item made in Northwood’s Antique Ivory is the Dancing Ladies covered urn (Fig. 922)… A hanging light fixture in the Dancing Ladies motif has also been reported. … The mould for the Dancing Ladies urn was acquired by the Fenton Art Glass Company, probably after the Northwood firm closed in late 1925, and Fenton made this piece in a color called Chinese Yellow in the early 1930s. With the Northwood’s Dancing Ladies as inspiration, the Fenton firm also made its own moulds, eliminating the handles and the pattern on the base. The result was a smaller covered urn and vases in a variety of shapes (see Heacock’s Fenton Glass: The First Twenty-Five Years, pp. 25, 112, and 114, and Fenton Glass: The Second Twenty-Five Years, pp. 8, 29, 31, 68 and 86).”

Fenton glass reference books show a number of pieces made in the Dancing Ladies line, inspired by the Northwood urn vase mould. The company made these pieces in the 1930s, in crystal with satin highlights, as well as in opaque and transparent colors. The mold was revived in the late years to make even more items, in still different colors.

If you go to Google Images and type in “Northwood Dancing Ladies”, you’ll see the covered urns in several colors (not just Ivory), some electrified, as well as later-produced Fenton items.

I checked Worthpoint.com, and though covered urns (mostly electrified) were shown, I found no records of any of the hanging light fixtures having sold. Gwen, I think your friend has a gem on her hands.

Michael Krumme

Los Angeles