Recently we shared a picture of a Flemish Blue cologne bottle. Looking at shape numbers in the Gardner book displayed several possible shape numbers; however, no certainty as to which one applied. Fortunately, perfume bottle collector, Janice Boyd of Brevard, NC, wrote to me to tell me she had the same shape in Blue Aurene. This was an oppurtune event. I, in turn, wrote back to ask what shape number was etched on the base. Most Aurene’s have their shape numbers etched into the base of the piece by the factory. So, what better way to identify the correct shape number than by a factory marking. In this case #3175. Reference to the line drawings show this piece, although with a fatter profile than the actual piece. However, this kind of variance does occur. In turn, I notified the webmaster, Marshall Ketchum, of this piece of information to use in verifying the correct shape number for this cologne. As an added bonus I asked Janice to supply a picture of her Blue Aurene since there wasn’t a picture on the shape listings in Blue Aurene on the Club’s web site. So, the end result is just one more opportunity to clarify and make the information that more accurate and valuable.

Next, in browsing through pictures of pieces on the Club’s web site I discovered a picture I had submitted to the old web site many years ago. The old site didn’t have the capacity for descriptive information that aided in finding and assisting the viewer to understand the attributes of a piece of glass. The webmaster, based on a small and limited picture had identified an attribute of this piece as yellow jade. However, since I have the piece I knew it was yellow Cintra and I could e-mail that information to the webmaster to further better identify the piece. Also, I had the dimensions which he didn’t which I could now supply and better identify the piece.

The point of all this is that you can assist the webmaster by adding information you have in hand that the webmaster doesn’t to continually improve the quality and accuracy of the site. This can be improved pictures over what is available on the web site today. Dimensions, types of glass, colors and pictures of glass you have that the web site doesn’t have. The website www.cardersteubenclub.org is a great resource. However, it takes the input and sharing by you of the glass you have and information you may have to share with the Club and viewing public. A wealth of knowledge on Carder’s glass has been developed in the last several years by the use of the internet and the sharing opportunities it provides.

On another note, I’ve had several e-mails on the question raised in the recent Gazette’s dealing with the color of Gold and Blue Aurene on a single piece of glass. You can look forward to seeing several Gazette’s sharing additional information this coming week.

Any opinions expressed by participants to the Gazette are the opinions of the authors and are not endorsed by or the opinions of the Carder Steuben Club