Alan – I have been thinking on what Debbie Schultz had written about your children not showing an interest in the family collections and my own experiences. I think a person has to be careful about forcing their personal likes on our children. I do believe that it takes time for, as we mature and grow more familiar with our station in life our interest change.

When I was younger my interest lay mainly in cars, girls, and sports. To be sure I would talk to men who worked in the glass factories and listened to their stories. I would go with my father up to Fred Carder’s house where my father and Mr Carder would talk glass as I would be examining his sun dial or if I could get a question in; about parrots (Carder had quite a knowledge about birds). But never about glass. It wasn’t until my father dragged me back from the ranch in Colorado and had me working selling furniture and glass that I discovered that I like glass.

One of my many chores was to clean the cases along with the glass. As I remembered what the glass worker’s stories had said about the glass my interest grew. There was this tall VDS vase, 355 was the vase shape, that no one liked. It was large, about 15″, and had a jewel mark on its side where it might have touched the glory hole, plus it was bent. The price was twenty five dollars, a price I could afford. I asked my father what would he sell it to me for and. he replied that if I wanted that piece I could have it and I liked it. I was around 30 years old at the time. So basically it took me 25 years to appreciate the art glass although I had been around it all my life.

As I grew older I worried if my daughter would have any interest. She sure didn’t show it, but like me once she was she settled down and established her roots this changed. Now my grand daughter who is twenty is starting to show interest in glass. It has gotten to the point where I don’t dare sell a piece without their approval and the answer usually is no.
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In short don’t give up on your children and don’t press it on them. They may never appreciate your collections, but then you can never be sure. Now if I can get them interested in my three inch ordinance rifle and limber that would be great!

Bobby Rockwell

Jane Shadel Spillman

I am saddened to hear that Jane has passed. She was always a bright spot in the world of glass as well as colleagues. Her contributions to the field of American glass will forever be important to scholars and collectors. I am grateful for her friendship over the years.

Sincerely,

David P. Donaldson, MFA