Depression Glass Covered In 18th Edition
By The Florences

The 18th edition of the Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass, by Gene & Cathy Florence, is now available from Collector Books.

Depression glass as defined in this book is the colored glassware made primarily from 1928 to 1940, in colors of amber, blue, black, crystal, green, pink, red, yellow and white. It also centers around the inexpensively made dinnerware turned out in bulk by machine and sold through small stores or given away as promotional or premium items. (Depression glass was packaged in cereal boxes and flour sacks;  given away at movie theaters, gasoline stations and grocery stores; or included with purchases of magazine subscriptions, seeds, butter and soap.)

Significant changes have occurred in the marketplace since this book was first published in 1972. The internet has had a major impact, according to the Florences. This has been both a blessing and a curse, they maintain. Great quantities of some patterns and colors have appeared. The blessing is that many people have been made aware of Depression glass and collectors have been able to fill their sets with previously missing items. The curse (to the seller, not the buyer) is that because so much has been unearthed, the market cannot absorb it as quickly as it is appearing. This oversupply has stifled prices and many basic items in major patterns are selling lower than they have in years.

In this book, this decreased pricing is reflected. The authors have studied realized prices from many sources across the country and have tried to make them reflect today’s market as accurately as possible. They definitely feel that today is a buyer’s market, probably the best since the 1970s.

The Collector’s Encyclopedia of Depression Glass is priced at $19.95. It includes a section on those patterns which have been reproduced in recent years.

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The Florence’s companion book, Collectible Glassware from the 40s, 50s and 60s, is also now available in its 9th edition. As the name clearly states, the glass in this book was made in the decades following the Depression. Both machine produced and handworked glassware are included. The same pricing decisions were used in this book as were used in the previous ones, as the authors try to accurate reflect today’s marketplace.

Collectible Glassware from the 40s, 50s and 60s is also priced at $19.95.

The books are available from local booksellers or ordered directly from Gene and Cathy Florence at P.O. Box 64, Astatula, FL 34705; they may also be ordered online at www.collectorbooks.com.

Donna Miller

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Collector Books Continues To Offer Updates

BOOK REVIEW

Updated editions of numerous reference books are available from Collector Books.

Schroeder’s Collec­ tible Toys, Antique to Modern Price Guide is out in its 11th edition. Readers will now find full color on every page, along with updated prices. (ISBN: 978-1-57432-572-0, softback, $19.95.)

The 5th edition of the Breyer Animal Collec­ tor’s Guide, by Browell, Korber-Weimer and Kesicki,  which includes identification and values, updates the information on the animals which have been created by the Breyer company since 1950. (ISBN: 978-1-57432-556-0, $24.95.)

Modern Guns, Identification & Values, by  Quertermous and Quertermous, is now in its 16th edition. First published in 1978, it has been updated and revised with the most current values for shotguns, rifles and handguns. (ISBN: 13:978-1-57432-522-5, softback, $16.95.)

The Collector’s Ency­ clo­ pedia of Barbie Doll Collector’s Editions , by J.M. Augustyniak, is available in its 2008 edition. New in the book, a compilation of every Collector Series Barbie doll and fashion, is the addition of stock numbers for every doll and an index directing the reader to the page on which the doll may be found. (ISBN: 978-1-57432-558-4, hardback, $29.95.)

The 2nd edition of Head Vases, Identif­ ication and Values, by K. Cole, shows hundreds of these figural pieces that were originally made to hold floral arrangements, and came to this country through pottery importers. The heads are grouped by topic and identified by com­ pany,  number, date, size and value. (ISBN:13: 978-1-57432-517-1, softback, $24.95.)

The 6th edition of B.J. Summers’ Guide to Coca-Cola is available. Information included with the listings, which range from paper goods to Santas to vending machines, includes the condition, the price, and the source which provided the information for the value. (ISBN: 1-57432-510-8, hardback, $29.95.)

The Collector’s Guide to Antique Radios, by J. Slusser, is out in its 7th edition. In this edition, in  addition to updating values, 14 new brands have been added and the total listings have increased to around 10,350. About 1200 color photos are used, and newly acquired information on specific model data has been incorporated. (ISBN: 978-1-57432-549-2, softback, $24.95.)

The 3rd edition of the Big Book of Pocket Knives, Identification & Values, by R. Stewart and R. Ritchie, includes a brief history of the major manufacturers of pocket knives, as well as updated values. Pictures are in black and white. (ISBN: 978-1-57432-547-8, softback, $19.95.)

The Flea Market Trader is in its 16th edition. Now in full color, it  covers thousands of the items one might find when shopping a flea market, and includes many of the newer collectibles. (ISBN: 978-1-57432-534-8, softback, $15.95.)

The books are all available from Collector Books, PO Box 3009, Paducah, KY 42002 or online at www.collectorbooks.com.

Donna Miller

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California Artist Honed His Skill With Railroad Posters

BOOK REVIEW

Sam Hyde Harris, 1889-1977, A Retro spective, is a pictorial biography of the life and work of this noteworthy California artist. Although actually born in England,  he moved to Los Angeles  with his family in 1904 and spent the rest of his life in that area.

His first work as a painter began in 1906 when he was hired to paint signs, billboards and even the sides of six-story buildings.

His commercial success really began when he was hired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company to design and paint its poster advertising in 1920, and later in the decade to do similar work for the Southern Pacific. His commercial work until the 1940s continued to center primarily around the major railroad companies.

However, that was not his exclusive work. For instance, one of the most recognizable logos in Los Angeles, the Van de Kamp Holland Dutch Bakers’ Blue Windmill, was also a Harris design.

Harris did not limit himself to commercial work, however, and he began formal art training soon after he arrived in Los Angeles. As part of this learning, he spent several months in Europe, studying the works of the masters in the art museums abroad.

For his fine art, he found he preferred to work outdoors, and most of his non-commercial paintings are outdoor scenes.

He also began teaching, and his credo, shared with his students, was “Keep it simple.” He maintained that it was not how much but how little could be used in a composition to give the effect wanted.

The book contains hundreds of photographs,  illustrating how Harris's styles changed through the years,  and includes a wonderful selection of reproductions of his railroad posters. Many of these include the pencil sketches on which the final piece was based.

Sam Hyde Harris, 1889-1977, A Retrospective, (ISBN: 0-7643-2591-4) is edited by Marine St. Gaudens and published by Schiffer Publishing. It is priced at $79.95. Check with your local bookseller or shop online at www.schifferbooks.com.

Donna Miller

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