Jonathan Cohen's photos with the keyword: antiques

The first successful glasshouse in America was established in 1739 by Casper Wistar in Alloway, New Jersey. Advances in the technology of glass production, including the development of the mechanical glass press and the automatic bottle blowing machine, greatly reduced the demand for skilled glassblowers. By the early 1900’s, the automated bottle machines’ impact led to the closing of many glasshouses in New Jersey and throughout the country. It was one of these factory closings, in 1912, that eventually led to the Clevenger brothers’ establishing their own company. Henry Thomas (Tom), Lorenzo (Reno) and William Elbert (Allie) Clevenger all followed in their father’s footsteps of working in the glass industry. William Henry Clevenger had moved his family from place to place throughout South Jersey where he worked at several glass companies, before settling in Clayton to work for the Moore Brothers’ Clayton Glass Works. Tom, Reno and Allie all apprenticed at Moore Brothers and continued working at the Clayton factory until it closed in 1912. Over the next several years, the unemployed trio tried their hands at many different jobs, including rug making. It was not until 1930 that the brothers decided to open their own glass company. So, at the beginning of the Great Depression, Tarn, Reno and Allie constructed a small furnace in a stable in their backyard in Clayton. The intent of the Clevenger brothers was to carry-on the "South Jersey Tradition" of glassmaking and produce affordable reproductions of this early American glassware. The earliest known catalog of Clevenger glass, "The Renaissance of South Jersey Blown Glass" published by Grant and Lyon in 1934 stated, "South Jersey glass, beloved by all collectors of old American glassware, has been born again. Glass lovers who had believed that this intriguing product had passed into the category of a forgotten art will be thrilled to learn that down in South Jersey, in a glass factory. …, old craftsmen who learned their trade from their forebears in the time hallowed apprentice system are again blowing glass into the same shapes and pattern that made glass history so many years ago." Clevenger copies were usually much heavier than the originals. They were also made in vibrant colors not associated with early 19th century glassware. The Grant and Lyon 1934 catalog states "the Clevengers make most of their glass in amber, blue and green". By 1939 the Ritter catalog listed "the six original colors" of amber, amethyst, dark green, colonial blue, light green (also known as South Jersey green) and light blue. Other vivid colors were added to the line such as red, orange, amberina and vaseline (frequently appearing as opaque yellow). Due to lack of strict control in mixing batches and watching over the melts, variations appeared in many of the stock colors. Reds in Clevenger glass can range from almost black to a reddish orange. There are greens that appear to be blue-green. A few extremely rare pieces of clear and milk glass were also produced.

Most well-decorated Victorian parlors of the late 1800s and early 1900s had pianos draped with shawls. Something decorative was needed to hold those fabrics in place. From that necessity, piano babies were born. During the early 1900s, miniature piano babies were made to sit on children’s toy pianos. Many of these diminutive, 2- to 3-inch bisque figurines that did manage to survive children’s play, were eventually lost. Those remaining, and in good condition, are highly desirable. These figures, mostly produced in Germany, were made of unglazed bisque. Factories were already established as makers of fine bisque dolls, so it wasn’t difficult for them to expand their market by creating piano babies. Ernst Heubach’s porcelain factory was in Koppelsdorf, Germany. Many experts hold that of all the many companies manufacturing bisque during the Victorian period, Heubach's prodycts ares by far the best for quality. They are known for their pink-tinted bisque. They are also recognized for their exquisite detail, both in molding and in painting. These rosy-cheeked infants show remarkable facial expressions, whether pouting or smiling. Many have dimples. Often their mouths are parted just enough to reward you with a peek at a couple of baby teeth. Eyes of Heubach dolls are intaglio and by being impressed, are more realistic. The Heubach’s incredibly sculpted hair, usually painted blond, is curly or in a top knot. Often wisps appear from under highly detailed bonnets or caps. Their heads are at interesting angles, as if turning to entertain you with antics. "You Must Have Been a Beautiful Baby" is a popular song with music by Harry Warren and lyrics by Johnny Mercer, published in 1938. It was featured in the movie Hard to Get, released November 1938, where it was sung by Dick Powell. Originally, the song was recorded by Bing Crosby for the biggest-selling hit version, while other contemporaneous hit versions included recordings by Tommy Dorsey (with vocal by Edythe Wright) and Russ Morgan. It was also revived by Bobby Darin in 1961, reaching the charts again that year. The song has been recorded by many other artists and is considered a popular standard.

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