About LABAC

LABAC is an informal nonprofit research group that pools resources to find and acquire significant Brilliant Period cut glass catalogs, booklets, photo albums, scrapbooks, advertising and similar materials. LABAC distributes copies of developed and found materials to members, for their personal study and research use. There are presently about nine dozen participants, and everyone is invited to join in this important research effort.

OPEN MEMBERSHIP. LABAC is open to all individuals and institutions. Group leverage and "reach" increase as membership grows, so it's beneficial to involve new members. LABAC has been operating for almost seven years, and seeks more participants.

AFFILIATIONS. LABAC is not affiliated with the ACGA or with any other organization. The ACGA and the Rakow Research Library are encouraged to collaborate to publish reproductions based on some of the original materials found by LABAC, but it is left to these organizations to determine which (if any) materials might be published.

HOW IT WORKS. Members collaborate by telephone, e-mail and letters to find and acquire access to cut glass reference materials from the Brilliant Period. Copies of otherwise inaccessible items may be considered for distribution. Many members help to find material, and all work is done by unpaid volunteers.

For each item found, high-quality copies are distributed to members within bound books, for personal research use. Operating costs (e.g., acquisition, reproduction, distribution, and administration) are deducted from subscription receipts until subscription funds are exhausted. At this point, a new subscription cycle begins with a request for subscription renewals and new members. Subscription cycles usually last about three to six months, but duration depends on the quantity of material we find, how much the items cost, page counts, etc.

SUBSCRIPTIONS. Subscription cycle #1 opened in 2001. Cycle #14 opened in early 2008. Usual cost of each subscription cycle is $40, but rare "special circumstances" may occasionally increase costs. Members may request cancellation at any time, and the unused portion of current cycle subscription money will be cheerfully refunded, no questions asked. Any LABAC member choosing not to renew their subscription by the cycle closing date is dropped from membership, and does not receive subsequent books of materials. Dropout reminders are infrequently sent.

DONATIONS. At cycle close, gratis copies of materials are donated to the ACGA archives, the Rakow Research Library at the Corning Museum of Glass (which is granted microfiche replication but not publication rights), the Museum of American Cut and Engraved Glass in Highlands, NC, the West Virginia Museum of Glass and the United States Library of Congress.

Purchased original catalogs are offered to the ACGA for eventual publication to maximize visibility for the material. Each LABAC original catalog has so far been donated to the Rakow Research Library, so that microfiche and diazo copies become immediately available to researchers. Rakow also provides archival preservation facilities and professional management for these old documents. The ACGA retains first right of refusal to reprint the LABAC catalogs donated to the Rakow Research Library. So far, the ACGA has republished one old original catalog offered by LABAC.

ADMINISTRATION. LABAC is presently organized by Rob and Val Smith, until someone else volunteers. Telephone and e-mail are used for rapid communications regarding issues and opportunities, but the USPO is used to involve those not having access to computer tools. When material becomes available, members are asked whether LABAC should buy or borrow, and the applicable maximum cost ceiling. Group decisions are usually voted within two or three days. At the end of each cycle, an operating financial summary is sent to participants, so that everyone can see how group resources have been used.

SOURCES. Collector reference materials, local auctions, local/regional/national libraries, jewelry store archives and family records have been exploited by LABAC members to find materials. So far, about half of our rediscovered materials have been loaned by participants. eBay is another significant source. Original catalogs and similar materials come up several times each year for "web auction" on eBay.

Volunteers expediently prepare indices for each LABAC book, prior to distribution to participants. So far, they have prepared more than six dozen indices for us.

RESULTS. It is impractical to predict results for future cycles, but the consistent volume of available material is quite encouraging. The present LABAC Cycle #14 "RN5" book is our twenty-second bound volume of rediscovered Brilliant Cut Glass information. The group has published the following softbound books:

Cycle #14 (2008) -- ("RN5") Cut Glass Research Notes Volume Five, Comprehensive Indices,
by Craig Carlson. 156pp., ISBN 0-937508-20-9.

("NEW") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: New England Glass Works 1884, Wilcox, Standard Engraving
& Cut Glass 1916, Pitkin & Brooks 1917, T.B. Clark & Co. 1912. 418pp., ISBN 0-937508-19-5.

Cycle #13 (2007) -- ("RN4") Cut Glass Research Notes Volume Four, Straus-Macy, by Craig
Carlson. 496pp., ISBN 0-937508-18-7.

Cycle #12 (2007) -- ("RN3") Cut Glass Research Notes Volume Three (Kellner & Munro
through Wright), by Craig Carlson. 446pp., ISBN 0-937508-17-9.

Cycle #11 (2006) -- ("RN2") Cut Glass Research Notes Volume Two (Drake through Jewel),
by Craig Carlson. 392pp., ISBN 0-937508-15-8.

("CIL") Cut Glass Catalogs: Clark, International Cut Glass, Libbey, et al. 392pp.,
ISBN 0-937508-16-0.

Cycle #10 (2006) -- ("RN1") Cut Glass Research Notes Volume One (Abraham & Straus
through Dorflinger), by Craig Carlson. 362pp., ISBN 0-937508-13-6.

("PBM") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: Pitkin & Brooks 1902-03, Meriden 1918, Quaker City 1910,
Higgins & Seiter 1895-96, and Fischer 1918. ISBN 0-937508-14-4.

Cycle #9 (2005) -- ("LHL") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: Libbey, Huntley, Loftis, Reim, et al.
ISBN 0-937508-12-8.

Cycle #8 (2005) -- ("MF") Marshall Field Cut Glass, 1892-1922. ISBN 0-937508-11-X.

Cycle #7 ( 2004 ) -- ("BRC") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalog: Bergen 1903 "Red Cover."
ISBN 0-937508-07-1.

("PBHS") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: Pitkin & Brooks, Higgins & Seiter, Burley & Tyrrell, Meriden.
ISBN 0-937508-10-1.

Cycle #6 (2004) -- ("FBMC") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: Fry, Bergen, Maple City, United States Glass, Bawo & Dotter, Bowman, Otto Young, Marshall Wells. ISBN 0-937508-05-5.

("BCTH") Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: Blackmer, Covington, Tinker, Hawkes.
ISBN 0-937508-06-3.

Cycle #5 ( 2003) -- ("AD2") American Brilliant Period Cut Glass Advertisements Book Two (Drake Cut Glass through Jewel Cut Glass).

("AD3") American Brilliant Period Cut Glass Advertisements Book Three (Johnson-Carlson Cut Glass through Owanda Cut Glass).

("AD4") American Brilliant Period Cut Glass Advertisements Book Four (Pairpoint through Wright Rich Cut Glass).

Cycle #4 (2003) -- ("AD1") American Brilliant Period Cut Glass Advertisements Book One (Albert Bros through Dorflinger). ISBN 0-937508-02-0 (set of four ad books).

("BBB") Cut Glass Catalogs: Blackmer, Bergen and Blackmer. ISBN 0-937508-00-4.

Cycle #3 (2002, then 2nd editions 2006) -- ("PU") Cut Glass Catalogs: Pairpoint and Union.
ISBN 0-937508-04-7.

("GWM") Cut Glass Catalogs: Gilsey, Wallenstein, Mayer and Tinker. ISBN0-937508-03-9.

We're certain that there's a lot more surviving cut glass information than has so far been "rediscovered". We continue to find and accumulate significant Brilliant Period cut glass catalogs, booklets, photo albums, scrapbooks, advertisements and similar materials. Our priority is cutting house information, but we've also rediscovered many interesting and useful distributor catalog sections showing cut glass. We invite all cut glass enthusiasts and institutions to join us in this important research effort.

LABAC Reprinted Cut Glass Materials Summary
Cut glass catalogs, catalog sections, chapters and articles published by LABAC cycles #3 to #14.
Company	Catalog Date	Catalog	Type	Ind	LABAC Book	Research Notes

Allen, Benjamin	1901	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Allen, Benjamin	1904	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11

Bawo & Dotter	1899	New York City	Section	Yes	FBMC--6
Beck, Will H.	~1914	Souix City	Section	No	LHL -- 9
Becken, A.C.	1903	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Bergen	1903	Red Cover	Compete	Yes	BRC -- 7	Individually reprinted by arrangement with the owner of the catalog original and the Meriden Historical Society
Bergen	1907-08	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	FBMC--6
Bergen	1914	51	Complete	Yes	BBB --4
Bergen	1942	Cutting House	Article		LHL -- 9	Historical Memorandum
Bergen	n.d.	Cutting House	Article		FBMC--6	Research Notes accumulated by Craig Carlson
Blackmer, A.L. Co.	1908	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	BCTH--6
Blackmer Cut Glass Co.	1908-16	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	BBB --4
Blackmer Cut Glass Co.	1908-16	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	BBB --4
Bowman, Geo. H	n.d.	No. 1	Section	Yes	FBMC--6	Clearly a cutting house
Brown, Jos. & Co.	1903-04	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Burley & Co	1896		Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Burley & Tyrrell	1888		Section	Yes	PBHS--7
Burley & Tyrrell	1907		Section	Yes	PBHS--7
Clark (Levinski)	1901	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	CIL--11	Waco, TX !
Clark, T.B. & Co.	1912	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	NEW--14
Covington Cut Glass Co.	1915	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	BCTH--6
Farwell, John V	1919-20	Jewelry	Section	No	LHL -- 9
Fischer Cut Glass Co.	1918	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	PBM--10	Atco, New Jersey
Fry	1922	No. 10	Complete	Yes	FBMC--6	Includes a comprehensive Fry cut glass patterns index
Gilsey, S. & H.	1906	Cincinnati, OH	Section	Yes	GWM--3	First and second editions.
Hawkes	n.d.	Trade cards	Collection	No	BCTH--6
Hawkes, Crystal Glass	n.d.	Booklet	Complete	No	LHL--9
Hawkes, T.G.&Co.	1959	Booklet	Complete	No	BCTH--6
Higgins & Seiter	1894-95	No. 5	Section	Yes	PBHS--7
Higgins & Seiter	1895-96		Section	Yes	PBM--10
Higgins & Seiter	1903	No. 14 Suppl.	Section	Yes	PBHS--7
Higgins & Seiter	1910	No. 19	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Higgins & Seiter, Suggested Dates	n.d.		Article	No	LHL -- 9	Catalog Definitive Dates, by Jim Havens


Hoffman Jewelry	1909-10	Jewelers	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Huntley	1913	Jewelers	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9	cited by Pearson
Huntley	1914	Jewelers	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Ideal Cut Glass Co	n.d.	Cutting House	Article		LHL -- 9
International Cut Glass	1904	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	CIL--11	Useful and Ornamental
Koch Cut Glass Co	n.d.	Cutting House	Article		LHL -- 9
Learning from the Libbey Ads, Cut Glass	1892-1920
Libbey, American Beauty	1904	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	CIL--11
Libbey, Drama of Glass	1894-98	Cutting House	Book	No	CIL--11	By Kate Field
Libbey, Facts on Cut Glass	1892	Cutting House	Article	No	CIL--11	No identified author
Libbey, Things Beautiful	1901	Promotional	Complete	Yes	LHL -- 9
Loftis Bros	1905	Diamonds	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Maltby, C. R.	n.d.	Premiums	Section	No	LHL -- 9
Manufacturers Price List No. 77	1904	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Maple City	1910	No. 9	Incomplete	Yes	FBMC--6
Marshall Field	1892	Jewelry	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1894-95	Jewelry	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1895-96	Jewelry	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1898	Jewelry	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1900-01	Jewelry	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1903	General	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1905-06	Jewelry	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1909	General	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1910-11	Jewelry - 160	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1911-12	Jewelry - 178	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1913	Spring General - 211	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1921-22	Jewelry - 330	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field	1922-23	Jewelry - 334	Section	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall Field Chicago Tribune ads	1897-1916		Collection	Yes	MF -- 8
Marshall-Wells Hardware Co.	1916		Section	Yes	FBMC--6
Meriden	1918	Cutting House	Fragment	Yes	PBHS--7	Complete catalog later found,reprinted in PBM
Meriden	1918	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	PBM--10	Probably same original whose fragments were reprinted in PBHS
New England Glass Works	1884	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	NEW--14	Managed & owned by W.L. Libbey & Son
Ogden, Merrill & Greer	1905	#55	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Oskamp Nolting	1897	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Our Salesman	1906	17th Annual	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Pairpoint	n.d.	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	PU -- 3	First and second editions
Peacock Jewelers	1909	Jeweler	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Pitkin & Brooks	1902		Complete	Yes	PBHS--7	Not same as catalog in PBM
Pitkin & Brooks	1902-03		Complete?	Yes	PBM--10	Not same catalog as in PBHS
Pitkin & Brooks Chicago Tribune ads	1890-1933		Collection	Yes	LHL--9

Quaker City Cut Glass Co.	1910	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	PBM--10
Reim	1900-06	Jeweler	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
Richter & Phillips	1909	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Richter, Paul Co.	1920	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	CIL--11
Richter, Paul Co.	1921	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	CIL--11
Richter, Paul Co.	1922-23	Cutting House	Fragment	Yes	CIL--11
Roddin, E.V.& Co.	1909	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11

Schwab, A.C. & Sons	1917	Jewelers	Section	Yes	LHL -- 9
St. Louis Clock & Silverware	1905	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
St. Louis Clock & Silverware	1908	Wholesale	Section	Yes	CIL--11
Standard Engraving & Cut Glass	1916	Cutting House	Complete	Yes	NEW--14
Tegtmeyer, Archie	1908	Milwaukee	Section	No	LHL -- 9
Tinker, F.B., Cut Glass Co.	~1908	Sales Agency	Complete	Yes	GWM--3	First and second editions.
Tinker, F.B., Cut Glass Co.	1899-1907	Sales Agency	Complete	Yes	BCTH--6
Tuthill	n.d.		Notes	No	LHL -- 9	From Wallace Turner to Louise Boggess
Union Glass Co.	n.d.	Blanks for cutting	Complete	No	PU -- 3	Reprint of original issued to Parsche
United States Glass	~1910	Cutting House	Fragments	Yes	FBMC--6
Wallenstein, Mayer & Co.	1911	Jeweler	Section	Yes	GWM--3	First and second editions.
Wallenstein, Mayer & Co.	1913	Jeweler	Section	Yes	GWM--3	First and second editions.
White & McNaught	1910	Minneapolis	Section	No	LHL -- 9
Wilcox	~1895	Cutting House	117 page fragment	Yes	NEW--14	Location of original unknown
Young, Otto & Co.	1905	Wholesale	Section	Yes	FBMC--6

Excludes a) unbound loose pages distributed at the close of Cycles #1 and #2; b) coverage of 170+ companies in chapters of the four-volume LABAC Cut Glass Advertisements book set; c)the 240+ companies covered in chapters of the five-volume Cut Glass Research Notes series by Craig Carlson.

LABAC continues to rediscover and reprint fresh old cut glass documentation. We invite all interested researchers and institutions to join our efforts to find and preserve information about Brilliant Cut Glass.

(If you wish to print this information and it will not 'fit' your page width, please email us for printing help. Warren & Teddie)

House of Brilliant Glass

About LABAC

LABAC Reprinted Cut Glass Materials Summary

Company