House of Brilliant Glass
What is 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 ten 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 eight 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 four to
seven months, but duration depends on the quantity of
material we find, how much the items cost, page counts,
how fast volunteers get books prepared, etc.
SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Subscription cycle #1 opened in 2001.
Cycle #17 opened during
March, 2010.
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 rediscovered 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.
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 seven 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 recently published LABAC Cycle 615
“PHX” hardbound book is our twenty-fifth bound volume of
rediscovered Brilliant Cut Glass information.
The group has published the
following books:
Sources
LABAC
does not reproduce cut glass catalogs that have been
reprinted elsewhere.
We are interested in fresh old information.
Collector reference materials, local auctions,
local/regional/national libraries, jewelry store
archives, historical societies and family records have
been exploited by
LABAC
members to find materials.
So far, about half of our 100+ catalogs and other
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 seven dozen
indies for us.
Do
you have access to old cut glass information of interest
to
LABAC?
Please contact Rob and Val Smith (contact
information noted below) if you would like to explore
mutually beneficial opportunites.
You can also contact Warren and Teddie Biden at
House of Brilliant Glass and we will be happy to forward
your information on to
LABAC.
Results
Cycle #15
(AWT) Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs, Alford, Wright,
Tuthill, Pitkin & Brooks, Burley & Tyrrell, Higgins &
Seiter, 445 pp.,
(2009)
ISBN
0-937508-21-7 (softbound only).
Cycle #14
(RN5) Cut Glass Research
Notes Volume Five, Comprehensive Indices, by Craig
Carlson.
157 pp., ISBN
0-937508-20-9
(2008)
(softbound only).
(2009)
(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(softbound only).
Cycle #13
(RN4) Cut Glass Research
Notes Volume Four, Straus-Macy, by Craig Carlson. 496pp,
ISBN 0-937508-18-7
(2007)
(softbound only).
Cycle #12
(RN3) Cut Glass Research
Notes Volume Three (Kellner & Munro through Wright), by
Craig Carlson. 446pp,
(2007)
ISBN
0-937508-17-9 (softbound only).
Cycle #11
(RN2) Cut Glass Research
Notes Volume Two (Drake through Jewel), by Craig
Carlson. 392pp, ISBN 0-937508-15-2.
(2006)
(softbound only).
(2007)
(CIL) Cut Glass Catalogs: Clark, International Cut
Glass, Libbey, et al.
392pp,
ISBN 0-937508-15-2
(softbound only)
Cycle #10
(RN1)
Cut Glass Research Notes Volume One (Abraham & Straus
through Dorflinger), by Craig Carlson. 362 pp,
(2006)
ISBN
0-937508-13-6
(softbound only).
96, and Fischer 1918.
ISBN 0-937508-14-4
(softbound only)
Cycle #9
(LHL) Brilliant Cut Glass
Catalogs: Libbey, Huntley, Loftis, Reim, et al.
ISBN
0-937508-12-8(softbound only).
(2005)
Cycle #8
(MF) Marshall Field Cut
Glass, 1892 – 1922.
ISBN 0-937508-11-X
(softbound only)
(2005)
Cycle #7
(BRC) Brilliant Cut Glass
Catalog: Bergen 1903 “Red Cover.”
ISBN 0-937508-07-1.
(2004)
(PBHS) Brilliant Cut Glass Catalogs: Pitkin & Brooks,
Higgins & Seiter, Burley & Tyrrell,
Meriden.
ISBN 0-937508-10-1
Cycle #6
(FBMC) Brilliant Cut Glass
Catalogs: Fry,
Bergen, Maple
City, United States Glass,
Bawo & Dotter, Bowman,
(2004)
Otto Young,
Marshall Wells.
ISBN
0-937508-05-5.
(2003)
(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
(AD1) American Brilliant Period Cut Glass Advertisements
Book One (Albert Bros. through Dorflinger).
(2003)
ISBN 0-937508-01-0 (set of four AD books).
(2004)
(BBB) Cut Glass Catalogs: Blackmer, Bergen
and Blackmer. ISBN 0-937508-00-4.
Cycle #3
(PU) Cut Glass Catalogs: Pairpoint
and Union. ISBN 0-937508-04-7.
(2002,
then 2nd
(GWM) Cut Glass Catalogs: Gilsey,
Wallenstein, Mayer and Tinker. ISBN
0-937508-03-9.
editions 2006)
We are certain that there is 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 have 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..
You Can
Participate in
LABAC
Each subscription cycle costs $40.
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.
We’d like to thank all of the
LABAC
participants supporting and doing this work.
Together, we are developing quite a substantial
volume of fresh cut glass information that might have
otherwise continued in obscurity.
By
the way,
LABAC is
cabal spelled backwards.
We are, and always will be, precisely the
opposite of a secretive, closed cabal.
Will you not join us?
Rob & Val Smith
Phone:
913-897-9261
