Tuthill Research Scrapbook

TRS101

Condition: New

Price: $0.00

Description:

CURRENTLY OUT OF STOCK

The Tuthill Research Scrapbook' is a three-volume set that presents an invaluable insight into the work product of the Tuthill Cut Glass Co.  It is highly recommended for both researchers and collectors.  A very limited number of the sets were produced and most are still in the reference libraries of the original LABAC members.  This new three-volume set is being offered for $160 which includes shipping via USPostal media mail.  A review of LABAC is available on our website. 

The following book review was written by LABAC's Rob Smith and appeared in the American Cut Glass Association 'Hobstar'  (July 2002).

"If you like or own Tuthill glass, you need to know about the Tuthill Research Scrapbook.  More than four years ago, a small team began accumulating Tuthill glass descriptions and images which were assembled into an informal research scrapbook.  The project grew and expanded, resulting in a valuable research tool.  The scrapbook eventually became more than 1400 pages of material, surprising everyone involved.  Imagine more than 3000 pictures (with descriptions) of Tuthill glass!  Also included are a cross-referenced index of all pictured Tuthill patterns, a comprehensive summary of Tuthill glass auctioned over a 22-year period, plus reproductions of 40 Tuthill Factory advertisements.

Tuthill glass coverage was opportunistic, determined primarily by voluntary contributions, web-accessible information, and analysis of published literature.  More than 70 volunteers organized information from dozens of collectors, numerous dealers, as well as several auction houses and museums.  Participants also surveyed magazines, books, ACGA publications, auction catalogs, and other publications.  ACGA members were asked in the September, 2000 'Hobstar' to provide information.  Even with this effort, scrapbook coverage remained admittedly incomplete:  several known sources of Tuthill glass information could not be included.

The Scrapbook team built a casually organized yet substantial research tool.  The ACGA and its chapters were in late 2000 offered an unlimited number of at-cost copies of the resulting three-book set.  In March, 2001 the project distributed more than 350 sets of the Tuthill Research Scrapbook.  Copies were also donated to the ACGA Archives and the Rakow Research Library at the Corning Museum of Glass.

Scrapbook material is divided into sections, whose definitions are informal.  For example, descriptions of Tuthill glass that some collectors consider "bowls" are found in the BW (Bowls) section, the DN (Dishes and Nappies) section, the AD (Advertisements) section, and the AR (Articles) section.  Pages of each section are numbered distinctively, e.g., page 97 of the Bowls section is numbered BW97.  Comprehensive pattern lists are found at the ends of most chapters, with pattern identification and literature citations for almost all entries.

The Scrapbook includes numerous indices, tables and Tuthill piece descriptions, in which confirmation sources for pattern names are abbreviated using acronym keys established by Barnett, Carlson, and Noll (as published in the 'Hobstar').  Some of the 300+ patterns in the TRS are found pictured in one or several of the fine publications about American Brilliant Cut Glass.  Some Tuthill patterns have been given names either by the authors of those publications, or are known to collectors by commonly accepted names, which are used in the scrapbook.  Most of Tuthill's patterns do not have names, so TRS contributors and editors assigned "Tuithill Research Scrapbook" names to many patterns.  Although the TRS editors took many liberties with Tuthill pattern nomenclature, they suggested that Scrapbook names not be accepted by anyone as "official" Tuthill pattern names.

Several views are included for some pieces, while only one picture was included for other items.  Image quality is quite mixed, ranging from excellent to marginal.  Most of the pictures are good to excellent, and the image sizes are large to show cutting details.  The TRS editors admit that they used the "best available" pictures, but believed that most illustrations would be useful.

The Scrapbook team did not attempt to authenticate Tuthill glass pieces.  They included descriptions of signed Tuthill pieces, plus unsigned items that had seemingly credible claims to Tuthill origins.  Also included are a few novelties or pieces of debatable origins that may be of interest to Tuthill collectors.

The Tuthill Research Scrapbook is a voluminous and comprehensive source of raw information on Tuthill glass.  The printing and sewn bindings are very well done.   .....The TRS is a working accumulation of relevant information, not a publication-quality book set.  The forms and pattern identification resources are well organized, significantly advancing our knowledge about Tuthill.  The Tuthill Research Scrapbooks are stimulating and sometimes provocative:  there's a lot to learn from this source!"