Two J’s, Bolton, Conn.
Review & Onsite Photos by Andrea Valluzzo
SOUTH YARMOUTH, MASS. — The 38th annual Cape Cod Glass Show & Sale, sponsored by the Cape Cod Glass Club, transformed the Cultural Center of Cape Cod into a sparkling showcase on September 19-20 for a dizzying array of glass, from striking art glass vases and intricate, botanically correct paperweights, to jewel-toned Bohemian and Czech glass.
Formerly a bank, the Cultural Center was quite suitable as a venue for the show, featuring about a dozen dealers across four spaces; several glass museums and organizations set up booths as well. The exhibitors are all veterans in their field and quite passionate about glass. Bill Thomas of William Thomas Antiques (Abingdon, Md.) even stayed in the area a few days after the show to give a talk on Gillinder Glass at the Sandwich Public Library, and the show offered visitors a glass identification booth where they could learn more about pieces from their own collections.
Bob Carbone, show manager and president of the Cape Cod Glass Club, reported, “It went very well. Attendance was good, and all the dealers said they had a great show,” noting that this the show aways has a waitlist. “Everybody wants to come back, and our cup runneth over.”
Cynthia Villanueva, Framingham, Mass.
While sales are a focus of the show for dealers, Carbone said all the exhibitors, from the museums to vendors, are also interested in educating showgoers who might be new to collecting glass or are just getting interested.
“The show is like a pop-up museum. We have national authors and museum curators, and it’s quite a show,” he said. “There’s so much to learn about glass from the manufacturers to the techniques they used that really you can spend your whole life learning and it’s fun.”
An eye-catching display in the booth of Cynthia Villanueva (Framingham, Mass.) was a selection of vibrant green uranium glass pieces, including some that were made by Sowerby Glass Works, which operated in Gateshead, England, circa 1930s. The pieces were luminous as displayed under a blacklight, so visitors could not help but stop and admire them.
Several dealers were new to the show this year, including Fountain Square Antiques (Glenham, N.Y.). Among standouts in its booth was a hand-blown and painted Easter egg. Measuring about 8 inches tall, the egg was displayed on a stand and featured an intricate floral sprig painted between “Easter / 1906.”
C&J Antiques, Norfolk, Mass.
C&J Antiques (Norfolk, Mass.) featured a diverse assortment, but cranberry glass in particular was a highlight. The offerings were led by a Bohemian cranberry cut-to-clear vase with exceptional carving and decoration of floral motifs, while a set of eight cranberry water glasses was among the dealer’s early sales Saturday morning.
A standout with Bruce Mitchell, (Orange, Conn.) was a circa 1870 Boston and Sandwich Glass beaded epergne, blown clear and cut, with a beaded cranberry rim applied to the bowl, as well as along the top of the trumpet vase.
Pieces in the show ranged from modern to antique glass. Allan Port of Allan’s Paperweights sold about 20 paperweights split evenly between antique (Gillinder, New England Glass, etc.) and contemporary examples (Paul Stankard, Daniel Salazar and others).
Some items on display were not for sale, such as the blown glass pumpkins and gourds with long and curly stems put forth by the Sandwich Glass Museum.
The Annual Cape Cod Glass Show & Sale will return to the Cultural Center of Cape Cod next fall, though a date has no yet been announced. For information, www.capecodglassclub.org or 610-348-2868.
