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Canes were made in different colors would march with their union colors to
and sizes with varying degrees and types show their solidarity with other glass
of ornamentation – the more extrava- factories’ employees.
gant the better! Some glass canes were 6 In both England and the United
to 8 feet long and topped with objects States, canes were also put to more
such as fishbowls, goblets, and musical mundane uses such as curtain rods or
instruments to display the glassworker’s useful household objects.
special skill. Canes, like other whimsies,
were often given as gifts or sold to Mechanical Glass
family, friends, and coworkers. Canes The 19th century was the heyday for
were also bartered; local bars often had glasshouse whimsies, and it extended
a collection of canes displayed on their into the 20th century until machines
walls, accepted in exchange for drinks. finally took over production at all of the
Handle styles were varied especially glass factories. When this happened,
since glassworkers used the glass colors These nine wonderful hand-blown glass canes include leftover glass was no longer accessible to
available at the factory. A pair of skilled one with a colorful spiral mode with a large knob the glass blowers.
cane makers could create one in under handle and a red, white, and blue cane with a thin Antique glass canes now provide a
30 minutes. Even though these canes crook handle. American, late 19th century.
Offered at auction in 2007. Photo courtesy Theriaults.com historical look at glassworkers’ proud
were virtuoso expressions of glassmaking traditions of craftmanship in England
skill, the maker’s identity and location are and the United States. Glass makers
rarely known.
create glass canes for a variety of reasons including creating a way to
demonstrate their skills. Cane Glass is made similarly but tends to be a
Times to March style of blended glass in a variety of colors to use within other glass
The Glass canes played roles on ceremonial occasions objects like paperweights.
and in parades. Glassworkers in the U.S., decked out in If you find an antique glass cane, consider hanging it above an
their finest clothes and labor union colors, marched in the entryway to keep those evil spirits at bay.
July 4th and Labor Day parades to show union solidarity,
proudly carrying their glass canes. The large marching image from An unusual striated clear and polychrome glass walking or parade cane in blue and
1910 shows Pairpoint glassworkers on parade in New Bedford, red colors with a loop handle imparting a snake-like quality. Late 19th century.
Massachusetts, carrying their canes. Probably Nailsea glass works. Nailsea glassworks produced an abundance of
In the U.S., marchers would break their canes at the end of the bottle glass during the late 18th and 19th centuries. Selling for $250 online.
parade season. This gave them the incentive to create bigger and better Photo courtesy www.rubylane.com
ones for the next year. Title image: Parade procession of glassworkers holding glass canes, 1910,
One source says that glassworkers symbolically broke their canes at New Bedford, Massachusetts: Everett L. Weeden, CMGL. Photo courtesy of
the gravesites of fellow union members. And others say the workers the Rakow Research Library, Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY www.cmog.org

“Under the Glass Ceiling” continued from page 10

known to have inspired Tiffany Munson. It is said she earned
blown-glass vases with petal shapes $10,000 per year at the peak of
and motifs reminiscent of peonies her career—approximately
and marigolds. Many of her works, $200,000 today—a generous sum
including Dandelion Plant 95, are for the time, “especially for a
inspired by nature. woman.” Tiffany and Munson’s
By 1900, Gouvy also worked in output, spanning the years
the Tiffany Studios pottery depart- between approximately 1902 and
ment and designed bronze objects 1914, is among the most unusual
but left Tiffany Studios in early This c. 1910 peridot and enamel and distinctive jewelry ever made.
1907 to return to Cleveland to gold brooch was designed by Judging by the work produced
work as a schoolteacher while Julia Munson for Tiffany. while she was head of the jewelry
caring for her mother. Driscoll’s department, Julia Munson, like
letters shed much light on their the men and women who brought Louis Comfort Tiffany’s designs in
lifelong friendship and Gouvy’s other media to fruition, was an unsung master of her art.
design aesthetic and contributions. In 1914, Julia Munson’s career at Tiffany Studios New York
When Louis Comfort Tiffany abruptly ended when she married at the age of 39.
turned to the art of jewelry, he Louis Comfort Tiffany’s stance on married
chose, as his first collaborator, women was clear and unchanged; they
Julia Munson, a recent art school Alice Gouvy painting of could no longer work for him. Munson’s
graduate training in the enamels Dandelion design for Tiffany, An enamel plique-a-jour successor at Tiffany Studios New York
the first step in creating
department. He had hired her in designs for objects. 18kt gold and Montana was another woman, Meta Overbeck.
1898 to help him with enamels, sapphire necklace Tiffany’s enduring collaborations
and she was assisting him and his team, Dr. Parker McIlhenny designed by Julia with women artists in various fields of
and Patricia Gay, to “work out formulas and designs.” This Munson for Louis the decorative arts—blown glass,
venture into jewelry was undertaken in “secrecy,” because, Comfort Tiffany bronze, stained glass windows, enamels,
according to Zapata, Louis was “more than a little intimidated” ceramics—indicate how remarkably
by the internationally acclaimed jewels his father and Paulding progressive he was for his day. Not only
Farnham had created. did he seek them out as employees but he
Tiffany went public with his new venture by submitting 27 compensated them well. Yet, at the end of the
pieces of his work with Munson for exhibition at the international St. day, he kept their contributions quiet and took all
Louis Exposition of 1904, where their work was hailed by critics as a the credit, yet there is no doubt that their success was his
triumph, exceeding Tiffany’s expectations, and this brought perks for success, even if he was unwilling to acknowledge it.

12 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles