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Some time ago, I visited an "Antiques & Collectables Fair" in England. I knew almost nothing about antiques but found myself drawn to a small pair of vases in blue opaline with heavy gilded decoration. I made my first purchase. At that time, I believed, rather naively, that collections consisted of many items of the same type and so I resolved to search out more of these blue-and-gold glass vases. |
During my scouring of fairs, I found that various glassware was attracting my attention and, after a year or so, I realized that my initial ideas about collections had changed dramatically. When people asked, "What type of glass do you collect?", I simply replied, "Anything that I like and can afford". However, I seemed to subconsciously home in on 19th century and early 20th century items. Also I had begun to gather single examples of differing types and styles.
I should mention here that my funds were (and still are!) quite limited and most of my purchases were in the category of what I now call "affordable collecting". Of course, that's a relative term - but it helps me to avoid the temptation of exceeding my limits. Whilst I would like to own a Tiffany Pulpit Vase or a Beilby Enamelled Drinking Glass or even a Pantin Paperweight, such items are out of my reach (unless anyone wishes to send me a gift!). No, I find that collecting at the lower end of the market is quite sufficient to satisfy my habit.
In various literature I had seen well-meaning guidance to new collectors. Often the advice was along the lines of, "Don't buy anything that is damaged, or of poor quality ... save your money for one good item rather than several inferior pieces". Well, there was no possibilty of me being able to afford anything that would fit into the "superior" category. So I ignored all the words and did my own thing, buying whatever interested me, and at whatever price I could afford. I always was a bit of a rebel!
When I first attended an auction, it was at a local premises providing a general range of "collectables". Soon, I had a good chance of securing one or two items. After more study in the delicate art of bidding (and of identifying the opposition as likely dealers or possible collectors), I set my sights further afield. It was not long before I had ventured into what I then considered to be the echelons of the antiques world - London auction houses! But, as stated earlier, my bank balance controls my desires and, in the main, I simply enjoyed the opportunity to view, and to learn about, items that I would not normally see in other circumstances.
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Having moved away from collecting on a specific theme, a curious thing happened. I began to develop a fascination with paperweights. A friend, who happens to be a dealer in general items, let me have a paperweight at what he called "a special price". Whether that price was special to me or to him, I am still not quite sure. However, I was pleased to own my first glass paperweight - a small French Clichy posy made in the mid 19th century. |
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I purchased a few more paperweights, but without knowing where or when they were made, or by whom. I bought them because I liked the look of them. By now I had also begun to purchase a number of reference books in an attempt to identify items in my collection. With the new interest in paperweights, books on that subject were added.
One of the factors that steered me in a given direction was the increasing difficulty of storing and displaying items such as vases, drinking glasses and general decorative objects. Not only are funds limited, but my home space is equally restricted. I found that paperweights were quite easy to enjoy, no matter where they are placed - even on the floor!! And so began a change in my collecting habits.
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Eventually, I discovered the likely identity of some of my paperweights as being Scottish Strathern or Vasart. I already had a Scottish Monart vase and I wondered whether there were any Monart paperweights. The books I had at that time covered mostly the antique French items and I had only seen a few references to 20th century Scottish weights. |
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Then, one day, I was at an auction where the catalogue cover photo showed, in colour, a wonderful Ink / Perfume Bottle with a mass of paperweight canes in the base and the stopper. On viewing the bottle, I saw that it had a label on the base stating, "Monart". Aha! I had discovered the answer to my question. And not only that, it had an inscribed signature and date, "P Ysart 1946". |
I was surprised, but very pleased, to find myself as highest bidder on that Inkwell. I had never before seen an example of that type of object and I was keen to investigate further. Well, the adventures that were to follow would take many pages to cover, even briefly. So, to keep things short, I will say that I now have a sizeable collection of paperweights and lots of books on the subject. I have been on a trip around Scotland, following the paperweight trail, and I have had the pleasure of a personal viewing of the reserve collection of Paul Ysart paperweights in Perth Museum. I have also met a number of specialist dealers, in particular Sweetbriar Gallery, who recommended that I join the Cambridge Paperweight Circle (CPC).
Now, for various reasons, joining clubs and the like is not on my list of preferred activities. But I wrote to the CPC, paid a year's subscription and attended a couple of meetings. That was a while ago, and I have maintained the link with the CPC and have since concentrated my collection around paperweights, with only an occasional vase or other item being purchased if it fills a particular gap.
In mid-1999, I took the plunge and joined the masses in the virtual world of computerised chat via the Internet. Naturally, I looked around (or surfed, as I understood it be called) for any sites that covered glassware. I was astounded at the number of hits I received when I searched for glass-related terms. It was many weeks before I had sifted through the sites and settled on a list of regular places to visit.
Amongst those sites was Angela Bowey's Online Glass Museum.
Not only had Angela put together a virtual museum with many articles covering a range of glassware, there was a collection of brief, informative items under the heading, "The Glass Encyclopedia". And not only that, there was a Bulletin / Message Board where anyone was free to ask glass-related questions and to provide answers. Of course, this sort of virtual environment is well known to people who regularly use the Internet. But, at the time, I was quite amazed at such a venture. What seemed even more amazing was that people using that message board were all very well behaved. In my visits to a range of chat groups and bulletin boards, I was rather dismayed at the lack of friendliness and the outrageous language! So, to find a forum that not only covered my own interests, but was also friendly, was very welcoming.
After a while of observing (sorry - lurking), Angela's Message Board, I realized that my collection of reference books, and even my relatively scant experience, could be put to good uses. I could provide some answers to questions raised. Again, there was the factor of my reluctance to join clubs and things. But I had survived being a member of the CPC, so perhaps I could do the same with the Glass Club Message Board. After all, I could call myself whatever I wanted - nobody would know who I really was.
But what name would I like people to know me by? Why not use one of those newfangled Internet phonetic names? ... but I really couldn't think of anything original or remotely suitable. In the end, the words, "Keep it Simple" came to mind - not as a pseudonym but as an instruction. Why not use the signature I had already adopted for emails? "KevH" it was, then.
Of course, it doesn't matter how long and hard you think about things like pseudonyms - somebody else will already have used your idea! So, to all the other "KevH" people on the Net, "Hi there, we have something in common!"
If you would like to contact me, particularly on matters relating to paperweights, click here: KevH.
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