June 2012 Volume II Issue II

Thirsty Knights
Standard
Volume 1I Issue II
NEXT MEETING
MY FIRST STEIN
Saturday
June 9, 2012
Steve and Joanne
Steigerwald’s Home
107 Michell Dr.
Jericho, NY 11753
About 20 years ago, my parents
gave me Gary Kirsner’s 2nd Edition of The Beer Stein Book for
Christmas. At the time, I was
picking up some AnheuserBusch Christmas mugs and limited edition steins here and
there, so they thought
the book would be a
perfect addition. I remember taking the book
home, thumbing through
it briefly then putting it
on a shelf, not to reopen
it for another two years.
Inside this issue:
Show n Tell
2
Chapter Minutes
4
Chapter Minutes
5
Enameled Glass
6
Enameled Glass
7
News Briefs
8
Pictures
9
Suggestions
10
Some years later, I was
walking around New
Brunswick, NJ during my
lunch hour and happened
upon a little antique
store.
I always liked
antique stores since my
college days, and was
always drawn to the
antique furniture, hoping
one day to buy a Victorian home and furnish it
with period pieces.
Upon one shelf I saw an
interesting beer stein. It
was tall and stately, had a
nice silver-plated lid;
albeit terribly tarnished
from over-polishing and
a colorful picture of,
what I thought, was a
Flemish king. The owner
wanted a whopping $235
for the piece. While I thought
that was high, I liked the piece
and thought: “If I can’t afford a
Victorian home, at least I can
have a Victorian beer stein”. So
I went to the bank (pre-ATM
time period) took out some
JUNE 2012
by Richard Evans
money, and brought it home.
And so officially began my stein
collection, after that I no longer
collected Anheuser-Busch steins
and relegated them to a lower
shelf. I started to hunt out an-
started going to local chapter
meetings. By the end of the
‘90’s I had amassed quite a collection; including a Schierhotz
Clown (full-color) character and
a 4.8L “Seven Swabiens”
Mettlach pug, and some other
rather impressive pieces.
In 2000 however, I went
through a rather nasty
divorce and was forced
to sell (more out of spite
than finances) my entire
collection.
All except one; my very
first stein.
I now know that it is not
a very uncommon or
valuable stein, a simple
blank #1145 body by
Hanke, with a Gambrinus
print under glaze decoration. And I know now
that my $235 purchase
was worth about sixty
bucks, but it doesn’t matter to me.
Since then I have been
able to rebuild my collection; albeit not to my first
collection’s quality or
rarity.
tique stores wherever I went,
and started to get involved in
the Glenntiques auctions, adding
to my collection as finances
allowed. I bought stein books,
poured over auction catalogs,
and studied up on my hobby.
About 1996 I joined SCI and
It may not be my favorite
or most valuable stein,
but it holds a place of reverence
on my shelf. And like any first
love, while not being exclusive,
holds a place in my heart; a
place I cherish.
Page 2
Thirsty Knights Standard
SHOW ‘N’ TELL
They say good things come in threes. Our
Show ‘n’ Tell for today bears witness to that
old adage. Marty Cameli and Andrea Hidalgo
have brought three steins apiece. Two of
Marty’s steins have a “hops” theme while Andrea’s steins depict Native Americans
Written
across the
front of the
stein are the
Marty Cameli – HR Steins – 1876 - 1910
Although the HR number is missing from the
bottom of this stein, Marty believes it to be HR
# 601. A ½ liter blue salt glaze it is considered
a rare item. Written across the front of the
stein are the words “HIPP HIPP HURRAH”
which may identify it as a college fraternity
stein. The unusual handle is in the form of a
mermaid. One side panel reflects crossed oars
while the reverse panel has a depiction of two
fishes. This relief stein was obviously made for
the U. S. market and quite possibly belonged to
a skulls team member at a university. It is ironic
to learn that an American “rowing” stein journeyed across the ocean blue only to be discovered in the land of Germany!
The photos were included in an article entitled
“A. J. Thewalt and R. Hanke Steins with HR
Markings” written by John McGregor for the
March 2007 issue of Prosit.
complexion and filled-to-the brim beer stein.
Last, but not least, Marty held up, for viewing, a
HR # 240. This one liter multicolored (reds
and blues) beer stein has a mosaic design. The
background is white and granular in texture.
The sides hold gargoyles in the form of fishes
spewing hops, a twining vine, whose flowers
grow in panicled racemes (bunch of berries).
This stein has a pouring spout with jeweled
collar and base. It has a wide base but narrows
as it rises towards the pewter lid.
words “HIPP
HIPP
HURRAH”
Marty’s second treasure has not been seen
before by those “in the know” and therefore
may be labeled as “one of its kind”. It is a one
liter blue-gray salt glaze – HR # 21. What
makes this HR stand out among the rest is the
body’s design. The upper and lower bands are
decorated with hops, a dioecious plant, with
five-lobed leaves and strobilus. In the center of
the stein, encircled in an oval frame, is a man in
distinctive garb. It may be indicative of his profession; that of brew master. If assumed correctly, it would explain his jovial looks; ruddy
Andrea Hildalgo – Native American
Steins
Chief Louison of the Flathead Tribe
This HR Gerz No. 27 (without a recessed bottom) is one in a series of perhaps four or six
Native American steins. The profile of Chief
Louison is immortalized on the front of this
stein. Although he is shown wearing only one
feather in this portrait, his full headdress is
depicted on the reverse side. The stein is a
Volume II Issue II
Page 3
SHOW ‘N’ TELL
blue-gray salt glaze. The side panels reflect the
traditional hunting tools and/or weapons carried by Native Americans; hatchet, spear and
string bag.
Chief Louison was known on the reservation as
an outspoken advocate for keeping Indian beliefs and culture alive among his people. He
would often voice his views in front of the St.
Ignatius Mission on Sundays lamenting the disappearance of customs and traditions on the
reservation. He carried his cause to, and participated in, the U. S. Indian Congress in
Omaha, Nebraska in 1898.
From 1866–1868 Chief Hollow Horn Bear and
other Sioux leaders plagued the forts along the
overland route that connected the gold rush territory of Montana to the Oregon Trail. Although
he was a leader during Indian Wars on the Great
Plains of the U.S., he eventually came to terms
with the whites during the 1870’s. He was so
well known for his peacemaking efforts, that he
became a celebrity in the East. He served as a
Native representative at various functions, was
involved in treaty negotiations and even took part
in the 1905 inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt.
In recognition for his work and diligence on the
reconciliation agendum, the U. S. government
placed his likeness on a 14-cent postage stamp
and five-dollar bill.
“Chief Red
Cloud was a
war leader
and chief of
the Oglala
Lakota
(Sioux) from
Chief Red Cloud - 1822-1909
Chief Hollow Horn Bear – 1850-1913
This stein is a ½ liter Gerz No. 25 with a recessed bottom. The stein is a portrait style blue
-gray salt glazed relief with the image, in full
headdress, of Chief Hollow Horn Bear. He was
a Lakota Indian born in Sheriden County, Nebraska and the son of Chief Iron Shell. The
resemblance on the stein was based on a photograph taken in 1898 by F. A. Rinehart. The
side panels are similar to the ones on the stein
of Chief Louison.
This can be described as a child’s stein. A ¼ liter
Diesinger relief. The colors are dark green and
ivory with a stippled brownish background. It has
a pewter lid. A replica of a burro’s head graces
one panel while the reverse side features a bucking horse; perhaps depicting a bronco buster. The
chief is in the center of the stein, brown in color
with craggy features. It is a face whose lines map
out a life of hardship, struggle and sacrifice.
Chief Red Cloud was a war leader and chief of
the Oglala Lakota (Sioux) from 1868-1909. He
was a formidable opponent of the U. S. Army. He
was triumphant in warfare especially during the
years 1866-1868 that was later labeled Red
Cloud’s War. The battle ground was Powder
River country in northeastern Wyoming and
Southern Montana.
1868-1909. “
Page 4
Thirsty Knights Standard
Chapter Minutes
For the first club meeting of the year traffic was light, the sun bright, and Maywood Inn a welcomed
sight to the Thirsty Knights.
There were 40 attendees, among them Dave Harr, guest speaker and Justin Pimentel, newly-elected
President of SCI. The officers in attendance were Dennis Ramshaw, President, Richard Walter, VicePresident, Cynthia Ramshaw, Secretary and Lorraine Merz, Treasurer. With a long list of items on
the agenda, Dennis called the meeting to order at 12:21 p.m.
The large turnout of members in Maywood, New Jersey, resulted in an unexpected plethora of steins
available for purchase. Tables were lined with an assortment of Mettlachs, HRs, stoneware and glass
for your choosing. Although space and seating were at a premium, the membership adapted to their
surroundings.
Chapter Minutes – March 11, 2012

Stein Rebate: In tandem with the rising cost of meeting dinners, is the increase in the club’s
subsidization of those meals. To halt further outlay of funds, the policy of offering a $2.00 rebate
to those members bringing 15 or more steins to a meeting is being rescinded.

Health Issues: Harold Kiley, a member since 1973, underwent a double-by pass recently and is
recovering at his home in upstate New York. Although Harold never attended a club meeting,
work always keeping him busy, he remained a steadfast member and stein enthusiast. The club
has also learned that Tom Heaphy, a familiar face at meetings, is experiencing spinal problems.
Tom is a keen supporter of the Thirsty Knights and had participated in a few Show ‘N’ Tells in the
past. Lin Weiss, we just learned, has had elective surgery. Lin is always at the ready to help
with any project Dennis may have on hand. We wish Harold, Tom and Lin all the best on their
road back to restored health.
Ed Ehring, now residing in Florida, keeps in touch with Bob Zoebelein. Sadly, Ed reported his
wife Karen is in ill health with lung cancer. Members may recall Ed was the owner of Ehring’s
Tavern in Riverdale, New York. Founded in 1910 by his father, it was one of the oldest family
restaurants in NYC. His establishment was a favorite venue for the Thirsty Knights during the
1980’s and 1990’s. Who could ever forget that enormous cuckoo clock that hung in the bar
area! Ed would enjoy receiving e-mail from members who remember their times spent at
Ehrings. His e-mail address is [email protected].
All we need is
Love…. and
Pretzels… and

Award Nomination: Dennis informed the Thirsty Knights that he would be nominating Jim
Sauer for Master Steinologist Award for 2012. Jim is an expert on glass and dispenses his knowledge through lectures, articles and discussions. He also plays an active role in various chapters
of SCI. It is certainly a well-deserved nomination and one that had the full endorsement of the
Thirsty Knights. Dennis has a number of applications on hand for the Master Steinologist and the
Walt Vogdes Service Award (formerly known as the Jack Heimann Award) should you require
one.
Bier…

Officer Nominations: March 2013 will mark the installation of a new set of officers for the
Thirsty Knights Chapter of SCI. But before that event can take place, candidates need to be
selected. There are some stirrings of interest, but definitive responses have not been forthcoming. Lorraine Merz did indicate a willingness to remain in her post as Treasurer and, if need be,
take on the added responsibility of Secretary. Dennis will provide a brief outline of the duties
involved with each position at the June meeting.

Treasurer’s Report: Lorraine Merz gave the Treasurer’s Report for the period December 1,
2011 – March 7, 2012. Income, Expense and Balance figures were read. It was determined that
the club is in sound standing.
Volume II Issue II
Chapter Minutes
Page 5
- Continue
Reminder: The deadline for club dues is April 1st. Those members who are not up-to-date with
their dues will not receive the Thirsty Knights Standard until payment is rendered.
Newsletter: Rich Walter encouraged members to write articles for the Thirsty Knights Standard.
Copies can be mailed, preferably in electronic form, to Rich or Lorraine Merz. Please keep in
mind that hard copies need to rewritten in order for them to be integrated into the newsletter.
This can be a time-consuming process and cause a delay in production. If a hard copy is the only
version available, please submit your story as early as possible. Thank you.
Other:

Chapter Invitations:

The Frick Museum – 70th Street and Fifth Avenue – NY, NY

New Member:
Arthur Albro, brother of deceased member Al Albro, has joined the Thirsty Knights. It took
Lorraine and Herman Merz 20 years to bring Arthur into the fold but at long last success!
Arthur and his wife Joyce, are from the Long Island, NY area and look forward to attending
many club meetings.

Drawing: 50/50 Raffle was won by Sidney Schwartz - $46.00
Many Thirsty Knights members belong to other chapters as well. Gary Schaible is Vice
President of the Pennsylvania Keysteiners and Dave Harr is the founder of the New England
Steiners. Both have extended invitations to their next club meetings: March 17th for the
Pennsylvania Keysteiners and March 24th for the New England Steiners respectively. Those
interested in attending were provided further information.
Mark Kowalski recently visited The Frick Museum where an exhibit entitled “White Gold”
was on display. Approximately 70 Meissen porcelain pieces from the Arnold collection were
on view. He highly recommended this exhibit stating it was a spectacular array of some of
the most beautiful works of art created by Meissen. The exhibit runs until April 29, 2012.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorraine Merz
Treasurer
Page 6
Thirsty Knights Standard
By Lorraine Merz
ENAMELED GLASS: A GORGEOUS PIECE OF WORK
ENAMELED GLASS: A GORGEOUS PIECE OF WORK
Our guest speaker, Dave Harr, master
steinologist and glass expert traveled
three hours with his precious and fragile
cargo to give a much anticipated and
awaited talk on enameled glass.
Although Thirsty Knights members are
primarily interested in beer steins made
from stoneware, porcelain, or faience,
some members collect beautiful glass
steins. Regardless of their composition,
both steins fall under the category of antique drinking vessels and have a following
all their own.
In fact, glass has been in existence for
centuries, as early as Egyptian times.
Egyptian, American, English, Irish, pressed,
cranberry and sandwich glass are all very
desirable. But to all accounts the most
admired, sought-after and prized is enameled glass. Today there are thousands of
glass collectors and multiple glass clubs
throughout the U. S.; the Westchester
Glass Club being one of the largest.
By Lorraine Merz
can be found in big box stores, is applied to a piece of glass. It is then
coated with enamel lacquer. This process was very popular several years ago,
as evidenced in some museum pieces.
Flaking can occur thus making the scene
or wording on the glass almost indistinguishable.
When Dave discusses glassmaking he
always stress the importance of how
well a piece is made not who produced
the forms or body. There were hundreds of factories producing glass but
the top five, that come to mind, are:
Riedel, Moser, Hecket, Theresienthal
and Egermann.
In the case of Egermann, two generations - Frederick and Anton- worked
with enameled glass. Examples of the
two distinct styles can be seen below:
What is there about enameled glass that
so many find attractive? How was it made
and which firms produced some of the
finest and most recognizable pieces? Dave,
in his presentation, answers some of the
questions surrounding glassmaking.
Q. What is enameled glass?
A. It is, literally, painting on glass. Glass is
ground up and oxides added to produce
the different colors.
Q. What process is involved in the making
of porcelain inlay lids?
A. Dave explained that enamel or very
fine frit (a fused or partially fused material
used as a basis for glazes
or enamels) is painted onto the porcelain lid. The enamel lid is then fired and it
becomes glass. The end
result is a porcelain inlay lid.
Q. What is cold fired enameling?
A. This is a technique in which enamel
paint, similar to the “tester” bottles that
Frederick Egerman worked with enameled glass during the Biedermeir Period
-1810-1850. The lovely transparent
faceted glass beaker is enameled with
miniature Asian figurines.
Anton Egermann enameled glass during
the Historismus period -1870’s - 1890.
This dark green wine glass is a perfect
contrast to the solid yellow coat-ofarms enameling.
Volume II Issue II
Page 7
ENAMELED GLASS: A GORGEOUS PIECE OF WORK
The dark blue ½ liter enameled beer stein,
with multiple cuts, has a silver lid. It was in all
likelihood, a gift given on a special occasion.
This striking ruby-red stained 1/4 liter size glass
is engraved with the name of the spa Erdmansdorf”. A memento of someone’s stay at a resort with mineral springs.
Dave concluded his discussion by holding up
some very unusual and spectacular-looking
items: a black-etched goblet, jeweled-looking
paperweights, and an eagle enameled flagon
with metal side prunts.. These objects elicited a
number of oohs and aahs from the audience
and could very well find their niche in someone’s collection!
Factories were kept very busy during the 1800’s
as enameled glass products were in fashion.
Beakers, vases, steins, ashtrays, etc. were custom ordered by the populace (wealthy and middle class alike). Some were gifted by individuals
to commemorate an event, a wedding or birthday perhaps. Others, such as businesses, ordered souvenir items to advertise their establishments. Below are two colorful examples.
We thank Dave for his stimulating and informative narrative and for patiently waiting his time
to present. It was a long but enjoyable meeting!
Page 8
Thirsty Knights Standard
News Briefs
Exhibit
May 25 – September 2,
2012
New York Historical Society
– 170 Central Park West
(77th St.) at Richard Gilder
Way, NY, NY
The Society’s upcoming exhibit “Beer Here: Brewing
New York’s History” will
trace “350 years of the production and consumption of
beer – from the establishment of the first tavern in the
early 1640’s to the microbreweries of today”.
The Society will have special
group rates of $22 which will
include admission, access to
all galleries, one beer and
one Bavarian pretzel in their
Beer Hall.
Lorraine Merz made a suggestion, primarily directed to
Justin, that this may be a
window of opportunity for
SCI (and in turn the Thirsty
Knight Chapter) to gain
some exposure since beer
and steins are a natural
combination. She also suggested the possibility of organizing a group tour, if
enough members were interested in this type of field trip.
Stein Gatherings
August 13-17, 2012
Stein Collectors International
Convention – 2012 – Annapolis, MD
This year’s convention is
offering stein members a
cornucopia of activities,
auctions (commercial
and members) and appetite-whetting foods.
From tours - to crab
fests - to lectures “there
is something for everyone”. So book your reservations and get ready
for the sights, smells and
sounds of Annapolis at
the 2012 SCI Convention!
Lodging will be at Loews
Annapolis Hotel (888575-6397)
(Code
SCI813). If you have any
questions please call
Richard Strom (301) 530
-2403.
We want to thank the
Gambrinus Chapter for
their hard work and the
diligence that went into
organizing this convention.
We wish them
much success!
Fall 2012 - Anniversary Celebration
Due to contractual difficulties the 42nd anniversary celebration will not
be held in Atlantic City,
N.J. Although plans did
not materialize as originally envisioned, the
Thirsty Knights will still
host a one-night event.
The club would like to
express its appreciation
for the all-out effort Dennis has made in coordinating this fete. He researched venues, spoke
and met with business
representatives, negotiated prices and
traveled distances to
evaluate and critique
establishments.
Dennis
was
assisted, in part, by
Cynthia Ramshaw
and Linda and Stuart
Weiss in this undertaking. We want to
thank them for their
team effort..
Member Recognition: The next time
you see a television
commercial for Montefiore Medical Center (in the Bronx)
take a closer look.
Long-time member
and first president of
the Thirsty Knights,
Dr. Norman B. Medow, is featured in
one of their ads. Dr.
Medow, a respected
pediatric
ophthalmologist, is a member of the Ophthalmology and Visual
Sciences
Department at Montefiore.
He is seen posed
and at work in this
advertisement.
Although identified on
television,
many
m em bers
have
never
met
him.
Hopefully, he can
find time in his busy
schedule to attend
one of our club
lunches and meet
with some of his fellow stein collectors.
Volume II Issue II
Pictures of Last Chapter Meeting
Page 9
THIRSTY KIGHTS
Help make this newsletter a success!
Newsletter Committee
Lorraine Merz
[email protected]
516-352-0138
Please send your email address to Dennis Ramshaw at
[email protected] so we may email you future issues of the
Thirsty Knights Standard.
This newsletter will only be a success with your help. Here are
some suggestions for articles but I call upon you to come up with
some new and fresh ideas.
Richard H. Walter
richwalt@richwalt,com
973-345-7503
Dennis Ramshaw
[email protected]
631-588-2061
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
My First Stein
One of My Favorite Things: Wedding Cups
The First Convention I Attended and Its Lasting Impression
Copyright 2012
Thirsty Knights
Repair Work – A Specialized Art
How and When I Discovered SCI
SUGGESTION BOX
We are looking for your suggestions. We want to make The Thirsty
Knights a better organization to serve your needs. Please send us
your suggestions on how to improve both our enjoyment of our collecting hobby and our social time together.
We have already received some suggestions. Please add yours to the
list!
Convention #6