York, PA
Transcription
York, PA
Thirsty Knights Standard NEXT MEETING Sunday September 28,2014 The Crow’s Nest Rt, 17 South Hackensack, NJ 07601 (201-342-5445 Volume IV Issue III President’s Message September 2014 2016 Stein Collecters International Convention Inside this issue: Corning, New York President’s Message 1 A Lucky Find 2 A Riddle in a Paradox 3 Vice-Presidents 8 Corner History of the Oktoberfest 9 Convention Report 10 Photos 15 Minites 16 News Briefs 17 Hosted by Thirsty Knights At the 2014 SCI Convention in Pittsburgh, SCI picked the Thirsty Knights as their choice to host the 2016 Stein Collectors International Convention. I would like to thank Johnsamual Coleman and Sidney Schwartz for all their hard work putting together the convention package and the powerpoint presentation. Without their dedication none of this would have happened. Now the work starts. Johnsamual will shortly be reaching out to our members and putting together the convention committees. We all have our special talents, We are going to need yours to make this convention succeed! Page 2 Thirsty Knights Standard A LUCKY FIND by Roger Barr One bright and early Saturday morning around 8:30 a.m. our telephone rang. It was from a dear friend who informed me that one of her friends, a neighbor, was about to put several boxes of steins on the curb for pick up. She asked me would I be interested in them. “You bet” I said. I asked for more information and was told she had none but to come down immediately if I wanted to pick up the steins. It was only an hour and a half down to Hillsborough in Somerset County from our home in Bergen County so I decided it was well worth the trip. So off to Hillsborough my wife and I made the trip to Somerset County down Route 287. After picking up our friend we drove over to her friends house to view and pick up a load of unwanted steins. When we got there, she was so glad to see us but not as glad as we were, so full of great expectations. She ushered us into the family room and proudly showed us here husband’s stein collection, about 30 of them, on shelves around the room - all Avons! Our excitement turned down a few notches, but we agreed that we would gladly accept them. She was so grateful to get rid of them. Our great treasure did not turn out as high as our hopes had been. So we began to wrap them up in boxes and move them out to our car, but what did my wondering eyes discover? In a corner cabinet was what appeared to be a real German beer stein. On closer examination it turned out to be a Heinrich Schlitt, one liter Mettlach # 2778 with a little chip and a poor repair job, but it still looked great! She told us it was her husband’s favorite and he had had it a long time. So she wanted to keep it. My elation then hit bottom again. But then her son said no, Dad only got it a year ago and she agreed that we could take it along with the rest of the Avon steins and here it is. P.S. We did send her a thank you letter along with a check. Volume IV Issue III RIDDLE IN A PARADOX Page 3 by Johnsamuel Colman Albert HAUBER & Hans REUTHER HR BREINDEL BEER STEINS: RIDDLE IN A PARADOX SYNOPSIS OF SHOW-AND-TELL AT THIRSTY KNIGHTS CHAPTER MEETING ON MARCH 09, 2014 Johnsamuel Coleman 1st Vice President of THIRSTY KNIGHTS NJ/NY From left to right: mold numbers 406/429/416 This article have plenty of show and very little tell; for there is very little to tell. More simply said: there is very little known about the maker of these steins; a man we only know as Breindel. Note the extremely heavy high steeple ornate lids Rich Mettlach color Mold nr. 406 Page 4 Thirsty Knights Standard RIDDLE IN A PARADOX Continued Den Affen und Das Katervieh Rare One Liter Der Katzenjammer Der famous “B.” Signature Mold nr. 430 Here the signature is a very large “B” on the depicted stein A rare example with set inlaid lid Mold nr. 416 Volume IV Issue III Page 5 RIDDLE IN A PARADOX A beauty even Mettlach is envious Continued A full signature very very rare MOLD NR. 406 Enjoy a visual beauty, with bold vibrant exciting color. Researching Breindel is an ongoing project. Page 6 RIDDLE IN A PARADOX Thirsty Knights Standard Continued HR Mole nr: 434 The standard 2 liter HR lid Volume IV Issue III RIDDLE IN A PARADOX Page 7 Continued The most exquisite Breindel stein I have ever seen. Mole nr. 541 one liter. Page 8 Thirsty Knights Standard Vice-President’s Corner By Johnsamuel Coleman Fantastic News! SCI approved Thirsty Knights’ proposal to host the 50th Anniversary Convention in Corning, NY! After 2 years of intensive planning, I presented Thirsty Knights’ plans before the SCI Board of Trustees. For the first time in many years, SCI had two chapters vying to host a convention. I understood that it was going a difficult task to win the Board of Trustee’s approval. Therefore, over the last 4 months, I initiated a publicity tour, traveling to attend and present our proposal to the Carolina Steiners, Gambrinus Stein Club, New England Steiners, Pennsylvania Keysteiners, Die Studenten Prince Gruppe, and Uppersteiners of New York State. These clubs became extremely enthusiastic about our plans, and furiously supported our proposal at the Board of Trustees’ meeting. I wish to thank the Trustees from these clubs as well as from Arizona Stein Collectors and The Thoroughbred Stein Verein, for helping the Thirsty Knights win the bid to host the Corning Convention. Now as your convention chairperson, I pledge to work as hard to make the 50th convention one that will not only be memorable, but one that will balance the educational aspects of beer steins and with opportunities to have fun and socialize. The Corning convention will be much more than auctions and business meetings. Volume IV Issue III The History of the Oktoberfest Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever since, although the locals have since abbre...viated the name simply to the "Wies'n". Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest. The Oktoberfest continues in 1811 In 1811 an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest and - at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds. In the first few decades the choice of amusements was sparse. The first carousel and two swings were set up in 1818. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries. The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels etc. on offer was already increasing rapidly in the 1870s as the fairground trade continued to grow and develop in Germany. 181st Octoberfest 2014 Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 21th century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year. And since the Oktoberfest is still held on the Theresienwiese, the locals still refer to the event simply as the "Wies'n". So "welcome to the Wies'n" means nothing other than "welcome to the Oktoberfest"! Page 9 Volume IV Issue III Page 11 PRESENTATION #1 THE REINHOLD MERKELBACH COMPANY PRESENTED BY JERRY BERG Before the advent of the railroads, ceramic factories transported their wares by wagon. But change was in the air as rails proved to be a faster, safer, and method of conveyance of their products. By 1890 the Höhr-Grenzhausen Railroad moved Merkelbach ceramics to their store in Munich. It would be another 50 years before the town of Höhr and Grenzhausen merged. William Merkelbach ran the factory, which was opened in 1843, until his death in 1859. Thereafter the produced utilitarian items followed by art pottery and as a “go with” invested in clay pits. During this period the steins had front capacity marks until it was determined that the marks were considered a distraction rather than a positive hallmark to potential customers. A major shift came in the form of concept when Costa Merkelbach took control of the factory after the death of her two sons in WWI. She was an advocate and promoter of the Art Nouveau/Jugendstiel movement. Her passion is evident by the numerous steins that incorporate an Art Nouveau design. The Merkelbach catalog published during Costa’s tenure, as family and factory head, is a tactile indicator of her patronage. With the passage of time a consortium was formed (Hanke, Gerz and Merkelbach) and eventually dissolved. Family members or outside managers guided the production of Merkelback ceramics through the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. In 1972 Goebel purchased 50% ownership of Merkelbach. They purchased the remaining 50% in 1985. But this transition proved to be temporary. In 1988 the Merkelbach family bought the company back from Goebel. Although the Merkelbach factory did close in 2007, licensing to produce Merkelbach steins was given to the firm of Girmscheid. Jerry’s comprehensive, educational and informative presentation was well received by an appreciative audience. PRESENTATION # 2 ANTIQUE SPORTS: CERAMIC, PORCELAIN AND POTTERY (1850 – 1950) PRESENTED BY JOHN LAMB John gave a presentation on one of his favorite subjects: Sports. His slide show represented all types of sports and related memorabilia, as well as the manufacturers who created them. Below is a sampling from John’s vast and myriad collection: Baseball: Gebruder Heubach (German) produced figurines – some as large as 18 inches. Two or three of these 1880’s figures reside in the Baseball Home of Fame at Cooperstown, NY. Basketball: Dark blue porcelain bookends. Boxing: 1930’s mugs and English steins. Cricket: Tribute pieces. Football: College steins and pitchers. Golf: 1930’s retractable cigarette holders in different colors and bases. Olympics: Very little pottery or porcelain keepsake pieces were made prior to 1928 which holds the distinction of being the “break-out” year. Even so, John did have a number of such items. Rugby: Humidor Soccer: 1930’s red-colored glass vase in the Art Deco style. This piece sometimes gets mistaken for a basketball hoop shot but is, in fact, the goalie saving the ball from going into the net. John has the provenance to accompany this piece. Stadium Recognition: Doulton Prize Trophy Cup. Page 12 Thirsty Knights Standard Wrestling: German 17” white vase commemorating a heavyweight bout in Berlin. Tennis: Dessert plates with comedic scenes of mishaps at the net. There were also several steins depicting female tennis players. Although Mettlach produced thousands of pieces, only 25 were made for competitive sports: baseball, football, soccer and bicycle racing. Other firms that were popular manufacturers of sports mementos were: Moritz Zdekauer (M&Z) (Austria) produced tobacco jars and mugs. Homer Laughlin & Co. (USA) pottery and ceramic dinnerware for every day use. Arthur Woods & Sons (produced mugs in the 1940’s for various sports such as baseball, hockey and soccer. Oddly tea sets made for children, that one would think would have been popular, fell out of favor. They are, therefore, not seen very often. John had two plates featuring animals engaged in a sporting activity: an elephant playing soccer and a brown bear skating on ice. The scope and variety of John’s sports collection was staggering and looked upon with awe – and there were items yet to be seen! The presentation certainly gave rise to quiet oohs and aahs and an appreciativeness of a hobby that can segue from one theme to another. ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION # 1 CHARACTER STEINS SPEAKER DAVE HARR Dave started the discussion period with the statement that if anyone presented him with a question that he rated a “10” they would receive a stein as a reward. Lined up on the display table were approximately 12 character steins: Munich child, cucumbers, dogs, dwarfs, skulls a monk and rook stein just to mention a few. Dave has accumulated roughly 100 – 120 skull steins – probably the largest collection of one hobbyist. He had a few doubles to use as comparison pieces. Dwarfs: The older version had muted colors and was not recessed vs. the newer version (after WW II) was brighter in color and was recessed. Munich Child: At first glance both steins look similar except for the coloring. Upon closer inspections the darker brown figure had the face of a girl while the lighter brown colored stein had facial features of a boy. Monk: This character stein was made by August Saeltzer and is considered rare as it is the only character stein pro duced. The monk is holding prayer beads in one hand and a depiction of a monk can be seen on his vestment. A lively question and answer session ensued but, to no one’s surprise, a level “10” query was not raised! ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION # 2 GLASS SPEAKER RON FOX Ron brought with him a gorgeous array of glass. He started the program with some history notes. Glass making originated in Murano, Italy (noted for Venetian glass manufacture). Over time many craftsman migrated to Bohemia, a part of the AustriaHungarian Empire. In that land (now the Czech Republic), high quality glass was crafted and then beautifully and delicately hand painted. Those skilled artists, whose names are world-renowned today, decorated glass in their unique signature style – Myers Neffe, Lobmeyr, Moser, Heckert and others. Serious collectors of glass can identify the individualism of each exquisite piece of what is classified as “enameled” glass. As travel became less troublesome and glass production took hold in England and the United States. Ron answered a variety of questions from the assembled group, some of which dealt with: Volume IV Issue III Page 13 Differences: Milk vs. opaque glass Similarities: Uranium glass is pressed glass Terminology: Overlay is also called flashed glass Technique: What is crackled glass and how is made? Ron had a stein sample on hand What is sandwich glass? How many overlays can a piece of glass have? Tidbit: Ruby colored glass can be overlay or stain Cobalt colored glass is overlay Amber colored glass is always a stain As the session came to a close, Ron stressed the importance of a hands on study of styles, body shapes, color, decorations; a life long learning process. Glass has many facets, in more ways than one. ______________________________________________________________________________________ Page 14 Thirsty Knights Standard OCCUPATIONAL VS. OCCUPATION BEER STEINS By Johnsamuel Coleman There is a difference between occupational and occupation beer steins. Occupational beer steins were: 1) commissioned students as a graduation present from trade school 2) has graduate’s name and symbol of his trade on it, 3) has graduate’s favorite quotation. Most occupational steins are made of porcelain. There is a symbol of the trade on the center panel of the stein. The name of the student is on the top or bottom rim. It also has the graduate’s motto, or a personal quotation. Often the stein has a litho pane. The lid can be ordinary or creative with an eagle thumb lift. Occupation beer steins were: 1) Commercially produced steins symbolizing trade occupation. 2) Not commissioned pieces, 3) Don’t have student’s name or favorite quotation on it. Occupation steins were commercially mass-produced with the trade’s symbols on them. They were not personalized, so no names appeared on them. They were not commissioned by graduating students. Editor’s Note: Due to space constraints and convention preparation, Johnsamuel Coleman has submitted snippets of his June 29, 2014 presentation. Volume IV Issue III THE RHEINHOLD HANKE’S CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS CHARACTER BEER STEINS Photos of Our Last Meeting Page 15 Continued Page 16 Thirsty Knights Standard Chapter Minutes for the Meeting of June 29, 2014 The Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale, Long Island, N.Y. was the designated meeting place for 31 Thirsty Knights on Sunday, June 29, 2014. The Brew Haus has its own microbrewery on site and holds a Sunday brunch offering over 20 selections from which to choose, including a carving station. The menu was sure to please every palette and quench the thirst of those who sampled the day’s refreshments. All officers were in attendance: President Richard Walter, 1 st Vice President JohnSamuel Coleman, 2nd Vice President Jonathan Hoffmann and Secretary and Treasurer Lorraine Merz. Chapter Minutes - June 29, 2014 Application and Brochures: Richard Walter brought a stack of membership applications and SCI brochures to the meeting. He encouraged members to distribute the brochures among individuals and at events and locations that might attract potential new members. Convention By a show of hands, it appears approximately 16 members anticipate Attendance: attending the Pittsburgh Convention in September. Combined Meeting: Rich reminded the members the Three Chapter Combined Meeting will be held on Saturday, July 19, 2014 in New Britain, CT. (see News Briefs for update). Expenditure: A vote was held and passed that a $100 donation would be given towards the speakers’ fee for the Combined Chapter Meeting to be held in July. New Member Introduced: Mark Eugster from New Jersey attended his first club meeting. We welcomed Mark with a round of applause and hoped we will see him at future gatherings. Treasurer’s Report: Lorraine Merz gave the Treasuer’s Report for the period March 9, 2014 to June 28, 2014. The balanace sheet figures were stated and accepted. Welcome Mat: Jack and Celia Clark invited the attending members to their home, after the meeting closed, to view their collection. Other: An Executive Board Meeting of club officers will be held following the September 28, 2014 meeting at the Crow’s Nest in Hackensack, N.J. New Member Recruited: Daniel Eckert viewed the club’s proceedings from his vantage point in the restaurant and decided to join the Thirsty Knights then and there. Along with the check, he sent was a lovely note that read: “Hello - I met your husband Herman at The Black Forest Brew Haus and had to join. Prosit” 50/50 Raffle - Bob Lucian won the raffle - $33.50 Respectfully submitted, Lorraine Merz Secretary Volume IV Issue III News Briefs CHAPTER MINUTES - Three Chapter Combined Meeting Page 17 -July 19, 2014 The second annual Three Chapter Meeting was held on Saturday, July 19, 2014 in New Britain, CT. In attendance were 45 members; 20 of which were from the Thirsty Knights. Representing the Thirsty Knights were officers: 1 st Vice President JohnSamuel Coleman (Guest Speaker), 2nd Vice President Jon Hoffmann (Guest Speaker) and Secretary and Treasury Lorraine Merz. Luncheon was held in the East Side Restaurant, a 70-year old family owned and operated establishment. The good food was primarily of German-American fare and served in a friendly and homey setting. The day’s agenda was jammed packed beginning with stein sales and news: The Student Prince Restaurant in Springfield, Mass. is in the process of being sold. Rudy, the long-time owner and fixture in the eatery, will aid in the transition and settling in period. The décor (steins) and cuisine are thought to remain in place - as of now. Although the restaurant is currently closed , its reopening is expected sometime in September. Hopefully, the Student Prince Chapter will hold their annual “open house for sister chapter members” at this site in November. Justin Pimentel, President of SCI, announced membership in the parent organization has dropped into the 800’s. The end result of this decline may be the discontinuation of Prosit printing and distribution; although the magazine would still be available in electronic form. Possible 2015 Combined Meeting Venue Options (if scheduled) East Side Restaurant - New Britain, CT Ben Bereza’s (New England Steiner) home barring health issues Kruckers Caterers and Picnic Grove in Pomona, NY Show ‘n’ Tell (see Show ‘n’Tell Section) Dual Presentations (see Feature Articles Drinking Horns Around the World (Jon Hoffmann - Presenter) Doulton Lambeth (JohnSamuel Coleman - Presenter) Auction Prizes Random Drawing Winners: $10 gift certificates to Dunkin Donuts Diane Pociadlo - New England Steiners Joyce Pasco - Student Prince Lorraine Merz - Thirsty Knights Betsy Barr - Honored with a feather duster due to her diligence in keeping her husband Roger’s steins dust free. 50/50 Raffle - Les Whitham - $45.00 Jelly Bean Contest Count - Mary Sullivan (Student Prince) with the closest number of 332 to the actual 338 figure. Mary not only won a sweet tooth’s bounty, but also the East Side Restaurant glass beer boot that held the tasty treats One-Year Membership Award (2015) - The winner from the Thirsty Knights Chapter was Sydney Schwartz Appreciation Stein Award - Ron Jacob (The New England Steiners). JohnSamuel, on behalf of the Thirsty Knights, presented Ron Jacob with a souvenir pottery stein depicting the State House in Boston, Mass. (Ron’s hometown). It was given to Ron in appreciation for organizing and solidifying the day’s event. Respectfully submitted, Lorraine Merz Secretary THIRSTY KNIGHTS Help make this Chapter a success! Newsletter Committee Lorraine Merz [email protected] 516-352-0138 Richard H. Walter [email protected] 973-345-7503 Copyright 2014 Thirsty Knights Please bring your items to sell at our meetings. Call Rich or Lorraine to reserve your table.
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