November News...Moser Glass, the First Thanksgiving, and Stuffing for Fowl

The holidays are quickly approaching and we're looking forward to seeing you here at the Antique Center and the International Antiques Design Center! Whether you are looking for a unique gift or want to treat yourself to something special, we've got you covered. Take a break from the crowded malls and visit us for a more relaxed shopping experience. And don't forget to mark your calendars for our upcoming events.

We're wishing you and yours a Happy, Healthy and Safe Holiday Season!

Please Join Us

The Antique Center &

the International Antiques Design Center

Holiday Open House

Saturday, November 21 &
Sunday, November 22

15% Off All Weekend
from participating dealers
and these
Special Events

Saturday, November 22

Champagne & Chocolates
4pm - 8pm

The Antique Center &
the International Antiques
Design Center

Sunday, November 22

Free Antique Appraisals
2pm - 4pm

Antique Center

Complimentary Wine Tasting
3pm - 5pm

International Antiques Design Center

Live Music by Sarah Casey, Flautist
4:30pm

Antique Center

Spotlight Dealer:

Gary D. Baldwin

A Touch of Glass

Moser: Artistry in Glass & Moser, The Klabin Collection

Gary D. Baldwin is a graduate of Drexel Institute of Technology (Drexel University) where he majored in physics. Mr. Baldwin is presently retired from the Northrop Grumman Corp. where he was involved in laser research and Electro-optical system development for over 40 years.

Consumed by a passionate interest in artistic glass, particularly with respect to the Central European area, he has conducted intensive research into his specialty field of Moser glass. Mr. Baldwin is a respected dealer in fine quality glassware and has a retail outlet at The Antique Center at Historic Savage Mill in Savage, Md.

In addition, Mr. Baldwin is the author of three books on Moser glass: "Moser-Artistry in Glass, 1857-1938", "Moser Artistic Glass, Edition Two" and "Moser Glass, The Klabin Collection". He is a noted lecturer on Moser glass, the author of several articles that appeared in the GLASS COLLECTOR'S DIGEST, and is a member of the National Early American Glass Club.

Gary Baldwin has been a dealer at the Antique Center at Savage Mill since 1988. We are fortunate to have had such a well respected expert in our midst for over 20 years!

Join Mr. Baldwin on Sunday, November 15 at 4pm for a free lecture on Moser. Bring your own art glass for complimentary identification!

Moser: The King of Glass

by Gary D. Baldwin

MOSER: Glass of Kings, King of Glass", as quoted in present day Moser advertising brochures, may, at first, seem a bit pretentious. However, historic documentation, and an internationally recognized commitment to creating luxury glassware of the highest possible quality, has unquestionably maintained Moser in an enviable position relative to the world's greatest glass making houses. During the latter half of the 19th Century, Moser artists created a large category of unique decorative styles. These designs were not only extremely popular at the time of their inception, but formed the basis for many 20th Century decorative forms. Unlike some artistic epochs, which exist for only short periods of time, Moser's 19th and early 20th Century artistic designs retain an universal appeal up to the present day.

Moser Vase, circa 1925, H. Haussman, artist

In March of 1857 Ludwig Moser purchased a former restaurant which he converted into a well equipped engraving studio. This studio was located near the sanatorium promenade in Karlsbad Austria (present day, Karlovy Vary in the Czech Republic). Within a comparatively short period, the firm founded by Ludwig Moser ascended from the drab surroundings of a spa engraving studio to become a world celebrated supplier of artistic glass. Through an international network of fine shops, Moser sold luxury glassware to socially prominent and wealthy patrons and included among his customers crowned heads of Europe and the Middle East. In 1860, cut products marketed by Moser gained favorable recognition at the Industrial Exhibition in Vienna. In 1862, Moser won a medal at the World Exhibition in London. In response to the increased product demand that accompanied these accolades, Ludwig Moser opened a new decorating workshop at Meistersdorf (Mistrovice) near Steinsch�nau. This facility, organized around 1870, included engraving and cutting shops and a large enameling studio.

Moser Animor Vase, Art Deco, circa 1920-1930

Moser Animor Vase, Art Deco, circa 1920-1930

Prior to 1895, Moser artists were acknowledged masters at adapting the themes of romantic painters, as well as Bohemian Renaissance, Baroque, Islamic, Indian, Japanese, and Chinese artistic motifs, to create distinctively decorated enameled artware. During this period, glass marketed by Moser consisted of highly distinctive decorative motifs applied to glass blanks purchased from major Bohemian glasshouses. Success abroad was ensured by an extensive network of glass merchandising centers, while, at home, the appointment of Ludwig Moser as "Supplier of Glass" to the Austrian Imperial Court of Franz Joseph solidified his position as a major Bohemian manufacturer of artistic glass. 1895 witnessed the completion of Moser's glassworks at Meierh�fen (present day Dvory). Technical perfection of the glass melt and forming process, development of complementary cutting and engraving techniques and the introduction of new colored glass formulations became an all consuming passion. Moser's dedication to excellence was rewarded by a high level of visibility at international competitions and a seemingly endless procession of socially prominent patrons.

Moser Lamp, Art Deco, circa 1920-1930

Since the fall of Communism and the reestablishment of a free enterprise economy, The Moser Co. has regained its former international presence. Firm reliance on the popularity and social acceptance of designs produced prior to World War II, as well as a progressive look to the future through the eyes of contemporary Czech artists, has once more established Moser as the dominant producer of luxury glass in Central Europe.

photographs courtesy of Gary D. Baldwin

The First Thanksgiving

The event most often cited as the "First Thanksgiving" wasn't a thanksgiving at all, but it was, as tradition tells us, a feast shared by the English Colonists and the Wampanoag Indians. A proper "thanksgiving" would have been a solemn, prayer centered day observed by the Pilgrims to give thanks for a specific event.

The harvest celebration that took place in the Autumn of 1621 was indeed an occasion to give thanks, but it was actually three days of festivities with dancing, music, games and entertainment. This kind of harvest feast was a tradition long observed by Native Americans.

And the menu? The only items historians are sure about are venison and wild fowl. It could have also included eel, lobster, eagle, partridge, seal, squash, beans, radishes, dried fruit and more. There would have been pumpkins, but no pumpkin pie...they had no sugar. There also wouldn't have been ham, cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, corn on the cob, or mashed potatoes.