Brilliant Era Glass Cutting House Catalogs:
Wallenstein, Mayer & Co. 1911 Catalog
Wallenstein Mayer Part A
Wallenstein Mayer Part B
About The Wallenstein, Mayer & Co. 1911 Catalog, Cut Glass Section
The online Wallenstein, Mayer & Co. 1911 Catalog Cut Glass Section presented on the ACGA website is based on a photocopy given to the LABAC group during 2002 by Ken Howe. Ken found the catalog original in the Cincinnati Public Library. This material was distributed as part of the Cycle #3 (late 2002) "GWM" soft cover book, whose second edition was published in 2005.
This was the fourth annual catalog published by Wallenstein, Mayer, a Cincinnati wholesale jewelry distributor. This company survives at present as Harry Greenwold Wallenstein Mayer Co. Wholesale Jewelers, located at 37 W. 7th Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Surviving books indicate that W, M continued to publish voluminous (500+ pages) hardbound catalogs into at least the 1970s.
So far as we know, Wallenstein, Mayer did not have a glass cutting shop and did not make the cut glass that they sold. Instead, W, M purchased cut glass in bulk from one or more cutting houses, marking up and reselling that glass to their jewelry store customers.
Further research is needed to determine which cutting house(s) supplied cut glass sold by Wallenstein, Mayer. The cutting designs pictured in this catalog are rather straightforward, certainly not targeting top-of-the-line clients demanding elaborate cutting detail and dense concentrations of sophisticated motifs.
Most of the cut glass items pictured in this catalog have associated order numbers, rather than pattern names. The order numbers appear to be sequentially assigned in order of appearance within each page. This suggests that there probably is no maker, shape or pattern designation imbedded within the order numbers assigned.
Only one pattern name appears in this cut glass offering: Radium. However, comparison of the designs called Radium pictured on catalog pages 342 and 347 clearly indicate that this name was applied to two very different and distinct patterns. This issue is further confused by the pattern name "Radium" associated with the round nappy appearing at the bottom right of page 347, indicating that this name was applied to pieces cut in at least three designs.
The heart-shaped nappy shown on page 347 is probably cut on a Libbey blank, as that company is the only one known to have sold heart-shaped nappy cutting blanks.
The most expensive items offered here cost $96.00, roughly corresponding to $2,340 in inflation-adjusted 2014 funds. These are the 22" two light electric lamp on page 338, and the two piece 14" punch bowl on page 340.
Please contact me if you identify the maker of any of the W, M cut glass, or can provide photos of surviving pieces pictured in this catalog section.
Rob Smith
July, 2014