Topic: My first Francis Whittemore. A beauty.

[wrightoutlook]

After some pleasant negotiating with a U.S. antique dealer - not specifically a glass dealer, I finally have my first Francis Whittemore paperweight; or rather, paperweight-style item. It's a bud vase with a floating blue flower. I'm not sure what kind of flower. The vase measures approximately 2 and 7/8 inches tall and 1 and 1/2 inches wide at its widest point. I've included photographs of some views of the bud vase as well as of the signature cane on the underside; Francis' black W in yellow. The depth of the opening is about halfway into the vase. It's in wonderful unmarked condition.

http://i9.tinypic.com/472zozl.jpg
http://i9.tinypic.com/2i1fcpi.jpg
http://i10.tinypic.com/4ideoht.jpg
http://i9.tinypic.com/2nkt01f.jpg

[Lily of the Valley]

Your Francis Whittemore is wonderful!  I think it's a blue rose - rare and beautiful indeed.  Congratulations on your new acquisition.

Enjoy! .... Lily

[m1asmithw8s]

Nice Whittemore blue crimp rose!...In a toothpick holder no less!
Excellent find!  

[wrightoutlook]

Thanks Lily and Mark for your comments. I am thrilled to own it.

Toothpick holder? Very interesting, as I kept thinking it was a "bud" vase. The antique dealer thought it was a "bud vase," and he kept calling it that. It's great to know the design and function.

[m1asmithw8s]

The original old South Jersey, Millville makers made some toothpick holders and much larger as they worked from the tank.
Whittemore, making his weights at the lamp like Kaziun, made his emulations of old So. Jersey classics much smaller than the originals.

Here's a pic of an original Millville toothpick, the design being a very rare 2 tone umbrella as opposed to a rose. The dimensions are approximately 6'' tall and 3.5'' diameter.

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4162494&a=30945251&p=74845050

[wrightoutlook]

Thanks again Mark. Did Whittemore work in New Jersey? Sadly, I wonder if he is deceased. I'm trying to find more information about him, but all I know is that he worked in the 1970s and his output is not large.

[m1asmithw8s]

Francis Dyer Whittemore lives and worked in Landsdale, PA if my memory serves correctly.

He was actually quite prolific from around 1963 though the early 80s when I'm told, he suffered a dibilitating arm injury in an auto accident.
He made alot of crimp roses, most of them the footed type.
He also made alot of lampwork designs as well.
Here's a pic of a cherries weight he made:

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4162494&a=32136993&p=74845128

[wrightoutlook]

Thanks for the information, Mark. It's appreciated. Shows how much you can trust references to Whittemore in a well-established book on paperweights by Flemming and Pommerencke and published in 1998. Oh well, it's is nice to know he still "lives" in Pennsylvania.

[Lily of the Valley]

You know, I thought about the toothpick holder bit when I posted earlier as your description of the depth of your Whittemore reminded me of my 1968 Joe Zimmerman toothpick holder.  I've added it below--with and without toothpicks.  Yes, I really do use it!  

Again, congratulations on your beautiful blue rose .... Lily


http://glassgallery.yobunny.org.uk/displayimage.php?pos=-3498

[wrightoutlook]

I love the whole idea of toothpick holders. It seems like an entire new sub-category (at least to me) of glass objects to collect. The ones you've shown, Lily and Mark, are both very, very nice.