Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests > Glass Paperweights
Frank Eisner
Frank:
What this weight does tell us is that it was probably one of the very first Waterford products following the installation of their furnace and that the initials M & C may be the founders christian names Miroslav and Charles. So the inscription had special significance. The installation of their furnace would also be why they hired Eisner as apart from Miroslav, in 1950 they had 3 German cutters and the rest were trainees, including Domhnall Õ Broin who had joined them at that time.
So quite a significant piece of glass history! You should try and contact Brian Havel who wrote the book on Miroslav Havel and may be able to shed some more light on this remarkable find a museum piece for sure.
(Makes up for today's disappointment I guess ;) )
It also tells us that Eisner made these weights at Waterford and probably prior to that at Lemington as this was no practice piece. So it may solve the other puzzle and finally trash the Moncrieff source story.
Frank:
This weight has been implicated in the badge weight study http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,21601.msg239605.html#msg239605
Study examples reposted link http://www.scotlandsglass.co.uk/cms/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=336&Itemid=6
KevinH:
The engraving that Ray has shown above is similar, but not identical to, that on base of the weight pictured in Bob Hall's Scottish Paperweights book, page 53, photo bottom right. The detail on the one in Bob's book is "WATERFORD" to the top, "WR" over floral design to the centre and "19 FE 50" below - and the F & E are linked in the same way as on Ray's example. [Not sure where my personal photos of that weight are right now!]
The weight itself is also similar to the one shown in Bob's book, which has three multi-coloured flowers over a coloured chip ground. I am sure that the weight Ray shows is now the second known "signed" example made by Frank Eisner at Waterford.
By the way, I am currently trying to finisih off some long outstanding tasks including latest research into the Eisner story.
Frank:
Good to hear Kevin, still cannot find my Havel book which might make sense of initials... but they could also have been engraved as wedding gifts or similar in which case it is very odd that Frank put his signature on... have to see how many coincidences if the book names the engravers and apprentices in 1950. The thought that these commemorate the furnace start-up is of course attractive!
Ray, any chance you can get some provenance for your weight?
Frank:
Re-reading the thread, it struck me that there is a possibility that Paul and Frank were both active in the Society of Glass Technology and may have gotten acquainted at meetings of the society which Paul certainly attended. Should be trivial (famous last words) to find out if Eisner was active in the SGT.
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