Topic: Alex Steltzer, anyone ?

[Ellie893]

I've acquired a paperweight which I am told is called "Fireworks" and was made by Alex Stelzer in the 1940s.   I've been unable to find any information about Stelzer and, since I would like to put the paperweight on Ebay eventually, I am hoping that someone has heard of him and can provide me with some information.

Thanks.

[tropdevin]

Hi Ellie

Alex Steltzer worked for the Libbey Glass Company in Toledo, Ohio, and did make some paperweights in the 1940s (and maybe at other dates - I don't know about that).

Alan

[Ellie893]

Thanks, Alan.  I realize that I had misspelled his last name which is probably why I couldn't find anything about him.  I've since discovered that there's a photo of a "Fireworks" paperweight on p. 18 of Jean Melvin's book on American paperweight makers.

E

[Lustrousstone]

Perhaps a mod could correct the title. Kev?

[KevinH]

Title has been corrected.

However, is there any proven information, other than what Ellie has been told, that the paperweight may have been made by Alex Steltzer? So far, I can find almost nothing about Mr Steltzer and there seems to be no details in Jean Melvin's book.

Alan - is your reference based on the brief details in the April 1, 2000 article of the Delaware Valley Chapter PCA? In the text it is stated, in reference to The Wheaton Village Museum and the Wheaton Village Paperweight Shop, named after the collector and dealer Arthur Gorham:

In the Museum’s collection is a weight made by Alex Steltzer at Libby in Ohio with “A. Gorham 19—45” in glass rods.

I am wondering if, and how, "19—45", might relate to Alex Steltzer making paperweights in the 1940s.

In Jean Melvin's book, the p18 photograph mentioned by Ellie is, sadly, not annotated and I can find nothing (yet) in the nearby text to help with who made it or when. Certainly, it is of a form which for Bohemian weights would have been called a "Spider" design but for which "Fireworks" could just easily fit as generic design name.

I would not like to see the weight put up for sale with a "confirmed" attribution only to later find that it is known to be something else entirely. It would be good to see a photo of Ellie's weight and for other folk (especially our American friends) to comment.

[Ellie893]

Hi Kev,

Thanks for your helpful comments.  I've listed the weight on ebay but will certainly go in and make some
changes to reflect your advice.  I have no idea how to post photos on the website: I always get an error
message telling the file is too big.

E

[KevinH]

OK Ellie. If you could please tell us the eBay number, we will be able to view it.

Although we would normally move threads relating to items offered for sale into the Glass Market Place forum, I will leave this here for now as an open discussion on a not-so-well known paperweight maker.

If you could send me copies of your photo(s) [click my email icon to the left of this post] I will gladly reduce the size and optimize such that they can be included here for long-term reference.

[Ellie893]

Thanks, Kev.  The ebay number ois 150404683934.  I will send some photos to you.

E

[KevinH]

Ellie's photos (3 of them) are shown below.

[SophieB]

Hi everybody,

Actually, Jean Melville's book refers to Alex Stelzer at pp. 237-238 (2nd edition). He was a Czechoslovakian glass blower who worked for the Libbey Glass Company from 1907 to 1948 (time at which the company discontinued handblown glass). As is often the case, workers were allowed to make paperweights in their spare time. Melville indicates also that Alex Stelzer was a friend of Arthur Gorham (founder of the Wheaton collection) who bought many paperweights from him for resale.

More interestingly, there is indeed a picture of a weight in the book very similar/identical to Ellie's and it is attributed to Alex Stelzer (it can be found at page 16 of the coloured plates on the top left hand corner - the coloured plates are reproduced in the book after p. 48).

I think that the evidence for this attribution is fairly solid.

Sophie