President Vice President STANLEY B. KRUGER 5 Johnson Lane Voorhees, NJ 08043 OPEN (856) 751-7720 [email protected] Secretary Treasurer SUSAN SUTTON DON FORMIGLI 708 Old Westtown Road 455 Stonybrook Drive West Chester, PA 19382 Levittown, PA 19055 (610) 692-7204 (215) 945-5253 Volume 12 Number 3 www.dvpaperweights.org June, 2005 PCA Convention, May 18-21, 2005: comprehensive collection of English paperweights, the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, the Rubloff Our Journey to “Paperweight Paperweight Collection at the Chicago Art Institute Mecca” and the Lotton Art Glass Studio, to visit the Bergstrom-Mahler but we were then paperweight novices and would not have reveled in, or benefited by Stanley B. Kruger from, the experience as we did during this PCA, For those of mature years, doing something for the Inc. Convention, eleven years later. Indeed, now very first time is often quite pleasurable (if not too that we have been shown the way, an annual strenuous physically). When those of mature “Pilgrimage to Mecca” may be contemplated! years are, like Toby and me, avid paperweight collectors, their first ever visit to the Bergstrom- With Registration scheduled from 10 AM to 7 PM Mahler Museum in Neenah, WI is more than on Wednesday, May 18, Convention, this year’s pleasurable…it is a religious experience, a theme “A Special Time for Friends and revelation, a journey to the mountaintop to view Paperweights”, was to begin at 7 PM that evening beyond the peak! with a four hour Dealer Fair, followed by an Artist Showcase from 8 to 9:30 PM, and the printed Once before, Toby and I had the opportunity, through schedule in our handsome Convention loose-leaf June Morfe’s August 1994 four day excursion from notebooks urged attendees to “Visit the Museum” Baltimore to Chicago, to include Bill Volkman’s during that day. Anticipating this, our travel day The Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, Neenah, Wisconsin. 1 was Tuesday, May 17, flying via US Airways for more background information. Express from Philadelphia to Milwaukee, WI, then driving a rental car 110 miles north to Appleton’s Not realizing that the Museum was conducting six Radisson Paper Valley Hotel, at 333 West College Collector “Hands-On” Sessions, three on May 17 Avenue, in the heart of downtown. Did you know and three on May 18 (my error, as they were that Lawrence University (the reason for “College advertised), on Monday, May 16 I had sent out an Avenue”), only five blocks east of the Radisson, is the email message to DVPCAers attending second oldest coeducational college in the U.S. and that Convention that there would be an informal Appleton is the third largest metropolitan area in the state? meeting at 4 PM on May 18 in the hotel lobby “to One learns these interesting bits of data by taking the time discuss strategy regarding the collaboration to read the promotional brochures included in Convention between DVPCA and Wheaton Village on WV’s registration packets, which we collected at 10 AM on Paperweight Event 2006”. So, our time at the Wednesday. In doing so, we missed the complimentary Museum on Wednesday was regrettably short, 10:30 AM shuttle bus and drove over to the Museum on our returning us to the Radisson at 3:30 PM. But in own, arriving around 11:20. the 3.5 hours we were in the Museum, we managed an overview of: Mrs. Bergstrom’s Located on the western shore of Lake Winnebago original collection of 630 paperweights; some of at 165 North Park Drive in Neenah, WI, seven the later-donated 1600 weights that enhance the miles from Appleton in an area known as the Fox original bequest; “Perthshire Paperweights 2002-- Cities, the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum began life -The Final Chapter”, examples of the Annual as the John Nelson Bergstrom Art Center in 1954. Editions, Limited and Unlimited Editions, Little Mrs. Evangeline Bergstrom bequeathed the Gems and Related Objects proposed for issue in paperweight collection but it was the decision of 2002 but never made, as the factory closed its John Nelson, her husband, to bequeath their doors forever on January 26 of that year; mansion along with Evangeline’s collection to the “Immersions: The Glass Art of Rick Ayotte”, a City of Neenah. Another couple, Ernest and Carol spectacular display of large bowls incorporating Mahler, after John Nelson’s death in 1951, were lampwork décor; and “Uncovering the instrumental in the Museum’s success when they Uncommon: The Perthshire Legacy”, a both served, individually, as President and then magnificent exhibit of mostly very large unique donated their splendid Germanic glass collection weights made for special occasions and and their name to the Museum. See the Museum individuals and never offered in Perthshire’s website, http://www.paperweightmuseum.com/, Annual Catalogs. The latter two exhibits were (L-R) Anne Smith, CA, Gay Taylor, NJ, Sumner Reid, PA (back to camera), Denise Brown, TN, unidentified first-time Conventioneer, Leslie Smith, TX. 2 special, set up only for the week of Convention. next to the Dealer Fair. Toby and I had examined Oh, yes, and we also made time, twice, for the most of the offerings in both Fairs by 10 PM and Museum Shop, once upon entering and once just were back in our second floor room for the night before leaving the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum by 10:30. that day. I must say a word about the Convention loose-leaf Back at the Radisson, Toby and I led a one hour notebooks collected at Registration. Quite similar meeting on organizing Paperweight Fest 2006 at to the loose-leaf notebooks of the 2003 San Wheaton Village with Nancy Alfano, Brian and Antonio Convention, this compilation of Suzanne Landis, Bill Price and Pat necessary information was extremely well Ackerman…even have notes from the organized and, best of all, contained summaries, meeting…and scheduled another meeting for 8 with color photographs, of the major addresses AM on Friday, to report on the response to “Save throughout Convention. I believe these the Date” cards provided by Wheaton Village notebooks, with their permanent record of announcing the event. Convention presentations, were the valuable innovation of one man, William Drew Gaskill, At 7 PM, we were dressed (that is, Toby was) and PCA’s Education Director in 2003 and current back downstairs in the Conference Center of the PCA, Inc. President. Through them, Convention hotel for the opening of Dealer Fair, across from attendees have a permanent record of this the PCA’s Hospitality Suite. Thirteen dealers Convention to which they can refer in future. And were set up: Gary McClanahan, R & S Treasures these loose-leaf notebooks were in addition to a (Ron Roberts), Ray Metcalfe of Sweetbriar bi-fold packet containing brochures about the Gallery, Chester, England, Drew Ebelhare, Bob local area, logistical matters relevant to Banford, Harvey and Doris Robinson, Nancy Convention (invitation to Bergstrom-Mahler Alfano of Portia Paperweights, Gem Antiques Reception on Thursday, details of “Dutch Treat (Jack Feingold), Roger Jacobsen, Leo Kaplan, Dinners” on Friday, description of two limited Ltd., Bill Pitt, Paul Dunlop and Dan and Therese edition Convention Commemorative Weights McNamara. Also located in the Dealer Fair were commissioned by the Museum Shop at the two special exhibit cases, one for the items Museum, etc.), maps of the Fox Cities of submitted by attendees for Saturday morning’s ID Wisconsin, plus a box of 70 2-ply white tissue Clinic and another for The Gillinder Project, about from the Museum with enlargements of four which more later. classic era weights on its sides in the PCA-logoed blue and white canvas carry bag, taken together an Our printed Convention enormous achievement schedule showed Dealer and indicative of excellent Fair open from 7 – 11 PM planning and coordination each evening and from 1-5 over the years leading up PM on Saturday, when it to this Convention. was open to the public. Larry Selman, the 14th Three full hot buffet dealer at Convention, had breakfasts, two box located his display in a lunches and the closing separate room across from Banquet were included in Dealer Fair and was open 7 the Convention fee of to 11 PM, Thursday and $195. So, the next Friday 11 AM – 11 PM and morning saw Toby and me 11–5 PM on Saturday. The at 8 AM breakfast at The ten artists briefly showing Orchard, the their work that evening breakfast/lunch dining were located in the room Rosann Milius, President, Evangeline Bergstrom (Wisconsin) PCA area on the main lobby (continued on page 9) 3 for sale and advising the potential buyer of them. He emphasized that the quality of the picture is paramount! Use a good camera, take a close-up of the item and show and describe any defects; otherwise a dissatisfied buyer will return it. You must have software installed on your computer that will enhance your photos as well as a high speed modem. There are shipping and handling issues to be considered and you can allow the buyer to select the mode, and therefore the cost, of shipping. Review of Events You should check emails regularly, in order to answer Spring Meeting, April 16, 2005 queries promptly. A good feedback rating is very important; some potential buyers will not bid if you Forty-eight DVPCA members and guests enrolled for have no feedback rating, or negative feedback. Guest today’s meeting at Williamson Restaurant, Horsham, Dealer Dan McNamara recommended that you take at PA, our usual venue, and all showed up! The least three views of your item, front, side and back.