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Vintage American Paperweights for Sale
www.paperweights.com
Vintage American Paperweights for Sale
The paperweights on this page are mostly from unidentified American glass companies. I usually refer to them as Midwest US or Vintage American. They may have been made in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, New Jersey, or even somewhere in Canada.
For more information about American paperweights from this period take a look at the book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers by Jean Melvin (1967 and 1970). For some great references on paperweights, check out my list of paperweight books for sale.
If you would like to purchase
any of these paperweights, e-mail me at: aport@paperweights.com
| 2710 | Large Ed Rithner Multi-Colored Candy Cane Millefiori Paperweight.
Circa 1940-1970. A wonderful example of a relatively rare style
of paperweight. The millefiori canes are striped lengthwise and are
placed over a transparent ground of red, green, yellow and blue yellow
colors. The canes are various colors of red, blue, green, and white.
A wonderful example of a relatively rare style of paperweight. Please ignore the white areas in the pictures; they are caused by the light. Ed Rithner worked in Wellsburg, West Virginia from 1908 to the 1970s or later. This is a well documented and unique Ed Rithner style. A similar paperweight is shown and described on page 129 of Jean Melvin's book on American Glass Paperweights and their Makers. There is also a color photo of this style of paperweight with a white ground on one of the color plates between pages 48 and 49 in the same book. All of Rithner's weights are unsigned. Large Size: 3" diameter by 2 1/16" high.
For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$135 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 1466 | Vintage Coal Breaker Souvenir Paperweight. circa
1850 -1930. Unusual paperweight made of coal depicting a scene at
an coal breaker building, probably in Pennsylvania. It is designed
to give the impression that it is carved from a lump of hard (anthracite)
coal, but is most likely made from some form of reconstituted coal and
pressed into a mold to resemble the original lump. I can speculate
the material is the byproduct of the coal. The scene depicts a coal
breaker facility with multiple railroad tracks going into the building
and mining cars shown entering or departing. The text at the top
reads "Souvenir Coal Breaker."
A coal breaker's function is to break large chucks of mined coal into smaller pieces which are then washed, sorted by size, and graded. They were common in Pennsylvania from 1800 to until sometime in the early 1900s when they began to be replaced by more modern facilities. They were located near the actual mines. For more information on coal breakers, refer to the Wikipedia article on coal breakers. Size: Just over 2 1/4" wide by 2 1/2" high by 1 7/8" deep.
The design is on the front. The back is molded to resemble coal.
The bottom is flat.
For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$44 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 1553 | Robert Hamon Bicentennial 1976 Pedestal Eagle Paperweight. circa
1976. This paperweight features a painted sulphide of an American
eagle standing on a red, white and blue banner. The banner
has the dates 1776 and 1976. All this is over a red, white and blue
frit or jasper ground.
Robert Hamon of Scott Depot, West Virginia started making marbles and paperweights in the 1970s or possibly earlier. He made a faceted version of this weight in a limited edition of 250, but I do not know if this is considered part of that series. Possibly it is the prototype for the series. The signature on this paperweight not clear and does not appear to be Hamon's usual H signature, but rather appears to be a WV for Wheaton Village or West Virginia or possibly even an M or a W. Two paperweight authorities have stated with certainty that they believe this to be a Robert Hamon weight. You can read about Robert Hamon in Jean Melvin's book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers. Size: Just over 2 7/8" diameter by 1 9/16" high. Unusual
pedestal with low profile.
For extra pictures, click on the picture at the right and the following links: Large picture of the paperweight$65 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2169 | Magnum Ed Rithner Multi-Colored Umbrella Paperweight. Circa
1940-1970. Great magnum umbrella flower paperweight by Ed Rithner.
The design consists of a green and red umbrella or tent with carefully
placed bubbles placed around the outer edge. There is also a large
carefully placed bubble in the center. The ground is a white flowerpot
design.
A wonderful example of a relatively rare style of paperweight. Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Ed Rithner worked in Wellsburg, West Virginia from 1908 to the 1970s or later. This is a well documented Ed Rithner style. A similar paperweight is shown on page 130 of Jean Melvin's book on American Glass Paperweights and their Makers. All of Rithner's weights are unsigned. Magnum Size: 3 7/8" diameter by just under 3 1/2" high.
This paperweight weighs about 2 1/2 pounds. circa. 1940-1970.
$195 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2525 | Remember the Maine Frit Paperweight. Circa 1900-1940.
This frit paperweight features an image of the 19th Century battleship
USS Maine, which exploded and sank in Havana Harbor (Cuba) in February
1898. The explosion led to the Spanish-American War which began in
April 1898. "Remember the Maine!, To hell with Spain!" became a common
rallying cry. The design is set in white frit over a smaller white
ground made up of small icepick flowers.
Because of the white on white design, this is a difficult paperweight to photograph. There are many bubbles in the frit and in the lower icepick ground. The actual condition is much better than it appears in the pictures. I cannot be sure when or where this paperweight was made. Possibly it was made in Millville, New Jersey in the first half of the 19th century, but many other factories made similar frit style paperweights. Frit refers to the powdered glass used to make the design. The design is set up in a metal die and then picked up with a gather of a ground color. According to Newell's Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey, frit weights were made as early as 1863. Newell identifies this style as a true folk art. Magnum Size: Just under 3 1/4" diameter by 1 15/16" high.
Unsigned. circa 1900-1940.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 1040 | Erickson Magnum Bubble Design Faceted Paperweight. Circa
1940 - 1960. This large faceted paperweight has perfect execution.
There is a warm ruby pink center, surrounded by a layer of closely spaced
controlled bubbles. The paperweight has unusual faceting with 16
finger facets around the base. All of this creates a magical appearance.
A wonderful paperweight.
As for origin, I have seen this paperweight attributed to several different factories, but I believe that it is by Carl Erickson of Bremen, Ohio. An identical paperweight without the faceting is attributed to Carl Erickson in the book American Glass Paperweights and their Makers by Jean Melvin on page 58. Other sources have attributed this to one of the Degenharts or even to a Murano factory. It is, however, unlike any Degenhart paperweight and also different in construction from any Murano weight I have seen. Carl Erickson came from a line of glass makers and worked at Pairpoint Glass (New Bedford, Massachusetts), Libbey Glass (Toledo, Ohio), and Blenko Glass (Milton, West Virginia) before starting his factory in Bremen, Ohio in 1943. He was born in 1899 and died in 1966. Magnum size: 3 1/2" diameter by just over 2" high. Circa
1940 - 1960. I believe this to be by Carl Erickson.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2229 | Rare Millville Style Busy Bee Frit Paperweight. Circa
1900-1940. This frit paperweight features a Busy Bee motif with a
honey hive and nine bees buzzing over it. The design is set in white
frit over a dark purple (almost black) ground. The ground is almost
opaque. The glass has a turquoise tint.
I cannot be sure when or where this paperweight was made. Most likely it was made in Millville, New Jersey in the first half of the 19th century. This type of construction has been associated with factories such as Whitall Tatum that operated in the early 1900s in the Millville area of Southern New Jersey. Frit refers to the powdered glass used to make the design. The design is set up in a metal die and then picked up with a gather of a ground color. This weight has the typical Millville two piece construction, as shown in the side view (click on picture to see this). According to Newell's Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey, frit weights were made as early as 1863. Newell identifies this style as a true folk art. Magnum Size: 3 1/4" diameter by 2 1/8" high. Unsigned.
circa 1900-1940.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 1172 | Vintage Ravenna Style Five Petal Lily Flower Paperweight. Circa
1880-1940. This paperweight features a five petal red lily flower
with a multi-colored frit ground. The ground has six pleats.
There is a carefully placed bubble in the center.
This style is associated with the Ravenna Glass factory in Northeastern Ohio. It is called an icepick flower design because an icepick type tool is pushed down through the color to create a stem for the flower and also to create the pleats in the ground. Although the style is associated with Ravenna, I cannot be sure when or where this paperweight was made. Most likely it was made in the first half of the 19th century. This style of paperweight was first documented in the article on Ravenna Glass by H. M. Lyon February 1940 issue of Hobbies Magazine (see pages 51-53). The article has black and white pictures of four paperweights of this style. There is also two similar paperweights in the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum, one of which was acquired in 1941. See No. 438 and 656 in Glass Paperweights of the Bergstrom-Mahler Museum by Geraldine J. Casper. Size: 2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/4" high. Unsigned. circa
1880-1940.
$95 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2184 | Vintage Magnum Trumpet Flower Paperweight. c.1950.
Great magnum trumpet flower paperweight by unknown maker. The design
consists double layer of a rust colored trumpet flowers or icepick flowers
over a green and white ground. There are nine flowers in all, each with
a deliberate bubble in the center. The top layer has five flowers
and the bottom layer has four. This has all the characteristics of
a true whimsy, made in spare time by a glass worker. I believe this
was made in the midwest US around the middle of the 20th century.
It is hard to see the details in the picture because of the uniform color. The glass has a green color. This design is sometimes called an icepick flower design because an icepick type tool is pushed down through the frit later to create the stems for the flowers. In this case, because the bubbles and stems are so large, the took would have been larger than an icepick. Very Large Size: Just over 4" diameter by 3 1/2" high.
This paperweight weighs 3 pounds. circa. 1950.
$40 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2185 | Large Ed Rithner Think of Me Motto Frit Paperweight. Circa
1940-1970. Motto weight with the saying "THINK OF ME" set in white
frit (ground glass) above a cushion ground with four flowers. Each
flower has a carefully placed central bubble. Frit design consists
of the saying plus two daisy style flowers. The smaller flower has
a carefully placed bubble at its center. Great execution and color.
A wonderful example of a relatively rare style of paperweight. Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Ed Rithner worked in Wellsburg, West Virginia from 1908 to the 1970s or later. You can read about Ed Rithner in Jean Melvin's book on American Glass Paperweights and their Makers. All of Rithner's weights are unsigned. Large Size: 3 1/4" diameter by 2 5/8" high. circa. 1940-1970.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2173 | Antique Graeser Masonic Paperweight.. c.1890. This uniquely
American style paperweight consists of a Masonic symbol and two floral
sprays. The Masonic symbol, composed of the square and compass with
a G surrounded by rays in the center, is photographically reproduced in
black and white. The floral sprays are hand painted decorations.
Both are on a white enamel disk. After the decorations were complete
the disk was encased in glass.
The hand painted floral sprays are outstanding. A wonderful paperweight. Albert Graeser was a well known producer of photographic paperweights working in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the 1890-1900 period. He used a process patented by William H. Maxwell in 1882. For more information on this style of paperweight see the article "Fraternally Yours" by William Price, Jr. in the 2001 Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association. This style of paperweight is also described on page 413 of American Glass by George and Helen McKearin. Magnum Size: 3 1/2" diameter by 2 1/2" high. Unsigned, but
similar signed examples are known to exist. c1890.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2278 | Vintage Magnum Trumpet Flower and Lily Paperweight. circa
1930-1950. Great magnum trumpet flower paperweight by unknown
maker. The design consists of a red and yellow five petal lily surrounded
by a multi-colored bouquet of five trumpet flowers or icepick flowers (red,
green, blue and white). The ground is clear. There are six
flowers in all each with a large bubble in the center. The glass
has a slightly pink color.
The design is on two layers. This has all the characteristics of a true whimsy, made in spare time by a glass worker. I believe this was made in the midwest US around the middle of the 20th century. A very showy paperweight. This design is sometimes called an icepick flower design because an icepick type tool is pushed down through the frit later to create the stems for the flowers. In this case, because the bubbles and stems are so large, the took would have been larger than an icepick. Very Large Size: Just over 3 1/2" diameter by 3 1/2" high.
This paperweight weighs just over two pounds. circa. 1930-1950.
$75 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2266 | Ed Rithner Red and White Speckled Flower Paperweight. Circa
1940-1970. An upright flower with eight red and white speckled petals
over a red and white speckled cushion ground. The cushion ground
has four red flowers each with a carefully placed bubble in the center.
There is also a planned bubble in the center of the larger flower at the
top. A classic Rithner design..
Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Ed Rithner worked in Wellsburg, West Virginia from 1908 to the 1970s or later. You can read about Ed Rithner in Jean Melvin's book on American Glass Paperweights and their Makers. All of Rithner's weights are unsigned. A similar paperweight sold for $173 in Selman's Spring 2007 Auction (see lot 106). Size: 2 7/8" diameter by 1/2" high. circa. 1940-1970.
$95 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2175 | Large Lampwork Name Paperweight - Christian + Lizzie Rolfes. c.1900-1940.
This paperweight consists of various strands of millefiori twist with the
name formed from lampwork letters placed on solid white strips of glass.
Underneath the names are five yellow icepick flowers over a multi-colored
frit glass ground.
Unfortunately, this paperweight has a large crack completely across the center as shown in the pictures. Normally, I would put this in the trash bin, but have decided to offer it for sale because of the rarity of this type of paperweight. The origin of this style of paperweight has been the subject of much conjecture. Several authors have suggested that at least some of the paperweights done in this style were made by Ralph Barber or another maker at Millville, NJ. Barber worked at Whitall Tatum, Vineland Flint Glass, and also at Kimble Glass. Other weights in a similar style have been attributed to unknown midwest makers. See the article "ANOTHER Ralph Barber Lampwork Name Paperweight (and many more)" by Stanley Kruger in the 2004 Annual Bulletin of the Paperweight Collectors Association or Clarence Newell's Old Glass Paperweights of Southern New Jersey, Very Large Size: Just over 3 3 /8" diameter by 2 7/8" high.
Circa. 1900-1940.
$35 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2225 | Vintage Magnum White Flower Paperweight. c.1950.
This magnum paperweight contains a white lampwork flower constructed from
five white glass rods with a bubble in the center. There is a red,
white, and blue ground. This has all the characteristics of a true
whimsy, made in spare time by a glass worker. I believe this was
made in the midwest US around the middle of the 20th century. The
glass is slightly gray in color.
A unique item. I have not seen another paperweight like this. Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Very Large Size: 4" diameter by 3 1/8" high. This paperweight
weighs just over 2 1/2 pounds. circa. 1950.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
| 2608 | Vintage Steuben Teardrop Spiral Cane Paperweight. circa
1950s -1960s. Wonderful Steuben Teardrop Spiral Paperweight consisting
of an eight rod ribbon of white glass wrapped in a spiral around a central
teardrop shaped bubble. A wonderful example of this design.
This Steuben paperweight is designated model number 8029 and appeared in the Steuben catalog in 1952. It was designed by Steuben senior designer George Thompson in 1937. Thompson received architectural degrees from the University of Nebraska and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Designs by Thompson were included in every Steuben exhibition from 1937 through his retirement in 1974. Steuben Glass was founded in Corning, New York in 1903 by Thomas G. Hawkes, president of T.G. Hawkes and Company, a glass-engraving firm, and by Frederick Carder, an English glassmaker specializing in colorful, art nouveau art glass typical of the period. It was acquired by the Corning Glass Works in 1918. Colored glass was phased out in 1933 and since then Steuben has been known for its very high quality, extremely refractive decorative glass objects. Large Size: 3” diameter by 3 3/8” high.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image
 |
| 1062 | Large Anthony "Tony" DePalma Christmas Frit Paperweight. Circa
1980-1990. Christmas paperweight with holly leaf and four red berries
over a snow white ground. There is a layer of controlled bubbles
beneath the frit layer. Great execution and color. It hot stamped
on the pontil A. DePalma.
Frit refers to the powdered glass used to make the design. The design is set up in a metal die and then picked up with a gather of a ground color. In this case, Tony started with a bottom ground of white, then added a second layer of clear glass. The bubble layer was added by pressing the clear layer into a mold. Then the holly and berry frit layer was picked up and the final layer of clear glass was added. A wonderful example of Tony DePalma's work. Please ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Tony DePalma started as paperweight making as a volunteer at Wheaton Village in Millville, NJ in 1977. From 1990 to 2000 he worked there full time. Large Size: Just over 3 1/4" diameter by 3" high. circa.
1980 -1990.
Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image
 |
| 2208 | Early Pairpoint Millefiori Paperweight. c.1970.
Patterned millefiori arrangement of seven millefiori canes and eight latticinio
twists over an almost opaque pink ground.
Although the execution is somewhat primitive, this is an interesting historical addition to your Pairpoint collection. Ignore the white areas, they are glare from the lights. Pairpoint Glass has a long history extending back to its earliest origins with Mount Washington Glass in 1837. Owners and locations changed a number of times and the name Pairpoint was first used in the 1890s. The original Pairpoint companies were located in New Bedford, Massachusetts. Based on the relatively primitive style of millefiori, I believe this paperweight dates from 1970-1971. That would make it an early example probably made in New Bedford prior to the move to Sagamore on Cape Cod, Massachusetts in 1972. Size: 2 3/4" diameter by 2 1/8" high. Excellent condition with no chips or cracks. The base is ground flat. $85 postage paid in the US. Click on the picture to see a larger image. |
Click on the picture to see a larger image |
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Revised 3/15/2010
