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Presidents' Day is celebrated on Monday, Feb. 21, this year and honors all those who served as United States presidents over the years. So, in honor of Presidents' Day, I want to feature the beautiful Frances Ware glass in my column today.
Since it's one of my favorite examples of Victorian glass, I've written about it before and recall the fascination I developed with this fancy glass and the story behind it.
Made in the 1880s by Wheeling's own famous glass manufacturer Hobbs, Brockunier, Frances Ware is highly collectible and beautiful to display.
A clear or frosted glass with amber-stained rims, the glass is usually found in the popular hobnail pattern though a swirl glass pattern was also produced.
Named for President Grover Cleveland's wife, Frances, it remains desired glassware. I have just one piece but would love to get some more someday. I also like the name Frances, since it's been used repeatedly in my family (my confirmation name is Frances and my father's name was Francis "Frank" Bierkortte).
Frances Folsom Cleveland became the wife of our 22nd president on June 2, 1886. Cleveland was the only American president married in the White House, and at 21 years of age, Frances Cleveland remains the youngest First Lady.
She became a popular advertising image after she married the 49-year-old leader.
This was at the height of the fancy glass craze and elaborate glass was produced for table use in serving pieces that today we don't often see.
Cruets, syrup pitchers, covered cheese dishes, butter dishes, lemonade sets with waste bowls, toothpick holders, pickle dishes, celery glasses and tumblers were all part of the dishes used by well-to-do families at the time.
Frances Cleveland is described as charming and one of the most popular women to ever serve as hostess for the White House. She held two receptions a week, one on Saturday afternoons, when women with jobs were free to come, reports the website whitehouse.gov.
Cleveland too was popular enough to get reelected and is the only president to leave the White House and return for a second term four years later, serving again from 1893-97, as our 24th president.
Interestingly, Frances was an only child of her husband's law partner, Oscar Folsom, and Cleveland later became administrator of the Folsom estate after his partner's death.
Once Frances entered college, the future president asked her mother's permission to correspond with Frances and they became better acquainted. Though she didn't attend his 1885 inauguration, according to whitehousehistory.org, she and her mother eventually visited him at the White House. Shortly afterwards, the wedding was planned.
This fascinating couple has another claim to fame with the birth of their daughter baby Ruth, often thought to be the namesake of the candy bar of the same name. This claim, made by the Curtiss Candy Company is widely disputed though, due to the fact that baby Ruth Cleveland died at age 12 of diphtheria -- 17 years before the candy was named.
All this nostalgic history behind the pretty glassware is another reason that collectors get caught up in their treasures. There is lasting entertainment in antiques that make them perfect to share in so many ways.
The skill of the Victorian glassmakers is amazing. With Frances Ware, glassmakers treated the bottom part with acid to create a satin finish except for the uppermost edges. The upper edges were given the lovely golden amber stain.
Collectors also refer to Hobbs satina swirl glass finished in the same manner as Frances Ware. It is lighter in weight and smoother overall. There is also a clear crystal glass version, with no satin finish that is counted as Frances Ware by glass enthusiasts.
At its heyday, Hobbs, Brockunier was one of the largest and most innovative glass companies in America, according to the 1994 reference book "Wheeling Glass, 1829-1939" and it remains one of Wheeling's points of pride.
Located in South Wheeling, it made everything from fine cut lead crystal and pressed glass for the table to colorful, creative art glass pieces. Demand was great for fancy glass and hundreds of patterns were created so today's glass collector can enjoy the search for that special piece to add to their collection.