Customer Reviews

Standard Encyclopedia of Pressed Glass 6th Edition 1860-1930

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Authors are human, books aren't easy to write, and it's to be expected that books will contain some errors, however the number of errors in this book is much too high. While doing a cursory read-through, I found over 40 glaring errors and suspect that an in-depth look would reveal even more. In many cases patterns are mis-identified. In some cases the same pattern is identified as two different patterns. In other cases a pattern will be illustrated and the illustrations won't all be the same pattern. In still other cases the authors have re-named patterns with existing and accepted names. I truly feel that the publisher has done the glass collecting community a disservice by publishing this one and that's not a statement I make lightly. Beginning collectors especially should be wary. If you're going to use this book for glassware identification, be sure to use a backup source. I truly wish I had something better to say, but as someone who cares about accuracy and particularly about providing good information to beginning collectors, I'm afraid I don't.

I have been buying and selling pressed glass for 30 years
and I can agree with reviewer 'a reader' totally. I have read 3
other books by this writer and consider them all as incompetently done as this one.

Some of the reviews of this book surprise me. I have seen similar negative comments written about these authors on separate web sites, and no doubt the comments here are by the same people. My experience with this book is this....the main appeal to this book is that there are literally hundreds and hundreds of patterns identified, and by using the photos in this book, I've been able to identify pieces in my collection that I previously could not. Certainly I wish there was more information and detail written about each pattern...this book lists maybe a line or two about each pattern only, with no to few comments about reproductions. So, I use this book in conjunction with other pattern glass books (Reilly and Jenks, Warman's, etc) to get the most comprehensive picture I can. Some of the pictures are not super clear. Compared to other books which don't list many patterns at all and then do so in black and white or hand drawing, I'll live with it. I would imagine photographing the detail on clear glass isn't easy! I guess I'll summarize by saying that while the book is not perfect, it certainly takes a good stab at trying to organize information and photos of hundreds of pieces of glass from the turn of the century. Are there errors? Probably! But with all the fires in these glass companies over the years I am sure no one has the truth about everything.

There is good general information on glass terminology and on some of the important glass makers of the era. Examples are of many different pieces and there is a very informative paragraph on each piece. Most of the photos are clear. However, my one complaint is that some of the photos, in particular of the clear glass, are not clear enough to show the details of the patterns. This makes identification nearly impossible in these cases. I still find this a helpful reference that is also readable and attractive.

Would that it were otherwise! The fact is, no other commonly available reference is as handy and easy to use; and while the pictures leave much to be desired, this book has more useful color pictures than any other. It has helped me become familiar with the most common EAPG patterns, but since I know it's full of mistakes I don't accept its information uncritically. I wish the authors would clean up their many sloppy errors in future editions, even as I look forward to the book's expansion. This book is helpful, but I use mine alongside McCain's vastly more authoritative, reliable work.

Suppose you do not know much about glass. You probably won't know a whole lot more when you've looked at this book. Some of the pictures do not show the pattern. There are numerous ones, ie.; caprice, chestnut oak, star & thumprint, etc. that are taken at poor angles, or poor lighting or whatever and are just indisctinct. I was looking for a pattern on Cathedral and that is shown on a bowl that has the pattern going underneath. No way can you see what the entire pattern looks like. In the front of the book, they describe the shapes of the glassware. They list 20 shapes, but in the price guide, they list many more. What is the difference between a milk pitcher and a pitcher? a tumbler and a goblet? What size and shape is a sauce? What is a wastebowl? They never show or describe the bottom pattern. No explanation is given as to whether this is important, distinct or has no effect whatsover. I have no more knowledge of the patterns on my glass than I did before.

Nice pictures and easy layout attract beginners (like myself), but about 30% of patterns do not quite correspond to the descriptions and incorrect. Historical facts are awfully wrong throughout the book.
How could the authors release this book? And why was it reprinted without corrections?

One runs into a lot of pressed and pattern glass that isn't depression or carnival glass. Many examples aren't marked in any way and one has no way of knowing what they are or when they are made. This book comes to the rescue. Its format is picture after picture, most in color, with brief descriptions. So, one can peruse the pages looking for a match even if one knows absolutely nothing about a given piece. This has helped me a lot. At the end of the book are value estimates for all the patterns shown in the book. Great quality paper and good binding, so this book will last a long time with heavy use. Buy it and carry it with you so you can find out about those neat looking glass items you find but don't recognize.

This book is a God send! As a new antique Glass seller and collector, I find this book to be Heavenly! It's not only packed full of Beautiful Colored Photos, but also states current values and some of the history behind these pieces of wonderful Old Pressed Glass! You Can't go wrong Buying this book! It will pay for it's self in no time!

The 5th updated edition of a pressed glass classic continues to be a 'must' for any avid collector of the medium: it covers glass companies, shapes and patterns, decoration definitions and insights on table glass factories, and more, blending in history with the latest values and collecting trends. Color photos on every page make it easy to identify pieces, while accompanying descriptions comment on cuts, names, pattern development, design modifications and changes, and more. Simply packed with detail, any authoritative glass collecting collection needs STANDARD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRESSED GLASS 1960-1930.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch