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In writing The Stories Behind the Glass about the Elks pieces, we are very indebted to
Jim and Jan Seeck of Seeck Auctions and to Tom Burns of Burns Auction Service
for permission to use their wonderful images of Elks Carnival Glass pieces.
“Hello Bill” - A fraternal greeting used by the Elks when they meet each other – it dates back to 1897.
Jim and Jan Seeck of Seeck Auctions and to Tom Burns of Burns Auction Service
for permission to use their wonderful images of Elks Carnival Glass pieces.
“Hello Bill” - A fraternal greeting used by the Elks when they meet each other – it dates back to 1897.
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These "Hello Bill" and other Elks postcards shown elsewhere are courtesy of Mike Jones. There's lots more on Mike's fascinating Elks History website
'How the Elks began - in their own words, "It All Began With the Jolly Corks"
Starting as a group of actors and entertainers bent on having fun AND avoiding a New York Excise tax in 1867 (where Sundays were a ‘dry’ day), this convivial group called themselves the Jolly Corks (for a clever trick with corks they performed on the uninitiated to win rounds of drinks).
That same year as membership grew, some members saw the vision to become more helpful in the community.
Alas, two feuding factions split the group over different philosophies. Fortunately, the latter faction moved forward with their new ideals and in February of 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.) was chartered – and with a great new spirit and direction, began to help Veterans, Scouting, Scholarships and more – wherever Charity, Justice and Brotherly Love were needed!
Starting as a group of actors and entertainers bent on having fun AND avoiding a New York Excise tax in 1867 (where Sundays were a ‘dry’ day), this convivial group called themselves the Jolly Corks (for a clever trick with corks they performed on the uninitiated to win rounds of drinks).
That same year as membership grew, some members saw the vision to become more helpful in the community.
Alas, two feuding factions split the group over different philosophies. Fortunately, the latter faction moved forward with their new ideals and in February of 1868, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks (B.P.O.E.) was chartered – and with a great new spirit and direction, began to help Veterans, Scouting, Scholarships and more – wherever Charity, Justice and Brotherly Love were needed!
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What's the connection to Carnival Glass? In a word - customers. Customers for the glassmakers' products! It was big business! Where the Elks annual convention went, a huge amount of business went with it. Many thousands of visitors, all needing to be accommodated, fed and entertained, would descend upon the annual Elks convention, from all parts of the country. And they all wanted souvenirs! Streamers, pennants, flags, all kinds of jewellery, buttons, hats and yes … glass. The extract on the right is only a small part of a full page ad placed by Meier and Franks in the July 1912, Morning Oregonian. What were those Carnival Glass souvenirs? The Elks souvenir Carnival items are not easy to find generally, and indeed some are exceptionally rare. Fenton made the most Elks items, covering four conventions. It is not surprising in that Fenton made a considerable number of so-called "Lettered Pieces" as commemorative and souvenir items - the opening of furniture stores, boxes of branded chocolates, and military/veterans associations. |
Elks souvenirs in the July 1912, Morning Oregonian
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Millersburg only produced Elk souvenirs for the 1910 Convention: the business fell on hard times shortly afterwards which curtailed that souvenir market for them. Dugan produced what appears to be a speculative design on a handled nappy, with no lettering to tie it to a specific convention - below, left. Perhaps they hoped it would catch on, but its rarity today suggests that perhaps it didn’t.
Above: a very rare Elks handled nappy in purple, made by Dugan.
It is unlettered, and it is unclear which convention it may have been intended for, or if it was ever put into production. Courtesy of Seeck Auctions |
On the left, courtesy of Seeck Auctions, is a Millersburg Elks paperweight,
known in in green (this one) and amethyst. They are very rare items. The red one on the right is a modern reproduction from an entirely different mould, and is also found in blue. Dorothy Taylor also re-created an Elks design in her mini-basket series. |
In the following three pages, we explore each of the Elks Conventions that were commemorated in Carnival Glass, using information and fascinating illustrations from newspapers and ephemera of the time. Illustrated with superb pictures of BPOE Elks Carnival Glass, for which grateful thanks are due to Jim and Jan Seeck, Seeck Auctions.
Simply click on the following images to read more about each of these Elks conventions and the "Story Behind The Glass" associated with them.
There are more "Stories Behind The Glass" about souvenir/commemorative Carnival Glass in our feature: Carnival Glass Times