Some detective work
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Butler Brothers dated their catalogues and this has given us such a valuable insight into when certain Carnival Glass patterns had been introduced.
Unfortunately, Lee Manufacturing did not date their catalogues, and we had to do some detective work to give an approximate date of issue. The testimonial on the right from the Central Manufacturing District Bank of Chicago was intended to give Lee's Agents and customers the confidence that Lee were financially sound. Interestingly, the bank also provided confirmation of the quality of the goods that Lee was selling - "thoroughly dependable merchandise" - what bank would make that sort of statement in today's consumer-protected world! The testimonial gives us a starting date - that particular Lee catalogue could not be from earlier than 1915, and we have dated it "circa 1915". However, the same Bank testimonial appears in a second Lee catalogue but what date is it from? The prices in this second catalogue are generally double those in the one from circa 1915, so it must be quite a bit later. The best clue was in a selection of "Gold Band Motto Tumblers" - shown below (they are not Carnival! and we don't know who made them). The ad on the left is in the "circa 1915" Lee catalogue. The one in the centre is from the second Lee catalogue, where the price has doubled from 75 cents to $1.50. We then found a similar tumbler selection in a Perry G. Mason catalogue (the mottos are different, but the appearance and product description are the same) - and the Perry catalogue is dated, 1925. Perry's offer price is also similar (at $1.25), so we are fairly confident in dating the second Lee catalogue to 1925 or maybe just a little later. |
Bank Testimonial, dated July 26, 1915
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This date is also supported by the Carnival Glass on offer. The "circa 1915" Lee catalogue included items from Northwood, the later catalogue did not.
Northwood had closed in 1925 (and had been directionless for several years before that), so a date of 1925 or a little later is a reasonable estimate.
Northwood had closed in 1925 (and had been directionless for several years before that), so a date of 1925 or a little later is a reasonable estimate.
Lee catalogue from circa 1915
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Lee catalogue we have dated to circa 1925
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Perry G Mason catalogue dated 1925
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