Read All About It - The Melon Rib Proof!
For years we have searched for proof about the maker of the Carnival Glass Melon Rib vases. More than anywhere, they are found in Australia, but despite there being a number of old Crown Crystal catalogues in existence, no Melon Ribs vases had appeared in them.
Then, back in 2013, it shook our world when our years of research into the mystery of the Melon Rib vases finally revealed the answer we had been searching for. The 1938 ad shown below, right, was in a Melbourne newspaper, “The Argus”. It was the key to what became a treasure chest of knowledge.
The ad was one of the most crucial pieces of evidence, stating that the range of lustre glassware was "originated, designed and manufactured in the factories of Crown Crystal Glass Company, Sydney. The block of text (in the white box in the bottom left of the ad is hard to read - this is what it says:
Then, back in 2013, it shook our world when our years of research into the mystery of the Melon Rib vases finally revealed the answer we had been searching for. The 1938 ad shown below, right, was in a Melbourne newspaper, “The Argus”. It was the key to what became a treasure chest of knowledge.
The ad was one of the most crucial pieces of evidence, stating that the range of lustre glassware was "originated, designed and manufactured in the factories of Crown Crystal Glass Company, Sydney. The block of text (in the white box in the bottom left of the ad is hard to read - this is what it says:
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"Among the many beautiful creations in modern glassware, the Vases, Ornaments and Water Sets illustrated are the most appealing. Available in Art Amber, Art Green, Ceramic and Glister, Gold and Platinum, they represent the greatest original coloured range of glassware ever offered to the Australian public. Grey dawn lustre, the brilliance of noon, the golden glow of sunset, the soft sheer silver of the moon-these are some of the exquisite colour effects that have been captured and reproduced in the magnificent new range of blown lustre glassware, every piece of which was originated, designed and manufactured in the factories of Crown Crystal Glass Company, Sydney."
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The story as it unfolded. The ad in "The Argus" was the key, but we ought to go back to the beginning of the saga and explain how the story developed up to that point. There is a well-known photo of the Crown Crystal stand at the 1938 Sydney Show, which shows Melon Rib vases on display. Whilst it was persuasive, the vases could have been imported. Indeed, the blow-moulded form and the horizontal bulbous ribs were illustrated in a number of European glassmakers’ catalogues, in Poland and Czechoslovakia in particular. The example below of this kind of vase was in the Polish Stolle Niemen catalogue. 
Stolle Niemen
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This ad was discovered in the archives of The Argus (Melbourne, Australia), dated July 1938
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Perhaps the vases had been made in Europe and shipped to Australia? We know that a lot of European glass was exported there; the Polish firm, Zabkowice, even had a special name for theirs—Beverley Crystal. But the nagging doubt was the massive size of some of the Melon Rib vases, making the idea of a long ocean transport seem rather improbable.
The doubts persisted ... that is, until 2013 ... when we discovered evidence in the form of contemporary newspaper articles, reports and advertisements. Evidence that showed definitively that the Melon Rib Carnival vases were made in Australia.
The evidence trail.
1938 Sydney Morning Herald
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The first piece of evidence was a short article in a 1938 Sydney newspaper, in a feature about the Royal Easter Show (which was held in Sydney shortly after the British Empire Games that had been timed to coincide with Australia’s 150th Anniversary in 1938). The Royal Easter Show’s accompanying Exhibition enabled many Australian firms to display their wares.
Here’s the article that stopped us in our tracks. Two things were especially important in the article. The first is the mention of items being “designed by a Rumanian artist brought to Australia by the Crown Company”. The second is this: “Big glassware vases suitable for large homes, hotel lounges, or picture theatre foyers, not previously shown in Australia, are masterpieces of the glassmaker’s skill”. Surely the Rumanian artist was brought in to design items (such as the vases) in popular European styles. And note the mention of “grey dawn lustre”—smoke Carnival, surely. It’s a tantalising article, and possible evidence that those “big glassware vases” could be the Melon Ribs. |
The next piece of evidence - the most compelling - was the photo (below, left) which shows a Melon Rib vase with the caption: “Glass vase made at Spotswood.”
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The article in which this photo appears was in a Melbourne newspaper; the feature was extolling the virtues of the glassmaking industry in Australia at the time. In the text, it stated that: “It was in 1898 that the present works were established at Spotswood. In 1926 the Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. was established in Sydney, and here alone 300 experts are engaged in the making of hand cut crystal, while another 800 are employed in the works on the mechanical side.” The newspaper caption is clear—the Melon Rib vase shown was made at the Spotswood glass factory (Melbourne Glass Bottle Works). That makes sense. The Melon Rib vases were blow-moulded, and in the case of the massive examples—the biggest we are aware of are 28 and 30 inches (72-76cm) high—they must have needed mechanical assistance for the blowing, such as the compressed air system you would find in a bottle works. In fact, a 1938 ad confirmed that “at Spotswood today, manual glass blowing has been largely superseded by mechanical methods". |
A stunning Melon Rib vase, courtesy of Lesley Smith. It is 30cm (12 inches) tall.
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On the right is a snippet from another ad we found. It was advertising the Crown Crystal display at the 1938 Sydney Show and the illustration showed at least four Melon Rib vases among the glassware. The reproduction is exceptionally poor, but we can vouch for those Melon Rib items. Note the mention of “Mammoth Pieces in New Art Lustres”—this was surely the Carnival Glass Melon Rib vases in marigold and smoke. And also note this: “Originated, Designed and Produced in Australia by Crown Crystal Experts”. That last line was, of course, referring to all the glass items that were shown, which included lighting ware and architectural glass bricks. It was all embracing, but that also means that the Melon Ribs were included. Made in Australia! |
1938 Sydney Morning Herald
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Crown Crystal Float, April 1938. Photograph Courtesy—Collections of the State Library of NSW
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Hobart Mercury 1938
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Isn’t the photo above amazing? It shows the float of Crown Crystal Glass Pty (Proprietary) Ltd. in the Commercial and Industrial procession, Sydney, April 1938. The parade preceded the opening of the Royal Easter Show. One account described it as a “spectacular and impressive pageant…a cavalcade of industry and commerce … announcing the holding of the great anniversary exhibition at the Show Ground” (which was, of course, Australia’s 150th anniversary). Attendance at the 1938 Show broke the one million mark for the first time.
It was an important year for Australia, and Sydney was the focus—no surprise that Crown Crystal wanted to put on a special display. And just look at their float. There are at least five massive and showy Melon Ribs vases on it. No other glass—just the Melon Ribs. These vases were clearly intended to be the stars of the show for Crown Crystal and its parent company, the Australian Glass Manufacturers Co. Ltd. (AGM). AGM clearly had done everything they could to create a range of impressive, iridised vases that would not only do justice to the importance of the festivities, but would also bring them good sales in view of the exceptional popularity of the celebrations of that significant year—1938.
It was an important year for Australia, and Sydney was the focus—no surprise that Crown Crystal wanted to put on a special display. And just look at their float. There are at least five massive and showy Melon Ribs vases on it. No other glass—just the Melon Ribs. These vases were clearly intended to be the stars of the show for Crown Crystal and its parent company, the Australian Glass Manufacturers Co. Ltd. (AGM). AGM clearly had done everything they could to create a range of impressive, iridised vases that would not only do justice to the importance of the festivities, but would also bring them good sales in view of the exceptional popularity of the celebrations of that significant year—1938.
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Sydney was the epicentre of several important festivities, hosting the Empire Games, the Sesquicentenary Celebrations (150th anniversary of the landing of the first fleet in Sydney) and the Royal Easter Show.
The contemporary description of the Royal Show in the Hobart Mercury (above right) is fascinating. The Show was described as “the greatest carnival in history because of the 150th anniversary celebrations” (the use of the word ‘carnival’ is fortuitous and obviously nothing to do with Carnival Glass!) Clearly the Melon Rib vases were the show-stoppers of their glassware range at the time - designed to be eye-catching, showy and massive, appropriate for the grand celebrations in 1938. They are still show-stoppers! Aunty Trace's wonderful display on the left clearly shows why Melon Rib vases have such an appeal to collectors today. There is an amazing versatility of shape and form, size and colour. What's not to love about them! |
This beautiful display of Melon Rib vases is shown thanks to
and courtesy of Aunty Trace in Australia. What a display it is! |
Yet more evidence (the Melon Rib evidence updated)!
Since going public with our "Original Proof" in 2013, we have been contacted by avid collectors who, quite amazingly, have Melon Rib pieces which still have their original Crown Crystal labels. There are superbly clear pictures of these items and their labels in our Melon Ribs Collectors Facts (the link is below).
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Also since reporting this "Original Proof" in 2013, our ongoing research and information provided by fellow Carnival Glass collectors has revealed yet more amazing information and revelations about the stunning Melon Rib vases. Click on the image on the left to read the continuing and fascinating Melon Rib story! |
