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Read All About It - Pot Pourri

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Topeka Daily State Journal, 1911

Imperial Twins punch bowl top sitting on an Imperial
Long Hobstar stand (both marigold) - a"marriage" that was
always intended from when it was made. (Seek Auctions)

Who could refuse this Saturday Special on offer in 1911? A magnificent "Rubigold" (marigold) punch bowl and stand, free with a one pound purchase of baking powder. There are also two other offers- a sweet pea vase and a handled berry dish, but there is no illustration, so we are left to imagine what they could have been. The punch bowl top is Twins, made by Imperial, but the base is a different pattern - Long Hobstar, also by Imperial.

Interestingly, the ad clears up one of the little conundrums of Carnival Glass: why there is no punch bowl stand known in the Twins pattern (collectors have generally matched the top with other geometric patterned stands made by Imperial). The ad shows that Imperial had intended it to be like this!

It's also interesting how many Carnival Glass special offers and "premiums" seemed to have been accompanied by baking powder! Many of the offers and assortments that we show in our unique "Sell it to me!" review of mail order catalogues have baking powder as part of the "deal"- to the extent that one of the names that has been given to Carnival Glass was "Baking Powder Glass". Clearly, in the absence of self-raising flour, and probably the difficulty in keeping fresh yeast, baking powder was the essential baking requirement of the day! As the ad (shown right) so aptly put it: Grand Union baking powder makes cakes and biscuits fluffy and light. Say no more ....!