Double Pinwheel

by David Whitehorn

An ongoing project of the Early American Pattern Glass Society is to publish in-depth profiles of various patterns compiled by collectors that will be a reference source for those who are interested in the history and extent of a pattern. With the thousands that were made and the new discoveries, this will be a project without end. This research and compilation was made by David W. Whitehorn from his personal collection of Double Pinwheel pattern glass.

I want to thank Phyllis Petcoff, President of the Early American Pattern Glass Society, Kat Krevda, pattern glass dealer in Chesterville, Ohio, and Tim Walker, photographer in Somerville, Alabama for their assistance in this article.

Pattern Name: Double Pinwheel

Alternate Names: The original name may have been Juno, the name used by the Bradehofts and Sanfords.(1) Marcella Bond(2) also calls it Juno in her book. Alice Metz(3) and the Unitts (4) call the pattern Star Whorl. Mollie Helen McCain (5) and Minnie Kamm( 6) refer to this pattern as Double Pinwheel. Edwards and Carwile (7) state that this pattern was advertised as "Juno" in 1915, but today most collectors call it Double Pinwheel. In Heacock's (8) book is a reproduction of an advertisement for cruets found in the 1905 Butler Brothers catalogue. This advertisement calls the pattern "Heavy Cut." One dealer claimed that a well known pattern glass expert called it Texas Star, but this name has not been verified, and it is not the same pattern that is usually known as Texas Star.

Manufacturer and dates of production: Double Pinwheel apparently was first produced by Beatty-Brady Glass Company in 1898. This glass company joined the National Glass Combine in 1899. When National Glass folded, the molds and patents were sold to Indiana Glass (9). Indiana Glass had leased the plant from National Glass in 1904 and may have been producing this pattern as early as 1904. It is known that Indiana Glass was producing the pattern after 1915 until about 1920.

Reproductions:None known

Colors, including clear: Only seen in clear. Gold trim is sometimes used. The Bredehofts and the Sanfords (10) reference an old advertisement in their book which states, "The Juno line, comes decorated in a border of gold, a new honor, I am told, and a flattering one, for tank glass. ­ January, 1905."

List of all verified (personally seen) forms with sizes, any known variations such as multiple sizes, absence or presence of color variations.

Showing different styles and sizes of open compotes.

Form size (in. hxwxl) description:

Bowl 1 1/4" x 4 1/4" round

Bowl 2 3/4" x 6 1/4" round

Bowl 3 1/4" x 7 1/4" round

Bowl 3 3/4" x 8 1/4" round

Butter dish 5 1/2" x 7 1/4"

Cake stand 4 1/4" x 9"

Cake stand 4 3/4" x 10 3/4"

Celery, 1 3/4" x 10 1/4" x 4 3/4" (oval)

Compote, covered 6 _" x 6 _"

Compote, covered 7" x 7 1/4"

Compote, open 4 1/4" x 4 3/4" round

Compote, open 7 1/4" x 7 1/4" round

Compote, open 8" x 8 1/4" round

Compote, open 9" x 7" flared

Condiment Tray, 1" x 4 3/4" x 8 1/4"

Creamer (11) (shaped top) 3" x 3 1/2", handle to spout 5 1/2"

Creamer (smooth top) 3 3/4" x 3 3/4", handle to spout 6"

Two shapes of creamer.

Cruet (12) 6 3/4" (with stopper) 5 1/2" x 2 3/4"

Goblet 6" x 3"

Pitcher (13) 8 1/2" x 4 3/4"

Pitcher 8 1/2" x 4 3/4" This pitcher is tankard shaped.

Plate 1 3/4" x 9"

Plate 2" x 9" rounded sides

Relish 1 1/2" x 6" x 8" diamond

Relish 1 1/4" x 6" x 6" at widest points, heart shaped

Salt shaker (14)

Spooner (15)

Sugar, covered but without handles 3 1/2" x 4 1/2" overall, lid 3 1/4 diameter

Sugar (16), open 3" x 4", with applied handles 6 1/4"

Syrup (17)

Toothpick holder 2 1/4" x 2"

Tumbler 3 3/4" x 2 3/4"

Wine 4 1/4" x 2 1/4"

Two different shapes of relish dishes, a condiment tray, and a serving plate.

Narrative: The design of Double Pinwheel is of a large pinwheel with smaller pinwheels at the end of each spoke. Edwards and Carwile describe it as a "whirling pinwheel that rotates from left to right." The large pinwheels are separated by an X shaped design. Inside the X (both top and bottom) is a diamond shaped space in a waffle design. To fill in other areas, a fan shaped design is used.

The larger compotes and cake stands are not on stems, but are on hollow bases. The goblets, wines, and the very small compote have ribbed stems. Most open pieces have a shaped rim. The diamond shaped waffle area extends above the rim to form a point. Between these points is a ribbed edge.

Double Pinwheel was truly made as a poor man's version of cut glass. In fact, many dealers mistakenly label it as cut. Minnie Kamm says Double Pinwheel is another pattern "in the imitation cut-glass which embraced most of the glass of the Nineties when the popular cut-glass was beyond the pocket-books of most buyers. Alice Metz lists this pattern in a group that she calls "IMITATION CUT GLASS GROUP."

References:

Bond, Marcella. The Beauty of Albany Glass (1893-1902). Publishers Printing House, 1972.

Bredehoft, Neila, Tom Bredehoft, Jo Sanford, and Bob Sanford. Glass Toothpick Holders. Paducah, Kentucky: Collector Books, 1999.

Edwards, Bill, and Mike Carwile. Standard Encyclopedia of Pressed Glass, 1860-1930, Identification and Values. Paducah, Kentucky: Collector Books, 1999.

Heacock, William. Encyclopedia of Victorian Colored Pattern Glass, Book 6, Oil Cruets From A to Z. Antique Publications, 1981.

Kamm, Minnie Watson. A Fourth Pitcher Book. Privately published, 1946.

McCain, Mollie Helen. The Collector's Encyclopedia of Pattern Glass. Paducah, Kentucky: Collector Books, 1983.

Metz, Alice Hulett. Early American Pattern Glass. Columbus, Ohio: Spencer-Walker Press, 1958.

Unitt, Doris, and Peter Unitt. American and Canadian Goblets. Volume II. For the Love of Glass Publishing Company, Inc. 1994.

1.Bredehoft, Neila, et al. Glass Toothpick Holders, p. 106.
2. Bond, Marcella. The Beauty of Albany Glass, p. 68.
3. Metz, Alice Hulett. Early American Pattern Glass, pp. 228-229. Ms. Metz references Dr. S. T. Millard's second book of goblets, page 90 as her source.
4. Unitt, Doris, and Peter Unitt. American and Canadian Goblets, pp. 116-117. They also have a pattern called "Juno" (p. 209), but it is not the same as Double Pinwheel.
5. McCain, Mollie Helen. The Collector's Encyclopedia of Pattern Glass, p. 222.
6. Kamm, Minnie Watson. A Fourth Pitcher Book, p. 141.
7. Edwards, Bill, and Mike Carwile. Standard Encyclopedia of Pressed Glass, p. 64.
8. Heacock, William. Encyclopedia of Victorian Colored Pattern Glass, Book 6, p. 96
9. For more information on Indiana Glass Company, see Bredehoft, p. 105, and Bond, pp. 59-60.

10. Bredehoft, Neila, et al. Glass Toothpick Holders, p. 106.

11. Bond (p. 68) calls this a "Berry Cream."
12. Heacock (p. 96) describes this cruet as "Tall tankard shape, capacity 4 1/3 oz., rich and heavy deep cut pattern, very brilliant."
13. This shape is shown in Bond, p. 68, and Kamm, p. 141.
14. Not seen by compiler, but listed as part of the extended table service in McCain, p. 222.
15. Not seen by the compiler, but it is pictured in Bond, p. 68.