Rexford

by Linda Adams

While packing up the contents of the kitchen, mother found a lone pattern glass goblet. She asked grandma about it, but grandma only knew that it came from her mother's things. The goblet was packed up to resurface only after grandma was gone.
A family tradition was to attend a flea market not far from our home several times a year. After purchasing a couple of items that looked the same, but once home were found to be much different from the goblet, it was taken from the cupboard to a dealer who regularly was at this flea market. He identified it as Rexford and the search for Rexford began. This dealer was quite successful in finding more pieces for mother. Walt and I got in on the action and found seven pieces at a flea market in Canton, Texas, not far from his parents' home. It was my intention at the time of purchase to give these items to mother, but after they came home with me, they decided to stay. Not long after that Walt and I began to amass a rather large collection of Rexford Mother got only duplicates at that point. My sister then became interested and now we three all have sizeable collections of Rexford.
In My collection, I have well over a hundred pieces. All are clear, however, I have heard of a covered compote that was ruby flashed. J. B. Higbee Glass Company manufactured this pattern. Many of Higbee's pieces were marked with a bee. I only have a few pieces that are marked. New Martinsville Glass Manufacturing Company also made Rexford after 1918.
Several unusual pieces in my collection include a corset shaped vase, 7" and 9" baskets that look so cute at Easter time filled with goodies, 5" plates that have one or both sides folded up and a rectangular serving bowl. At last fall's Harrisburg show, I found what I thought to be just another wine, but perhaps it is a cordial. It is 1/4" shorter, the stem and foot are also slightly narrower. I also have a child's table set, cakestand (61/4") and a banana stand. On my kitchen table every day is a covered sugar, a spooner with extra spoons and a handled nappy with those pink artificial sweetener packs in it. I use my sauce bowls and larger bowls for everyday too. The seven inch square plates come out for company when we have cake and ice cream. Goblets also come out for the holidays. I use the covered butter for cream cheese. Stacked cakestands make a wonderful centerpiece. And Metz says, "just another" pattern. Well not to us. One of the nice things about collecting a pattern like this is there are many, many pieces, they are inexpensive and you need not be afraid to use them.

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