Message from the President March 2020
in·spi·ra·tion,/ˌinspəˈrāSH(ə)n/
· the process of being mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative
· the quality of being inspired, especially when evident in something
· a person or thing that inspires
Inspiration is one of those concepts that everyone knows what it means, but not everyone knows what it feels like. Fortunately, this really isn’t true when it comes to carnival glass collecting. Everyone who buys carnival glass for the purpose of owning and displaying it has been touched by inspiration. When you saw a specigic piece of carnival glass, you were inspired to own it and display it in your home, to add a touch of beauty (or to add to a wall of beauty) for the sole purpose of your gaze every single moment you can. And sometimes gazing into that beauty inspires you to do more, to buy more, to share more, or to feel a calming sense of peace that only aesthetic beauty can bring.
Going backwards in time, inspiration is what drove carnival glass into existence and, even more, was the driving force behind all of the patterns you own and/or love in carnival glass. At some point, a mould designer, artisan, or metal worker thought “that would make a great pattern for pressed glass”. One such example that is loved by many is Horse Medallion by Fenton. Most people don’t realize the pattern was inspired by a piece of artwork that was created a very long time before the carnival pieces ever started rolling out of the annealing lehr.
In the early 1800s, the Imaum of Muscat gifted Queen Victoria and Prince Albert four horses, the girst of which was a beautiful white Arabian horse named Imaum for its former owner. The horses were turned over to the Clerk of the Royal Stables who, eventually, sold them through Tattersall’s, the famous horse auctioneer. The winner of Imaum was artist John Frederick Herring, Sr. Herring would end up painting several paintings fea-turing the stallion. Of those, one of the most popular was known originally as Pharaoh’s Chariot Horses, later shortened to Pharaoh’s Horses. The painting was exhibited girst in 1848. Through the years, the painting, which feature three horse heads, each of which was modeled after Imaum, became famous as an engraving, as a tattoo, and more.
Pharaoh’s Horses has been known as an en-graving and marketing logo in America since the Civil War. The image was later sold in the 1902 Sears catalog, where it spread across the country and be-came equally popular. Eventually, it became the inspiration for Fenton’s Horse Medal-lion.
And now, it has become the inspiration for the ICGA 2020 Annual Convention, whose theme is “Inspiration.” At our convention this year, our display room is based on Pharaoh’s Horses. Carl and Eunice Booker are working with all of you to make a fantastic display of carnival glass and art, and they will join with Steve Gregg to inspire you with an educational seminar that looks at the artwork and the painter, as well as the patterns that found inspiration from this magnigicent steed (and we haven’t even scratched the surface on Pharaoh’s Horses here.) Additionally, Kate Lavelle will inspire us with glass, commentary, and that Lavelle Magic to gill you with thoughts, ideas, and desires.
And our banquet this year will make sure you are truly inspired for the future of carnival glass, collecting, and the hobby, as well as gill you with good food, great glass, and a room full of friends.
Furthermore, Jim and Jan Seeck are bringing two auctions for us. On Thursday, we will dine together, and then combat each other for beautiful carnival glass in a party setting, while Saturday ups the ante with the collection of Fred Roque in a traditional carnival glass auction that always sets the standard for how inspiring the sale can go.
I’m looking forward to seeing all of you in July, as we weave together a new narrative based in a very old reality of art, beauty, and above all, fantastic carnival glass. Check out the information in this issue of the Pump and be sure to make your reservations quickly as our hotel will most deginitely sell out (again)!
A breath of our inspiration
Is the life of each generation…
Arthur O’Shaughnessy, Music and Moonlight (1874), Ode.
Brian
