National Depression Glass Association
Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage
NDGA 2011 Convention Information
July 9-10, 2011
The 2011 Convention Chairman was Board member Mike Morris. Mike had been planning this for quite some time, and came up with some innovations that we have not seen in the past. The Convention was held at the Live Oak Civic Center, located at the intersection of Interstate 35 and Texas Loop 1604 in San Antonio, Texas.
The schedule was similar to past Conventions, with a general membership meeting on Saturday afternoon, about a half hour after the glass show closed. Seminars on various topics were presented during the Convention hours, and there was a fantastic array of displays from individual collections.
NDGA 2011 Convention T-Shirt
As a fund-raising project, the NDGA offered T-shirts which advertised the Convention in San Antonio. The shirts were all white, with the design shown at right. The shirts came in adult sizes only, with two styles: long sleeved and short sleeved.
Special Event: TEXAS BARBECUE
Kent Washburn sponsored a Texas Barbecue on Friday night preceding the Convention. This event was a fund raiser for the Museum Building Fund. Food consisted of delicious Brisket, Chicken, Ribs, Potato Salad, Baked Beans, Cole Slaw, Rolls, Blackberry Cobbler and Iced Tea. The Texas Barbecue was held at the Live Oak City Clubhouse, 7901 Shin Oak Drive, which was less than a mile from the Convention. A donation of $30.00 towards the Museum Building Fund got you in the door for a fabulous meal.
Your entire donation was credited to the NDGA Museum Building Fund, and since the NDGA is a non-profit organization, the donation may be tax-deductible (consult with your own tax advisor). Mr. Washburn graciously footed the bill for the Texas Barbecue.
Schedule of Events
The show and sale opened at 10:00am. Beginning with this Convention, the "Early Bird" session will no longer be offered, as there has been very little attendance in these sessions at recent Conventions.
Special Guest and ... The San Antonio Bowl
The NDGA was proud to have Mr. David King, master engraver, as our special guest for 2011. Mr. King was an engraver for the 
Tiffin Glass Company of Tiffin, Ohio, and is the son of long-time Tiffin master engraver Clyde King.
Shown at right is "the San Antonio Bowl," a one-of-a-kind Tiffin "Cellini" bowl that was especially decorated by David King for the occasion of the NDGA Convention. He personally inscribed the bowl for the lucky winner whose donation ticket was drawn at the Convention (which turned out to be a Live Oak Civic Center employee).
Seminars and Speakers
Our Show Chairman lined up four seminar speakers for this year, and the topics are all timely and ones we haven't heard about in past Conventions (at least as far as the webmaster can recall).
- David King - Glass Engraving - a topic we all need to understand.
- Gale Ferguson - Blenko Glass - becoming a very hot collectible. Ms Ferguson was unable to attend the Convention, and Kent Washburn spoke in her place.
- Rosemary Trietsch - Consolidated Glass - and she has a great collection of seldom seen Ruba Rombic. [Rosemary could not attend due to a last minute family medical emergency.]
- Dean Lowry - All about Glass - For KIDS !! Dean explained the glass making process so that KIDS can understand. The seminar was a hit with both kids and the adults who also attended.
National Glass Organizations
Each year, the NDGA invites representatives from other national glass organizations to participate in our Convention. This year, we were pleased to have tables representing the following organizations: National Reamer Collectors Association, National Cambridge Collectors, West Virginia Museum of Glass, Old Morgantown Glass Collectors Guild and the Greentown Glass Collectors. Representatives of each organization were available to meet you and answer any questions you may have had about their organizations.
NDGA Annual Meeting
The Annual General Membership Meeting was held in conjunction with the Convention. It began at 5:30pm on Saturday. The meeting lasted about 1½ hours, and members were encouraged to attend and participate. The newly elected officers and Board members were introduced and sworn in at this time. This may have been the shortest annual meeting on record.
Silent Auction
There was another Silent Auction to raise money for the National Glass Collection. Members contributed various pieces of glass or other items (books, etc. - even a set of tire chains), to be sold in the silent auction, with the proceeds going to one of the several NDGA funds (the person donating the item designates where the money is to go).
Glass Displays
Each year at the Convention, collectors share their personal collections of glass and pottery with the rest of us. It is often the only opportunity that we have to see some of the rare and unusual items that are in private collections. This year was no exception. Also exhibited were the additions to the National Glass Collection acquired since the last Convention and there waws a table set up for information about the 2012 Convention in Kokomo, IN.
Here is a list of the displays for 2011, some of which required more than one photo:
| Ron & Sydney Ostrom | Greentown Glass |
| National Reamer Collectors Assn | Reamers |
| David & Linda Adams | Nut cups |
| Tom Malberger | Rare Tiffin |
 | Kent Washburn | Blenko |
 | Linda Bredengerd | Pyramid |
 | John & Dovie Fields | Fostoria blue Baroque |
 | Jonathan Fields | Floragold |
| Kathy Moore | Fostoria Designer Vases |
| Kent Washburn | Tiara amber Sandwich |
| Edward Sawicki | Pairpoint |
 | Leegh Wyse | NDGA History |
 | Danny Cornelius | NDGA 2012 Kokomo, IN |
| Linda Bredengerd | Pink & Green Kitchen |
| David King | Master Engraver |
 | Edward Sawicki | Gold Encrusted Tally-Ho |
| Danny Cornelius Kent Washburn Jack Peacock | Texas Pattern by U.S. Glass |
| Bert & Donna Kennedy | Duncan's Indian Tree |
 | Susan De La Garza | Imperial Reeded Glass |
 | Connie Giese | Assorted Pattern Glass |
 | Bob Jones | Museum of American Glass in West Virginia |
 | National Cambridge Collectors | Information booth |
 | Greentown Glass Club | Information booth |
 | Old Morgantown Glass Club | Information booth |
| Linda Bredengerd & Sarah Van Dalsem | NDGA National Collection |
| Linda Bredengerd & Sarah Van Dalsem | NDGA National Collection |
List of Participating Dealers
Most dealers in the Glass Show portion of the Convention have been doing the shows for a number of years. The NDGA maintains a waiting list for dealers who wish to be considered. The list is maintained in date order, applications with earliest date received at the top. New dealers may fill out the NDGA Dealer Application form.
Here are the dealers who will be in San Antonio this year.
| Linda & David Adams Las Vegas, NV |
Helen & Gene Allen Overland Park, KS |
| Rick Bakkum Buffalo, MO |
Dale & Betty Buersmeyer Pacific, MO |
| Nelda & Benny Brewer Burleson, TX |
Jim & Rose Curnett Western Springs, IL |
| Danny Cornelius & Don Jones Port Washington, OH |
Pat & Sharon Ervin Sycamore, IL |
| John & Dovie Fields Independence, MO |
Bob & Pam Franscella Gurnee, IL |
| Bruce Goldberg Greenwood Village, CO |
Bob & Helen Jones Berkeley Springs, WV |
| Bert & Donna Kennedy Mesquite, TX |
James & Leora Leasure Eighty Four, PA |
| Carol McEwen Wichita, KS |
Ray & Paula Mahoney Wethersfield, CT |
| Max Miller Houston, TX |
Katherine Moore Springtown, TX |
| Pam & Fred Meyer McKinney, TX |
Jack Peacock Winston-Salem, NC |
| Cathie & Crockett Richardson Salisbury, NC |
Edward Sawicki Dunellen, NJ |
| Penny Reed Des Moines, IA |
Glen & Carolyn Robinson York, SC |
| John & Jane Schleinzer Aurora, IL |
Stan & Diane Sewall Poughkeepsie, NY |
| Ed & Mary Walker Castle Pines North, CO |
Len & Enid Waska Flatonia, TX |
| Janet Wasson Highland, IN |
Michael & Leegh Wyse Albany, OR |
| Cecil Taylor Dallas, TX |
Helene & Coy Meeks Oregon IL |