WHY A NATIONAL GLASS COLLECTION?

Some historical background:

Some members have wondered why we are accumulating a glass collection when we have no place to display it? What is the purpose of adding to the collection? The answer is that the ultimate objective of the NDGA is to establish a permanent musuem for the preservation of American-made glass, and to educate the public about this very important industry which once flourished in this country. Government grants are available for non-profit organizations like the NDGA, but not for empty buildings. You must first have something to put in the building, before you can apply for government grants to acquire one. Thus the need for and the continuing growth of the National Glass Collection.

BUILDING FUND ESTABLISHED

A the Board of Directors meeting in St. Charles, MO, in July 2008, the Building Fund was established, and the response from the membership was instantaneous, with $2,700.00 received in immediate donations - a great start. In order to open a separate fund account, a minimum balance of $5000 is required. At the Convention in Danbury (2009), that goal was achieved, and the Building Fund is now a separate account which is now growing.

The Building Fund Committee, headed by Pam Meyer, meyerantiques@juno.com, is responsible for determining a site and developing the necessary fund raising methods. Contact Pam if you have any suggestions or comments. Donations to the Building Fund are greatly appreciated.

MORE THAN JUST GLASS

The National Collection consists of more than just glass items. There are books, glass working tools, etching plates, advertising material and just about anything else you can think of that would be appropriate in a museum dedicated to the glass industry in the United States.

WE HAVE A MUSEUM!

NDGA leased property for the first National Glass Museum in 2011. We moved to our current location in December 2019. With your help, we will continue to expand the National Glass Collection displayed at the museum. Read more about it on our museum page

HERE ARE THE LISTINGS

From time to time we will be updating the following lists, which are sections of the inventory of the National Glass Collection. Our all volunteer Acquisitions Committee spends a great deal of time cataloging each and every item that has been donated to the Collection. As you can see, the lists are quite long, and currently have been broken up into smaller "chunks" for manageability. Even so, the files are rather large. You will need the Adobe Reader® to view the PDF® files.

National Glass Collection at Convention: showing some of the glass that has been donated at Annual Conventions since the collection's inception in 1999.
National Glass Collection: Items A through D: Glass items - PDF® file - 62 pages (November 2011).
National Glass Collection: Items E through L: Glass items - PDF® file - 67 pages (November 2011).
National Glass Collection: Items M through Q: Glass items - PDF® file - 114 pages (November 2011).
National Glass Collection: Items R through Z: Glass items - PDF® file - 63 pages (November 2011).
National Glass Collection: Miscellaneous Items: PDF® file - 77 pages (November 2011).
The NDGA Library Collection: consisting of books, magazines, newsletters, etc. The Library is broken down into several different sections, and the inventory for each section is presented in PDF® format. The latest listings are dated June 2010.
The NDGA "Candleholder Challenge": which features a challenge to all collectors to donate single candlesticks that have no mate for whatever reason. Those that we already have are listed in PDF® format. The latest listing is dated February 2009.
The NDGA Memorial Pitcher Collection: In February 2009, Danny Cornelius and Don Jones initiated a new collection for the NDGA Museum effort. It consists of Pitchers, donated "In Memory of our Lost Children." Inspired by the untimely loss of a close friend's grandchild, the collection is expected to grow rapidly as members and friends donate pitchers to memorialize all of our lost children. The latest listing is dated February 2011.

A HUGE VOLUNTEER EFFORT

As you already know, the NDGA is an all-volunteer organization, and the maintenance and accounting for the National Collection is a major undertaking. The members of the Committee donate their own time and travel expenses as they work to catalog and take care of the ever-growing Collection. As of the summer of 2009, almost every glass item in the Collection has been inventoried and photographed! The inventory includes a code to the exact location of each piece. A tremendous effort, well done. We all owe a great deal to these dedicated ladies.

MAKING A DONATION

For those of you who would like information regarding contributions, donations may be made directly to the Acquisition Committee, whose members are shown in the photo at left. All officers and members of the Board of Directors will aid in these efforts. To contact the Acquisition Committee Chairperson or a Board Member, visit our NDGA Information page.

You can make a donation of cash, or of glass, books, advertisements, glassmaking tools, etc., to the National Collection. Click here for the form you can use for non-monetary donations.

Here is a form for cash donations, which you can use to select exactly where your money will be directed, and which allows you to specify a dedication (or choose to be anonymous).

National Depression Glass Association

Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage

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