National Depression Glass Association
Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage
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NDGA Convention 2004 - Council Bluffs, Iowa
The 30th Annual NDGA
Convention and Glass Show was held in Council Bluffs, Iowa, July 9-11, 2004. The
sponsoring club was the Iowa Depression Glass Club, of Des
Moines, Iowa, and the club members were just wonderful in their
support of the Convention. The Convention Chairperson was Jeff
Settell, a former NDGA President and also a former Convention
Co-Chairman (Des Moines, 1996). The location of the Convention
for 2004 was the Mid-America Center, situated where Interstates
29 & 80 cross, in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Across the Missouri
River is Omaha, Nebraska. Things started off well, with a large
crowd waiting at the doors for the Glass Show portion of the
Convention to open. The waiting line snaked around the large
lobby of the Mid-America Center, as you can see from the
photograph.
Convention Happenings
The Annual Meeting kicked off the Convention on Friday, July 9th, with the Show Preview party following the meeting. The Convention and Show continued on Saturday and Sunday, July 10-11. During the meeting, the membership was shown quite a few items that were donated to the National Collection at the Convention. It is not possible to show all of the individual donations, many of which are lined up on the table behind Larry Cook (who did his best "Vanna White" imitation while showing off the donated glass). Nick Ochs presented a check to President Washburn to complete the funding of the Pam Ochs Endowment Fund which provides for acquisitions to the National Glass Collection. Jim and Nancy Finley of Sedalia, MO, made a nice donation to the Washburn Endowment Fund, and Mr. Washburn himself added enough to fully fund this endowment which provides for the maintenance and upkeep of the National Glass Collection. And in keeping with a tradition first established in Claremore in 2003, President Washburn displayed the piece of blue "Tulip" that was purchased for the National Glass Collection in honor of Jeff Settell, Convention Chairman for this year.
The Banquet on Saturday night, July 10, was a night to
remember. The banquet was held on the River City Star
riverboat, during a two-hour cruise on the Missouri River. The
food was good, and there was plenty of it, and although it was a
bit humid, everyone stepped outside on the deck and enjoyed the
scenery as we cruised the Missouri.
Seminars and Speakers
There were four Seminars presented at Convention 2004. The seminar topics and speakers were:
- Jim Rose - "Cambridge Caprice"
- Larry Baker - "Art Glass of the Depression Era"
- Bert Kennedy - "Share the Vision: the Morgantown Etching Plates"
- Joyce Krupey - "Patterns Important to the History of Depression Glass"
(check out her excellent article on Depression Glass, found elsewhere on this site).
In addition to the above formal Seminars, Jackie Wendt returned this year with her display of reproductions and original pieces. During the Convention, Jackie stayed with the display and gave impromptu "seminars" to anyone who was interested. You were able to see the "repro" and the original side by side and compare and contrast them. The Glass Society of Wisconsin provided additional money to add to the already impressive display. This was a wonderful opportunity to learn about the increased problem of "Depression Glass" reproductions.
National Glass Organizations
We encourage all of the National Glass Organizations to participate in the NDGA Convention, and will provide space (conditions permitting) for any of the National Glass Organizations who wish to attend and staff a table to promote their group. The National Cambridge Collectors were the only national organization to take advantage of this opportunity this year, to distribute membership information and sell literature and souvenir items at the Show.
Glass and Pottery Displays
Each year at the Convention, collectors share their personal collections of glass and pottery with the rest of us. This year's exhibits were certainly spectacular. The displays are one of the best reasons to attend the NDGA Convention. You often see very rare pieces exhibited - items you'll probably never run into for sale. Thanks be to Kathryn Orr for coordinating this year's displays. Here is a list of the displays seen in Council Bluffs:
Ankeny, IA
Ankeny, IA
Wichita, KS
West Des Moines, IA
Wichita, KS
North Kansas City, MO
Corvalis, OR
West Des Moines, IA
Meriden, KS
Ankeny, IA
Ankeny, IA
Western Springs, IL
National Glass Collection
items donated this year
National Glass Collection
National Glass Collection
National Glass Collection
Bartlesville, OK
Sycamore, IL
Shawnee, OK
Arkadelphia, AR
Franklin, WI
Ankeny, IA
Waverly, IA
Madrid, IA
West Des Moines, IA
West Des Moines, IA
Chicago, IL
Des Moines, IA
Wichita, KS
List of Participating Dealers
Here is the list of the 32 participating dealers who exhibited glass for sale at this year's Convention. They came from all across the country, from California to Virginia, Oregon to Texas, and all points in between. Barb and Larry Taylor, of Las Vegas, NV, announced that they were retiring from shows and this was their last NDGA show. We all wish them well in their retirement.