Dresden Art . . . Or is It? by Marianne Gruskin

The figural beer stein of Gambrinus, illus­trated in the accompanying photographs, is made of fine quality colored porcelain, and has the following blue mark under glaze on its base:

Our editor was kind enough to steer my inquiry as to origin to Dr. Phil Reinheckel, Director of the Municipal Art Collection, Dresden. Dr. Reinheckel was not familiar with this mark, and therefore engaged the help of Mr. Werner Wehsener, who owns an old porcelain and crystal firm bearing his name in Dresden.

Mr. Wehsener "knew that the mark, 'Dres­den Art — Made in Germany', was not a Dresden mark." Mr. Wehsener found the mark in Robert E. Rontgen's book, "Marks on German, Bohemian, and Austrian Por­celain, 1710 to the Present" (1981).

Röntgen attributes the blue mark to the "Wilhelm Rittirsch Porcelain Factory", 1950 to the present. The Rittirsch firm pro­duces "gift articles, figurines in the Meissen style, lace figurines." The company resides in Kups, Bavaria.

In addition, Dr. Reinheckel states, "since about 15 years ago, marks which contain the name of Dresden may only be used for articles which have been manufactured in

Dresden." That would terminate the use of this mark ca. 1972.

I have just recently written to the Wilhelm Rit­tirsch Company and I hope to have more information about this company in the near future.

In the meantime, some advice for those devotees of character steins who own steins with the "Dresden Art" mark: I would photocopy this information and place it into the stein. Because before you know it, 70 or 80 years will have passed and you will have a genuine antique [by today's definition, a manufactured article is an antique if it is at least 100 years old]; and if .you don't think you'll be around in the middle of the next century, at least your descendants will know a little bit about the history of "Dres­den Art." .

Q

"King Gambrinus" character stein, marked "Dresden Art — Made in Germany"

Executive Director Resigns

After less than six months in office, our new Executive Director, George Misch, resigned from that office because of external pres­sures which were unreasonable for a volun­teer job. For similar reasons, SCI's president Mark Durban also resigned at the beginning of the new year.

Filling in on a temporary basis are Pat Manusov (California) as acting Executive Director and V.P. Bill Mitchell (Missouri) as president pro tern. Therefore, all SCI mat­ters normally directed to the Executive Director (new memberships, organizational information, etc.) should be directed to:

Mrs. Patricia Manusov P.O. Box 661125 Los Angeles, CA 90066

Tel.: (213) 837-9734

To fill the open position, we are actively soliciting nominations for the job of SCI's Executive Director. If you, or someone you

know, is interested in this very important position, please let Pat Manusov know, so that these names can be placed in nomina­tion before the Board of Directors, who will be meeting in St. Louis in July.

The only qualifications for the job are en­thusiasm for SCI, some organizational in­clinations and a little bit of spare time. A great opportunity to take a leading role in our terrific organization!

You will also have noted by now that this issue of Prosit carries no advertising (other than "Stein Exchange"). The reason for that, interestingly enough, is tied in with the resig­nations reported on above: The omission — and the resignations — were prompted by a threatened lawsuit — which we were ob­viously eager to avoid. We hope to resume advertising with the June issue, but if not, then certainly with the September issue of Prosit

News Item

(Sent in by George Schamberger)

"Gerald Bartlett, a major in the U.S. Army, was given an official reprimand because he consumed a glass of beer prior to maneu­vers in West Germany. Although the con­sumption of the disputed beer took place three days prior to the maneuvers, his unit, the 4th Mechanized Infantry Division from Fort Carson, had been informed that the general prohibition of alcohol during ma­neuvers had been expanded to also in­clude the time before the start of the exercise."

A Cheer-Up Note

All of us wish a speedy recovery to Roy DeSelms, our Rochester (NY) chemist cum auctioneer, who is very nicely getting over a multiple bypass operation. Roy suffered a heart attack the first week of January, but quick medical intervention prevented any major problems. Roy expects that he will return to normal activities by May or June. In the meantime, our very best wishes to Roy, and his wife Sandra, and we expect to see both of them at the St. Louis Convention.

Membership Directory

Along with dues payments, several mem­bers have asked why their names were not included in the recently published SCI Directory, or they have requested to be included in the next issue. The decision about having one's name (and/or address and/or telephone number^published in the Directory is a personal one, and for that reason a general mailing was made to all members of SCI in early 1987 asking if they wished to be listed, and if so, what informa­tion they wanted to have in the listing. No members were listed who did not provide explicit response to this mailing. The Direc­tory will be updated from time to time, and the same method will be used to obtain ap­proval for entering a listing. If you have further questions about the Directory, please write to:

Pat Manusov P.O.Box 661125 Los Angeles, CA 90066

Members are also reminded that the infor­mation within the Directory is confidential and is solely for the use of members of Stein Collectors International. It is not to be used for any commercial, promotional, or other solicitation purposes.

A Silver Coin Beaker Saxony/Poland

by Stephen L. Smith, M.S.

I found the pictured silver beaker here in Virginia a few years ago. It was sitting on an antique dealer's desk, holding pencils and miscellaneous dreck. The beaker is seven inches tall and has 20 well-used coins, all dated 1759 and 1760, embedded in the body. It also carries a larger coin, dated 1755, in its base.

I didn't buy it right away. I first bought a coin book to determine if, in fact, the coins were authentic. They were! In fact, the ones that had patches of copper showing through are called "Billion". Still, I had a hard time con­vincing myself that I should purchase this beaker as it has no maker's mark, hallmark or silver content mark anywhere on it. Finally, I shelled out 50% of what the dealer had originally quoted me (obviously, he wasn't certain of it either) and gave it a new home.

With the help of fellow SCI stein researcher and Gambrinian, Chuck McKittrick, we took a photograph of the purchase that had been described at a chapter meeting by John Ey as "a most unusual, straight-sided coin beaker." We then dispatched a letter, with these photos, to the curator of the National Museum in Warsaw, Poland, ask­ing a host of questions.

Several months later, I received a reply which is reproduced here verbatim:

"I am sorry to answer your letter with delay. The beaker of which photographs you enclosed to your letter date back, most

Silver coin beaker, with 20 Polish coins embed­ded in the body, plus one more in the base (late 18th century)

probably, to the last quarter of the 18th cen­tury. We do not have the beaker measure­ments, but we think it is a beer tankard. The sort and age of coins embedded in the bot­tom and the side is not so much important, because for decoration of such a vessel coins available at home / of artist or order­ing person /were used. Danzig / Gdansk / coins circulated all over the country, as Gdansk was / and is / a Polish town."

"It may well be that the beaker was made in Saxony, but we think it is a work of Polish artist. This opinion is based on the fact that the beaker has no manufacturer's mark, what happened very often in Poland, according to regulations saying that a goldsmith is not obliged to sign his work when it is made out of silver given by person who order a vessel." (My emphasis)

The letter was signed by Dr. Andrzej Rotter­mund, Deputy Director of the National Museum in Warsaw.

I was extremely pleased that they had verified my find and what made it even nicer was that this appears to be a custom-made coin beaker that obviously meant a lotto the original owner.

I have speculated with friends as to what those well-used coins meant to the owner. Were they the ones in his pocket the day his first child was born? Were they coins he had saved while being in the King's service? Or, were they no more than the winnings of a bar bet? We'll never know for certain, but I don't believe this proud, historic drinking vessel will ever be relegated to holding pen­cils again.

Coin embedded in base of silver beaker

"Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf" on a 3 -V4 " stein. Marked "1100" on base

Children's Steins — a Grimm Delight (The Brothers Grimm, that is)

by Kurt Sommerich photos by Wendy A. Bosworth

In the wonderful world of miniatures and semi-miniatures there are little steins and lit­tle mugs for little people. These small steins average 3 to 5 inches in height, and show fairy tale scenes, biblical motifs and Hum-melesque depictions. They are known as children's steins.

Make no mistake about it: Most German children did indeed drink beer from these delightful vessels*vith the knowledge and consent of their parents.

Just as beer and pretzels go together, so do German, fairy tales and the Grimm Brothers. Jakob Grimm (1785-1863) and Wilhelm Grimm (1786-1859) were two high-powered German scholars. They studied

"Little Red Riding Hood" visits grandmother

Saltglazed "Cinderella" stein, 5-V2", marked "PT"

law, but both turned to literary research (philology) as young men. They did not write their famous fairy tales, but instead issued a public appeal for the collection of folk litera­ture. Most of the contributors were aristo­cratic ladies; presumably they had heard these tales from their nursemaids and parents, and being educated, were able to write them down. In 1811, which was the peak period of Napoleonic Europe, the brothers published their collection of fairy tales under the title of "Kinder-und-Hausmaerchen" ("Fairy Tales for Children and the Family").

Another view of the "Cinderella" stein, showing the German name of the fairy tale, "Aschen-broedel" or "Cinder Maid", i.e., "Cinderella"

Besides assembling the fairy tale collection, they did comparative studies of folk litera­ture from many nations, thus originating the "science" of folklore. They also produced works of literature and their philological studies generated a book on German gram­mar (Jakob), and both worked on a German dictionary. Thus they traced the historical development of the Germanic languages. However, due to the enormity of the task they could not finish the dictionary.

The Brothers Grimm worked as librarians for the Elector of Hessen-Kassel, but in 1829 they accepted professorships at nearby Goettingen University. While they were there, Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cum­berland, became King of Hanover. [Yes, via Coburg the Hanover family is today known as the House of Windsor.] As a penalty for their liberal views, this king ordered the brothers to leave Goettingen. In 1840 they accepted an invitation from the romantically — if not liberally — inclined King of Prussia, Frederick William IV, to enter his service and settle in Berlin.

A "Sleeping Beauty" mug, 4" tall; here the prin­cess is using the spinning wheel which will seal her fate for the next 100 years. Marked "4002" and "Made in Germany"

Back to the fairy tales. The preface to their book says in part:

"We seek purity in the truth of a straightforward narration which harbors no injustice. We have therefore carefully erased every expression considered unsuitable for children."

And Wilhelm Grimm wrote on one occasion: "Fairy tales reveal the peculiar and characteristic view of poetic creation and sentiments of a people."

Suffice it to enumerate the titles of some of the better known classic fairy tales: Hansel and Gretel, Little Red Riding Hood, Snow-

"Hansel and Gretel" on a 4", unmarked mug. This illustration shows the witch feeding the im­prisoned children; the other views on the stein show Hansel and Gretel nibbeling at the ginger­bread house, and the witch peeking out at them

White and the Seven Dwarfs, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty.

It lies outside the scope of this essay to de­scribe the plots of these tales. Most of us are probably familiar with the stories, thanks to the Grimm Brothers, Walt Disney, or the composer of the opera "Hansel and Gretel", Engelbert Humperdinck. Many of the tales are populated by monsters, evil step­mothers, nasty stepsisters and wicked witches planning or committing murder, cannibalism, exposure of little children in wild forests to shift for themselves, or per­petuating the ecologically unsound myth of the big bad wolf. #

However, such villains are not limited to the Germanic culture alone. Much of what we see on television today is surely not any

St. Nikolaus (Santa Claus) mug, 4-Vfe", no marks

Mini-mug, 4-1/2" tall, showing a woman on a don­key with a man walking alongside (Mary & Joseph?)

more uplifting than some of the plots of the old folk and fairy tales. Still, in both instances justice does triumph in the end.

A great number of these charming children's mugs and steins show non­violent biblical scenes and pictures in the Hummel genre of little boys and girls at play or engaged in normal activities of daily life. The photographs accompanying this arti­cle will serve to illustrate some of the more typical children's steins.

0

8" stein, marked "5" on base, with a Hummel-like illustration of two children sharing an umbrella

Another "Sleeping Beauty" stein, 5", saltglazed, marked "Germany"; the three scenes show the famous spinning wheel scene, the prince looking for his "sleeping beauty", and the prince getting ready to kiss — and awaken — our heroine

400 Years of Stein Making [Abstract of lecture to be given by Ron Fox at the St. Louis Convention in July.]

Stein production has come a long way in the past 400 plus years. Our journey through time will touch upon the many factors that helped shape and change this industry. We'll start with and follow the strength of the stoneware years and why it yielded to the faience industry. We'll examine the reasons involved in the eventual decline of the faience industry and what brought about the 50-year void in stein production. Then into its resurgence, which brought about the heyday that represents the majority of the steins we happily collect today. We'll examine the effects of two World Wars, bringing us to today's modern steins. Throughout we will discuss how and why the technology was developed and changed. No matter what your stein interests are, this talk should prove of interest to every­one.

Darth Vader "tankard", a "Star Wars" spin-off (see text)

by Paul Rohe

"Star Wars" has come into the beer stein universe! In the distant past of our planet Earth — actually it was 1977 — I purchased the Darth Vader mug shown here for $11.49.

The macho mug (probably not the thing for your Ovaltine) is a hefty 7" tall, all black, and was manufactured by California Originals of Torrance, California. There are two other mugs in this "Star Wars Tankards" series, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Chewbacca; these latter two are decorated in earthy colors, with a blue glaze interior. The inscription on the base of Darth is: "Star Wars — 1977 — 20th Century Fox Film Corporation — 23 — Rumph — Califorrfla Originals".

With one of these, you can sit in front of your TV, watch your "Star Wars" tape, sip

Advertisement for the "Star Wars Tankards"

intergalactic ale out of Darth Vader's helmet — and dream that you are in a distant universe, far, far away . . .

To snap you out of these delusions, take a look at the Peanuts mini-mugs I picked up in Zurich, Switzerland, several years ago. "Peanuts" is my favorite comic strip, with its simplicity, sophisticated innocence and originality. The minis are just a trifle over 2" tall, and are cute additions to the collec­tion.

It just goes to show that stein collecting isn't all Westerwald, Mettlach or Kreussen.

"Patty" and "Snoopy" on a pair of "Peanuts" mini-mugs

with the accessibility of buses, taxis and air­port limos running almost 24 hours a day.

There are many things to do in close vicinity to the hotel, but don't neglect the numerous attractions elsewhere. Our Committee will be ready as early as Tuesday at the registra­tion desk to suggest the family fun, excite­ment, shopping, places to go, things to do as a visitor whom we invite to relax, explore and enjoy the Spirit of St. Louis.

The Convention officially begins on Wednesday (July 13th), and what a begin­ning we have in store for you. The Ron Fox Auction will get the day started (exact time

Meet Me in St. Louis ... or, Old Man River Will Never Be the Same Again

July 13 to July 17 — an appealing five days await your reservation and arrival in St. Louis, Missouri, the Gateway City, for the 22nd Annual SCI Convention. Your hosts: The Gateway Steiners. Time is allowed for you to see all the worthwhile sights of the area, and yet the scheduled Convention events will likewise be a source of pleasure. Good food, entertainment, stein sales, a members' stein auction, speakers, hospitality room, plus short forums and slide talks.

The Omni International Hotel/St. Louis Union Station, the convention site, is more than a hotel — it's an event! A shopping, din­ing, entertainment and conference center, gift-wrapped in one of the country's most in­triguing sight-seeing attractions.

The room rate of $68.00 for a single/double (1 to 4 persons in a room) should be an in­centive to bring the family. The guest rooms feature such amenities as TV, in-room movies and more. Parking charge is $7.00 a day for cars, $10.00 a day for recreational vehicles (no hook-up).

Transportation between the airport and metropolitan St. Louis is very convenient

to be announced later) with the finest beer stein auction you will ever have the opportu­nity to attend. We have heard about some of the consignments and can hardly wait until the auction catalogs arrive. What an oppor­tunity to enrich your collection! And remem­ber, this all precedes the evening's Early Bird event.

A complete day-by-day Convention pro­gram will be published in the June issue of Prosit. We promise you a wonderful selec­tion of events, dear to the heart of each and every stein collector.

Please note that since registration starts on Tuesday, when approximately 80% of our members arrive, we are encouraging so-called "out-of-rooms" sales until the Stein Room opens on Thursday.

Table rentals for the members' Stein Sale are just a reasonable $10.00. Can anyone remember when last they were that inex­pensive?

The cost of placing your steins in the Mem­bers' Stein Auction will only be 3% of the total final sale. So dig up all those treasures you've been wanting to sell and bring them

Understanding Regimentals [Abstract of lecture by Ron Heiligenstein, to be presented at the St. Louis Conven­tion in July.]

It's the general perception that collecting regimental steins may be the most complex and confusing specialty in the hobby of stein collect­ing. This causes many collectors to avoid regimental steins. Ron Heil­igenstein, a long time regimental collector and Prosit contributor, will attempt to clear up much of the con­fusion concerning regimentals with a presentation on the subject at the annual Convention in St. Louis.

What makes one regimental more desirable than another? Where can a person get the information needed to develop the full story of a particular regimental? Does one have to be able to read German to understand regimentals? How important is the condition of a regimental? What are some of the popular misconceptions about regimentals and what's the real story?

You'll get the answers to these ques­tions and others, plus you'll get a look at some slides that will substantially enhance your knowledge and hope­fully your interest in regimental steins. Come hear Ron's lecture at the con­vention in St. Louis, and satisfy your curiosity about regimental steins.

along to St. Louis. Who knows, they might be just what others have been desperately hoping to find. We hope that all this will encourage greater participation in the stein sales and auction, because the opportunity to acquire that unexpected purchase will surely be there.

The questionnaire we sent out last year indicated to us that many SCI members, novice and experienced alike, are eager to delve into stein-related subjects to seek out information. Therefore we will have open forums on different subjects: Mettlach/ Marzi & Remy/character steins/etc; these should certainly encourage the exchange of ideas and know-how in a relaxed atmo­sphere (with refreshments). And of course there will be formal, scheduled lectures — please note the several summaries printed in this issue of Prosit.

Bring steins, go home with cash. Bring cash, go home with steins. Bring questions, go home with knowledge. Bring knowledge, go home with the satisfaction of sharing.

One of the main reasons stein collectors go to conventions is to be with old friends and to make new ones. The St. Louis convention program is planned to give you a lot of excit­ing events, but also enough free time to do things on your own, from visiting with friends to sight-seeing on the Mississippi to antiqu­ing. Your enjoyment is our first concern. And with it all comes that famous Mid-Western hospitality, the Spirit of St. Louis!

Come to St. Louis in July for the time of your life! Register now, using the registration form and hotel reservation form enclosed with this issue. Register now, and then Meet Us in St. Louis, Louie . . . . in July.

It Dates From Around the Turn of the Century [Abstract of lecture to be given by AI Hoch at the St. Louis Convention in July]

How often has that been your answer to the question about the age of a stein? Why is it that so many of the pieces in our collections are from that period? What was going on in Ger­many that prompted the flood of steins produced at that particular time? Why was there a market for them in this country and were they cheap or expensive? Why were they decorated the way that they were?

We are now again nearing a century mark; are there any similarities with the period 100 years ago? What about the steins of today? Will they be collected and discussed just as avidly 100 years from now?

With words, sights and sounds, AI Hoch will attempt to shed some light on these and other questions as he concentrates on that period we so often refer to as "the turn of the cen­tury". In so doing, he will touch on political, economical and artistic facets of a bygone era that provided us with a gold mine of collectibles... a period that is well worth examining if we really want to understand what it is that we place on our shelves and why these objects hold such interest for us.

Beer City is Alive and Well [The information below was taken in part from an article by Cindy Brandt in Milwaukee's "The Shepherd Express", Nov. 25 - Dec. 13, 1987 — sent to us by Wisconsinite Kurt Sommerich]

The danger is past. The title of "Beer City U.S.A." is reasonably secure. Milwaukee's brewing industry, while not what it once was, is indeed alive and well. What supports this statement? The growing list of micro-breweries (or boutique breweries, as they are sometimes known) springing up in

Milwaukee, to supplement the beer giants that remain.

A micro-brewery is one that has a miniscule beer output, anywhere from 3 to 1000 barrels per week, an insignificant percent­age of what, for instance, Miller or Anheuser Busch produce in one day! These micros usually are owned by one or two people, one of whom also doubles as brewmaster; staff is very small, equipment has been purchased second hand and most opera­tions are done by hand, rather than on highspeed production lines.

But what really elevates the micro-brew­eries above the rest is that the brew coming out is usually tastier, heartier, richer, hopsier

and more enjoyable than some of the mass-produced stuff we get in the local super­market. Many of these breweries stick to the German purity concept: Nothing goes into the beer except malt (barley), hops, yeast and water. No additives, no preservatives, no nothing. When the micros say "beer", they mean beer!

Because of the low output, many of these special label beers do not get wide distribu­tion, and you may have to come to Wiscon­sin, or even Milwaukee, to taste them. So that you know what to ask for, here is a list of Milwaukee's micro-breweries, the names of their owners or brewmasters, and the labels of their beers:

Sprecher Brewery [Randy Sprecher]

Milwaukee Weiss Special Amber Black Bavarian

Lakefront Brewery [Carson Praefke & Russell Klisch]

Klisch Riverwest Eastside Dark

Biatz Brewery (Heileman) [Hans Kestler, brewmaster]

Blatz

Ambier Brewing Co . [Gary Bauer & Dave Hansen]

Ambier Vienna Style

Water Street Brewery [Robert C. Schmidt & Rick Schmidt, John Dallman, brewmaster]

Water Street Amber Sporten European Lager Old World Oktoberfest

Century Hall & Brewing Co . [Skip Blustein & John Sidoff, Gary Bauer, brewmaster]

Century Gold Cream City Ale

So there you have 13 new brews, plus there are several seasonal, unlisted specialties. If these beers are as good as some of the ones produced by earlier micro-breweries, such as "Old Amsterdam", "Reinheits­gebot" and "Anchor Steam Beer", then you owe it to yourself to sample them: If you like beer, you will love the micros.

Milwaukee, we salute you. Prosit!

Jack G. Lowenstein

V&B Plaque # 1044, decor 1452-A, portrait of the Mayor of Basel, Jacob Meyer zum Hasen, begin­ning of 16th century, by Hans Holbein the Younger

Two Mettlach Plaques — After Holbein by Therese Thomas

The two PUG Mettlach (V&B) plaques shown in the accompanying photographs are catalog number 1044 with decor num­bers 1452-A and -B. The plates do not have the Mercury mark, but the plate with decor A is marked " I . Holbein ad viv. delin.", indicat­ing that J. Holbein painted the work while the person being portrayed was still alive.

The owner of the plaques researched the origin of the portraits and also corre­sponded with Dr. Paul Boerlin, director of the Art Museum of Basel, Switzerland. It turns out that the pictures on the plaques are in­deed copied after portraits done by Holbein the Younger (14977-1543) of the Lord Mayor of Basel, Jacob Meyer zum Hasen (1482-1531) and his second wife, Dorothea Kannengiesser (died in 1536).

In 1516, Jacob Meyer zum Hasen com­missioned Holbein to do the famous Holy Virgin ("Mother of God") painting, which in­cludes portraits of the Mayor and his wife. The painting belongs to the Princess of Hessen, but was kept at the Art Museum in Basel for safe-keeping for about 10 years after the war. However, it turns out that the portraits on the Mettlach plaques are not taken directly from the painting, but instead from sketches done for the painting. These sketches are also in the Basel Museum, and show Dorothea Kannengiesser with the "chin-tie" headcovering (as was done in the middle ages). Holbein painted the Mayor's wife the same way on the larger portrait, but later changed this and other details.

V&B Plaque # 1044, decor 1452-B, Holbein's por­trait of Dorothea Kannengiesser, Mayor Meyer zum Hasen's wife

Salt-glazed steins of special design: The two steins on the left, the "Harvest" series, are decorated with sheaves of barley, while the two on the right have a Bock beer motif; the second stein from the right has the ram's horns join the handle in a multiple attachment, while the stein at the right features a ram's head as the drinking horn's base

"Jugendstil" is Still in Style "Jugendstil" or "Art Nouveau", a modernis­tic style popular earlier this century, has never entirely lost its appeal and now, as the century is slowly coming to an end, is again gaining popularity.

shapes, sure to appeal to today's collectors (and beer drinkers). For instance, the "Light­house" stein, in authentic colors, is a new character stein reminiscent of lighthouses to be found on European shores. The "Old Masters" series reproduces Creussen types, while the "Harvest" series pays tribute to a most important grain, barley, as well as to our favorite barley product, Bock beer. The photo captions describe the illus­trated products. If you are interested in any of these steins, see your friendly imported products store which features Merkel-bach wares.

We are indebted to Mrs. Judith Engelman, Direc­tor of the Merkelbach plant, for furnishing these photographs.

Manufacturers are taking advantage of this fact and are producing new items that copy the curves, the smooth design flow, the ar­tistic shapes of "Jugendstil". In the United States we even see a resurgence of "Art Deco", a unique and functional style which might be dubbed "son of Jugendstil", be­cause it was introduced into the United States by European artists who came here in the 1920's — mostly to California (where else?).

One German firm which is seeing an in­creasing demand for "Jugendstil" ceram­ics is Merkelbach Manufaktur of Hoehr-Grenzhausen, a subsidiary of the W. Goebel Co. Consequently they are introducing new drinking vessels, including the ubiquitous beer steins, in this old style. The accompa­nying photographs show some new mod­els, including brand-new designs and

"Lighthouse" character stein by Merkelbach. This stein, in natural colors, depicts an early lighthouse found on both American and Euro­pean shores

Thus we now know that the Mettlach illus­trations are based on original drawings by Holbein, and that they represent the Mayor of Basel and his wife at the beginning of the 16th century.

The "Masters Series" by Merkelbach: Three re­productions of classic steins which can be found in the Museum of Arts and Crafts of Cologne; Creussen steins have never lost their popularity from the 16th century to today!

The Merkelbach "Jugendstil" collection: The stein at the left, in brown glaze with three black feet, was originally designed by Prof. Richard Riemerschmidin 1902—for Merkelbach. The 10-sided pouring stein on the right, with inlaid decor, was designed for Merkelbach in 1909 by sculptor Paul Wynand

German Auction Prices by Therese Thomas

Auction "knock-down" prices for a group of select drinking vessels achieved new highs at 1987 auctions of Kunsthaus Lempertz on the Neumarkt in Cologne (West Germany).

Examples:

Gilded silver tankard, ornate decor and figural finial, Erfurt, ca. 1575 (illust): DM 200,000.

Ivory tankard with gilded silver fittings, Dresden, ca 1700: DM 88,000.

Coconut pokal, gilded silver fittings, southern Germany, late 16th century: DM 82,000.

Stoneware "Humpen", beaded decor, Altenburg, ca. 1727 (illust): DM 6,200.

Faience tankard, Chinese-style decor with ornate lid, Nuremberg, first half 18th century: DM 16,500.

Interestingly, every final price exceeded the catalog estimate by factors of anywhere from 1.2 to a whopping 5.2 (the latter for a three-footed silver and gilded lidded beaker [illust.], Lindau ca. 1703, which was estimated to bring DM 12,000, but actually was purchased for DM 62,000)!

Extra-fine antique drinking vessels obviously in considerable demand.

are

[P.S. We will leave the conversion of Deutsch-Marks (DM) to U.S. Dollars up to you: At the end of 1987, one U.S. Dollar was worth DM 1.60.]

illustration is accompanied by a brief de­scription as to type, origin, date, dimensions and where the article is now located. This chapter takes up 132 pages and shows well over 50 containers, many of which we would call tankards and jugs. Several stoneware "steins" are illustrated for their pewter fit­tings. Factual historic information is inter­woven with technical details and "curiosi­ties" about such vessels.

Chapter 4 is devoted entirely to "Drinking-vessels", with subheadings "Flasks and tankards", "Harvest-cans and feeding-bottles" and "Beakers and cups". The chapter spans 30 pages with its text and over 50 photographs. Again, a major portion of the chapter is devoted to vessels of interest to the beer stein collector. While there are some familiar types and shapes, such as the very collectible "Lichten­hainer" wood-and-pewter tankards, there are also quite a few novel vessels de­scribed and pictured. As before, the illus­trations are keyed to the text — which makes fascinating reading because of its historical context.

While chapter 6, "Measures" (measuring jugs, measuring tankards, measuring beakers) would at first seem to be outside of the realm of the stein collector, examination of the photographs shows that many of the vessels we consider to be drinking and pouring vessels turn out to be originally manufactured for the precise measurement and dispensing of liquids. Twenty pages and 35 photos survey this field and give one a clear understanding of the difficulty and importance of the ability to measure repro-ducibly the volumes of goods for sale.

The section on pewter marks is self-indexing, as the marks are separated into the various "visual" categories, such as "town marks", "masters' names", "initials", "human figures", "angels", "animals",

"plants", "jugs, anchors, hammers", etc. Thus it is relatively easy to find a particular mark, which is then identified by the mas­ter's name, his location and dates of operation.

Finally there is a very complete index of Masters' names and of subjects, as well as a thorough bibliography.

If there is one shortcoming in this excellent book, it is the absence of regional sec-tionalization. Thus, if you are looking for specific information on German pewter, you must read through an entire chapter; we may be spoiled, because previous com­pilations, notably those of Howard H. Cot-terell and Robert M. Vetter in the 1930's, grouped the various types and styles geographically. But this one "gripe" does not at all distract from this excellent and most-informative book.

If you are a collector of fine old pewter, you should take a look at Nadolski's "Old Household Pewterware". Once you see it in a bookstore or library, we predict you will rush out to get your own copy. A truly fine addition to anyone's art and antiques library.

While we are at it, here are a few of the more im­portant references on the subject of "pewter"; most should be readily available:

"Phaidon Guide to Pewter", Vanessa Brett, Prentice-Hall, 1983. "British Pewter", Christopher A. Peal, Peebles Press, 1973. "American and British Pewter", John C.

Thomas, Main Street/ Universe Books, n/d. "National Types of Old Pewter", Howard H.

Cotterell, Adolphe Riff aftd Robert M. Vetter, Pyne Press, 1972.

"Zinn" ("Pewter"), Hanns-Ulrich Haedeke, Art Museum Cologne, 1968.

Book Review: "Old Household Pewterware"

by Dieter Nadolski; published by Holmes & Meier, New York, 1987. Hard cover, 330 pages; price $59.50

Reviewed by Jack Lowenstein

This over-sized (9 1/2 x 11 inches) book, des­pite its high price, should delight any lover of old pewter. With its chapters on history (the articles shown in the book span over 6 cen­turies), different types of pewter, many illus­trations and almost 700 pewter marks, this book is a marvelous reference as well as a tome to be leafed through, scanned and then to be read in its entirety.

While such items as tableware, kitchenware and storage vessels, measures and lighting devices are covered in beautiful detail, the chapters on pouring vessels and drinking-vessels (the hyphen is the author's) are the "piece de resistance" for the stein and tan­kard collector. Chapter 3, "Pouring Vessels for Serving" has a sub-chapter entitled "Beer and wine containers", which thoroughly explains and illustrates the use of pewter in such vessels. An interesting aid to the reader is the marginal indication of which photograph(s) fit(s) that particular portion of text. Each well-photographed

Book Review: "Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price List — 1988"

Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1987. Paper, 756 pages; price $10.95.

Reviewed by Jack Lowenstein

Exactly one year ago we reviewed for you the 1987 edition of Ralph and Terry Kovel's all-inclusive Price List. If you want to re-read that review (page 1587, March 1987), you will be right up-to-date for the 1988 version of the book: Again, there are multiple listings under which beer steins may be found: Steins, Mettlach, Stoneware and Faience. There is also a "Villeroy & Boch" listing, but only a Hires Root Beer Mug ($130-160) would fall into the "stein" category.

Under the "Steins" listing, there are 47 one-line descriptions, often insufficient to deter­mine the provenance of the item. Character steins, regimentals, commemoratives, pew­ter, old and new are mixed into this list (a Billy Beer 2-piece set (?) went for $45, while a Musterschutz Stag sold (to Les Paul?) for $3850).

Under "Mettlach", we find 89 steins, mugs, beakers, vases, plaques and punch bowls. Steins and plaques are listed in numerical order, showing size and brief description. There are some typos, such as a book stein being identified as "1001C", but that is to be

expected in any computerized listing such as this one. As last year, realized prices tend to bunch around those given in Kirsner's "The Mettlach Book", with a few lows (bargains?) and a few highs (must haves?).

The "Faience" list has but one tankard, a ca. 1773 Dutch piece, which sold for $900. The "Stoneware" listing is quite extensive, since it includes all sorts of household and decorative items. There are many jugs and mugs, but only two "tankards", both relatively inexpensive. In addition, several tankards are listed under "Silver — American" and "Silver — English".

Our conclusions are exactly the same as the ones we drew last year: "Kovels' An­tiques & Collectibles Price List 1988" is a fun book, and for $10.95 you can learn a great deal about the value of an enormous selec­tion of items. But if you are really only into beer steins and similar items, then Kirsner's "The Mettlach Book", Kirsner and Gruhl's "The Stein Book", and Tom Maguire's many "Auction Prices" lists are of much greater value to you.

But the Kovel's have published another book, which is even more fun and which we can recommend; read on . . .

"Kovels' Guide to Selling Your Antiques and Collectibles"

Crown Publishers, Inc., New York, 1987. Paper, 216 pages; price $9.95

This little volume is not a price list. Instead it is a descriptive text which in clear, concise language tells you enough about some 58 categories of antiques and collectibles, from "Advertising & Country Store Collect­ibles" to "Western Art", to let you feel com­fortable to sell (and buy) these treasures on the open market. The book tells of types within the categories, what to look for, identi­fication hints, names to look for, and how best to go about getting maximum value when you sell.

An interesting addition is the inclusion of brief anecdotes about people who bought something at a flea market for pennies and then sold it later for thousands of dollars. The moral, of course, is that you should always try to find out something about your acquisitions and that sometimes there is gold beneath all that dust and grime! Another clever idea is the inclusion of actual ads people place in collectors' and an­tiques magazine; while going through the

book we found an ad placed by SCI mem­ber Jim Stevenson looking for steins (names and telephone numbers in these re­produced advertisements have been changed to "protect the innocent").

For the stein enthusiast, chapters to peruse are "Beer Cans & Breweriana", "Glass", "Pewter, Copper, Chrome & Other Metals", "Pottery & Porcelain" and "Silver". While beer steins are not specifically included, the reader can find lots of useful ideas and hints to make the book worthwhile; the book is ideal to take on vacation for light reading or to have on a plan® to while away a couple of hours. We liked it.

A few words about Ralph and Terry Kovel: These long-time SCI members are probably today's most knowledgeable authors in the field of antiques and collectibles. They have written and compiled 40 books about these subjects, not counting the annual updates. (Certainly every collector's library should contain a copy of the Kovels' "Dictionary of Marks" and their newest "New Dictionary of Marks".) Because they so thoroughly re­search their subjects, they are the unques­tioned authorities in these fields, and their books are considered the "bible" to many collectors throughout the world. Ralph and Terry were probably the first to computerize auction results and to publish them. They have a nationally syndicated radio program about antiques, and, as we recently re­ported, they are now also on TV. Their monthly newsletter on antiques keeps col­lectors informed about what's happening. And because of the enormous impact they

have had in the areas of antiques and collectibles, we are extremely proud to count them among our members.

For information about the available books by this prolific team of writers, write to:

Kovels Books P.O. Box 22900 Beachwood, OH 44122

Ralph and Terry Kovel, authors of over 40 books on antiques and collectibles, and radio and TV personalities — as well as SCI members

News From Berlin W.D.S. Brauerei - Journal (West Germany) October 1, 1987 (As sent to us by Werner Sahm)

When the French forces arrived in Berlin after the 30-Year War [1618-1648], they dis­covered "Berliner Weisse", that unusual "white" beer made from wheat malt, rather than the more common barley malt. They christened the light, sparkling beverage "Champagne du Nord", or "Champagne from the North".

(Editor's Note: A rather apt description, es­pecially if you drink a large goblet of this special brew with "Schuss", i.e., a dash of lemon juice or raspberry syrup.

As a matter of fact, "Berliner Weisse" is usually served in a large, bowl-shaped

footed glass — almost like a large cham­pagne glass — not at all like the usual beer glasses with which we're familiar. However, don't give up hope: Many establishments serve the Berlin specialty in stoneware beer steins!)

Our readers will doubtlessly be surprised to find out that hops, that vital ingredient of beer, has been grown in the Berlin suburb of Brandenburg since the middle ages. Originally hops were found to be growing wild in the fertile Auen Forest, but by the 18th century this source could no longer meet the demand of the local breweries. The government therefore decreed that more hops farms be cultivated, mainly because imported hops were too expensive. An area along the Havel River, as well as Havel peninsulas, were used for that purpose, and by 1775 not only was local demand well met, but — surprise! — hops were actually exported!

This had the result that the Prussian govern­ment actually prohibited the purchase of foreign hops. Unfortunately, the indus­trialization of the brewing process and the conglomeration of large breweries spelled the demise of Berlin's hops agriculture. Today one still finds hops plants even in the middle of Berlin, again growing wild.

Q

Be Careful If you haven't yet paid your 1988 dues, this will be your last issue of Prosit. We know you don't want to miss any of the scintillating issues and surely you want to attend the annual Convention in St. Louis, MO, this July. Dues are $20 U.S. (Overseas = $24.00, or $22.00 in U.S. funds). So hurry up and pay your dues, and while you're at it, consider making a con­tribution to SCI's Stein Museum. Any amount will be appreciated, but for a start $10.00 seems to be the norm. Put your SCI membership number on your check, make it payable to Stein Collectors International, and send to:

Mr. Walter B. Vogdes P.O. Box 4096 Rockville, MD 20850

Membership Cards

Whoops! Due to a slight delay in mailing, many of you received your December issue of Prosit before receiving your dues bill and membership card. Thank you for sending your dues in, anyway. If any of you have not received your membership card by this time, please drop a note to Walt Vogdes (address shown above), and he will see that you get one. (And if you haven't paid your dues already, enclose your check with this request and save the postage of having to do it later!)

0

Time Out Rhyme by Sam Brainard Postcard courtesy of George Schamberger

We've toured the City of Munich And now it is time to rest. The Child in the yellow tunic Is offering us the best. Let's try a bit of radish slice And wash it down with beer. The Wurst today looks very nice, But we'll eat too much, I fear.

(The postmark on the card is dated 1903, and 10 Pfennig carried the card from Munich to Roches­ter, New York.)

An Editor's Editorial Before we know it, it will be time for another great SCI Convention. This year's will be in St. Louis, Missouri, Gateway City on "Old Man River", the Mississippi. The dates are Wednesday, July 13, to Sunday, July 17. (For more details, see the write-up in this issue.)

One of the major events at SCI Conventions has been the apparently obligatory stein auction. In St. Louis, the auction will be run by New York's Ron Fox, who promises the most, the best, the finest steins. Moreover, Ron has promised SCI a percentage of the

gross sales of this auction, another first! That income will permit our 1988 hosts, the Gateway Steiners, not only to hold, but actually to shave the usual convention costs, and perhaps to add a little something to the SCI treasury.

We therefore urge you to support the official SCI auction, since you will at the same time support SCI.

Help yourself to some mighty fine steins (and plaques and other good things), remain in our Convention hotel, the Omni Union Station, stay with the well-planned Convention program, and support your Convention, your auction, and your stein collectors' organization!

Thank you.

Jack G. Lowenstein

Those Magical Marks Part 5: Similarities

by Jack G. Lowenstein

Confusing to everyone, from beginning collector to advanced connoisseur, are ceramic marks which look alike but belong to different companies. Some of these similarities are innocent look-alikes, while others were doubtlessly meant to deceive and confuse. Where can one turn?

There are, of course, many books on ceramic marks, such as the Kovels' "Dic­tionary of Marks — Pottery and Porcelain", and a thorough study of similar-looking marks will give the reader at least a hint of what he is up against. But now, thanks to a delightful little book, we can concentrate the study somewhat.

The book is "European Porcelain" by Dr. Richard Mickenhagen, printed by Gugath & Sohn, Munich. There is no date of publica­tion shown. The book — or booklet — is only 4-% x 6-V2 inches in size, and has but 80 pages: A true "pocket book". The text is in both German and English; there are only 26 pages of text, but the remaining 50+ pages are of manufacturers' marks to be found on

porcelain. The best part: A section on "Similar Marks"—which is reproduced here on the following pages. We have no idea whether the book is still in print; we came across it in a second-hand book store in California.

Back to the marks: The "crossed swords" mark of the Meissen factories has been imitated for almost 3 centuries, mainly because of the prestige and craftsmanship of the original Meissen products. Only con­tinuous prosecution of trademark infringers has prevented an even larger proliferation of imitations. Similarly, the "Bindenschild", or "striped shield", of the Royal Vienna Porcelain Factory has been widely imitated (and has often but incorrectly been called a "beehive" mark). Note that the orientation of the mark can indeed make a big difference, because the Vienna mark has a flat top and a rounded base, making it look like a medieval shield. Only the Volkstedt factory copied it that way. Other imitators, to stay clear of the law, turned the mark upside down: With a flat base, the mark now looks like a beehive, and as you see, both Suhl and Hutschenreuther actually drew a little opening into the base, further likening it to a hive. How can you tell which is which? You have to look at the mark in relation to other printing on the base (or wherever the mark is located) to determine "which side is up."

The "crown with N" mark of the Capo di Monte factories of Naples is a favorite with the imitators; Italy does not appear to have invoked any copyright laws against imita­tors, and hence the mark (and even its blue color) is copied flagrantly by anyone turning out ceramic wares which even remotely look like the famous Capo di Monte style.

And it goes on and on. No mark of a famous factory is safe from copying; it would appear that somewhere there is always a factory longing to bask in the master's sunshine! And only well-prepared collectors can begin to protect themselves from being taken in by an imitation. We hope that, with Dr. Mickenhagen's help, we have added to the collector's knowledge with this neces­sarily brief expose.

A word of explanation: In the following tabulation of "Similar Porcelain Marks", the original is always in the first box, enclosed in a secondary box, marked "original" and has a colored background for quick identification. Following this "original" are the better-known copies. Since the "original" is always on the far left, there may be a few blank boxes on the right if only two or three imitations are known. Otherwise the similar marks just con­tinue from left to right in normal fashion.

Steinology Crossword Puzzle

From the Westerwald courtesy of Werner Sahm

Narrow neck pear-shaped crocks were used for liquid refreshments for farm-workers out in the fields, or for storage of miscellaneous liquids.

"Star" jug, Westerwald salt-glazed stoneware, 40 cm high. 18th century

by Thomas H. Stubbs

Here is a computer-generated crossword puzzle for all you puzzle fans, using beer stein-related terms and definitions. Give it a try, and don't peek at the solution — which is shown elsewhere in this issue (we won't even tell you on what page: you'll have to look for it).

Good luck — and have fun.

Pouring jug, salt-glazed Cologne-brown stone­ware: Westerwald, 18th century

Clues - Across:

2. Type of lid for steins 3. Used synonymously with "etched" 6. Type of stein with low relief

11. Type of Mettlach ware decorated by hand-painting or spraying

12. State hosting 1989 SCI Convention 15. Stein decoration with incised black

outlining 16. Pewter running from hinge to lid of

stein 18. Cup-like drinking vessel 22. Metric capacity measure 23. Type of stein on which colored glazes

are painted into protruding ridged sections

24. Pewter collar around base of some steins or tankards

25. Stein with pedestal base that becomes slightly wider with height

26. Oxidation layer on metals 27. Stein Collectors International 28. Metallic alloy containing as much as

90% tin 29. German village on banks of Saar River

Clues - Down: m

1. Hard impervious coating fired onto ceramic materials

4. Pewter running from the handle to the hinge of a stein

5. Pewter band that wraps around the handle of a stein

7. Stout-shaped stein with Apostles in relief

8. Porous glazed earthenware 9. Peasant style of folk art, 1810-1850

10. Porous ceramic 13. Print under glaze decor 14. Large ceremonial handleless beaker 17. Unglazed translucent porcelain panel

found in the bottom of steins 19. Literally a jug 20. Vitrified mixture of fine white clay,

quartz and feldspar, with hard surface 21. Drinking vessel with handle and

attached lid 25. Term used to describe steins when

only a small number are known to exist

Index to Prosit -1987 This index covers the articles appearing in Prosit's Number 87 to 90 inclusive, or all of 1987. For this title compilation leading articles (the, a, etc.) have been omitted where convenient.

Please note that the four 1987 issues of Prosit include pages 1577 to 1712. Previous years of Prosit can best be researched by using the "Index to Prosit" issued in 1982 and again in 1987.

Title Author Page Issue Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life . . . Editor 1662 89 America's "Best of Brew" Editor 1696 90 America's Foremost Antiques Experts Editor 1653 89

to Debut on Public Television Another Character for Les Paul Editor 1670 89 Auction Record (Rhein-Zeitung, Editor 1603 87

November 4, 1986)

Baker's Regimental Stein Zitzelsberger, K. 1583 87 Beer Horizons: An Oatmeal Stout Editor 1638 88 Beer Steins in German Museums Forster, D. 1637 88 Beer Trivia Editor 1623 88 Blackamoor Puzzle, The Sommerich, K. 1622 88 Book Review: Auction Prices Paul, L 1629 88 Book Review: Character Steins, A Paul, L. 1665 89

Collector's Guide Book Review: Kovels Antiques & Lowenstein, J.G. 1587 87

Collectibles Price List - 1987

Cheer Up, Beer Drinkers . . . Editor 1590 87 Christmas Theme On a Mettlach Thomas, T. 1681 90

Plaque Come One, Come All Editor 1671 89 Cordon Bleu Sommerich, K. 1694 90

Do You Know This .. About Silver Thompson, C. 1654 89 and Pewter?

Don't Think Small - It Might Be Miller, L. 1592 87 Contagious

Drinking Vessels on Postage Stamps Thomas, T. 1627 88 Drunken Monkeys Brainard, S.J. 1630 88

Each Bavarian Drinks 240 Liters of Schamberger, G. 1676 89 Beer Annually

Enough of This Walking -1 Want to DeMars, J. 1656 89 Drive

Familiar Looking - But is it? Kilmartin, E. 1662 89 Fickle Finger of Fate Award Lange, I.E. 1632 88 Fire! - Not Quite Editor 1658 89 Fit for an Emperor Sahm, W. 1591 87 Football Steins Brainard, S.J. 1655 89

German Alps Festival Editor 1628 88 German Fraternity Steins Heiligenstein, R. 1592 87 German Wine Pitchers with Biblical Motifs Smith, S.L 1687 90 Giant Regimental Zitzelsberger, K. 1653 89

Historical Commemorative Stein Paul, L. 1579 87 History Lesson: The Hapsburgs Editor 1662 89

Index to Prosit -1986 Editor 1602 87 Iron Cross Stein Platt, D. 1577 87

Last Laugh Editor 1670 89 Listing of Schierholz Character Steins Fox, R. 1589 87 Little Sleepy Head Editor 1632 88

March of the Mannikins Sommerioh, K. 1620 88 Merkelbach-Goebel Takes Aim at Editor 1595 87

Stein Market Mismatched Character Steins Brainard, S.J. 1623 88 More Lithophanes from the Les Paul Editor 1595 87

Collection... More about Reutter Porcelain Lowenstein, J.G. 1586 87 Munich Card Schamberger, G. & 1596 87

Brainard, S.J. My First Stein Platt, D. 1594 87

Title Author Page Issue My First Stein Schmitt, B. 1626 88 My First Stein (A "tickling" tale) Paul, L. 1685 90 My Most Unusual Stein Addition Kellough, B. 1685 90 Mystery Decor Orcutt, R.L. 1662 89

Name of the Game: Research Manusov, P. 1623 88 National Gallery of Art-News Release Editor 1615 88 Norwegian Wedding Stein Johnsen, I., Krause, 1618 88

K„ & Krause, E.

Old/New Slogan Schamberger, G. 1688 90

Perfect Drinking Vessel? Ey, J.A. Jr. 1617 88 Political Stein of the Weimar Republic Schamberger, G. 1659 89 President Honors SCI Member Editor 1623 88 Press Release, Jolly Stein Hunters of Editor 1670 89

Wisconsin Prosit to the Mass Schamberger, G. 1630 88

(Trans.)

Quartet Miller, L. 1663 89

Rare and Unusual Regimentals - Heiligenstein, R.R. 1585 87 Part VIII

Reinhold & August Hanke, A Editor 1584 87 Stoneware Exhibit

SCI - 1987 SCI Convention Survey Results Vogdes, W. 1684 90 SCI - 1988 Membership Dues - Best Vogdes, W. 1685 90

Bargain in Town SCI - 21 Years of SCI Conventions Schardin, D. 1692 90 SCI - Be Careful Editor 1578 87 SCI - Chapter Tattoo Paul, L. 1694 90 SCI - Chapter and Verse Various 1597 87 SCI - Chapter and Verse Various 1634 88 SCI - Chapter and Verse Various 1666 89 SCI - Chapter and Verse Various 1699 90 SCI - Code of Ethics Various 1698 90 SCI - Convention - 21 - Washington, Vogdes, W. 1581 87

DC - Plans SCI - Convention - 21 - Washington, Vogdes, W. 1613 88

DC - Plans SCI - Convention - 21 - Washington, Editor 1650 89

DC - Report • SCI -Convention - 21 - Washington, Johnsen, I. 1689 90 DC - Report

SCI - Convention - 21 - Washington, Editor 1696 90 DC - Stein

SCI - Convention - 22 - St. Louis, Mitchell, B. 1691 90 MO - Plans

SCI - Convention - Florida Mid-Winter - DeMars, J. 1625 88 1988 - Plans

SCI - Convention - Florida Mid-Winter - DeMars, J. 1656 89 1988 - Plans

SCI - Convention - Florida Mid-Winter - DeMars, J. 1684 90 1988 - Plans

SCI - Correction to Prosit No. 88, Editor 1650 89 Page 1622

SCI - Credentials Committee Cantwell, D.A. 1614 88 SCI - Extra Malings Editor 1614 88 SCI - Financial Report - 1986 Clarke, P.J. 1661 89 SCI - From the Director Misch, G.G. 1660 89 SCI - From the Director Misch, G.G. 1695 90 SCI - Meet the Candidates Editor 1616 88 SCI - Membership Committee Report DeMars, J. 1695 90 SCI - Minutes of Board Meeting, 1987 Boresch, U.W. 1698 90 SCI - Minutes of General Meeting, Boresch, U.W. 1698 90

1987 SCI - Open Executive Committee Editor 1578 87

Positions SCI - SCI Headquarters Move West Lowenstein, J.G. 1682 90 SCI - SCI Stein Insurance Editor 1578 87 SCI - SCI's Stein Museum Paul, L. 1626 88

(concluded next page)

Title Author Page Issue SCI - Secretary's Notebook Lowenstein, J.G. 1596 87 SCI - Secretary's Notebook Lowenstein, J.G. 1631 88 Schnitzelbank Bergstrom, E.O. 1588 87 Siegmund Klein, 1902-1987 Editor 1658 89 Sing Along With Prosit Editor 1638 88 Stein Sleuth at Work Manusov, P. 1625 88

Tales of Old Nuremberg Editor 1620 88 Thanksgiving at Muschenheim's Editor 1659 89 The First Cigar, An Unusual Relief Stein Schamberger, G. 1594 87 Thewalt Sailor Stein Brainard, S.J. 1688 90 Two Stangen-Pokals: A Comparison Manusov, P. 1651 89

Unusual Stein Department Wald, M. 1683 90

We Humbly say "Thank You" Lowenstein, J.G. 1696 90 Welcome to the Hofbrauhaus Miller, L. 1657 89 Westerwald Beauties Sahm, W. 1664 89 Westerwald Delight Schamberger, G. 1649 89 What Sizes Did They Come In? - Wald, M. 1624 88

Different Sizes of Character Steins Whose Mark is This? Grosvenor, J. 1662 89 Why Does My Golden Beer Make Me Editor 1630 88

Feel So Blue? - Another Tradition Down the Drain

World's First Coca Cola Beer Stein Nagy, B. 1659 89 Writers Wanted Editor 1584 87

1237-1987, 750 Years for Berlin Remy, W. & 1628 88 Lowenstein, J.G.

125 Years Gerz, An Auspicious Editor 1652 89 Anniversary

19th Century Coin Tankard Sahm, W. 1626 88

Solution to Crossword Puzzle (page 1728)

Major Westerwald Robbery Many of you will recognize the gentleman in the photograph, above: He is Dr. Hans Spiegel of Grenzau in the Westerwald (a photo of his 3-cornered fortress tower, Burg Grenzau, is also shown). Dr. Spiegel died in 1986, and caretakers watched over his marvelous collection of Westerwald stone­ware.

In November of 1987, during the night, thieves broke into Burg Grenzau and the adjoining museum rooms, and got away with over 90 stoneware articles dating from the 16th to the 18th centuries. The thieves apparently knew exactly what they were after, because they bypassed less valuable items and went right for the rare Westerwald, Raeren and Siegburg steins, tankards, Schnellen and beakers. It is estimated that the stolen items have a value in excess of DM 70,000.

The problem is that it is not exactly known what was taken, because there is no catalog or pictorial record. Members of Stein Collectors International are asked to see whether they have any photographs taken during their visit to Dr. Spiegel's residence in Grenzau; we are looking es­pecially for photos taken in the castle tower, where most of Dr. Spiegel's treasures were stored. If you have photos of the Grenzau stein collection, it would be very much appreciated if you could forward same to your editor (at P.O. Box 463, Kingston, NJ 08528), so that he can then send them to the authorities in Germany. A reward of DM 10,000 has been offered for information leading to the recovery of the steins.

A great collection of Westerwald stoneware has been vandalized and stolen: You may be able to help recover it.

Burg Grenzau Thank you.

letters

To the Editor, from the 1988 Convention Committee:

Isn't it a shame that a state chapter puts in its bid to host the annual SCI Convention and pleasurably lays out its plans that will benefit all attendees by increasing their stein knowledge and giving them great entertain­ment, only to have members (SCI MEM­BERS, THAT IS) encroach upon the convention week by planning auctions at the same time in the same vicinity — with no regard for the "official convention auction" previously contracted!

Is this loyalty to the organization in which membership is held?

Something must change this attitude. So, Conventioneers, please support the pro­gram that has been planned and let's get back to the comradery that makes for a convention without tensions and frustra­tions to the host convention committee.

Missouri Gateway Steiners Convention Committee

Dear Editor:

We of the Upper Midwest Society of Steinologists would like to register an official protest, take umbrage at, and demand a re­traction of one item in Prosit no. 90, the December 1987 issue. On page 1691, the fourth line of the second column reads as follows: "Home of the World Champion Car­dinals baseball team." If memory serves correctly, last October in the mighty Homer-dome, the Minnesota Twins became the World Champion baseball team, and in honor of that accomplishment we hope to have as many of our world champion stein collectors as possible at the Convention (in St. Louis).

Earl Christy, MN

Sir:

I keep hearing rumblings about a whole bunch of auctions competing with each other at the St. Louis Annual Meeting this summer. That's ridiculous. Especially when there is one (Ron Fox's) advertised as being "the sole authorized stein auction".

I don't want to drown in auctions — I want to have some fun and enjoy the lectures, the private sales and the hospitality room (free beer?). Let the others have their auctions some other time, and leave convention time to us. Thanks.

In the interest of accuracy, we request all ads be typed, double-spaced and in upper and lowercase letters; or clearly printed in upper and lowercase letters (again, double-spaced). We cannot be responsible for handwritten ads.

Happy 1988! Here is the year's first report on chapter happenings and events, and it looks like it will be another full year of stein talk, stein showing (and stein show-offs), brewery hop­ping, stein sales — and lots and lots of heavy eating. (How come stein collectors eat more than they drink?)

In the next issue (June) we will publishing our "almost annual" chapter directory, so all you chapter contacts please start gathering the usual information for us. Thanks.

And now for the news ..

Buckeye Stein Verein

On Sunday, November 1 st members of BSV attended a joint meeting with the Michi-steiners at the Stroh Haus in Detroit and heard Ron Heiligenstein's interesting talk on regimental steins.

On November 8th, we gathered at Schmidt's Sausage Haus in Columbus. Ray

Patten served as our host and made all of the arrangements. A nice German buffet was served, including Schmidt's colossal cream puffs.

Our program for the day was Show-And-Tell, with four members bringing items from their collections to describe to the audience. Frank McDowell kicked off the program by showing and telling us about his Rodenstein drinking set. Dick Quentmeyer described his two limited edition, collector coffee mugs with full color reproductions of famous 17th centruy Dutch paintings from the period of Rembrandt. Irv Johnsen showed us his two one-of-a-kind prototype

steins made for the 1975 and 1987 SCI con­ventions. And Bob Kraushar described his beautiful Villeroy & Boch cream and sugar set with matching serving tray. This was an interesting and informative program en­joyed by all of the members. Our next meet­ing will be hosted by Jim and Judy Ellsworth.

Also on our calendar for 1988 will be Ron Fox's first live auction in Ohio, which will take place on March 20th, at the Hilton Inn-North in Columbus. Ron will be the speaker at our regular meeting on March 19th, also at the Hilton. Ray Patten will be our host again. Any SCI members who want to come in for the weekend to hear Ron speak on Saturday and attend the auction on Sunday can con­tact Ray at (614) 888-1141. The Hilton is providing a special room rate for us ($49), in­cluding a bottle of champagne and brunch, for those wishing to stay overnight.

The meeting after that will be our Spring meeting in Toledo on May 14th or 15th. This will again be a joint meeting with the Michi-steiners — and we are already looking for­ward to it.

Dick Quentmeyer Schriftsteller

Gambrinus Stein Club

The October meeting of Gambrinus Stein Club was held at the home of Barbara and Don Daugherty. In addition to serving as host, Don was our speaker for this meeting and spoke on different and unusual regimental steins, using pieces from his per­sonal collection to illustrate.

In December we met at the home of Walt and Betty Vogdes to celebrate the 15th an­niversary of Gambrinus Stein Club! Several stories about the "early days" of the chapter were exchanged, steins bearing the likeness of King Gambrinus were ex­amined, and a good time was had by all. New officers for 1988 were elected at this meeting: President - Richard Strom; Vice President - John Ey; Treasurer - Jim Sauer; Secretary - unfilled.

Best wishes from King Gambrinus for a happy and prosperous new year of stein collecting.!

Walter Vogdes Chapter Reporter

Lone Star Chapter

Dave Cantwell and Tom and Donna Daman hosted the fall meeting of the Lone Star Chapter at their homes in Houston. The ex­cellent turnout from all corners of Texas (plus our celebrated cousin from Oklahoma) continued to demonstrate that stein collect­ing is alive and well in the State of Texas. As part ofthat enthusiasm, a new SCI and Lone Star member (Bob Treend) has com­missioned an artist rendition of a very pop­ular Heinrich Schlitt motif, the Dwarfs featured in the Mettlach plaques (2112-3) and steins (2133-34). There will be two prints to a set, which will offer a composite taken from all four pieces. Bob's intention is to have sets available for sale this spring.

Our spring meeting will be in Dallas on March 19th and 20th. It should be a dandy, as we host a Gary Kirsner auction and enjoy the hospitality of our Dallas/Ft. Worth area collectors. We welcome any SCI member to attend the festivities in Dallas.

Tom Daman President

St. Louis Gateway Steiners

The regular quarterly meeting was resched­uled to December 5 at Ken Zeiser's and was filled with announcements and activities regarding the forthcoming SCI Convention in July 1988. It is a bit difficult to realize this is the year we have been planning and work­ing for these past three years. At one point it seemed so far away, now it's upon us. Our goal is to make this a low-cost, fun-filled en­tertaining Convention and we hope for a good attendance.

The agreement reached with Ron Fox to conduct the only commercial stein auction as part of the St. Louis Convention in 1988 was further discussed and recent changes

in the Board of SCI were announced. Bill Mitchell is President, Mark Durban having resigned. Pat Manusov has graciously ac­cepted the additional responsibilities as Ex­ecutive Director, upon the resignation of George Misch.

Some have not returned the questionnaire — your response should help assure SCI members of good Conventions, and we strive for that.

At our September meeting, Bernie Ver Hey and Roi announced their recent marriage, and Bill Schuble, our long-time member from Evansville, Ind., informs us that he and Irene, a renewed acquaintance at a class reunion, will be married January 9. Con­gratulations and best wishes to both couples!

See many ofyouattheOmni Hotel,St. Louis, July 13, 1988!

Millie Peat Correspondent

Meister Steiners

Our October meeting at the Holiday Inn in Rolling Meadows was very well attended. The speaker was Gary Kirsner who brought us up to date on the stein market and price trends. Approximately 100 steins brought by the members were on display. All in all, a very educational evening. We had the added pleasure of welcoming two new member couples, Norbert and Janet Voight and Ludwig and Ella Bauer. Very glad to have them aboard. Our thanks to Gary for his excellent presentation.

Our December Christmas party was hosted by Marty and Pat Jahn, from whose barn we all departed happier and heavier. They are really a most gracious couple; throw in view­ing of an outstanding collection as a lagniappe. Again, a well-attended party. Pat and Marty, merci! No Christmas party is complete without gifts, but the way they were distributed left all in doubt as to who got what — it's a game wherein if you don't like what you got, you take what someone else received, and on and on and on, etc. It was all in good fun and everyone had a great time. Thanks to our chapter president and vice president, Bob Smith and Bob Troehler, for their work and efforts to make sure that all had a wonderful time. We did!

Our next meeting will be held in March, hosted by Dick and Carol Whiston, date and locale to be announced, to be followed by a May meeting at which our speaker will be Ron Fox, the 1988 SCI Convention's authorized auctioneer. This meeting will be held at the Chicago area location for Ron's spring auc­tion. The date and site for this meeting also has not been determined as of this writing.

Stan Loula, Chapter Reporter

Michisteiners

Our fall meeting on November 1 was the first time we had the opportunity to visit the Stroh Brewery hospitality center, and it turned out to be a very pleasant afternoon on many levels. Partly it was the comfortable ambi­ence of the Strohaus, with its historic photographs and stein display. Also, we had invited our neighbors to the south to drive up to enemy territory — Ohio is the traditional football rival — and we were pleased that so many Buckeye Stein Vereiners came up to visit. The Strohaus serves a German-style buffet at a reason­able price - thick Knackwurst, hot and cold potato salad, and kalter Aufschnitt (cold cuts), and of course good beer by the pitcher. After much visiting and with the inner person satisfied, we were ready for a steinological treat.

Ron Heiligenstein, world-class collector of regimental steins, had driven over from Milwaukee with his wife Judy to talk to us about his specialty. He explained con­ditions which enhanced or detracted from average or "benchmark" values of the various services, and showed superb examples. His talk was very well received, and it generated many questions. All of us gained greater understanding of the imperi­al armed forces as seen through their steins. It was a great ending to a year of interesting meetings for Michisteiners, with much of the credit going to Mary Lou Boresch for her inspired planning.

In February we will visit the Hyatt Regency, our 1989 convention hotel, and in April we plan to return to the Strohaus. One cannot plan a convention with a dry throat.

Peter Blum Michisteiner News Editor

Mettlach Stoneware Collectors

Plans for the 1990 Convention in Hamburg, West Germany, are progressing well, and we can let you in on a few of the program details:

The dates are July 19-22, 1990, and the convention hotel will be the Hamburg Plaza, directly adjoining the brand-new Conven­tion Center "Congress Centrum Hamburg", where all of our activities will take place.

We will have lectures, a cruise around Ham­burg's beautiful harbor, stein sales, a city tour, visits to museums, a stein auction — and the ever-popular theme parties with that delicious German food, beer, wine and music!

A post-convention tour is being contem­plated, and cities which we might visit are Bremen, Luebeck, Hameln and Berlin.

In the coming months and years you will hear more about our wonderful and exciting program. But whatever you do, plan your 1990 summer to be with us in Germany. Until later, have a happy and healthy 1988: Prosit!

Therese Thomas Coordinator

Pacific Stein Sammler

Because of the lateness of our fall meeting (Oct. 8), we missed the deadline for the December issue. However, those who made the trip to Olympia, Washington, enjoyed the late "summer" weather and were impressed both by the Olympia Brewery and its sizable and well-displayed stein collection. (We wonder whether or not they know that they have at least one "phony" regimental stein on display?)

Our December 6th meeting at the Edelweiss Restaurant in Vancouver, WA, had to be the most successful meeting in recent memory: We signed up eight — count'em, 8 — new members, three couples and two young ladies. Leo Cashatt, who died last year, was

memorialized by the presentation to Maureen, his wife, of a life membership in the Pacific Stein Sammler chapter.

Our meeting was highlighted by the re-election of the current slate of officers for another year of toil: President: Diane Wurst; VP.: Bob White; treasurer: Bill Jackson; secretary/reporter/member of the Board: Bill Bosworth. With the eight new members mentioned above, we now have 60+ members in PSS!

Bill Bosworth Reporter

Die Studenten Prinz Gruppe

At high noon of Saturday, November 14, 1987 some 39 members and guest of Die Studenten Prinz Gruppe of SCI convened at the Chapter's birthplace, The Student Prince Restaurant in Springfield, Mass. The Landlord, Herr Ruprecht Scherff, a charter member of SCI, welcomed us to his Ger­manic domain with his countless steins and other go-withs on display in the various areas of his large establishment. A goodly number of steins found new homes from the swap-and-sell tables.

Tom Maguire presided at his first meeting as the Chapter's president and thanked the past officers for their dedication to the field of stein collecting and in delivering unto his care a very healthy organization.

Your writer and a past president of the Chapter was indicted, tried and convicted of have secreted, but without any criminal intent or malice, the chapter's leather ban­ner in the disorganized attic of his home.

The Student Prince Chapter Officers: Dodie Weise, treasurer; Tom Maguire, president; Ed Leboy, vice president; and Meg Maguire, sec­retary. (Nov. 14, 1987, Springfield, MA)

The punishment: Continued custody of said banner and the responsibility of bringing the banner to all chapter meetings for the next year.

Jim Sauer of New Jersey presented a very complete and informative talk on "Nine­teenth Century Glass" with a goodly number of representative pieces in hand for illustra­tion and display.

After a meal of fine German cooking, by prior agreement with the management, the meet­ing at the Student Prince adjourned at about four o'clock. This time was much too early for our people, so the meeting moved to the home of Dick and Dodie Weise in nearby Holyoke, Mass., for further informal pro­ceedings and stein talk.

The next meeting is scheduled for March with Ed and Tessie Kehl.

Arthur Chapman, Jr. Der Gruppe Schreiber

Sun Steiners

The two-day November 21st and 22nd meeting in Orlando started off with Friday evening at the Mardi Gras Dinner Theater. We were treated to top-notch singing and dancing plus all you could eat and drink. Most of us got home early, but our proxy Ralph Hupfer was still trying to get into his locked car at 2:30 a.m.

Saturday saw most of the group finding their way around 500 dealers at Ftenningers/Mt. Dora Antique Extravaganza. Most of the stein buying waited for the sale at our meet­ing. The sale opened at 4 p.m. and was quite brisk. The 32 people in attendance were an active group at our meeting. We discussed the Mini-Convention, next years meetings and we welcomed our newest members, the Coriales', Zugril's and Lund's, to theirfirst meeting. The Speakman family got the long distance award. After the meeting, the Sun Steiners were treated to a free dinner with wine and outstanding German entertain­ment that included dancing, alpine horns, a bell ringer and the always favorite chicken dances. It was another great 2-day meeting. We will do it again next November.

Our first meeting of 1988 will be held at the Mid-Winter Convention. Then in May, we will be hosted by the Tetzlaffs in Boca Raton.

If you are in our area, lets talk steins. Call (305) 772-4490 and we will put you in touch with a Sun Steiner in the area where you are staying.

Jim DeMars Chapter Reporter

Thirsty Knights

The Thirsty Knights and New Jersey Bürgermeisters, with guest from California to Cape Cod, met in a holiday setting at Ehring's Tavern in the Bronx on December 6, 1987. The meeting was the climax of a stein weekend that started with a well-attended auction held by Ron Fox at Newark Airport, New Jersey, on Saturday.

Afine bevy of steins and related memorabil­ia was available for sale or trade and the buyer's and trader's smiles gave every in­dication of a "good deal".

Following a plentiful and delicious luncheon in the upstairs dining room, we returned to the stein room and got down to business.

President Joe Nash opened the meeting by extending a 'Welcome and Holiday Greet­ings' to the 65 attendees. Our next meeting in March at the Plattdeutsche Restaurant, Franklin Square, Long Island, was finalized. Joe read a 'Thank You' letter from Jack Lowenstein for the plaque presented to him by the Thirsty Knights Chapter.

Ron Fox gave an informative talk on Schierholz Character Steins. His story of how he conducted his research is some­thing that all collectors should hear.

His "Royal Highness", Ralph Agostini clothed in his Student Prince regalia, once again held everyone's attention. He dis­played a movie poster, a copper etching, and a match and cigar holder, and had a story about each one.

Les Paul brought everyone up to date on the progress of the Stein Museum and future

plans for donations.

Door prizes, including a stein donated by SCI, were then given to 11 lucky ticket holders.

A last look at steins still available before packing, and good byes and holiday greetings closed another pleasant get-together.

Marjorie F. Gray Secretary

Upper Midwest Society of Steinologists

The November meeting was held at Dick In-dritz's. We did not vary from our usual ex­cellent Pot Luck dinner. Everyone is now familiar with Earl Christy's famous dark baked beans.

Reports were given by Dick Indritz and Arlan Anderson on several of the recent Kirsner and Fox auctions that they attended. Dick also attended the Chicago chapter meeting at which Gary Kirsner gave a talk on stein prices. News to many members was that approximately 80% of the auction steins are puchased through mail bids.

Dick Cress brought some steins and we tried to compare low to high values. We also discussed how to screen new prospective members if we were to advertise through local antique dealers. It was decided to dis­play and sell at a large local antique show in the near future.

The September meeting was held at Beinke's on the Oronoco River near Rochester, Minn. The fall colors made the trip short and beautiful. Several members indicated they were planning to attend the "Mini" Florida convention. Dorothy Schardin and John Boiler gave a report on the Washington Convention.

Although too late for readers of this March issue, the January 16, 1988, chapter meet­ing will have been held at "Schloss Christy". The meetings for March and May 1988, re­spectively, will be on March 12th at the An­dersons', and on May 14th at the Boilers'.

John R. Boiler Reporter

In reference to Pat Manusov's article about Stangen-Pokals, September 1987 Prosit, page 1651: Here is my Mettlach # 168, with set-on lid. It is indeed a magnificent piece!

Jim Barden

Membership Committee Report

As we begin the new year, SCI now numbers 1575 members. This is a gain of 108 mem­bers over 1986-1987 figures. Everyone's efforts are starting to pay off.

Our Antique Newspaper Campaign has created a lot of interest. So far in 2 months we have received and answered 78 letters inquiring about SCI. From these letters, 21 new members have joined as a result of advertising in 14 newspapers and maga­zines. We plan to advertise through 1988 and then analyze the results.

We did receive 2 new members from Bill Schuble, who gave them as Christmas gifts. Great idea for birthdays and other special events. Thanks Bill.

If anyone has other good ideas, please drop us a note.

Jim DeMars Membership V.P.

SCI Stein Museum Report by Les Paul Museum Director

Three wonderful donations have been made to the SCI Stein Museum, and we want all members to know the type of sup­port we are getting:

In September 1987, we received a $1000.00 check from a Pittsburgh, PA, member. Then a northern California mem­ber pledged three fabulous Mettlach pla­ques to the museum, nos. 2013, 2697 and 2698. Third, a prominent Ohio member pledged to donate a complete set of SCI convention commemorative steins, includ­ing several one-of-a-kind samples and prototypes.

No question about it — the Museum con­cept is catching on and we are getting won­derful support. And this is just the beginning! Many thanks to everyone.

Notices of "Steins for Trade" or "Steins Wanted" shall appear here free to SCI members. Please l imi t to approxi­mately 45 words, one insertion per issue.

Please do not submit Stein Exchange items in a letter with other questions or information. Print ad on a 3" x 5" card or paper wi th your name and address.

If we receive more items than we can devote space to in one issue, we reserve the right to hold the last items received unt i l the next issue. Notices of "Steins for Sale" are considered commercial and w i l l be charged at commercial ad rates seen elsewhere in this issue.

•How to respond to members using only the SCI membership numbers in their ads:

1. Put your response in a STAMPED, SEALED envelope w i th the members number written (small) in the area where the address normally goes. (We w i l l complete the address and mail.)

2. Put thai envelope into another envelope and address to SCI, P.O. 463, Kingston, NJ 08528.

3. You may wish them to respond directly to you, or they may answer you by using the same method, sending it through our office.

PLEASE USE THIS PROCEDURE

Deadline for next issue is April 9,1988

Wanted: Saxon regimental steins. Mint condition only. Please reply to: Peter Ledig, P.O. Box 3275, Greenwood, MA 01880.

Wanted: Regimental steins, especially to Bavarian units. Have all types of steins for trade. Tom Maguire, Box 754, So. Dennis, MA 02660.

For trade: Military Mettlach steins, 64 I.R., #2140-756; 91 I.R., #2140-879; Garde Train Bat, #2140-801; — for other military Mettlach steins. Cyril Edmond-Blanc, 39 Rue Charles Laffitte, F-92200 Neuilly, France.

Reward: $600.00 reward — for the Santa Claus stein, FI-58 in the new "Character Steins" book. Must be in mint condition. Jack Feigenbaum, 3220 - 71 st Street, Jack­son Heights, NY 11370.

Wanted: Mettlach #2327 beakers, nos. 1177 (Music), 1178 (Beer), 1180 (Dance), and 1181 (Love). Ralph L. Tuttle, 1505 Quarry Road, Marion, IN 46952.

Realized auction price lists, Mettlach, character, plaques, HR, or customized. Write to Tom Maguire, Box 754, So. Dennis, MA 02660; tel. 617-394-9554.

Wanted: Early steins — what? Les Paul collects character, brewery and early steins? Yes! Call 415-523-7480 evenings or weekends. Or write to Les at 568 Country Isle, Alameda, CA 94501. Visit if you can.

Wanted: Beer stein, Ochs & Lehnert "Aetna Lager" Beer, brewery of 1880's, Brooklyn, NY. Robert Eisen, 25 Homestead Avenue, Garden City, NY 11530.

For Sale: Va-Liter Mettlach stein #2230, etched, signed "Schlitt", dtd. 1899, perfect condition, original lid. James F. Sauvage, 7 Comstock Trail, Brookfield Center, CT 06805; tel. 203-794-2405, weekdays; 203-775-6515, nights/weekends.

Wanted : Your 1988 dues — if you haven't already paid it. (See reminder note else­where in this issue.) If you don't want to miss the fun, send your check, with SCI number noted on it, to Walter B. Vogdes, P.O. Box 4096, Rockville, MD 20850.

Wanted: Blue & white porcelain steins with advertising on front, such as Faust — Faust Own — Merchants — Cherokee Gardens, and others. What do you have? Also steins from pre-prohibition St. Louis, MO, brew­eries (see list on p. 1312 of the March 1985 Prosit.) Bill Mitchell, 1113 Victory Drive, St. Louis, MO 63125. Tel. 314-894-1349.

The Belle of 14th Street by Leonce Miller

In October 1967, the Monsanto Company's Textile Division held its Grand Ball at the famous Luchow's Restaurant on 14th Street in New York City, and invited as featured guest New York's favorite song­bird, Barbra Streisand.

Truly, the Belle of New York sang at the Belle of 14th Street, Luchow's.

The souvenir menu is illustrated here, show­ing both the cover and the inside pages: The cover remembers just a few of the famous and illustrious personalities who graced Luchow's during the Golden Years of New York, such as Victor Herbert, Lillian Russell, Ignace Paderewski, Diamond Jim Brady, Julia Marlowe and Enrico Caruso. The in­side presents the mouth-watering gala menu and, on the right side, an art deco ren­dition of today's "belle", Barbra Streisand.

As souvenir of this memorable evening, the guests were presented with a goblet, suit­able decorated with the party's theme, "Belle of 14th Street" — a double entendre, since this phrase on that evening described both that most famous of German res­taurants, Luchow's, and that illustrious prima donna of New York's musical stage, Barbra Streisand.

Barbra of course still enchants us with her voice, but the old, original Luchow's is gone; only the memories remain, such as the eve­ning in 1967 when we toasted "The Belle of 14th Street."

The Last Laugh

by Jim Gruhl Let's Go Mets!

People only, dammit!

(A woman can change her mind, can't she? And is 1988 going to be the year?)

Submitted by Leonce Miller

-H*v«. .you ^ your Aues y e t ?