The 27th Annual NDGA Convention and Sale was held on July 19 & 20, in Salem, Oregon, at the State Fairgrounds. It was sponsored by the Portland "Rain of Glass" Club and the Club is to be complimented on the wonderful job that they did. Show Chairperson was Rogene Clements.
This is the first time that the annual Convention was held on the west coast in twenty years. It was held the same weekend as the Portland Expo show, enabling glass collectors to shop two shows in one weekend. The "Rain of Glass" group certainly proved that the NDGA should seriously consider a return engagement in the future.
The Convention ran for two and one-half days. The Glass Show was preceded by a short members-only business meeting in which Club Officers who were elected for the coming year were introduced to the members. And there were a few (inevitable) speeches ... Then things moved along with a members-only Show preview on Friday night. For future shows, the preview will be available to non-members at a premium admission price.
During the Convention Show and Sale, four Seminars were presented to those interested, allowing show-goers a chance to learn even more. The seminars were:
On Saturday night (July 14), there was the annual Convention Banquet. This year, it was held at Rudy's on the Salem Golf Course. After an ecstatic day of shopping, the picturesque golf course provided a serene end to the day. The building itself is an exact replica of the Rosedown Plantation located in Georgia and is nestled among beautiful old trees.
Barbara and Jim Mauzy have written several books including Peanut Butter Glasses, Depression Era Kitchen Shakers, Bakelite in the Kitchen and of course Mauzy's Depression Glass.
The Mauzy's gave us a wonderful opportunity. Salem, Oregon was the site of their FIRST unveiling of their second edition hardback book, Mauzy's Depression Glass, Revised and Expanded. All attendees had the opportunity to buy this book before anyone else in the country.
Finally, there were the displays, which were provided by NDGA and Portland "Rain of Glass" Club members from their private collections. Often the NDGA Convention is the only place where you will ever see some of the rarest pieces of Depression Era glassware, when these private collectors share their treasures with the rest of us. Convention is an event not to be missed, if you can at all make it. To highlight just two of the many displays, consider these:
Tom Herr (TX) displayed his late wife Aleeta's collection of Fostoria "Alexis", a pattern that actually predates the Depression years. Many NDGA members fondly remember Aleeta, our long-time treasurer and friend. Tom set up a booth as a dealer at the Convention, and we were all glad to see him and to have the chance to express our condolences in person. You can see a larger shot of this photo in the list of displays from the 2001 Convention, below.
Ken and Elaine Palmer (FL), brought along a green Cherry Blossom covered vegetable bowl. This is so rare, Gene Florence says it's the only one he knows of. This piece of glass rode all the way from Florida on Ken's lap, and then was housed in a glass case (photo at left). WOW ! When is the last time you saw a piece that was the only one known?
Click on the thumbnail picture in the table below to see a larger version of the same shot. Then use your browser's "BACK" button to return to the list. We apologize for the quality of some of the photographs - the background and lighting were not exactly designed for studio-quality picture taking. But the displays were spectacular when seen in person!
The following is a list of the Dealers who made the trip to Salem, Oregon, for the 2001 NDGA Convention. Several of these dealers made the trip completely across the Country. All brought their best merchandise to the Pacific Northwest.