Treasured Depression-era glass display at Elmont Library

The Elmont Memorial Library is presenting a portion of the Depression glass collection of Mindy Ferrentino Wolfle, on display throughout the month November. Ferrentino Wolfle, the marketing and public relations specialist at the Library, is happy to share her beautiful pink glass with the community. “My first piece was a decanter that belonged to my great grandmother, Fanny Baron. It adorned many a holiday dinner table, filled with sweet red wine, where my great grandparents, their nine children, in-laws and others were seated. This is the most significant item in my collection.”

Ferrentino Wolfle has been collecting Depression glass since the 1980s, when she was turned onto the Long Island Depression Glass Society by a co-worker. “Once you start collecting, it’s an addiction. Dishes, platters, drinking glasses, ashtrays, bowls, shot glasses, tea cups, saucers – searching at garage sales, antique shows, auctions, and of course, now on-line, anywhere this distinctive colored glass can be found.”

According to about.com, Depression glass is more than just another collection. It provides an intriguing, interesting hobby rich with history, and it brightens the home along with the spirit. From the late 1920s through the early 1940s, manufacturers such as Federal Glass and Hocking Glass brought a little cheer into some very dreary days by manufacturing the product we now know as Depression glass.

Depression glass also made its way into American homes through the issuance of premiums. Sellers or manufacturers would offer a free gift with the purchase of a certain dollar amount of goods or a specific product, and penny-pinching ladies took full advantage of these offerings. Glass was plucked from an oatmeal box one week, from a detergent box the next. Sometimes gas stations would throw in a punch bowl and cups with an oil change. Movie theaters got in on the action offering a piece of glass with a ticket to a Saturday matinee.

The most popular colors with collectors today are pink, cobalt blue and green. It was made in amber, iridescent, opaque white, and several other colors. Some of the most popular patterns buyers seek today are Cameo, Mayfair, American Sweetheart, Princess and Royal Lace. Even the pattern names alluded to better times and a longing for the glamorous lifestyles of the 1920s.