Newsletter
 |  |  |  |
| | | |
| | | |
The Following is a letter from Rod Irwin to the Heisey Company dated September 7, 1934
Reprinted from the March 1980 Heisey News
Dear Sirs:
I had a talk with Mr. Richard Bach of the Metropolitan Museum regarding a display of Modern Art and
House furnishing to be held there the first week in November. They have an attendance of 20,000 to
25,000 people a day at these exhibits. The only things allowed to be exhibited is new merchandise which
has never been shown to the public before. Exhibitors are the blue book of our manufacturers from
furniture, glass, china, wall paper, textiles, etc. The designers for the various manufacturers are working
out these displays which are to have fixtures designed for each representative line. In glassware, Libbey,
Steuben, Fostoria, and Bryce Brothers are entered. Bach said that Von Nessen told him that he was
working up some ideas for us. This is the gentleman designer who I interviewed on my last trip here and
is going to work us up some designs. Bach got Von Nessen on the phone and I met him. He told me that
he had been called to Europe and did not have time to work up anything, but intended to do so at once, so
he came to the sample room this afternoon and selected seven or eight items. We gave him several of
these items to take back to the studio and he is starting some designs on these at once. The other
samples will have to be sent from the factory. He is going to make some designs in sand blasting and
cuttings which we will do at the factory. Our time is very limited and we will not have time to make any new
moulds, therefore, he took out a bunch of items which can be revamped and we will put the designs on
which will be entered in this exhibit as new designs by Von Nessen or Heisey.
This Mr. Von Nessen has some good ideas which will cost us very little to do. It means a world of publicity
which money couldn't buy. I think we should go into this by all means, and as time is limited, I am taking it
upon myself to have Mr. Von Nessen go ahead. These ideas, worked up by Mr. Von Nessen, will not cost
us a thing for this exhibit, but if we think well enough of them to adopt them in our regular line, he wants a
5% royalty on all sales, which is safe enough for us as his royalty can be tacked on to our prices. If you
want to cooperate and get into this exhibit, I wish you would do the following things at once: - At your
earliest convenience, make the #4045-12" Ball Vase PLAIN, NO OPTIC. Do not finish these, as they will be
cracked off as the designer designates: - Make #3397 Fl. Bowl, NO OPTIC and leave off the foot, do not
crack base off until further instructions. He wants the #4206-12" Vase made perfectly plain, no optic
leaving the claw foot off the base, just the plain base, and see that the bottom is level so that it does not
rock. The same applies to #4207 Vase excepting that this vase does not have a foot. These four pieces
should be made all good medium weight so that the sand blasting and cuttings can be adopted as
designed. The other pieces he has selected, we have in our regular line, they are the #1184-15" Plate,
#1184-16” Buffet Plate and #4036 Decanter. On this #4036 Decanter, we should have a new stopper for
this beautiful bottle, as many sales are lost because of the present stopper. Mr. Von Nessen suggests a
stopper like a tear drop to conform with the shape of the bottle. It would take very little to make such a
stopper and we would sell a great many times more than we do at present. The stopper on the #1457
Decanter also should be enlarged and would improve the appearance and sale of this item materially. Mr.
Von Nessen also wants the #4225-2 qt. Cocktail Shaker, to be used as a vase, this to be cracked off
where the neck starts, cut off and finished just like the vase.
If you will see that these samples are made as soon as possible, you will have them ready when Mr. Von
Nessen gets his designs to you next week. You will have until October 15th to make about eight pieces for
this exhibit. These things the ole boy has selected are strictly modern shapes, and with the proper
designs, may be what the doctor orders for a new line for January 1st. This could be made at no additional
mould cost and I believe we have other things which can be revamped to tie in with these particular items.
I think this is a very good proposition for us, and when we come out with this line January 1st with
propaganda and advertising that they were selected and exhibited by the Metropolitan Museum, this will
give us a lot of prestige and bally-ho for the boys to talk about. Today that is what puts sales across.
Please send one each of the following samples to Mr. Walter Von Nessen, 211 E. 49th St., New York City,
N. Y:
#1184-16" Buffet Plate
4036-Decanter
The other pieces are not needed, as he will make the designs from samples we have loaned him out of
the office. If you can get these moulds ready, and I suggest making eighteen to twenty-four pieces of each
of the four or five items we have to revamp, we will have to make samples for the other salesmen if these
designs are saleable. If these samples are ready by the time the designs reach the factory, the Cutting
and Etching Department will have plenty of time to finish these samples by the 20th of October.
If we could have one good looking stemware line which would tie in with this line we are revamping, I
believe we would have something as unusual and good as the #4044 line. I believe the stemware line
should have a drawn stem with an extra heavy bowl, one which is simple and well designed. This we
could use for some heavy flutes and mitres which seems to be the thing with the better trade today.
Simplicity seems to be the key-note in home furnishings.
If there is any question on not being able to go through with this, please advise Mr. Nock so he can take it
up with Mr. Von Nessen, as I expect to leave here Sunday for Boston. I believe we would be making a big
mistake if we do not go into this exhibit.
Sincerely, ROD IRWIN
#4045 Ball Vase #1184 Yeoman
#3397 Gascony #4036 Marshall
#4206 Optic Tooth #4225 Cobel
#4207 Moderne #4044 New Era
Reprinted from the March 1980 Heisey News
Dear Sirs:
I had a talk with Mr. Richard Bach of the Metropolitan Museum regarding a display of Modern Art and
House furnishing to be held there the first week in November. They have an attendance of 20,000 to
25,000 people a day at these exhibits. The only things allowed to be exhibited is new merchandise which
has never been shown to the public before. Exhibitors are the blue book of our manufacturers from
furniture, glass, china, wall paper, textiles, etc. The designers for the various manufacturers are working
out these displays which are to have fixtures designed for each representative line. In glassware, Libbey,
Steuben, Fostoria, and Bryce Brothers are entered. Bach said that Von Nessen told him that he was
working up some ideas for us. This is the gentleman designer who I interviewed on my last trip here and
is going to work us up some designs. Bach got Von Nessen on the phone and I met him. He told me that
he had been called to Europe and did not have time to work up anything, but intended to do so at once, so
he came to the sample room this afternoon and selected seven or eight items. We gave him several of
these items to take back to the studio and he is starting some designs on these at once. The other
samples will have to be sent from the factory. He is going to make some designs in sand blasting and
cuttings which we will do at the factory. Our time is very limited and we will not have time to make any new
moulds, therefore, he took out a bunch of items which can be revamped and we will put the designs on
which will be entered in this exhibit as new designs by Von Nessen or Heisey.
This Mr. Von Nessen has some good ideas which will cost us very little to do. It means a world of publicity
which money couldn't buy. I think we should go into this by all means, and as time is limited, I am taking it
upon myself to have Mr. Von Nessen go ahead. These ideas, worked up by Mr. Von Nessen, will not cost
us a thing for this exhibit, but if we think well enough of them to adopt them in our regular line, he wants a
5% royalty on all sales, which is safe enough for us as his royalty can be tacked on to our prices. If you
want to cooperate and get into this exhibit, I wish you would do the following things at once: - At your
earliest convenience, make the #4045-12" Ball Vase PLAIN, NO OPTIC. Do not finish these, as they will be
cracked off as the designer designates: - Make #3397 Fl. Bowl, NO OPTIC and leave off the foot, do not
crack base off until further instructions. He wants the #4206-12" Vase made perfectly plain, no optic
leaving the claw foot off the base, just the plain base, and see that the bottom is level so that it does not
rock. The same applies to #4207 Vase excepting that this vase does not have a foot. These four pieces
should be made all good medium weight so that the sand blasting and cuttings can be adopted as
designed. The other pieces he has selected, we have in our regular line, they are the #1184-15" Plate,
#1184-16” Buffet Plate and #4036 Decanter. On this #4036 Decanter, we should have a new stopper for
this beautiful bottle, as many sales are lost because of the present stopper. Mr. Von Nessen suggests a
stopper like a tear drop to conform with the shape of the bottle. It would take very little to make such a
stopper and we would sell a great many times more than we do at present. The stopper on the #1457
Decanter also should be enlarged and would improve the appearance and sale of this item materially. Mr.
Von Nessen also wants the #4225-2 qt. Cocktail Shaker, to be used as a vase, this to be cracked off
where the neck starts, cut off and finished just like the vase.
If you will see that these samples are made as soon as possible, you will have them ready when Mr. Von
Nessen gets his designs to you next week. You will have until October 15th to make about eight pieces for
this exhibit. These things the ole boy has selected are strictly modern shapes, and with the proper
designs, may be what the doctor orders for a new line for January 1st. This could be made at no additional
mould cost and I believe we have other things which can be revamped to tie in with these particular items.
I think this is a very good proposition for us, and when we come out with this line January 1st with
propaganda and advertising that they were selected and exhibited by the Metropolitan Museum, this will
give us a lot of prestige and bally-ho for the boys to talk about. Today that is what puts sales across.
Please send one each of the following samples to Mr. Walter Von Nessen, 211 E. 49th St., New York City,
N. Y:
#1184-16" Buffet Plate
4036-Decanter
The other pieces are not needed, as he will make the designs from samples we have loaned him out of
the office. If you can get these moulds ready, and I suggest making eighteen to twenty-four pieces of each
of the four or five items we have to revamp, we will have to make samples for the other salesmen if these
designs are saleable. If these samples are ready by the time the designs reach the factory, the Cutting
and Etching Department will have plenty of time to finish these samples by the 20th of October.
If we could have one good looking stemware line which would tie in with this line we are revamping, I
believe we would have something as unusual and good as the #4044 line. I believe the stemware line
should have a drawn stem with an extra heavy bowl, one which is simple and well designed. This we
could use for some heavy flutes and mitres which seems to be the thing with the better trade today.
Simplicity seems to be the key-note in home furnishings.
If there is any question on not being able to go through with this, please advise Mr. Nock so he can take it
up with Mr. Von Nessen, as I expect to leave here Sunday for Boston. I believe we would be making a big
mistake if we do not go into this exhibit.
Sincerely, ROD IRWIN
#4045 Ball Vase #1184 Yeoman
#3397 Gascony #4036 Marshall
#4206 Optic Tooth #4225 Cobel
#4207 Moderne #4044 New Era