Posted 9 years ago
PileOfJunk
(15 items)
I picked this up recognizing the name embossed into the glass. I was told it was a "penny candy scoop". The name says "NECCO Sweets"-then above & below it says "trade" & "mark". I had relatives that used to work at NECCO (New England Confectionary COmpany) in Cambridge, Mass. near MIT which was founded in 1901.
A big drug company offered to buy the factory, to be near all the college biotech geniuses. But the company repeatedly said they couldn't move because their employees used mass transit to get to work. Well, this drug companies offered so much money that NECCO began to look for another site for a candy making facility. They moved to Revere, Mass. At this time of year they make the Valentine's Conversation Heart candies (Be Mine), Necco Wafers, Clark Bar, Squirrel Nut Zippers, etc. Does anyone recognize who made this little glass mug ? I know that it was kept in a sunny window and turned purple. It's very 'rough' glass with bubbles, waves and striations. It's 2" Tall x 1 5/8" in diameter. The handle is about 1 3/8" long and sticks out about 5/8". Does anyone know what NECCO Sweets are ? I would assume they were like liitle "bead-like" candies that after you got your "scoop"--that you dumped it into a paper bag and paid your penny ? Sounds good to me.
Interesting post. Thanks!
That it turned purple means there is Manganese in the glass, putting it at before 1920.
The top looks hand-finished-- I could be wrong, of course. Are there seams on it that stop before the top?
Hi Spirit Bear,
There seems to be a "seam" going vertically thru the middle of the handle. And there seems to be a "line" on the opposite side, but it's only in the "ribbed" pattern of the mug. The "band" around the top doesn't have a "seam" or "line". How do they hide "mold" marks anyway ?
Here's another. Not much to further your info, but we now know they where made in clear glass as well. Spirit bear might be right. Yours might have taken on a significant amount of sunlight and turned purple. Maganese should show up orange under black light according to my experiences. http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Vtg-Necco-Sweets-pennt-candy-mini-mug-/141872057057?hash=item21083bcae1:g:-skAAOSwp5JWZwUm
Either they tooled it by hand, which is a fascinating thing (recall, they had to do this all day, on this mug and other mugs for businesses, homes, bars), or they had an early machine that finished the top itself but hid the seams-- most milk-bottles up into the 1940s (and even after) lack seams at the top due to how they were made.
I'm gonna say that this is an early machine-made piece from about 1910. The top does not appear to be ground, and after further admiring I'm not seeing as clear indications as I'd like to call it tooled.
(The "ribs" not continuing up to the top are usually just called a ''mug base.'')
The one in the link is likely older than what they are claiming. Glass quality would have increased by then. Bubbles of large size were almost eradicated (they can explode with temperature increases.)
Manganese, originally meant to make glass clear, is affected by the sun's radiation (I'm guessing the UVC, as the UVA is just heat and I've had no luck with UVB bulbs) to over time turn purple or pink.
Most American bottles made between the 1890s and 1918, in clear, will do this.
That's true spiritbear. I have an orange vase, and manganese was used to clarify the top lip of it giving it a nice orange to clear transition. Under my black light, just the clear top lip turns a bright orange.
Here's a claim to a sold one on Etsy. " c1920s Mini Necco Sweets trade mark Glass Toy Mug Candy Container , Necco Wafers Cambridge, Mass"
I've never seen manganese turn orange under a black, dark purple, or dark blue light.
I'd try it again with a black night-lamp (heat) for my dragon, but that made a most awful noise one night that I walked slowly to, gently shook, thought I somehow fixed it, and then moments later saw it blow. LOL.
lol. That sux. Pileofjunks sure turned a nice colour over time imo. Here's a link to a manganese item. Cheers. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Unusual-yellow-vase-manganese-glass-glows-orange-under-black-light-/401055054644?nma=true&si=6jGDvSXCyUuutmmRmypcVsndzGw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Very interesting. I wonder if that it is purpled affects it.
I'm not sure. My knowledge is limited to just the orange thing. You got me on the purple thing lol.
We both learned something new.
(Keep your pieces out of direct sunlight, or get UV-shielding window-treatments. Low UV will be fine, but don't bring them to a desert show outdoors!)
Purpling, naturally, is a liked thing by many collectors in the bottle-World. This purpling of the mug is natural and very nice. Very dark purple is falsely irradiated, and as such is touted as a rare colour, often, when it is used to deceive.
We have glass windows up in the historical townhouses on Beacon Hill (think former Senator John Kerry-Heinz ;-D) that turned "purple". The local newspapers said it was a shipment of glass from France or Britain (take your pick). The Boston Brahmins at the time were angry--you know the gentry, "Where the Lowells talk only to Cabots, And the Cabots talk only to God." After awhile, the purple windows became a "status" symbol (purple is the color of royalty). When the new chic section of town opened up (The Back Bay)-some of these nouveau riche bought some of the purple glass panes and had them put into their new homes. Go figure--fads happen at any time period.
Most of the Manganese came from Europe, so that is not surprising to me.
Pre-Revolution America. As a way to revolt against British taxes and goods in general, Washington (the man) let it be known to the upper-class who were in debt that "homespun virtue" was not only a way to protest the British, but to not advertise to neighbours that the buyers of this homespun virtue may be financially struggling.
What is this homespun virtue that was not only a symbol of patriotism, but a way to save money?
Buying clothes made in America. LOL
We had many glass companies, candy companies, the shoe industry, textiles, etc. in the Boston area. Now they are ALL gone. I also bought a little square pressed glass plate from this same fellow that sold me the NECCO mug. It is in the U.S. Glass Co. pattern "Massachusetts" and it has the name "Schrafft's" embossed into each side. Schrafft's was a candy company, restaurant, and motor inn (motel) chain-(sort of like a Howard Johnsons'). It was bought out by Pet Milk Co. which ran it into the ground and out of business. This little plate must have been a promotional gift when buying chocolates ?
I dunno. I'm a bottle/insulator and paper guy. My most recent book (magazine, actually) is an 1807 Boston-published magazine.
My town used to be full of bottling companies. We had over 60. Now we have maybe 3.
Modernisation kills.
Here in Vancouver in the 1980's, A half dozen large wire cages full of 20's? blue and green Coke bottles were found deep sixed in one of our harbours. They were selling like hot cakes at $20 a pop. (Pun intended). Maybe you can find a old stash in your town one day Spiritbear. I'd like to see your little plate too sometime PileOJunk.
If they were Patent Dec. 25 Cokes, that would explain it. People love those. I helped a friend sell one from my town to another friend. He wanted $75 for it, as it from Muskegon was scarce+. I assume he got $50 for it but never saw the final price.
(Very nice pun, by the way.)
My plate?
No. PileOJunks little square plate. It sounds very interesting.
Ah, I made the mistake of not reading the name before I posted. My apologies.
I am going to post more pictures of this "candy scoop" and I will post the Schrafft's dish.