About Me

Franz Hellwig

About the Owner

I was never a collector of anything. My background was renovations- swinging a hammer for a living. Antiques were another world that I knew nothing about. I always appreciated glass as a medium but very casually.

The family used to go to the Mississippi Gulf Coast for the beaches , casinos and seafood. One day I had this notion to go to antique shops as an outing. Noone in the family had antiques, I knew nothing about antiques and had no intention on purchasing anything.

I fell into a shop, Countryside Antiques in Waveland MS,  that had beautiful furnishings and quite a bit of American Cut Glass. The dazzle and intricacy of the cuts attracted me. The history of the glass Mike and Tom shared fascinated me.

A year after finding this treasure trove I got a bowl, in Limoge pattern by J. Hoare. I still cherish it 31 years later. A year after that came a chalice vase in Piermont by Wright Cut Glass Co. As an aside I still have and love both pieces.

This then created the endless quest for new discoveries and new treasures. It had become my passion. At some point I realized I could turn my passion into a business and fuel my collecting thirst simultaneously.  I commenced buying books and catalogs about brilliant cut glass , reading every bit of information I could on the subject. I latched onto two of the best mentors in the cut glass world. Leigh Emmerson of Ramona, CA and Tommy Degraffenreid of Houston, TX.  Leigh was the fingerprint man for San Diego Police Department and masterful at pattern identification. Tommy also a pattern guy taught me to retain price values along with the identification.

I joined the American Cut Glass Association (ACGA) in 1998. I am currently serving my 4th term on the Board of Directors. I have lectured at two national conventions and have overseen the dealers show at 4 conventions. Locally I am president of the McRae-Jacks chapter of the  ACGA.

I exhibit at the renowned Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY every spring and the Dorflinger Factory Museum every fall. I’ve also staged two one man shows at the Factory Museum. I do major shows at the Big Red Barn in Round Top TX three times a year.  All of these events are worth the journey.

While this is a business the emphasis is still finding the next great treasure for my personal collection and my clients (or other enthusiasts). Meeting new people and imparting the history and details of the American Brilliant Period is also part of the passion. The mission statement of the American Cut Glass Association in preserving the history of this lost American Art form and I like to think that it is mine personally as well.

Welcome to my world and I hope to share this niche of our wonderful country and it’s history.

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