American Indians on German Beer Steins by Pat Manusov

It has always intrigued me that there were so many steins made in Germany in the form of Indian heads or with Indian themes painted on them. These included other items also, such as pipes, match and cig­arette/cigar holders, vases and bowls. Why? What was the connection and the interest by the Germans?

In my parents' home I remember a cigar holder and match holder that I now know correspond directly w i th the character steins of the Indian heads in A liter and V« l i ter. They are the same exact dep ic­t i ons of Ind ians , excep t tha t they were made from pot metal (see figure 1). They must have been c o p i e d f rom some pa in t i ng or artist 's rendering in another form, but I haven't been able to find this as yet.

However, in talking to German friends I have come up with a theory. There were twenty books written by Karl May (1842-1912) in Germany, about an Indian by the name of "W in ­

netou" or "Vinatu," and his magic arrow. Karl M a y ' s f i rs t book was w r i t t en in 1865, and all his books were extremely popu la r . I t is t h o u g h t his k n o w l e d g e a b o u t Ind ians c a m e f r o m t h e t rave l diaries of Prince Maximil ian who trav­eled around North America circa 1832. He had an artist who sketched wherever he went , so it wou ld be interest ing to find some of these old sketches to see if the steins resemble any of his Indians. None of Karl May's books included pic­tures, unfortunately.

Figure 1. Bohne .04 liter Indian Chief, potmetal cigarette and match holders.

Karl May, and other writers in Germany, always depicted the American Indians as noble warriors. In school German children learned about the broken treat ies and how buffaloes were hunted to the brink of ext inct ion in order to wipe out certain tribes that depended on them for food. It is believed that most European countries a lso he ld the same fee l i ngs for the American Indian (see figure 2), as can be seen in this picture of a poster for a Karl May Festival (see figure 3), there is still a continued interest in the American Indian

in Germany. They even had a stamp honoring Karl May and showing his f i c t i ona l Ind ian , Winnetou (see fig­ure 4).

Fur ther ing the in teres t in the Amer i can Indian was the Buf fa lo Bil l Wi ld West Show, which was very big in Europe beginning in 1882 (see f igure 5). In 1872, Wi l l iam Cody , w h o was awarded the Con­gressional Medal of Honor for his part in the Indian wars , tu rned his ce leb r i t y in to a theatrical job in a Wild West show; a

Figure 4. Stamp depicting Karl May's "Winnetou." Figure 5. Advertisement for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

decade later his troupe toured Europe, as well as the United States. The sheer size o f the show was o v e r w h e l m i n g , and Native Americans were the single most important ethnic component in the show. In most of Buffalo Bil l 's programs, the Indian is identified as "The Former Foe — Present Friend, the American."

He staged a cl imact ic re-enactment of Custer 's Last Stand in his 1893 tour of Europe, wh ich must have been qu i te spectacular, along with the Bison Hunt, the Train Robbery, the Indian War Battle Re-enactment, and the Grand Finale—the At tack on the Burning Cab in . Qui te a show! And, of course, that 's where the Bohne stein, the Bison, came from.

As usual, these are simply theories that could use more exploring. But it does give us the idea that the American Indian is held in high regard in Europe, much more so, unfortunately, than right here in the United States.

President Clarence Riley Announces Appointments for the Year 2000

Master Steinologist Committee Terry Hill

Nominating Committee Lyn Ayers

Bylaw Committee Fred Irtz

Ethics Committee Milt Schnitzlein

Parliamentarian Steve Steigerwald

Library and Museum Chairman John McGregor

Please continue to support these dedicat­ed individuals who have graciously volun­teered to give their time for the betterment of SCI.

Need a Holiday Gift Idea?

Give an SCI Membership! December, already? And your Christmas shopping is not complete? It's not too late, don' t panic! Introduce your father, cousin, daughter, son-in-law or newspa­per carrier to our favorite hobby by giving them a one-year membersh ip in SCI . Consider the benefits:

•Four issues of Prosit, featuring original articles about steins, artists, German cul­ture, folklore and more

•An annual convention, featuring speak­ers, round-tables, member- to-member stein sales, auctions and a great party for collectors

•Access to SCI's extensive library of arti­c les and books , avai lable on loan to members

•Optional membership in local chapters in both the US and Germany

The 2001 SCI convention will be held in the Meadowlands, NJ, just 15 minutes from New York City. In 2002 we visit the Bierkrugmuseum in Bad Schussenr ied, Germany! You must be a member of SCI in o rder to pa r t i c i pa te in these conventions.

Send the name and address along with a check for $25 ($30 for overseas) to SCI, PO Box 3036, Silverdale, WA 98383. If we receive your payment by December 18, we wi l l guaran tee tha t you receive a Christmas card and a bonus copy of the December issue of Prosit which you can present on Christmas day. Do it now!

Dues are Due

If Kris Kuntz doesn't have your $25 check ($30 outs ide the U.S.) by February 1, you won't see the March issue of Prosit. Send your check today to:

Kris Kuntz P.O. Box 5206 Bloomington, IN 47407

Die Reservistenpfeifen The Reservist Regimental

Pipes

Part 1 - General

By: Les Hopper

There are at least three great books on Regimental (Reservist) beer steins. They are listed in the bibliography for this arti­cle. So naturally I turned to them and other re fe rences when I s ta r ted co l l ec t i ng Regimental Pipes (I'll use this term for convenience). Even more so when I decid­ed to write a series of articles for Prosit on this long neglected "go-with."

Unfortunately, only one of the three refer­ences mentioned above had any signifi­cant mater ia l on p ipes and i t was in German. Additionally I had accumulated a couple of outstanding articles on the sub­ject from German magazines. Since I don't read German, this material was of little use. Along came Dagmar Rives. Being the knowledgeable wonderful person she is, she came to my rescue and translated all of it. Without her assistance, this series of articles would not have been written.

Before getting into a detailed discussion on Regimental pipes, a look at a litt le German history would be in order.

The reign of Emperor Wilhelm II (1888-1918) is considered a time of great efforts of armament preparedness. The young emp i re , bap t i zed in 1871 by Coun t Bismarck, strove to catch up with the mature powers of France and England. With a s t rong army and an ext remely modern navy, German interests were to be protected and taken advantage of world­wide.

Through the const i tut ion of April 1871 every able-bodied German was obliged to serve in the military. The obligation was for two or three years, depending on the arm of the service. Among the recruits who left active service ( t h e "reservists"), it was customary to bring a souvenir back home. The most significant of these was the regi­mental stein that we are all familiar with. As one of the alternatives to the regimental stein, the returning reservist often decided upon a regimental pipe. In order to cor­rectly understand the populari ty of the pipe, one has to consider that smoking a pipe was a preferred method of smoking at the time. Before the turn of the

century the cigarette had not started its path of success; one simply had more leisure time and relished the pleasure of smoking a pipe while reflecting. Everyone is familiar with the picture from bygone days in which the pipe smoker is depicted as a happy man, living in peace with him­self and the world. No wonder then that the pipe was held in high regard.

In the shape in which it appears most often, the regimental pipe is a phenome­non of the late 19th century. It appears for the first time between 1880 and 1890 in large quant i t ies . The co l lapse of The Wilhelminian empire, and for the most part, demilitarization of public life, brought on the end of this type of pipe as well. Thematically it belongs to the family of mil-

Figure 1. Oldest pipe in author's collection, 1853-1856.

itary and historical pipes, of which the tra­dition can be followed back into the 18th century.

Those ancestors of what later turned into a regimental pipe, are often small works of art. They were painted like colorful minia­tures, which is proof of a pipe culture as one can hardly imagine it today. Painted by t ra ined porce la in pa in te rs , whose names are hard to come by, they show scenes of battles, parades, portraits of sol­diers, outings in groups, etc. Such pipes, of course, have a much higher value of originality than the later regimental pipes. The lovingly and precisely depicted details

and the life-like portraits are characteristic for them.

The, artist had to have had a very steady hand when applying the paint with a brush which often was fitted with only two or three of the finest hairs. In the other hand he held a magnifying glass, without which his work would hardly show such f ine detail. During this work the pipe body was stuck in a holder which the painter could turn as needed.

As with regimental steins, the phenome­non of the "Regimental Pipe" has to be looked at with consideration of the histori­cal background of the time. The pipe pro­ducers as well swam with the wave of mili­tarization; they were hoping for a lucrative business and were not disappointed.

It is not possible to determine exactly today where the regimental pipe was bap­tized. But one assumes, and probably cor­rectly, that its origins lay in Germany. From here it spread in a rather short time into Austria-Hungary, whose pipes show espe­cially interesting characteristics. There are also pieces known from France and Italy; however the distribution in these countries must have been a lot smaller.

The outward appearance of the regimental pipe was made according to the taste of the time and, as one would imagine, it was a showy pipe to look at. Its typical length is most often 100 to 120 cm, which means that it is part of a g roup of so-ca l led "Bodenpfeifen" (floor pipes). This style of pipe shape was first successful during the Romant ic per iod, thus dur ing the f irst decades of the 19th century. Of course there were many dev ia t ions f rom the median because the purchase was always according to the purse of the reservist-to-be. Occasionally one can find pieces with a short stem, whereby the pipe reaches only a length of 30 cm. The longest known reg imenta l p ipe measures 225 c m . I t belonged to Kanonier Schaumann who served from 1904 to 1906 in Itzehoe with Field Ar t i l le ry Reg iment No. 9 "Generalfeldmarschall Graf Waldersee," in the 5th Battery. The pipe bowl alone of this»unique piece is over 30 cm high. Whether and how th is p ipe was ever smoked is not known.

Thus it was that around the end of the 1800's and the beginning of the 1900's, that the Regimental pipe reached its high point. The earliest-dated pipe bowl in the author's collection was owned by Wilhelm Blitsch. It was a remembrance of his ser­vice wi th the 3rd Company of the 1st Garde Regiment of Foot between 1853

and 1856 while garrisoned in on Potsdam. Of special interest is the fact that it is dec­orated with the occupational mark of a farmer in addit ion to the usual military symbols (see figure 1). Figure 2 shows the bowl of the la test da ted p ipe in the au tho r ' s co l l ec t i on . I t was owned by Reservist Pfennigs who purchased it to commemorate his service between 1911 and 1914 in Field Artillery Regiment "von Holtzendorff" (1 Rheinish) while garrisoned in Saarbrücken. It is generally beiieved that there were no significant numbers of regimental pipes produced during or fol­lowing World War I.

today's space conditions, housing a larg­er collection of pipes can be a problem. We will discuss this in future segments of this article.

Figure 2. Latest pipe in author's collection, 1911-1914.

As a side issue, the pipe bowl is the major feature of Regimental pipes, although the other pipe parts also can tell us a lot. Today, many co l lectors restr ict t hem­selves to gathering pipe bowls because it is difficult after this long to find a com­plete and original pipe. Additionally, with

Bibliography: Harrell, Major John L, Retired, Regimental Steins. The Old Soldier Press, Frederick, Maryland, United States of America. 1979.

Heiligenstein, R. Ron, Regimental Beer Steins Reservistenkruege) 1890-1914. R. Ron Heiligenstein, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America. 1997

Huebner, Frank, Reservistenkruege, Erin­nerungen an die Militaerdienszeit. Georg D. W. Callaway, München, Germany.1982. Translation by Dagmar Rives.

Huebner, Frank, Die Reservistenpfeife. Translation by Dagmar Rives of article appear­ing in The Sammler Journal, Germany, 6 Juni 1983.

Thiede, Herman, Reservisten-Pfeifen Immer Beliebter. Translation by Dagmar Rives of Article appearing in The Pipe Club, Germany.

Heiligenstein, R. Ron, various articles on regi­mental steins appearing in Prosit, The Quarterly Magazine of Stein Collectors International, United States of America. Various Years.

Two Unusual Steins

The Wilhelm Kagel Pottery

by Franz Hassmann

The steins which Jack Gaustad asked about in the September 2000 issue of Prosit were manufactured in the Wilhelm Kagel pottery in Partenkirchen, Bavaria, Germany . The mark on these s te ins , Kage l ' s in i t ia ls and the le t ter P (for Partenkirchen) inside a heart-shaped out­line, was used until 1935, after which a simple "WK" monogram was used. Based upon the painted decorations, Gaustad's steins were probably produced between 1920 and 1930. Not all of the ceramics from Kagel were marked.

The Wilhelm Kagel pot tery, located in Pa r tenk i r chen (a part of G a r m i s c h -Partenkirchen where the 1936 Olympic Wintergames were held), was in existence from ca 1900-1980. Wilhelm Kagel, Sr., founder of the pottery, was born in 1867 in Mecklenburg. He studied fresco painting in München under Prof. Seidel and moved to Partenkirchen in 1890 where he deco­rated ceramics, painted house walls and even furniture. In 1904 he built his first kiln and started the production of a wide vari­ety of ceramics. In 1910 the pottery had

about 20 employees. Wilhelm Kagel, Sr. died in 1935.

Kagel 's son, Wi lhelm, Jr., was born in 1906, and studied the art of pottery in his father's factory from 1919-1923, and later at the Keramische Fachschule in Höhr. His teachers were the famous Prof. Dr. E. Berdel and Prof. Bol lenbach. After his studies he worked in the pottery and took over the manufacture in 1935 following his father's death. After the founding of the Bayerische Topferinnung (Bavarian Pottery Guild), he was the Obermeister (master) for 16 years. He won many international awards (e.g. certificates of honor — 1954 Stuttgart, 1958 Firenze, 1962 Praque). In the 70's his daughter, Ulrike, assumed control of the pottery. As far as I know, it was closed in the 80's.

Of interest to collectors is the fact that the Wilhelm Kagel factory made only hand-thrown pieces; molds were never used. In addi t ion, the early pieces by Kagel Sr. were handpainted in beautiful colors. After World War II the practice of etching and stamping patterns (Knibis) was employed, and the pieces were glazed in simple col­ors (often green or brown). Steins from this period can very often be found here in Bavaria.

Impressions of a Convention by Sharon Bruha

Most "spouses of stein collectors" have an aspect of the steins that they enjoy. For me it is their artistic beauty. From the hand-enameled glass steins to the etched and the detailed regimental steins, they have all been carefully crafted and deco­rated. They are pieces of art in and of themselves. As an artist and art educator, I was inspired by the artistic beauty of steins to create my own art. I was moti­vated to bring memories to life from the activities, sights and f r iendships of the SCI conventions. I have created five colored pencil drawings in a series. Two are based on the conventions we attended in San Francisco and New Orleans. The other three are based on t rave l s to the Car ibbean, Japan and the c i t y o f Green Bay, W i s ­c o n s i n . A s i x th p i ece is underway represent ing the 1998 SCI C o n v e n t i o n in Boston. In this article, I will exp la in a b o u t the San Francisco drawing, which is a collection of memories of our first SCI convention.

Each drawing is a collage of images. For the "San Fran­c isco" piece, I brought t o ­ge ther images f rom the sights and activities from the 1992 c o n v e n t i o n . When I started, I made a written list of the sights we saw and the expe r i ences we had . Die Golden Gate Zecher chapter planned a wonderful conven­t ion, including a tour of the Napa Val ley, d inner a t the Mar i t ime Museum on Fisherman's Wharf, home tou rs of local co l l e c to r s , d inner in Chinatown, and a great 4th of July bash! We also visited the sights of the city by cable car and on foot. With the list made, I began to search for photos, or actual ob jec ts to represent each memory . I looked through pictures we took, maps,, pamphlets, advertising material collected along the way, and souvenirs we bought. I found just the right images to match my impression of the experience.

In my sketchbook, I drew the objects and images , mov ing the d i f fe ren t p ieces around to find the right fit. I may have had to find another picture to look at if a differ­ent angle was required, it was much like pu t t ing toge the r a puzzle excep t the pieces can change size or shape based on my preferences. I overlapped images try­ing to place one object so it would lead into another, or to complement another.

In this drawing, the curved lines from the cables on the Golden Gate Bridge com­plement the circle of the Hard Rock Cafe logo. The tall wine bottle from the Stag's Leap Winery in Napa Valley is balanced out by the Fisherman's Wharf post. The view of Alcatraz across the top is offset by the spacious San Francisco street sign across the bot tom of the drawing. The

Fisherman's Wharf post leads the viewer to the Ghiradell i Chocolate image. The arch of the word Ghiradelli and the 1852 ribbon guides the eye to the leaves and the grapes. The spire on the "Port of San Francisco" points toward the pagoda of Chinatown. The sourdough bread rests alongside the longest pier. All of this was carefully planned.

Color is another aspect I had to consider. I t r ied to choose objects and plan their placement so that the colors were distrib­

uted around the piece. Repetition of color is what unified the wide variety of images. In this drawing the golden color of the Fisherman's Wharf centerpiece is repeat­ed in the Chinatown dragon, the trim on the cable car and the Hard Rock Cafe logo. The seals on the pier at the bottom of the drawing, the Napa Valley wine bot­tle, the cable car and the Golden Gate Bridge are all in the same color grouping of sienna brown, maroon and red. black, brown, blue and green were used through­out the drawing also.

I varied the size of the objects and added a background behind others to create a sense o f d e p t h , open s p a c e s , and grandeur. The three small piers with the seals leads back to the water behind the Wharf. The fireworks lead to a dark, night

sky with the Golden Gate Bridge extending over the open bay and sunset sky. The water and sky reflect the natural beauty tha t a b o u n d s in th is part of California.

The technique I used with the color pencils involves layering the co lo rs . In order to b lend areas or to create a color, I may have over lapped three to five different pencils. I used line, dot and 'squibble' patterns to create tex tu re . I c o m b i n e d areas of s m o o t h co lo r w i t h t ex tu red areas. It is a slow process. One of these drawings can take me between six and nine months - a busy work and social life pre­vents progress on a daily basis.

This drawing is a culmination of our memories of San Francisco and our f irst SCI Convent ion. This drawing is also a reminder of kindness and generosity of Jim Stevenson. Not only was this our first SCI Convention, it was our first SCI act ivi ty. We had not even been to a local chapter meeting. We felt a bit o v e r w h e l m e d when we f i rs t

arrived. Jim and Marie Stevenson took us under%their wings and introduced us to many future fr iends. Jim helped David through the lectures, auctions, and table sales. Jim was truly instrumental in our continued involvement in SCI. For that we are eternally grateful.

I am hoping to have prints of this drawing, as well as others, for sale at the 2001 Convention in New Jersey/New York. It would give me great pleasure to share these memories with other SCI members.

The 2001 SCI Convention A Thirsty Knight Stein Odyssey

by Steven and Joanne Steigerwald Photos by Marty Cameli

Just a reminder that it's going to be that time of year again before you know it. So when you're filling out that wish list of holi­day gi f ts for your loved ones, or that heavy- set guy with the long white beard, red suit, sleigh, and reindeer, remember to include a request for a 2001 SCI Thirsty Knight Stein Odyssey Convention Pack­age with all the extras.

The pre-convention activities are currently scheduled to start on Monday, July 2, with a boat tr ip to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and continue through Tuesday, July 3, with house tours during the day, and dinner and a Broadway show at night. The official Convention auction will be held by Gary Kirsner Auctions on July 4.

The C o n v e n t i o n o f f i c ia l l y s ta r ts on Thursday, July 5. The SCI general meet­ing, lectures, roundtab les, stein sales room, members' auction, and breakfasts and dinners will occupy Thursday through Saturday. An optional Ladies' High Tea and shopping trip is planned, as are some optional activities for the children.

Discount coupons for airfare will be includ­ed with your March, 2001 Prosit.

The d i s c o u n t e d rate of $119 at the Sheraton Meadowlands will be available for a few days before and after the con­ven t ion , as wil l d i scoun ted breakfast coupons for the non-convent ion days. Public transportation from in front of the hotel is available for the short trip directly into the heart of Manhattan for a nominal fee.

So plan on coming early and staying late, to take a large bite of the Big Apple. If you have any questions, send a short note to Steve Steigerwald, 107 Michelle Drive, Je r i cho , NY 11753 , or by emai l to sassteins@aol.com, together with your address, te lephone number, and email address.

The Statue of Liberty.

The Empire State Building.

Ellis Island.

Each SCI member in good standing is entitled to run one free ad per year. You can run an ad to either sell or buy steins and related items.

Please limit your ad to approximately 50 words. Print or type as on a 3" x 5" card or paper. There is no charge for your first ad each year. Additional ads will be billed at our classified rates.

Send to Rich Cress, 1300 E. 66th St., Minneapolis, MN 55423. Or fax 612/866-1939. Or e-mail to rcress@cscpub.com

Deadline for the next issue is February 1, 2001

FOR S A L E : Back issues of Prosit plus back stein auction catalogs. Ed Havens, 6 Gordon Road, Ho -Ho -Kus , NJ 07423 201/447-6569.

FOR S A L E : Budweiser Steins, all mint, plus shipping: CSL 64-65-71-75-98 with boxes $300. CSL 81 w i th box $70 . CSL 8 $400 . CS 19A $200. CS 57 $65. CS 68 $40. Earl Waring, P.O. Box 6995, Bellevue, WA 98008-0995, 425/747-9239.

WANTED: To trade SCI Convention Stein #26 , San F ranc isco 1992 , fo r SCI Convention Steins #14, 1980 Cleveland or #20 , 1986 San D iego, or #23 , 1989 Dearborn Mich igan, or #24, Hamburg, Germany. Fred Kellerman 513/922-0471, 5645 An ton inus Drive, C inc innat i OH 45238.

FOR SALE: Mettlach 1022 3.3L mint con­dition (Master to steins & beakers - 1023, 1024, 1025). Also, Mettlach 1526 1/2 L Hunter with beer stein. Sell only as a lot for $540.00 plus sh ipp ing. Mark 905/813-8472.

WANTED: Pittsburgh Convention Stein, mint only. Willing to pay top price. Contact Tom Levenson, 295 Alamo Dr., Pittsburgh, PA 15241 or 724/941-3237.

W A N T E D : Regimenta l stein co l lec to r interested in purchasing mint REGIMEN­TAL STEINS. Especia l ly in terested in acqu i r ing u n c o m m o n or more un ique steins.Tom Marren, 6300 Etzel, St. Louis, MO 63133.314/965-8242. e-mail tommaren@aol.com.

Book Review Two new books have been brought to our attention recently, both of which should be of interest to a good many stein collectors.

The first, by Gerd Kessler, is titled "Meine Erinnerungen an die Firma J. W. Remy."(My reflections of the JW Remy Company)." Herr Kessler's father, Robert, was one of J.W. Remy's owners, and his great grandfather was Johann Wilhelm Remy. This book is wri t ten in German. Herr Kessler has provided over 100 pages of reflections on J.W. Remy, including old catalogue pages, correspondence and photos. Gerd Kessler is located at:

Im Siberia 7a D-56203 Höhr-Grenzhausen GERMANY

His phone number is 011 49 262 495 1039 Fax is 011 49 262 464 95 Email is Kessler.ing.Buero@-online.DE

The cost is $59.00 U.S., if you have the check payable in DM, using a German bank or a U.S. bank with a German affil iate. Otherwise, send him a check for $79.00, as it costs at least that much to convert a reg­ular U.S. check for dollars into DM.

The second book, also written in German, is t i t led "Die Reservistenpfeifen" (The Reservists Pipes), by Dr. Hans Titschack. This richly i l lustrated (mostly ful l-color) book is ava i lab le t h r o u g h George Schamberger, 733 Maple St., Rochester, NY, 14611. Call him at 716/235-0690, or fax h im at 716 /235 -5516 , or emai l at g1934s@earthlink,net.

The price is $50, including shipping and an English translation of about two-thirds of the text.

The Murals of Heinrich Schutt in the Wiesbaden Ratskeller (Part III) The fourth and final mural executed by Heinrich Schutt encompasses his final trib­ute to that noble beverage of hops and malt which is the leitmotif of the Bierhalle in the Ratskeller in Wiesbaden.

The triumphal procession of his majesty King Gambrinus is portrayed on the wall behind the beer counter (see figure 1). The old gent leman, a venerable toper wi th characteristic red nose and friendly eyes, is enthroned on a sturdy beer wagon , pulled by four stalwart rams, who in turn are being directed by two conscientious monkeys. His scepter is a staff of thyraus, one tipped with a pine cone and twined about with ivy, symbolic of the followers of Bacchus, the Roman god of drink. His imper ia l o rb is a g igan t i c t a n k a r d . A tapered Dutch clay pipe is his loyal com­panion.

His "carriage" sweeps across the heavens through wispy c louds in which winged herr ing f l i t and g l ide . The tex t wh i ch adorns this mural grouping describes the event most aptly:

Gambrinus Wagen folgt dis ganze Welt. Ein jeder Stand, ob arm, ob reich an Gut und Geld, Ihm folgt getreu das Alter und die Jugend. Die Weisheit und der Thorheit Meer, Das Laster und die Tugend.

The throng behind Gambrinus' carriage Constitutes a curious marriage, With wisdom and virtue, Folly and vice, The rich and the poor, The young and the old, Seem to fit well in that singular mold.

In truth the entire world does follow this glorious gentleman. Every strata of society is represented: the rich and the poor, the young and the old, the wise man and the fool, the wicked and the virtuous. In front of him hovers Hebe, cupbearer to the Greek gods, bearing five beer mugs as e f for t less ly as she does her gracefu l wings.

In Gambrinus' procession are assembled the most varied types of humanity, all of them striving, collectively and as individu­als, to p roc la im thei r u tmos t respec t through jubilation and exultation for their beloved monarch, the apotheosis of beer drinkers everywhere.

We see the social ist with the workers ' banner, the lusty peasant from Swabia with an Alpine beauty, the self-satisfied monk in step with the proper evangelical court chaplain, close behind them another temptation in the form of a spicy profes­sional beauty. A dragoon in crested hel­met and a member of a glee club follow closely. Finally a philistine with his top hat crushed by a foot which suddenly appears out of the c louds and which seems to belong to an Englishman.

Beyond this mural, on the ceiling above, the droll procession continues (see figure 2): an elegant dandy and an apathetic stu­dent wi th scar red v isage; t w o s t rong kitchen wenches with their confident mili­tary escort; a chamois hunter with his shy sweetheart; even a squalling babe (without doubt , a Münchner Kind\); a conf ident wagoner with a team of spirited steeds; then a noble imbiber, beset by an indig­nant companion riding a symbolic broom; a thirsty Moorish youngster; an elephant, caught in the act of handing his driver a fresh stein of beer with his trunk; and final­ly, a sedate Arabian wi th his arrogant camel bringing up the rear.

All of these figures move in long proces­sion out of the clouds. Who knows what addit ional entourage to Gambrinus still lingers in the hazy mists beyond our view? The entire procession is totally animated with the most vivacious beer humor. With th is f inal mural Schl i t t has reached a unique zenith with a perfect blend of capri­cious whimsy and robustly fresh cheerful­ness.

• Heinrich Schlitt began his cycle of humor­ous creations in this Ratskeller in a truly droll manner. He has brought this cycle full-round in the same way. No visitor to this moistly happy Bierhalle will ever be able to leave it without expressing in silent admiration the warmest praise for this cre­ator of outstanding masterpieces, HEIN­RICH SCHLITT!! This excerpt from an essay on the murals of Heinrich Schlitt, done in the Ratskeller in Wiesbaden, Germany, in 1890, is a direct translation by Arthur J. Maethner.

Wandmalereien in Ratskeller zu Wiesbaden (brothers Petmecky, Publ ishers, Royal Court Printing Offices, Wiesbaden, circa 1906)

Figure 2.

STEIN COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Minutes of Executive Committee Meeting

Westin Galleria Hotel

Houston, TX

Tuesday July 4, 2000

1. The meeting was called to order at 5:38 p.m. by President Clarence Riley.

2. Members present were Clarence Riley, Glenna Scheer, Rich Cress, Kris Kuntz, Gene Manusov, Walt Vogdes and Nora McClintock. Guests present were Ted Scheer, Fred Irtz, John Mertz, and Marie Stevenson.

3. Gene Manusov moved for approval of the 1999 Executive Committee Minutes and it was seconded by Kris Kuntz.

4. Clarence reported that there would be an addition for the Board Agenda for W e d n e s d a y under Old Bus iness regarding an Accounting Review which he would discuss.

5. Gene reviewed the feedback from the 1999 Denver convention with a recom­menda t i on tha t t he Execu t i ve C o m m i t t e e shou ld d i s c o u r a g e the "chug a lug" contests. Gene also made a suggest ion that art ic les for Prosit should have a photo attached to the article with a little bio about the author. Gene would also like to see people who wrote articles for the Prosit throughout the year s t and for a m o m e n t of recognition during the General business meeting.

6. A lengthy discussion was held regarding the lack of bids for a 2003 convention. Other alternatives for types of conven­t ions were d iscussed, and Clarence expressed great concern that no chap­ters have volunteered to take on the responsibility to host a convention. The Executive Commit tee discussed why this has occurred i.e. t ime involved, desirable location, format, convention expenses etc.

7. Clarence provided the Executive Board the analysis review from Smoker, Smith & Associates P.C. regarding recom­mendations and suggestions for SCI to consider in conjunction with our finan­cial statements and accounting prac­tices. It was strongly encouraged that SCI es tab l i sh and ma in ta in an A c c o u n t i n g Manua l ou t l i n ing i ts accounting policies and procedures. In addition SCI should utilize and imple­ment one A c c o u n t i n g So f twa re enabling report formats to be consis­tent, and cross training to be stream­lined between the outgoing and the incoming Treasurer for a specific term.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:08

STEIN COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC

Minutes of Board of Trustees Meeting

Westin Galleria Hotel

Houston, TX

Wednesday, July 6, 2000

1. The meeting was called to order at 8:30 a.m. by President Clarence Riley.

2. The President announced changes to the agenda w o u l d inc lude the Accounting review under old business, and the Proposal for the Guidelines for the Jack He imann Serv ice A w a r d should be moved under New Business.

3. The President called for approval of the 1999 Board of Trustees Minutes. Lee Poppie said that Mary Durban should be the representative for Erste Gruppe. Pat Jahn sa id under the F inanc ia l Review Committee Report the amended motion which passed should have read: "A Public Accounting Firm be engaged to perform a review for 1998 including Tax returns." Pat Jahn also stated that under Old Business Paragraph section 13 the Standing Rules should be cor­rected to reflect the motion, which was "No advertising of any sort, at all in con­flict to the convention activities, will be put in Prosit."

4. It was moved by John Mertz and sec­onded by Gene Manusov that the min­utes of the last meeting be approved as amended. Motion Carried.

5. The Treasurer, Kris Kuntz, presented the Credentials Committee's report. There are 24 Chapters certif ied with voting privileges, Four Chapters without voting privileges, and two Chapters disbanded, Iowa and San Diego. Kris congratulated Heiner Kiessling because he was instru­mental in developing a new chapter in Canada - Tr i l l ium Stein Co l lec to rs . Clarence added that the local clubs are the lifeblood to our organization and we need to continue to expand our mem­bership within our local chapters.

6. The roll cal l of membersh ip by the Secretary was as follows:

Present Voting -President, Clarence Riley Executive Director Glenna Scheer First Vice President, Gene Manusov Second Vice President, Walt Vogdes Treasurer, Kris Kuntz Secretary, Nora McClintock Prosit Editor, Rich Cress Museum/Library Director, John

McGregor Carolina Steiners, John Kelly Desert Steiners, Spencer Wessling Die Golden Gate Zecher, Les Paul Die Studenten Prinz Gruppe, Ginny

Scheller Erste Gruppe, Lee Poppie Gambrinus Stein Club, Frank Loevi Lone Star Chapter, James Widener Meister Steiners, Pat Jahn New England Steiners, Arthur Slicer Pacific Stein Sammler, Phil

Masenheimer Pennsylvania Keysteiners, John Mertz Rocky Mountain Steiners, Pete

McClintock • Sun Steiners, James Demars Thirsty Knights, Buddy Schaeffer Thoroughbred Stein Verein, Fred Irtz Upper Midwest Steinologists, Linda Cress

Western Ohio Stein Jaeger, Louis Foster

Not-Voting -Hoosier Stein Verein, Bob Lofland Mitterlander Stein Gruppe is disbanding

Saint Louis Gateway Steiners, Martin Dietrich

San Diego Stein Collectors, disbanded

Absent -Alte Germannen Bayou Stein Verein Buckeye Stein Verein Die Lustigen Steinjaeger Kansas/Missouri Stein Collectors Mettlach Steinzeug-Sammler Michisteiners Trillium Stein Collectors Uppersteiners of New York State

7. The Treasurer's report was presented by Kris Kuntz. The Heimann Fund was closed upon the CD maturing due on June 30 and a check was sent today with a letter designating that the funds be a l l oca ted to pa t ien t care and research specifically in Minnesota for National Minnesota Kidney Foundation for a to ta l of $14 ,091 .88 . She has moved SCI funds to the First Internet Bank, which is FDIC insured, because of better interest rates. We continue to spend less, but she has expanded the budget for Prosit in 2001 because we are using more color. Les Paul thanked and congratu lated Kris for being so t h o r o u g h in her respons ib i l i t i es of Treasurer.

8. Gene Manusov extended congratula­tions to Houston and by all indications people were already off to a positive convention experience. He reported on the status of the upcoming Conventions through 2002. Steve Steigerwald will provide the informat ion for the New Jersey Conven t i on in 2 0 0 1 , and Johannes Vogt will provide updated information for Germany. Gene said that according to our bylaws we should be set up for the 2003 convention, which we are not; hopefully during the meeting some suggestions would come up. Be sure to send back questionnaires. Last year received about 10-15% back and they are very helpful, providing con ­structive cri t icism, positive feedback, and great suggestions. Les Paul asked the question what are we going to do about the convent ion s i tuat ion, and Gene said that it would be discussed under new business.

9. Wal t Vogdes repo r ted mos t of his efforts have been on making SCI visible on the Internet. There is a lot of atten­tion on the SCI site, which is drawing over 100 visitors per day, 500 over the course of a month. Have also been advert ising SCI on the eBay auct ion site, and several SCI members have been advertising SCI as part of their stein si te of fer ings. Last year to ta l membership was 1,487 and on July 1st, our total membership was 1,611 mem­bers, with a total gain of 124 new mem­bers joined through June of 2000. SCI was able to recapture 19 members who dropped in 1998. So far the trend has been reversed where we are able to increase our total number of member­ship in conjunction with those who have decided to drop their SCI membership. Walt expressed his sincere thanks and how pleased that he is that members have sprinkled their cards around and

for all of the support he has received and those who have helped him this year. Walt produced and published an article in the July issue ALL ABOUT BEER, which was distributed to each convention attendee in their welcome packet . Clarence expressed to the whole Board how impressed he was Walt's article and the photography by wi th wh ich Walt supp lemented the article.

10.Rich Cress, Managing Editor Prosit, reported that the Prosit is improving graphical ly because he is spending more money and utilizing more color photos whenever possible. It helps the a r t i c les when g o o d p h o t o s are a t tached, because a p ic ture is sti l l worth a thousand words. He feels that it is still a continual struggle to "stumble from issue to issue." He receives just enough for each issue, but he never has any th ing in reserve. He also requested that when you send in your Chapter reports and articles it would be extremely beneficial if you would send them on a diskette instead of hard­copy . O the rw ise they need to be retyped which takes time; he said that he will return the diskette; also if there are no photos attached to an article, emailed articles will work. The question was posed what Rich's timeframe is for each issue and he stated that he has a three month timeframe that he works with prior to each issue. He extended his sincere thanks to Walt for stepping in to be the associate editor. John Mertz also encouraged people to send p i c tu res w i th the i r a r t i c les - l ike Nat iona l Geograph ic - the p ic tu re draws the reader's attention. Clarence stated the general consensus is that the last four issues of Prosit in particu­lar never looked bet ter - round of applause.

11 .Committee Reports: a. The Bylaws Commit tee Chairman Fred Irtz, had nothing to report.

b. The Chairman of the Nominat ing Committee, John Mertz, reported the following nominations for officers: and Executive Director - Nora McClintock, Secre ta ry - Mar ie S tevenson , and returning for another te rm 1st Vice President - Gene Manusov.

c. The Director of the Museum/Library, John McGregor , repor ted tha t the Library is alive and well. The activity in articles is way down (probably related to the age of the article), books, video­tapes and magazines activities are up.

He would like to hold back all articles and their availabil i ty until he is able review relevant "stuff". He would like to remove the link from the SCI web site until this is accomplished. Walt Vogdes asked if John could review the articles on an as needed basis instead of just pulling the option from the web site. Walt suggested that John could put a disclaimer on the articles that they are out of date. John said that the issue is not only the timeliness of the articles but the conditions that the articles are in, i.e. tough to view the photos. Again, he s t ressed tha t he w o u l d l ike to remove the ability to order an article f rom the w e b s i te unt i l he has an opportuni ty to review -Walt assured John he could make the choice. John will put a disclaimer on the articles that he sends.

d. The Ethics Committee was read by Clarence Riley submi t ted by Mi l ton Schnitzlein. There was one minor con­flict, but Milt feels that it can and will be resolved.

Old Business:

a. Pete McClintock provided the 1999 Convention report, and stated that the Rocky Mountain Steiners broke even. He sa id tha t th is was due to the $10,000 donated by Coors & United Airlines. He said that it was a lot of hard work and he appreciates all of the hard work that Houston is putting forth, and the hard work from convention hosts past and present. He was pleased to see that Houston and New Jersey have adopted some of the ideas that the Rocky Mountain Steiners implemented, i.e. t i c k e t s p l aced beh ind name badges , the p in , auc t ion numbers be ing the conven t i on reg is t ra t i on number.

b. The 2001 Convent ion report was given by Steve Steigerwald. He pre­sented everyone on the Board with a Thirsty Knights pin that was designed by Buddy Schaeffer. The convention da tes w o u l d be Ju ly 5-7 at t he Meadowlands Sheraton Hotel in New Jersey. There are daily shuttles that are available for a 15-minute trip to down­town Manhattan approximately 4 miles away. Hotel rates are $119.00 with a 6% tax, and the parking is included. Newark wil l be the easiest a i rpor t ; Continental has their hub there. Also,

they have secured a discount shuttle from Newark to the hotel. There will be an early bird tour of NYC on July 2, or a tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Is land. On July 3 there wil l be t w o house tours with a box lunch provided at one of the homes between the two tours. In the evening there will be a trip to Broadway with dinner. July 4 the commercial auction will be held. July 5 is "Broadway Comes to New Jersey", July 6, German Night, and July 7 a Black & White Ball.

c. Johannes Vogt provided a report on the 2002 Conven t i on in Bad Schussenried, Germany. There will be s ightseeing tours , home tours , and stein sales. They will be hosting either a commercial auction or just a mem­bers' auction. The early bird activities will be held in Munich July 15 and 16. They anticipate the hotel to run $70.00 in Bad Schussenried and $150.00 in Munich. Their concern is that they would like to have a good estimate on how many people would be attending. Rich Cress told him that they should plan on at least 300 members. At the t ime of the meet ing Johannes was looking for someone who would be willing to collect the registration dues in the states and then forward the infor­mation on to Germany for him.

d . C larence Riley spoke about the Financial Review provided by Smoker, Smith & Associates P.C. He stated that they really prov ided guidel ines that should be considered as suggestions to adopt as a proposal. By adopting some of these guidelines it should pro­vide a smooth transition from one trea­surer to the next. He will try to integrate a proposed plan to the trustees, and he feels that a review performed during a treasurer transit ion year should take p lace and be i m p l e m e n t e d . The approximate cost would be $3,500. Pat Jahn made a motion to authorize the funds for review, and Rich Cress sec­onded the motion. The motion passed.

New Business

a. A lengthy discussion was held con­cerning the lack of a 2003 Convention site. Dave Cantwell conveyed to the board that you don't have to be limited to your own Chapter if you are hosting a convention, i.e. Les Hopper helped Lone Star a lot. Clarence proposed a

suggestion to look at other conven­t ion a l te rna t ives , i.e. a c ru ise . Ar t Slicer made the recommendation that SCI u t i l i ze a p r o f e s s i o n a l t r ave l agency or convent ion planner, and that would allow the local chapter to focus on just the program. Pat Jahn quer ied the board as to how they wou ld feel about t ry ing someth ing like a national mini-convent ion. She asked Gene Manusov i f he w o u l d send a query to the chapters asking how they would react to a national min i . He agreed. Frank Loevi sug ­gested a lower convention price with more of a focus on steins.

b. Glenna stressed how critical it is to ma in ta in and get m e m b e r s , and thanked to Walt and his hard work it is finally turning around. We lost Iowa, because there was no response for meetings, it was the wrong day, wrong place, there wasn ' t a calendar. For those that are struggling with atten­dance, you need to focus your chapter meetings on being more dynamic, get videos f rom the Library, have guest speakers , and prov ide l i terature to "juice up your meetings."

c . Walt Vogdes ' mot ion to prov ide guidelines for qualification and judging of a nominee for the prestigious award by replacing in it s entirety the existing paragraph ent i t led "Jack He imann Service Award" with the following.

Jack Heimann Service Award

Qualifications:

1. Must be a member in good standing of SCI.

2. Must be widely recognized as hav­ing performed exceptional service for SCI.

3. Criteria to be considered include official positions held, contributions at the national/international level, service at the chapter level, and any other forms of service. Speaking, publishing and o t h e r w i s e sha r ing e x p e r t i s e , which are proper qualifications for the Master Steinologist Award, are sec­ondary considerations for the service award.

4. A l though no speci f ic durat ion of serv ice is manda ted , it is normal ly expected that the service wil l have been provided over a minimum of sev­eral years.

5. Current office holders are not eligible for nominat ion until after they leave office.

Procedure:

1. Wri t ten nominat ions for the Jack Heimann Service Award must be sent to the Executive Director on or before Apr i l 1 of each year. Nom ina t i ons should present the qualifications of the nominee in a c c o r d a n c e w i th the Guidelines above.

2. The Execut ive Director will send copies of the nominat ions, together with a ballot, to all members of the Executive Committee by April 15. The ballot will include the opportunity to vote for "no one."

3. All Executive Committee members will return their ballots to the Executive Director no later than May 15. The identities and the results of the voting shall be kept confidential by all mem­bers of the Executive Committee.

4. In order to receive the Award a nomi­nee must be selected by a majority of the Executive Committee.

5. The Executive Director will advise the President of the results of the balloting by May 15.

6. If any nominee has sufficient votes, a plaque or trophy shall be procured by the Execut ive Di rec tor , f und ing of which shall come f rom the general funds of SCI.

7. The Award will be presented to the recipient at the next convention follow­ing May 15.

Glenna stated that there doesn't have to be just one award? particularly since the organization is bigger now. Les Paul stat­ed he would prefer to see just one Jack Heimann award given per year. Pat Jahn sa id there shou ld be a "Cheer leader Award " or "Gemüt l ichkei t Award " , not quite a Jack Heimann award but we need to provide more recognition for contribu­tions within the organization with awards. Clarence asked Pat to form a committee to look at ways to acknowledge contribu­t ions to SCI through awards. Art Slicer said ongoing recognition during the actual convention, i.e. publishing award winners in the guidebook, and/or providing them with a pin to wear during the convention, should be considered.

Walt said the motion would remain as writ­ten. Pat Jahn seconded the motion. Fred Irtz called the question, and the motion carried unanimously for the Jack Heimann award.

There being no further business, the meet­ing was adjourned at 10:28 a.m.

STEIN COLLECTORS INTERNATIONAL, INC.

Minutes of General Membership Meeting

Westin Galleria Hotel

Houston, TX

Thursday July 6, 2000

Dave Cantwell and Lawrence Beckendorff greeted everyone and provided informa­tion about friendly reminders pertaining to name tags and booklets.

President Riley thanked the Lone Star chapter and their commit tees for all of their graciousness and hospitality. He also requested that everyone please stand and to reflect on a moment of silence for the loss of several members in the past year.

President Riley spoke about the mixed bag of positive and disappointing things that have happened over the year. We lost two chapters, so he encourages the chap­ters to keep the interest within the local chapter going strong by possibly reformat­ting the meetings by having speakers. He is also disappointed that there is not a bid for the 2003 Convention. He encouraged everyone to go back to their chapters to convey that by making a commitment to host a convention it really can make your chapter stronger, and it affords you the opportunity to get to know each other bet­ter. The conventions are really an opportu­nity to share knowledge and good fellow­ship. He reminded us that we don't need to take ourselves too seriously and that really we are a hobby club, where we get together to have a good time and to learn.

President Riley next called on Kris Kuntz to give the Treasurer's report. As of the end of 1999 SCI had to ta l asse ts of $170 ,455 ,08 in the fo rm of CD 's and money market accounts. She also report­ed that the Jack Heimann Fund had been closed and a check sent to the National K idney Founda t i on for a to ta l of $14,091.88 to be used speci f ical ly for research and patient care.

Second Vice President Walt Vogdes spoke about the three "R"s that he implemented and focused on the past year. Recapture, Retention, and Recruiting. He sent letters to the 164 members who had not renewed their membership with SCI and 19 mem­bers returned. He provided drop-in cards

to be distributed at antique shops and in steins. Walt has these cards available for all chapters, and if you contact him he will send them directly to you. He reprinted the Trifold brochure and feels that it is good for distribution at events, i.e. Oktoberfest. On eBay he has photos and links to the SCI web site. He has greatly expanded the SCI web site with the goal of capturing peo­ple's attention. He has highlighted on the site information about Prosit, Conventions, links to chapters, a calendar of events, and a members-only link providing information about fellow members. He believes that the All About Beer article will hopefully generate additional exposure and interest regarding SCI. It is still too early to tell since the July issue just went out. He held a recruitment contest and there were 60 referrals from members. He recognized the members that provided three or more referrals, and they were presented with a leather cardholder pre- loaded wi th 20 cards. The recipients were Heiner Kiessling 3, Henry Bahr 3, Lawrence Beckendorff 4, Les Paul 9 1/2, J im Demars 12. Congratulations! As of July 1 st it is the first time in several years that SCI is at a high of 1, 611 members.

John McGregor , the Museum/L ib ra ry Director, stated that the SCI Library web site has not had a lot of activity and that it needs help. He encourages your support by uti l izing the Library for v ideotapes, books etc.

"Yeee Haww!!!!!!!" was our greeting from the Editor of Prosit, Rich Cress. If you need additional information for your arti­cles, the Library is the perfect place to research and supplement your articles for Prosit. He stated that this year the Prosit is alive and well, but he needs more articles because he has jus t enough for September but so far there is nothing in reserve for December . He ment ioned some of the indiv iduals who received votes by contributing articles during the year: Pat Manusov, Joe Horowitz, Marshall Smith, Jody Wyse, Charlotte Whi tham, Mar ty Kie ly, Therese T h o m a s , Wal t Vogdes, Ron Heiligenstein, and the combo article from Bob Wilson, Roy De Selms and George Schamberger. Frank Loevi was the recipient of the Jack Lowenstein Editor' award, which is voted on by the Master Steinologists, for his article on Skull steins.

The Cha i rman o f the Nomina t i ng Committee, John Mertz recognized his fel­low committee members Hank Naetzker and Frank Poppie. The following nomina­tions were presented: Executive Director -Nora M c C l i n t o c k , Secre ta ry - Mar ie

Stevenson, and back for a second term, Gene Manusov as 1st Vice President. Each was elected by unanimous vote.

The President then turned the meeting over to the Execut ive Director Glenna Scheer. She we l comed everyone and requested that all first timers please stand and be recognized. She stated that the Board will be distributing information to the local chapters regarding the Germany meeting. She again stated that we need to receive proposals from chapters quickly for a 2003 convention. Possibly a mini convention? Please see the new guide­lines that have been implemented for the Jack Heimann award, which are in greater detail under the Board of Trustees min­utes. There is a new chapter in Canada and thanks to Heiner Kiessling it is build­ing nicely.

G lenna t h a n k e d the o f f i cers she has worked with, and she expressed that she and Ted have enjoyed meeting everyone. They will continue to enjoy meeting people at the conventions.

She announced that Walt Vogdes was the 2000 recipient for the Master Steinologist Award. Walt expressed his gratitude and conveyed that he believes that he is "still a student.' Glenna also presented to Lester Hopper the Jack Heimann award for 2000. Les said that his SCI contributions have been a "labor of love."

Claire Hill was the recipient of the Special Contributions Award. This award was cre­ated to recognize individuals who have consistently supported and provided valu­able contributions to SCI.

Chapter Editor awards were presented to Les Hopper , Cra ig Z i m m e r m a n , Ted Scheer, John Kelly, Harlean Morawietz, Lawrence Beckendorff , Richard Keely, Richard Strom, Therese Thomas, Bruce Martin, Joe Bergmaier, Jim Demars, Loren Gladson, Heiner Kiessling, Art Maethner, and Louis Foster.

Glenna presented the new Convent ion plaque that was created to represent all previous convention hosts and their dates. The plaque was presented to Houston, and it will be presented to the next host chapter, New Jersey, at the end of this convention.

Glenna turned the meeting back to the President. He spoke about the Financial

Review Report (see Board of Trustees Meet ing minutes) r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s . President Riley presented Glenna a beau­tiful clock as a representation of gratitude from SCI for all of her time and hard work. He called on Steve Steigerwald to make the presentation for the 2001 Convention that will be hosted by the Thirsty Knights in the Meadowland, New Jersey. There will be free parking provided by the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel with a $119.00 room rate and 6% tax. Buses will be provided 2-3 t imes per hour go ing to M i d - t o w n Manhattan. Marti Cameli provided a hilari­ous visual presentation to the members, highlighting some of the sights that we would be seeing during our stay.

There being no further business, the meet­ing adjourned at 10:17 a.m.

Chapter & Verse Bayou Stein Verein

Due to some misfortune at the home of Les and Caro l Hoppe r and the ABA Convent ion in Kenner,LA, and the SCI Convention in Houston, TX, we had no June Meeting. The six couples that made it to Houston, Les and Carol Hopper, Ron and Toni Wendel , Dick and Sweetypie Kuntz, Alvin and Margaret Cotlar, John and Patsy Klees with grandson Dexter, and AI and Carol Kleindienst, made up for it at the convention. Meeting old friends, the educational seminars, the purchasing of steins and mugs, visiting the homes of members to view their collections, was a real t r ip . We all had a great t ime and enjoyed our stay at the Westin-Galeria Ho te l . A spec ia l T H A N K S to Dave Cantwell who opened his home to show us his great collection.

Der Schriftsteller AI Kleindienst

Erste Gruppe

Before any chapter reporting, we want to pass on E.G.'s sincere congratulations to Lone Star Chapter for putting on a superi­or convention. That is the expression of our chapter members who attended the Houston Convent ion. It was especially gratifying to see the planning for children who could be seen at various times with things they had fashioned from clay and other materials.

This year so far has seen two Board meet­ings (Rosenbaums and Wilsons, and two General meetings (Kelloggs and Poppies), plus the West Coast joint meeting in the Bay area sponsored by the Golden Gate Zecher. (Thank you, Zechers, for your planning and work!). The Saturday Board meet ing in May at Robert and Colet te

Wilsons home was followed by a Sunday brunch at nearby Jim and Jean Belshas home overlooking Success Lake. This is a much anticipated event and requires at least 160 miles of travel each way from Los Angeles people, and even more for San Diegans and Nor the rne rs . Attendance is usually 25 to 35.

The general meet ings have been well attended, especially the June Frolic steak barbecue at Frank and Lee Poppies home. We have been impressed by the quiet but firm style of President Ravi Patel as he keeps our rowdy meetings in hand, a born manager. Attendance 40 to 60.

Now we are po in t i ng t o w a r d the Oktoberfest general meeting at Terry and Claire Hills home in Ojai.

Ted Scheer Reporter

Student Prince

Student Prince Chapter meetings t radi­tionally do not begin until the Spring due to the possibil i ty of inclement weather. This year , however , we c h a n c e d a February date at Sturbr idge Vi l lage in M a s s a c h u s e t t s to jo in w i t h the New England Steiners. Old Man Winter cooper­ated and all enjoyed a wonderful presenta­tion by Rick Grunin who brought his col­lection of Royal Vienna.

Our April 8 meeting was held at the home of Jackie and Barry Toussaint in Hadley, CT. Video tapes of SCI and chapter pre­sentations were made available for loan. After a wonderful German buffet, Dave Harr took over the garage for a hands-on demonstration of pewter lid attachments.

June 17 brought us to Torrington, CT, for a meeting hosted by Ray and Madeline Huber. After a delicious turkey dinner with all t he f i x i ngs , Les Wh i t ham s h o w e d examp les o f s te in repai rs w i th s o m e advice on when repairs are worth doing. Our host, Ray Huber, then gave a most interesting talk on his railroad memorabilia collection and how it led to his collecting of steins and other related items.

August 12 was a beach day in Scituate, MA, at the oceanfront summer home of Bob and Jackie Gracie. Members who

attended the Houston convention were most complimentary of their July experi­ence and reported on the proceedings. Art Slicer brought a video on the village in Germany where the 2002 convention will be he ld . John O 'Conno r and Marsha Roode brought some artifacts from some very early SCI meetings in the 60's and hopefully they can be shared at the next convention in New York City. As usual, a lovely meal was enjoyed with the added pleasure of an ocean view. Then our veter­an speaker, Dave Harr, gave a wonderful talk on his collection of in-laid porcelain lids.

J. Marie Stevenson, Secretary

Die Golden Zecher

An update of Die Golden Zecher happen­ings. February 12 - The meeting was held at the Taus Haus with much Gemüchlikeit, good beer, and the usual German fare of Spä tz le , pork roast and s u m p t u o u s desserts. The Zechers braved a miserable co ld ra iny n ight to c o m e hear Dave Cantwell, a collector of beer steins and antiques for over 25 years. He gave an interesting lecture a% well as a slide pre­sentation of stoneware antique steins and some new steins. The election results for 2000 are: Fred Ell is, Pres ident , Arv id Frende, Vice-President, Harlean Mora-wie tz , Secretary /Treasurer , Les Paul , Chapter Representat ive, Fred Starke, Historian and Bea Taus, Reporter. An invi­t a t i on was e x t e n d e d to the Go lden Zechers by the Pacific Stein Sammlers to jo in them for the i r March 4 mee t i ng . Discussion was held on planning the West Coast Jamboree which is scheduled to take place May 4-7, 2000.

WEST COAST JAMBOREE was a smash­ing success!! ABOUT 80 SCI members c a m e f r om afar to en joy Die Go lden Zecher wonderful hospitality. Thanks to Harlean Morawietz who supplied everyone with a good map of the area, arranged a trip to Pier 39 in San Francisco, including a luncheon at the Swiss Louis, and coordi­nating the event. It was an expert job!!. And thanks to all those wonderful people who opened their homes. There was a

welcoming evening for weary travelers at the home of Steve and Suzanne Elliot. They enjoyed their various collections of wood carvings, ice cream scoopers, and the magic piano with band-playing o ld-t ime piano rolls. There were many SCI folks at the Hil lsborough Ant ique Show Thursday and Friday, and others visited old friends and toured on their own. Nancy and Steve Morris opened their home as a wayside rest area for people waiting for traffic to subside. It was a treat for every­one. Les Paul hosted Friday night's event featuring Dave Harr who gave demonstra­tions on repairing lids and pewter repair. Dave spent several hours demonstrating his outstanding talents and technique with interested people in attendance. Everyone enjoyed Les' awesome beautiful collection of steins.

The Golden Zechers meeting was held Saturday at the home of Bob and Veronica Faussner in Hillsborough. Despite a cold rainy day, there was much Gemiichlikeit and g rac ious w e l c o m i n g by the Faussners. Veronica served her delicious dinner with many choices in her beautiful presentat ion style. Viewing Bob 's and Veronica's regimental, character and PUG ste in co l l ec t i on was a b ig hi t . Andre Ammenlounx stepped in for Walt Vogdes and gave a great talk.

On Sunday morning (Antiques by the Bay was rained out) there was Brunch at the Taus Haus and more stein viewing. It was a l ively g roup , and o ld f r iends had a chance to catch up on their news. Gene and Marie Carvalho welcomed visitors to their lovely home. What a great opportuni­ty to see their fabulous stein collection as well as other collections.

Everyone who attended the JAMBOREE had a wonderful time and it was a week­end to remember desp i te the g loomy weather. I think the sun shone just one day but there was much Gemütl ichkeit and gracious hospital i ty at every event SCI members a t tended. Thanks to all who opened their homes so generously.

The August 12 meeting was held at the Taus Haus (due to Aurel Keek's illness). The Zechers received a special invitation from Colette and Bob Wilson to attend a May, 2 0 0 1 , meet ing at thei r home in Portervil le. At the general meet ing, the "surprised speaker" turned out to be Arvid Frende who gave a fascinating talk with slide presentation on the attraction of col­

lecting Budweiser steins and how to iden­tify those with greater value. He brought several steins from his collection to share. A summer German menu was served (brats, ch icken, German potato salad, peach, blueberry and plum kuchen). About 30 members attended. We were all happy to see and welcome Mel Pressler, and Aurel Keck.

Marie and Gene Carvalho's daughter who had endured a long illness passed away in August . Our condolences to them and their family.

Carolina Steiners

The summer meet ing of the Caro l ina Steiners was held in mid-July and was hosted by George Adams at his home in Pamplin, VA. It was a very comfortable day for July as George had set the ther­mostat on his shade tree "way-down" in preparat ion. The theme of the meeting was "A Smorgasbord of Steins" and sev­eral members made short presentations on various manufacturers and types of steins. George told us about one of his favorites — Thewalt. Joe Nash spoke on HR; Jerry Berg on cha rac te r ; T o m Pomozzi on A-B/Ceramart; Dan Schmidt on Mettlach; AI Honeycutt on both regi­mentals and glass; John Kelly on E. Bohne Söhne; and yours truly on Girmscheid and Hanke. These short presentations led to a lot of conversation and introduction into areas with which not all of us had familiari­ty. After the presentations George and a crew of his friends treated our group to a delicious "outdoor-fest" of prime rib and fixin's. A gathering of approximately thirty m e m b e r s en joyed v iew ing G e o r g e ' s favor i te s te ins f rom the 17th Century through present day manufacture. There was also an opportunity to add to person­al collections through George's business, Steins Unlimited, and tables of members' steins.

Our autumn meeting was held on October 14. The event was hos ted by fo rmer Caro l ina S te ine rs ' P res iden t , Henry Burgwyn, and marked the fifth anniversary of the Carolina Steiners in the city of origi­nat ion, Raleigh, NC. Through Henry 's efforts, and with help from our members, our number has grown from 10 to over 80 in just 5 years. On top of that, Carolina Steiners is a very widespread group enlist­

ing members from North Carolina, South Caro l ina , V i rg in ia , Georg ia , and Tennessee. To mark this occasion, we inv i ted Mr. Me t t l ach and Mas te r Steinologist, Steve Steigerwald, to provide our program. Several members brought examples to aid with Steve's informative program on V&B-Met t l ach ' s beaut i fu l mosaic steins. Steve also gave a preview of the 2001 SCI Convention to be hosted by his chap te r a f f i l i a t ion , the Th i rs ty Knights. The meeting was held at Sam's Steakhouse where we were treated to a del ic ious buffet dinner. We again had about th i r ty in a t tendance (not all the same) and many of us added to our col­lections with pieces from the stein sales tables.

We have scheduled hosts for our 2001 meetings: for winter-spr ing — Don and Loretta Franz, Hendersonville, NC (near Asheville); for summer — Jody and Millie Wyse, Inman, SC (near Spartanburg); and for autumn — Dan and Kathy Kirkland, Charlotte, NO All persons with an interest in steins are invited to attend. I've noticed many in the membership directory who are not members of chapters. Contact a chapter and multiply your enjoyment of SCI! We'd love to have you.

Jody Wyse, President

Pennsylvania Keysteiners

The meet ing o f the Pennsy lvan ia Keysteiners was held September 17 at the home of Robyn and John Mer tz in Burnham, PA. 40 attended. Members and guests indulged in great hors-doeuvres while viewing the fine steins brought for sale. A delicious feast followed.

The meeting was called to order by Joe Bergmaier, president, who thanked the hosts for a lovely party.

The Minutes were read and approved with one correction. The Web site of the group is keysteiners.8k.com. Motion to approve was made by Martin Estep.

Carolyn Estep gave the treasurer's report wh i ch was app roved on a mo t ion by Clarence Riley.

Martin Estep would like to set up a picture and sales page on the Web site.

Clarence Riley addressed the topic of next year's convention at the Meadow Lands, NJ.

Shirley Schnitzlein won the Stein Drinkers Drawing.

Shirley's "show & tell" was her "Fantasy" miniature stein of Edward (Scissorshand) and gave a review on the story which Dagmar Rives had translated.

Millie Detrick showed and descr ibed a pretty Munich Maid bisque dish. She and Glenn will host the January meeting.

Joe introduced the speaker, David Haar from Sturbridge, MA, leading expert on cha rac te r s te ins . He f i rs t s h o w e d a Bayreuth pitcher, circa 1749, as well as two glass steins which he had just pur­chased at the sales table. David gave a wonderful talk on character steins, illus­trating it with many fine examples from his collection. It was a delightfully informative presentation.

The meeting adjourned.

Nancy Meyer Gingrich, Secretary

Thoroughbred Stein Verein

The f o l l ow ing members o f the Thoroughbred Stein Verein were elected to office at the last meeting:

President, Lee Oberhausen Vice President, Andy Shockley Secretary, Drema Harden Treasurer, Nelson Hager Editor, Roger Grim

Robert L. Scully, Secretary

Thirsty Knights

the Houston Convention, which was very success fu l . (Approx imate ly 25 of our Thirsty Knights Chapter members attend­ed.) About 250 steins were on our display tables for sale and trade. I viewed some happy faces peeling out cash and walking away with their purchases. (Steins - what else!)

Ralph Agost in i brought three unusual Student Prince steins for show and tell. Charlotte Whitham showed a pewter stein, which she had purchased some 12 years ago, which had a tear on the lid. David Harr made a remarkable repair that is visu­ally perfect, and it was passed around the tables for us to view. Charlotte said it was wor th the 12-year wait . We we lcomed past members Mr. & Mrs. H. Valdata. Also attending was Gary Kirsner from Florida.

Steve Steigerwald gave a preview of our upcoming NY Convention. After much dis­cussion, everything seems to be falling into place.

Bob Alutin won our 50-50 raffle. After win­ning the 50-50 raffles at two chapter meet­ings in a row (giving one back to our chap­ter) Dan Dipr iano d idn ' t win th is t ime. Sorry Dan!

Our meeting was adjourned, and our next mee t ing wi l l t ake p lace a t the Plattdeutsche Restaurant on Long Island.

Mary Mento, Secretary

Florida Sun Steiners

On Saturday, September 16, 2000, at the Sheraton Meadowlands hotel, we opened our meeting with 46 members attending. Our president, Marty Cameli, spoke about

The S e p t e m b e r meet ing of the Sun Steiners was held at the home of Bruce and Barbara Burner on Merr i t t Is land. There was a good crowd present for the stein trading and selling, with plenty of beer and goodies being consumed.

President Dick Weise opened the meeting, thanking the Burners for their hospitality in opening their large lovely home to the club for the meeting.

Motion was made and accepted to waive reading of the minutes and the treasurer's repor t was shor t and swee t by J im DeMars, standing in for Bill Mayer. A bal­ance of $1,546 was voted and accepted by all.

Cher Spiritos was celebrating her birthday and good naturedly accepted a question­able rendition of 'happy birthday' sung to her by everyone.

We all were pleased to see Bill and Mary De Frenn and especially glad to see Bill looking so great after his recent surgery.

Dick Weise reminded everyone that it is t ime for election of officers for the new year and if anyone would like to volunteer for a particular office or nominate anyone else, to notify either him or Jim DeMars.

The next meeting will be in Naples at the home of Dick & Dodie Weise and J im DeMars announced that it wou ld be a "free lunch" for everyone - a once a year treat by the club.

Jim then distributed the new membership director ies that Dodie and Dick Weise made. He drew attention to an article in "Beer Stein" magazine that Walt Vodges, master steinologist and Sun Steiner, had written. Also noted that a collection of gray c rocke ry Gas thaus mugs f r om Jer ry Norcross were for sale.

The important question of whether or not the Sun Steiners would be willing to host an international convention was asked. After much discussion and explanation of the responsibilit ies and expectat ions, it was voted and agreed that we wou ld host the 2003 convention in Orlando. The date would be in June rather than the usual July date. The rest of the meeting was pretty much covering details of the many chores that needed to be coordi­nated for the convention. Everyone must take a part - many hands making lighter work of an extremely heavy-duty j ob . Everyone acknowledged that Jim DeMars and Gary Kirsner would carry the lion's share, but would be depending on the entire club to carry it out.

The 50/50 raffle amounted to $42.50 and was won by Will and Estey Taylor. Our hos t w o n one d o o r p r ize and Pete Sp i r i t os w o n the o ther . The meet ing adjourned and everyone enjoyed a deli­c ious Ital ian meal . Our thanks to the Burners for a great day.

Dodie Weise, Secretary

Upper Midwest Society of Steinologists

A score of enthusiastic steinologists from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa and Kansas closed ranks at the Bloomington home of Rich and Maggie Cress to extend a hearty midwest Willkommen to seven guests at our late summer meeting in September, a m o n g them SCI ' s new Execu t i ve Director, Nora McClintock.

A superb autumnal meal to which all pre­sent contributed was preceded by a short business meeting, presided over by out­going president Earl Christy. Rich Cress shared his knowledge of American napkin rings from the latter half of the last century wi th us and showed us several of his favorite pieces. Nancy Helmstadter, the mother of our Executive Director, sur­prised Rich at the end of his talk by pre­sent ing h im wi th a beaut i fu l ly w o o d -carved napkin ring which had been in her husband's collection. Since most napkin rings were done in silver, this new addition will f ind a favored spot in Rich's ever­growing collection.

Our last official meeting of the millennium year will be held at the home of Art and Judie Maethner on Saturday, November 1 1 . Our guest speaker wil l be Master Steinologist Steve Steigerwald. We are looking forward to his presentation with a great deal of anticipation.

Art Maethner, Secretary

Michisteiners

The May 2000 meet ing was held in a beautiful setting at the summer home of Marsha Kuyers in Muskegon on Lake Michigan. She was assisted by co-host Gil Grevel, who plied his skills as the desig­nated chef for the day.

Marsha, whose knowledge and collection of antiques covers a wide range, present­ed an interest ing program on German porcelain. Her major emphasis for this talk was on Schaffer and Vater. It included the history of the company, the characteristics of the pieces, and the identifying marks. We were able not only to see, but also to t o u c h , vases , p i t che rs , d i shes , wal l plaques and animal f igurines. It was a beautiful day, and an enjoyable meeting with kudos to Marsh and Gil for making it so.

The August 2000 meeting was held at the new res idence of Don L imper t in Manchester, Ml . Don may have left the pas tora l se t t ing of his fa rm when he moved to his new residence, but he has imbued the later wi th that same rural charm and detachment from hectic city life that has always made it a pleasure to visit with him. The potluck dinner was plentiful, delicious and unresistable for seconds. M e m b e r s d i s p l a y e d , d i s c u s s e d and exchanged newly acquired steins, some of which had been purchased over the net­work.

Don Limpert hosted the August meeting at his new res idence . Twe lve members attended. Following a social period, we had a del ic ious meal of bratwurst and sauerkraut, prepared by our host, and augmented by a tasty variety of potluck dishes brought by the people attending. Thanks again Don.

The meet ing was ca l led to o rder by President Mike Tremblay. The minutes and treasury reports were accepted as read. Members displayed and discussed newly purchased steins, some of which had been purchased over the internet.

Don reported that the NABA will be hold­ing its next national meeting at the Holiday Inn, Ann Arbor, Ml in August 2001. Non-members will be welcome to attend some, but not all, of the meeting sessions. The sess ions open to n o n - m e m b e r s wi l l include those with steins, as well as brew-eriana, for sale. Any Michisteiner desiring to join NABA should contact Don Limpert or Jim Kaiser for information on applying. Jim Kaiser is general chairman for that meeting.

A Sad Note: A good friend and long time member, Don MacKenzie passed away this week. He will be missed by all of us who knew him.

Bo Boresch, Secretary

Western Ohio Stein Jaeger

Our May meeting was held on Saturday, May 13. Our speakers were members John Siepple and Tim Eissler, who spoke on "How to find steins and what to look out for."

We held our annua l p i cn ic a t the Taylorsville Dam again this year on July 22. We had a show and tell, as we do at all of our meetings, and we had great weath­er this year.

On July 29 our very own Louis Foster was gracious enough to host an Open House, and he had his entire collection on display. Dinner f o l l o w e d the Open House a t Maenne rcho r in C o l u m b u s , O H . The Maennerchor is the oldest German singing society in North Amer ica, and a great restaurant.

On September 23, we were fortunate to have another Open House, this time at Jim and Betty Buchannan's house. Everyone was impressed with how well J im (and Betty!) have their steins displayed. Dinner fo l lowed at the Cookers Restaurant in Dayton. Thanks to Jim and Betty for open­ing their house to us, and thanks to Louis for his open house and for starting a new trend for us.

Prosit! Mark Brookey

Gambrinus

The Gambrinus Club met on August 27 at the home of Mark and Laura Fiebrandt in Crofton, MD, for what has become a tradi­tional event; featuring Mark's great cook-out and Laura's providing the remaining dishes to complete a wonderful dinner. Including our hosts, we had thirty stein collectors. Guests included several relative newcomers: Bill and Dixie Trainer, former members of the Thirsty Knights, but now living in Virginia; Eric and Jennifer Solzano, Jeff and Carl Coriaole.

Frank Loev i 's p resenta t ion on Bohne steins, a somewhat abbreviated version of the we l l - r ece i ved one he gave to an apprec ia t ive audience at the Houston Convention, was enjoyed by all present at the August meeting.

For our May meeting, Mark Fiebrandt sug­gested members bring items for sale at $100.00 or less per item. About 60 were s h o w n . A t the Augus t m e e t i n g , Mi l t Schnitzlein offered 10-12 items for $25.00 each. Bargain Day! I am sure every collec­tor has items to offer in the $100.00 range. For $25.00, I don' t know. Most of these have already gone to thrift shops or rela­tives. We will probably try $100.00 again.

A t t endees were f rom as far away as Pennsylvania, New Jersey and the mouth of the James River in Tidewater, Virginia. Look it up on the map!

Lone Star Chapter

The Fall meeting was held at the summer home of Joe and Irene Haralson at Lake Austin on September 9 with thirty mem­bers present. Arriving from 10 a.m. on, with steins for sale or trade, we drank German and domestic beer and ate plenty of snacks.

At noon, our hosts, Joe and Irene, ably assisted by Harold and Eloise Tisdal, and Larry and Karen Mayes, presented us with a fabulous meal consis t ing of br isket, sausage, chicken, cole slaw, potato salad, beans and pickles.

The meeting was started at 1 p.m. by our p res iden t , Lawrence Beckendor f f . Lawrence and Dave Cantwel l thanked everyone for their t remendous help in pu t t i ng on one of t he best Nat iona l Conventions ever. Comments were read f rom all over the country on how well everything ran. Gifts were presented to the fol lowing members for their help at the Convent ion : Irene Haralson, Hostess; Dennis Kni f fe , Genera l He lp ; Brent Laswel l , Hospi ta l i ty Room; Harry and Venta Ott, T-shirts. Door prizes were won by Brent Laswe l l , Venta Ot t , Shie la Freeman, and Dave Cantwell. The meeting adjourned for dessert, which consisted of choco la te pecan, coconu t cream and strawberry pie. A special thanks to the

cleanup committee, led by Harold Tisdal and the hosts. What a party to remember!

Harry W. Ott, Secretary

Uppersteiners

The members of the Uppersteiners of New York met in Dansvil le, NY, on Sunday, October 1 for their annual fall meeting.

We were honored to have the President of SCI, Clarence Riley with us. he drove from his home near Harrisburg, PA. President Riley addressed some of the benefits of SCI membership when we considered a by-law change requiring SCI membership by all members of The Uppersteiners. The motion to change the by-laws to require SCI membersh ip passed by an over­whelming majority.

The Nominating Committee presented its slate of officers. There were no additional nominations. The officers elected for a two year term were:

President - Barbara Zabinski Vice President - Doug Lane Secretary - Jim Babcock Treasurer - Dick Milewski

Vice President Doug Lane volunteered to host the next meeting on May 6, 2001.

Mr. John DeVolder spoke on the history of the Rochester, NY, breweries and includ­ed slides of many of the advertising pieces they distributed. Mr. DeVolder is President of the Eastern Coast Breweriana Assoc­iation (ECBA) as well as the President of the Wayne Coun ty An t i ques Dealers Association.

It should be noted that it was a bright sunny day and the drive to Dansville, NY through the lovely upstate hills with fall colors was spectacular.

Jim Babcock, Secretary

The Dracula Stein

by S.J. Brainard

Cloak of black and hair of grey,

Count Dracula, you've made my day And any price for you I'd pay. Will two C-notes do? Is that bat so near your arm Part of your old world charm? With just a bite or two.

There's a lady to your rear With long red hair it does appear And fangs a brave man might just fear, She forms a handle, too. You are at least twelve inches tall Making other new Böhnes small And dressed for a fancy ball. Are skull buttons new?

Greg Hilderbrandt made your design And he was kind enough to sign His name twice on the stein, And also on the base. Your base is also numbered, too, With thirty five hundred made of you, That is really rather few, When buying by the case.

I'm the first in the U.S.A. to own a Dracula stein today, And like other Stahls to come my way We must thank M. Cornell. Henry travels to Germany Seeking character steins for me, And his friend I'll always be Because he does so well.

H R Bicycle Steins by Marty Cameli

In the years 1956 to 1958 I served in the U.S. Army s igna l Co rps in Bob l i gen , Germany, a little town outside of Stuttgart. I noticed many Germans made their trav­els via bicycle. It was after World War II,

and gasoline was 75 cents a gallon on the German market. If you were a lucky G.I. and had a vehicle overseas, gas was only 14 cents a gallon on military bases. Most German cars ran on diesel, which was cheaper than gasol ine. Many Germans couldn't afford cars, and the bicycles were their transportation. Today, bicycles are common throughout the wor ld. In most countr ies bicycles outnumber automo­biles. The chief bicycle-producing nations are Brazi l , China, Italy, Japan , Korea, Taiwan, and the U.S.A. Bicycles to this day are a major source of transportation in

many countries, especially in less-devel­oped nations of the world. The history of the bicycle goes back to 1817 when Baron Karl Von Drais of Germany invented the first bike. Many other inventors along the way have improved the bicycle up until the present. I collect HR steins, four of which are bicycle steins. I have only seen these four and don't know if any other HR cycle steins exist. But you never know when another might show up. It would be great to hear from any bicycle collector who has a different HR bike stein f rom the four shown in the article.

Figure 1. A pottery relief HR 459 1/2-liter stoneware stein.

Figure 4. HR 438 is a picture of the thumb lift which shows a man with a high wheeler, this type of bike was also known as a Bayliss-Thomas Ordinary bike invented around 1879.

Figure 2. An etched HP 438 1/2-liter stein.

Figure 5. HR 166 1/2-liter etched porcelain stein of a man riding a high wheeler.

Figure 3. HR 438 side view of a couple waving goodbye, with steins in their hands.

Figure 6. HR 187/84 1/2-liter hand painted porcelain stein. This is a very rare HR. The scene is a man and a woman on a three-wheel bike built for two.

Girmscheid Salt-Glazed Steins by Les Hopper

Before discussing Girmscheid salt-glazed steins, let's look at the background behind th is s tudy . The size of the sample of Girmscheid's steins which were reviewed should be considered. The author's collec­t i on con ta ins 236 G i rmsche id s te ins signed by artist Karl Beuler (KB) and 52 signed by artist "GK," 17 signed by artist Rudy Dekker (RD), 4 by stein distributor Theodor Weislier (TW) and 10 unsigned pieces. This total of 319 pieces represent a good cross sect ion of the variety of steins produced by Girmscheid. Of this number (319), there are 14 pieces manu­factured by them using the salt-glazed technique. This would indicate that not a large part (4.4%) of Girmscheid's produc­tion was done in salt glaze.

Various characteristics of these salt glazed steins are listed in Table A.

It was important that the steins under study be properly identif ied. The rather obvious first step in identifying them is the i r be ing marked w i th one o f the G i rmsche id marks shown in f igure 1. Based on the overall sample, Girmscheid put one of their marks on only 3.7 percent of the 319 steins manufactured by them in the au thor ' s co l lec t ion . By examin ing Table A the reader will note that seven of the 14 (50 percent) of the salt g lazed steins bear one of the Girmscheid marks.

Another key to ident i fy ing Gi rmscheid steins is their almost exclusive use of one of the variations of the twisted vine handle shown in figure 2. It should be noted that on rare occasions, the twisted vine handle has been used by other manufacturers. However, the use of this handle is a strong

indication that the stein was manufactured by Girmscheid. Again referring to Table A, note that 10 out of the 14 (71 percent) have this characteristic.

Yet another aid in identifying Girmscheid steins is the presence of an artist's signa­ture such as "KB," "GK," "RD" or the dis­t r ibutor "TW." In all but one case, the steins under study are so marked.

Again referring to Table A, the reader will note that all but one of the listed pieces have the word "GERMANY" incised into the stein's base. Since it is in a straight line and is in all capital letters, here is a third indication of a Girmscheid product.

Figure 1. Girmscheid factory marks.

Figure 2. Twisted vine handle. Figure 3. Molds numbered 85A, 92 and 158. Figure 4. Molds Numbered 653, 1016A and 194.

Table A Characteristics of Girmscheid Salt Glazed Steins

Mold Nr Signed Description and Size

Girm. Mark Other Bottom Marks

Vine Hand.

Reg. Glaze

85A GK Lady and Gentleman Sitting on a Bench - 1 Liter

None GERMANY, 85A, 10 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes No

92 GK Lady and Gentleman Sitting on a Bench - 1 Liter

None GERMANY, 92, 3 and Stylized Flower

Yes No

158 GK Drinking Scene - 1 Liter Type 2 GERMANY, 158, 7 and 4-Leaf Clover

No Yes 1

653 GK Man Kissing a Lady - 3 Liter

Type 2 GERMANY, 653 and 8 No No

1016 A

GK Two Dwarfs Drinking on a Tree Branch - 1 Liter

None GERMANY, 1016A, 10 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes No

194 KB Hunter Talking to Lady at a Well

None GERMANY, 194, 8 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes No

932 KB Man Toasting a Man and 2 Ladies at Table - 1.5 Liter

Type 5 932 and 8 No No

1029 KB Der Zithersoieler - 4 Liter Type 2 GERMANY, 1029,0 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes Yes 2

1033 KB Roman Couple - 3 Liter Type 2 GERMANY, 1033, 8 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes Yes 3

1041 KB Two Soldiers and a Bar Maid - 1 Liter

None GERMANY, 1041, 7 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes

• Yes 4

1048 KB Lady and Gentleman -1.5 Liter

None GERMANY, 1048 and 9 Yes Yes 5

1057 KB Tavern Scene (same design as 1058)-4 Liter

Type 2 GERMANY, 1057, 10 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes No

1058 KB Tavern Scene (same design as 1057)- 10 Liter

Type 2 GERMANY, 1058, 8 and Cross

No Yes 6

1175 KB Man with a Lady at a Table - .5 Liter

None GERMANY, 1175, 8 and 4-Leaf Clover

Yes No

1 Green, Tan and Brown piece is marked only with GERMANY, 198 and 6 2 Green, Tan and Brown piece is marked only with GERMANY, 1029 and 8 3 Green, Tan and Brown piece is marked only with GERMANY, 1033 and 0 4 Green, Tan and Brown piece is marked only with GERMANY, 1041 and 6 5 Green, Tan and Brown piece is marked only with GERMANY, 1048 and 6 6 Green, Tan and Brown piece is marked only with GERMANY and 1058

Figure 5. Molds numbered 932,1029 and 1033.

Figure 6. Molds numbered 1041, 1048 and 1057.

The steins under discussion are shown in figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

Based on the evidence developed, it is the author 's considered opinion that these salt-glazed pieces were manufactured by Girmscheid. Friendly debate with other collectors has challenged this conclusion, suggesting that since salt-glaze firing was sufficiently different from regular-glaze fir­ing, it is doubtful that Girmscheid actually manu fac tu red the sa l t -g lazed s te ins . Despite the fact that Table A shows that six of these salt glazed-steins were also manufactured in standard glaze form, my friends are still skeptical. They hypothesize that Girmscheid molds may have been used in a salt-glazed firing by another firm. At this my eyes glaze over, and not with salt-glaze! The overwhelming evidence is suf f ic ient for the author to s tate that Girmscheid did, in fact, manufacture salt glazed steins.

Author 's note: Special thanks to Mike Wald and David Harr who set me on the quest to prove that my assumptions on Girmscheid salt-glazed steins were cor­rect. Also thanks to Walt Vogdes for the careful edit of my first draft which facilitat­ed put t ing my final s tudy into a more understandable format.

Figure 7. Molds numbered 1058 and 1175.

Aviation History on a Beermug by John M. Guastad

1964 was a great year! Not only was I in command of the 3rd brigade of the 4th Armored Division in Germany, an assign­ment which I loved and, in all modesty, executed in grand style. There were, no doubt, many other events occurring in that year of equal, or possibly, even great sig­nificance. Let me tell you about one - the first New York to Berlin flight by PANAM on May 30/31,1964. See photo.

Pan American Airways was founded in 1927 and by the late 20th century was serving cities in many countries in North and South Amer ica , Europe, Asia and A f r i ca . In the early years one of the employee pilots and a surveyor of new routes was Charles A. Lindbergh.

Pan Amer i can i naugura ted the f i rs t t r anspac i f i c f l igh t (San F ranc isco to Manila) in 1936. The first transatlantic flight (New York to Lisbon) was in 1939.

Refer again to the photo. The mug you see carries the legend Erster Tat Flug der PAN

AM New York-Berlin 30/31 Mai 1964, ren­dered in blue and red paint in excellent condition. It is appropriately inscribed on a mug advert is ing SCHULTHEISS beer, then, as now, a well-known Berlin brew­ery. One can only speculate on how many were so inscribed and to whom they were presented. Certainly, each passenger and crew member on this historic flight would have received one. I was not among them, and found mine at a local thrift store at a giveaway price.

For those of you who like a good read, I recommend the novel "Night Over Water" by Ken Follett. It features a PAN AM flight from England to New York just a few days

af ter Br i ta in had dec la red war on Germany. In addition to the good and bad guys and gir ls, Pan Amer ican 's luxury Flying Clipper was, in itself, a major char­acter . The f ly ing boat made s tops in Ireland, New Foundland and Bay of Fundy before reaching New York.

While all of this may be of moderate inter­est to members of SCI, it seems to me that this historic mug should belong to a person or institution dedicated to the his­tory of commercial aviat ion. If such an entity exists, I would gladly donate, in perfect drinking condition, this identified flying object.

WE ALSO PURCHASE STEINS INDIVIDUALLY, OR COMPLETE COLLECTIONS.

PHONE: (847) 991-5927 F A X : (847) 991-5947