Marilyn Monroe

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! The beautiful blonde born Norma Jean Mortenson in Los Angeles on June 1, 1926 would be 83 years old this year. We can't seem to imagine her at that age since her beauty has forever been captured in just about anything and everything you can imagine.

Married at 16 and then discovered by a photographer, she soon found work at the Blue Book Modeling Studio. It was 1947-1948 that Marilyn had a brief stint in the movies, but it was Tom Kelley's "Golden Dreams" photograph of Marilyn that was appearing across the U.S. in magazines and calendars that totally changed her life in 1950. That was the year she secured a seven year contract with MGM studios. It was in 1953 with the debut of How to Marry a Millionaire and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes that skyrocketed Marilyn to stardom.

Joe Dimaggio and Marilyn found each other in 1953 and a divorce followed in 1954 with Arthur Miller as her husband in 1956 until 1961. With the looming threat of mental illness and Marilyn's other health problems, she took her life on August 5, 1962 with an overdose of barbiturates.

One of the most collected items of Marilyn Monroe are her beautiful photographs and calendars. Many reproductions are floating around, so be sure you authenticate any item with a Marilyn photograph before purchase.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty

Capodimonte Porcelain

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! Founded in 1743 by Charles IV, King of Naples, Capodimonte is the most famous of Italian factories. They started here producing a beautiful translucent soft-paste porcelain. The chief designer was Giuseppe Gricci who produced contemporary subjects and also is noted for the creation of the palaces of Portici and Aranjuez near Naples. Many wonderful wares and figures were produced during this beginning. These early 18th century porcelains command thousands of dollars.

Capodimonte of our recent 20th century, continues with wonderful designs in keeping with the artistic command of detail created so long ago in Naples, Italy.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty

McClelland Barclay

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! Born in 1891, McClelland Barclay is a recognized and accomplished painter, illustrator, sculptor, and jewelry designer from St. Louis, Missouri. One of Barclay's earliest awards was for the Navy Poster Prize in 1917 for his poster, "Fill the Breach."

McClelland Barclay had developed a successful art career by the time he became lieutenant in the Naval Reserve in 1938. It was during this time when Barclay created a company to start producing his jewelry designs and figural items for the home or office. His figural items, like the Sailfish we have pictured is currently up for auction on PurplePatty.com, were cast in metal with a thick bronze finish.

While Barclay worked in the Naval Recruiting office in New York during the early 1940s, he produced some of the Navy's most popular recruiting images of World War II. On July 18, 1943 while he had been aboard LST-342 sketching and taking photos, a Japanese submarine fired a torpedo that quickly sank the stern where Barclay and most of the crew lost their lives.

Since McClelland Barclay's death, he has been awarded the 1944 Art Directors Club Medal in recognition of his editorial illustration, advertising art and devotion as a commissioned officer. In 1995, the Society of Illustrators inducted Barclay into their Hall of Fame.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty

Fenton Opalescent

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! In 1905 a decorator and designer by the name of Frank L. Fenton started the Fenton Art Glass Company that offered decorating services to other manufacturers. It was in 1907 when the company moved to Williamstown, West Virginia and started manufacturing its own glass products.

Fenton produced several lines of glass including, carnival, chocolate, custard, and opalescent. It wasn't until the 1920s when Fenton introduced art glass and stretch glass. The 1930s saw the appearance of slag glass.

Because Fenton used a variety of paper labels to mark their products, it is by design that we recognize a Fenton piece manufactured prior to 1970. In 1970 the company started applying a raised trademark with Fenton in an oval circle. By 2000 a date code had been added to the trademark.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty

Crackle Glass

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! Dating back to the 16th century this glass finishing technique gives glass a cracked appearance, hence the name Crackle Glass.

In was in the late 1920s when Martin Bach of Durand Glass company brought back a line of Crackle Glass. The momentum of Crackle Glass popularity grew by the late 1930s and was manufactured well into the 1970s with over 500 manufacturers of this popular selling line. Some of the most noted Crackle Glass manufacturers besides Durand were Blenko, Pilgrim, Kanawha, and Bischoff.

One of the most popular collectible Crackle Glass items today are the lovely pitchers in an array of different colors.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty

FRANKOMA Pottery

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! In 1933 an instructor at Oklahoma University by the name of John Frank, established Frankoma Pottery in Norman, Oklahoma. Production moved in 1938 to Sapulpa, which resulted in fire destruction in 1939. John rebuilt his plant immediately and resumed production.

A honey-tan colored clay from Ada, Oklahoma was used to make Frankoma peices prior to 1954. After that date the company switched to a red brick clay from Sapulpa.

Fire again struck this company in 1983 and in July 1984 they opened their new facility. All the early molds were lost in the fire. Today's production comes from newly designed molds.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!
From your Super Shopper,
Purple Patty

Carnival Glass

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! Was it 1905 or 1907? There is disagreement on exactly when carnival glass was first introduced, but my personal opinion is that a couple of years should not cause too much controversy. This iridescent pressed glass, literally given away at the carnival as prizes, has been manufactured almost continuously 80+ years with the Jain Glass Works in India stopping production in 1986. Beware that there are period molds that have survived through time and are occasionally used to create reproductions.

Carnival glass has been manufactured in Australia, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden and the United States. Almost every major glass manufacturing country included carnival glass in their line of manufactured pressed glass. Some of the great USA manufacturers include Fenton, Imperial, Mosser, Dugan, Millersburg, and Northwood.

The beauty, color, and iridescent capture of light has made this pressed glass line one of the most collected glassware lines today. Prices have a wide range and when looking to make a purchase do not associate price with value. Purchase a good reference valuation guide before investing a large amount of money into this collectible.

Here's to a day full of Shopping and Smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty

Bauer Pottery

Greetings from the PurplePatty.com Community! In 1885 John Bauer from Paducah, Kentucky started the Paducah Pottery. When John died in 1898 his brother, John Andrew Bauer took over the pottery and in 1909 moved the operations to Los Angeles, California.

In 1913 the pottery's award winning art line was introduced, followed by the stoneware vases. In 1931 Bauer Pottery began producing its most recognizable pottery today called, Ring ware. Jugs, pitchers and bowls alike with the molded rings in bright color glazes included 100+ different shapes and sizes in table and kitchen wares. This was Bauer Pottery's most successfully distributed and profitable pottery pattern.

As most early pottery companies were experiencing heavy competition, it was the competition and a mean strike in 1961 that closed the doors of the Bauer Pottery company.

Here's to a day full of shopping and smiles!

From your Super Shopper,

Purple Patty