Issue 143 — May 28, 2012

Stein Zeitung
Erste Gruppe, the Southern California Chapter of Stein Collectors International
To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
Erste Gruppe Chapter Bulletin:
Issue No. 143
Special Notice:
28 May 2012
Inside this issue:
Due to Frank Poppie Jr’s health issue, the
June 16, 2012 EG chapter meeting that was scheduled
for the Poppies’ residence in Monterey Park, has been
relocated to the American Museum of Ceramic Art
(AMOCA), about 20 miles east on Hwy I-10 at 399 N.
Garey Avenue, Pomona, CA 91767. Hours will start at
2:00 PM and go to 8:00 PM. You will be receiving an
official announcement shortly from the Kellogg’s.
The AMOCA is where the Bob Wilson's 3,000
piece Mettlach collection is stored. There will be a small
display of Bob's Mettlach and we can peruse the whole
museum as a group during the party.
John Piet, SCI Webmaster, is still scheduled to
speak on "German Student Association Steins".
Any questions can be addressed to me at
drroydesel@aol.com and you may send your meeting and
party fee of $20.00 per person to Dr. Roy De Selms at
1309
Seven
Hills Temecula
Dr., Hemet,CACa92589.
92545. Tel: 951-765PO Box
891491,
5423 before 9:00 PM.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
EG Officers & Chapter Meeting Dates
Erste Gruppe Chapter News and Updates
EG Meeting Minutes
Trip Report, Portland/Tacoma, Roy/Sue Kellogg
Article, an Interesting Bicycle Stein, John Mann
AMOCA event, showing the Wilson Collection.
Erste Gruppe Officers for 2012
President
1st Vice President
2nd Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Historian
SZ Assembler
Board Members
Looking forward to seeing you there - Roy De Selms,
Erste Gruppe VP.
Roy Kellogg
Roy De Selms
Elliot Jones
Sue Kellogg
Roy Kellogg
Sharon Cooley
John Mann
Ravi Patel, Frank Poppie, Bill
Gaumer, Pat Cunningham
Erste Gruppe Chapter meetings, 2012
(G-General, B-Board, SCI-Convention)
June 16 (Date and Location Changed due to
illness): to be held at the AMOCA, Pomona, CA.
Guest speaker, John Piet, "German Student
Association Steins"
July 28
Temecula (B)
August 15 - 17
Annapolis, MD, (SCI)
Sept. 8 (Changed: was 15) Stevenson Ranch (B)
Oct. 13
Ojai (G)
Guest Speaker, Walt Vogdes
Oct. 27 (Special Event)
Oktoberfest at AMOCA
Dec. 8
Taix French Restaurant, Los Angeles (G)
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hospital. He is thrilled to be home, although walking with
the assistance of a walker, he is sleeping in his own bed,
eating well and utilizing the bathroom without assistance.
The Dr. said he was in good physical shape due to his
routine daily exercising and walking. Victor is looking
forward to receiving cards from EG’ers.
Golden Gate Zecher 2012 Event Calendar
April 28
Vallejo
Sept. 8
TBD
Nov. 10
TBD
Dec. 8
Harry’s Hofbrau, Redwood City
PSS meetings 2012
June 2
Sept. 15
Dec. 8
Bainbridge Isl., WA
Lake Chelan, WA
TBD
Victor L. Lopez
552 Center Lane
Santa Paula, CA 93060
Sue Kellogg
Erste Gruppe Chapter News:
Sad news from Jean Belsha. Tom, Ruthe White's son
said, “Ruthe passed away this weekend at her home in
Santa Monica”. She had been ill for the past year and
experienced many falls, hospital visits surgery, etc. I will
miss our daily emails. For you "old timers", you will
surely remember Ruthe and Bob White and their fabulous
collections. Ruthe was 90 years old.
Membership:
In February, membership renewal notices were
sent out to our 30 non-lifetime members who pay annual
dues. Six (6) of these dues paying members have failed to
respond to our request to renew their membership. We
can only assume that they have made a conscious
decision not to renew their membership, however this
may not be the case and you may be able to provide an
encouraging word to them to renew their membership.
We would sincerely like to have these members back
within our group. The following listed members did not
renew their membership.
Sue Kellogg
In Memory of Ruthe Loleta (Peterson) White
December 24, 1921 - April 1, 2012
Jim and Cheryl Armstrong
Al and Helen Dennis
Dick and Julie Hughes
Paul Newman *
Tim Peters *
John Riddle
*Removed from Stein Zeitung mailing list.
Frank Poppie Jr: Frank has been hospitalized for
treatment of his high blood pressure. Lee is concerned for
Frank’s health and feels that they cannot support the EG
party that was scheduled for 16 June 2012. Lee sends her
regrets and hopes that you will understand.
The friends and family of Ruthe Loleta (Peterson) White
have respectfully requested that her obituary remain
private. A brief note from her children follows. Our
beloved mother Ruthe was born on December 24, 1921 at
St. Nicholas Hospital in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Her
parents, Walter and Margaret Peterson lived and worked
on a farm and her father sold fruits and vegetables out of
his truck to support the family.
Victor Lopez: I received an email from Lotti Lopez last
night about her husband, Victor. They are old time Erste
Gruppe members. Vic has taken a number of falls,
resulting in subdural hematomas and required surgery
(They drilled two holes in his skull to remove the blood
and relieve the pressure). He has been progressing rather
speedily, and he would LOVE receiving cards, notes, etc.
from friends of EG.
Hello, I am Sandy Gohlich, John Bryson's
daughter, and I'm afraid I have sad news that my dad
passed away on March 15th at the age of 96. He had
Vic Lopez update 21 May 2012: The GOOD news is
that the Dr. released him yesterday after five days in the
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been in declining health for the last few years, and finally
a combination of old age and various illnesses ended his
life. He always had a wonderful sense of humor, telling
jokes and funny stories up until the end. As you know, he
loved collecting steins and attending the stein club
meetings. We will be having a celebration of life for him
next month and I would like to get the information to any
members that may want to attend. Thank you, Sandy
Minutes from the EG General Meeting at the
Kellogg’s on 3-31-2012
A short Board Meeting was held prior to the
general meeting at the Kellogg’s on March 31, 2012.
The general meeting was called to order by
president, Roy Kellogg, at 4:20 PM. The minutes from
the Dec. meeting were read and approved.
The
treasurer’s report was given as $11,238. Expenses for the
secretary for the year were $280, for mailing, stamps, and
printing. $136 went for the publishing of the Stein
Zeitung. Annual fee to have the Website is $50. Our
annual speaker’s fee was over $150.
We currently have 25 annual dues paying
members, as of March 31st. We also received two
donations by members.
It was announced that AMOCA, the American
Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona will have an exhibit
in Oct. of Bob Wilson’s massive stein collection of over
3000 pieces. Two thirds of his collection will be on
display for 3 months. On Oct. 27, an Oktoberfest
celebration will be held there with German food to be
sold on the premises. Money for food and a donation will
go towards the museum. This will be from noon to 8 PM.
Roy DeSelms will give a talk at 6 PM. All chapters will
be invited to attend this event. Information on this
activity will be in the next issue of PROSIT.
Sharon Cooley has found a place for us to have
our annual Dec. holiday meeting and dinner at a
restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, called TAIX. where
the 101 and 10 freeways meet. It is a French restaurant
and should be easy for people to attend. It is near Sunset
and Alvarado and requires a $200 deposit for us to
reserve a room. There are 3 dates to choose from with
dinners ranging from $12.95-$29; including a choice of
two entrees. This also includes dessert and salad. A
motion was made to accept the date of Dec. 8.and to put
the $200 deposit down.
It was recommended that when a speaker from
our own club gives a talk, that he/she not pay for their
dinner at that meeting.
A discussion on owning a Power Point Projector
for our own club was mentioned. Presently, only a few
members own one and they have to be borrowed for a
speaker to use. It was suggested that the club purchase
our own equipment for $400-$500, and then our club will
own one. It was decided to wait to buy one because of
new types coming out on the market so fast.
Officer openings: Still need volunteers for the
position of President next year.
Master Steinologist nominee for 2012 was
suggested for Chris Wheeler. This was agreed on and
seconded by the club.
Walt Vogdes service award for 2012: We
nominated Ravi Patel and all agreed and the vote was
Memoriam John Bryson
John S. Bryson of Morro
Bay, CA passed away
peacefully on March 15,
2012 at the age of 96. He
was born Feb. 11, 1916 in
Los Angeles.
He
graduated
from
Polytechnic High School
in 1934. He went on to
UCLA and graduated in
1940. He served in the
Navy during WWII, and
after the war became a Merchant Seaman traveling the
world for a couple of years. He loved to travel and
eagerly embraced other cultures and languages. He was
fluent in German and Japanese.
John and his wife, Nina, were married in 1951
and moved to Burbank where they raised their two
daughters. He worked for Los Angeles County for 32
years as a Deputy Probation Officer. He retired from the
county in 1976 and enjoyed a long and active retirement.
He and Nina loved the California Central Coast and
decided to move to Arroyo Grande in 1990. He was
extremely active in his senior years and thought nothing
of going for a 50 mile bicycle ride up until his late 70’s.
John was an avid beer stein collector and enjoyed
the camaraderie of the Erste Gruppe Stein Club. He
enjoyed going to the conventions, especially in Germany
where he could put his German fluency to good use. In
addition to beer stein collecting and bicycle riding, he
loved literature, classical music, opera, and old movies.
His all-time favorite comedians were Stan Laurel and
Oliver Hardy. John had a marvelous sense of humor and
enjoyed telling and hearing a good joke.
John is survived by his wife, Nina; his daughters
Vicki Van Hazelen (Bob) and Sandy Gohlich (Rick), and
3 grandsons. A family gathering to celebrate his life will
be held in Arroyo Grande, CA in April, and a larger
celebration of life will be held in Los Angeles in May.
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seconded. He meets all the current criteria necessary for
the award.
Further discussion about the AMOCA museum
and our club’s presence as stein collectors was
mentioned. This may help interest people who are now
members of any club as yet.
A big thank you was given to the Kellogg’s for
hosting the meeting.
It was mentioned that a former member, John
Bryson, had passed away in March. His obituary was
shown on the Kellogg’s computer and an article will
appear in the next issue of SZ about him.
Meeting was adjourned at 5:10 PM.
This was followed by a power point presentation
by Master Steinologist, Roy DeSelms on translating
German inscriptions on steins.
House for all who were in town from their stein club and
Golden Gate Zechers and Erste Gruppe. We had so much
fun talking with everyone and being entertained by Ron
Fox and Les Paul. Les was between chemo treatments
and he was in top form. He felt wonderful and look
fantastic. They told us so many stories from the past that
we are unable to repeat here.
Roy and Sue’s trip to Portland, OR and Tacoma, WA
We woke up this morning ready to begin our
driving trip north to the Pacific Northwest to see our
friends in PSS chapter in Portland, OR and Tacoma, WA.
Looked out the window and was 37 degrees, with snow
on the ground! But we were able to leave our driveway
and go down our hilly roads without any trouble. We had
to fill up with gas at $4.23/gal. Lovely drive, snow on the
mountains, good traffic, and weather was cool, but sunny.
We drove over 565 miles that first day and made
it to Redding. Listened to all the locals talking in the
motel and they were saying chains were needed for the
rest of the drive. We did bring them with us this time, but
as luck would have it, we never had to use them. We
browse in any antique stores that we found along the way.
You never know what treasures may be hidden inside.
Started to snow as we left and temps dropped to 33. The
fir trees all around us were just like you see in Christmas
scenes, all heavily laden with snow.
We arrived in Oregon and noted the price of gas
had dropped to $3.96/gal. Roy remembered NOT to get
out of the car to fill the tank, for you cannot use the gas
pump yourself in this state. Now the snow turned to rain.
But we were able to find more antique stores to pass the
time in Springfield and Aurora. That is the birthplace of
our cement statue of Bambi that we bought last year. We
told the owners and they remembered the hassle of
getting that lawn decoration into our car!
We arrived at Lyn and Janine Ayers home in
Vancouver, WA, right across the river from Portland, OR.
The evening fun started when Phil Masenheimer and
Steve Natoli arrived to stay there too. We all took off for
the Portland Expo the next morning, Cherry Pickin’ Day,
before the admission prices would be lowered the next
day for the public. We met so many people from different
stein groups; we kept asking each other, what did you
find? That evening, the Ayers held their annual Open
The PSS meeting was held at Salmon Creek
Micro Brewery and Restaurant in Vancouver, WA with a
great menu, mucho Micro Beers, and of course, a whole
room with Les Paul’s steins set up.
Walt Vogdes asked me to sell tickets for their
50/50 raffle; I made the most money for them for this
event! How nice, the owner of the restaurant was the big
winner and was absolutely delighted.
Ted and Glenna Scheer were able to attend, for
there were no stairs to prohibit Glenna’s wheel chair. We
miss Ted and Glenna, who have been EG members for
many years. Their home is no longer on the market, and
they are happy where they are but miss so many of their
friends.
Sunday we left the Ayers home to meet up with
the Scheer’s for brunch in Tualitin, OR. You can see
from their photo how well they look.
We departed from there, saying good bye to the
Ayers and headed for Tacoma to visit Phil and Peggy
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Masenheimer. We had so much fun, food, and laughter
there, while we toured their vast collections of steins,
plaques, roosters, mail boxes, monk collections, etc.
They live in a Historical Victorian House that is
registered. The furnishings, light fixtures, woodwork,
and glass are just marvelous. We spent the night with
them and again were treated to a groaning table of
breakfast goodies.
We are so happy to have met so many wonderful
people not only in our club, but other stein clubs as well.
We took our time in returning home and went along the
Coast Highway. Stopped at any antique stores that we
found, visited the famous Tillamook Dairy and sampled
their delicious ice cream; collected Starbuck gift cards for
Sue Fox. Even stopped by the Santa Ynez Mission near
Solvang. Arrived home March 8, to 80 degree weather
and had put almost 3000 miles on the car.
Can’t wait to do it all over again! God willing
and the creek don’t rise.
An interesting Bicycle stein found on
German eBay.
Article assembled by John Mann, dedicated to John Bryson
Bibliography: Compiled from various sources available on
the internet and thanks to Dr Roy DeSelms who directed
me to eBay.
The stein appears to be made of
stoneware/cream-ware exhibiting a handle typical of
some Marzi Remy steins; the impressed mark on the
bottom appears to be the number 3 (no other markings).
Sue Kellogg
The 2012 SCI Convention will be held AUG 15-17
in Annapolis, Maryland.
Check out the 2012 Convention Promotional Video now
available on the SCI Web Site, Look for Convention
NEWS. http://www.steincollectors.org/
The artwork on the stein appears to be a transfer with
some hand painting depicting a preppie bicyclist with his
bicycle and the words, "All Heil!” Additional German
wording appears on the lower corner of the artwork it
reads, "allgemeine + radfahrer Union” which translates
into English as “General Cyclists Union”.
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hazards like, cobble stone roads, rocks and especially
rutted roads. Any one of these hazards could cause the hiwheeler to become uncontrollable. If the large diameter
front wheel fell into a rutted road the rider would not be
able to steer the machine and maintain balance. If for any
reason the large diameter front wheel stopped rotating,
the forward inertia of the rider and bicycle would be
propelled over the top of the wheel arc, ejecting the rider
to the ground. So common was this accident, it is said that
the phrase “break neck speed” and “Taking a Header”
was coined.
Note the rider who has fallen from his Hi-wheel
machine, possibly having been ejected over the top of his
machine and landing in front of his machine. It looks like
he is getting up, so I assume he did not break his neck
Of interest to me were the cast images and the
engraving on the lid.
The speed of the machine was limited to the diameter of
the front wheel, rider’s strength and the rate in which the
rider could peddle. Increasing the wheel diameter (up to
60 inches) allowed the rider to cover more distance
(approximately 15.7 feet) with each turn of the wheel thus
the potential for greater speed. The crank peddles were
connected directly to the hub of the large diameter wheel
without free-wheeling. Experienced Hi-wheel riders
while coasting downhill and in anticipating of the
potential for ejection from the Hi-wheeler, would often
position their feet above the handle bars; the idea being
that if they had a problem and was ejected from the Hiwheeler they would have a better chance of survival if
they landed on their feet.
The cast design around the exterior of the lid appears to
be figures of men participating in a bicycle race that
includes both “Safety Bicycles” and the Hi-wheeled,
“Penny-Farthing” type machines.
The engraving on the lid indicates the dedication of the
stein was to F. Opel and was related to a bicycle race on
February 15th 1895 between F. Opel and E. Bergmann
that took place at or near Mittweida, Germany.
Frederich (Fritz) Opel attended Mittweida University at
this time and was a champion bicycle racer. Fritz had won
about 180 prizes on bicycles manufactured by his father
Adam Opel. One of his greatest triumphs was the victory
in the 1894, a 620-kilometer voyage Basel Cleveland.
The safety bicycle displayed on the stein was a ca 1880
innovative design change led to the demise of the Hiwheel (Penny-farthing). The new concept incorporated
two tandem wheels of the same approximate diameter,
Peddles, free-wheeling crank levers and rider’s seat near
the center of gravity, chain drive through the rear wheel
which allowed the rider the ability to go as fast as the Hiwheeler with improved overall safety.
The primary design problem that made Hi-wheeled
(Penny-Farthing) bicycle unsafe was the large diameter of
the front wheel, a short wheel base and the riders position
(a high center of gravity) located near the top arc of the
wheel.
The high center of gravity and the large diameter front
wheel made the Hi-wheeler highly susceptible to road
Hi-wheel Penny-Farthing riders, Los Angeles, ca 1885
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a number of different two-wheel and three-wheel type
cycles. Opel eventually became Europe's largest bicycle
maker, producing over 20,000 units a year.
Why was the Hi-wheel machine a “Penny Farthing”?
His oldest son Carl also entered bicycle races throughout
Germany to promote the products of the family business.
These events were gaining popularity at soon the
marketing strategy paid off as Carl came up victorious a
number of times. As it turned out, all five sons were
talented cyclists. Together they won over 550 races on
Opel bicycles by 1898.
The Penny-Farthing was named after the old British
penny and farthing (quarter penny) coins, configured in
the same layout as the wheels of the Penny-Farthing.
Adam Opel; the father of the Opel brothers, a short
biography.
The Opel family traces its roots to 1838 in the town of
Rüsselsheim, Germany and the
birth of Adam Opel. As a young
adult, Adam Opel trained as a
locksmith,
toured
Europe
extensively and learned to make
sewing machines while in Paris.
Fascinated by these machines,
Adam Opel, then only 25 years
old, opened a factory in
Rüsselsheim
for
volume
production of sewing machines.
The Opel Brothers, Carl, Wilhelm, Heinrich, Ludwig
and Friedrich (Fritz) Steering).
Adam Opel died in 1895. The company was making
2,000 bicycles a year and was leading Europe in sewing
machine sales. His will set up a new organization for the
company, in which his widow Sophie held the primary
interest and his two eldest sons had lesser shares. Their
first crisis was a sudden deflation of the boom in bicycles
in 1898, a collapse caused by the over-expansion among
the many makers of cycles. They managed to carry on.
New products were introduced that kept on the more than
1,500 employees, most of whom had grown up in the
industry with Opel.
In 1868, Adam Opel married Sophie Marie Scheller and
began a family which would include five sons: Carl,
Wilhelm, Heinrich, Friedrich (Fritz) and Ludwig, all of
whom would be involved in the family business.
With the encouragement of their mother, the Opel
brothers decided to move into the fledgling automobile
industry and would produce their first motorcars in 1899.
Opel has been building them ever since.
The sewing machine business grew rapidly. In 1884, a
year in which the company employed 240 people and
built no less than 15,000 sewing machines. Soon Opel
sewing machines could be found as far away as the
United States in the west and India in the East. By the
time of Adam Opel’s death some 32 years later, his
company had become the Europe’s leading producer of
sewing machines.
The bicycle plant expanded, eventually becoming the
largest in the mid-1920s, with a capacity of 4,000 cycles a
day, with innovative equipment such as automatic
painting and plating equipment in halls pressurized for
ideal cleanliness.
Adam Opel discovered a new fascination on trip to Paris
with his wife: the bicycle. Opel purchased bicycle parts
from a manufacturer in England to study and build for his
sons. The next year, Opel expanded its business to
include building pre-assembled bicycles. This enterprise
proved more profitable on a piece by piece basis than his
sewing machine business. In 1885-86, Adam Opel
expanded production to sell fully assembled bicycles in
Germany. Business grew steadily and Opel began to offer
By the 1930s, times had changed. In a series of
transactions between 1929 and 1931, the Opel family sold
their business, Adam Opel AG, to General Motors
Corporation, and it became a subsidiary. In 1936, Opel
sold its bicycle plant to NSU in Neckarsulm (which had
started making bicycles at about the same time as Opel).
Under the company's many different names, 2.5 million
bikes in all had been produced.
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owned by Nicolas Villeroy to form the famous ceramic
company called Villeroy & Boch. By the late 19th
century, the company had seven factories, but the one at
Mettlach, most famous for its production of steins,
The Robert D. Wilson Mettlach
Collection finds a permanent home
October 13, 2012 – January 12, 2013
Fall Exhibit to Feature the Wilson Collection of
Mettlach Ware, Largest Collection of Mettlach in
North America.
This October, the American Museum of Ceramic
Art will feature an exceptional
exhibition entitled, German Mettlach
Ware (1885-1915). Robert & Colette
Wilson, prominent collectors and
enthusiasts, amassed a huge number
of late 19th and early 20th century
Mettlach ceramic ware over the past
thirty years. Their collection of
incredibly detailed and finely crafted
pieces is known to be the largest
collection in North America at over
3,000 pieces and rivals that of the
collection at Mettlach, Germany.
Until now, the collection has been viewed only
by special invitation in the Wilson’s home. The Wilsons
recently donated their collection to the museum and
placed it in AMOCA’s care with the purpose of sharing it
with a broader audience. This fall, for the first time, the
Wilson collection of Mettlach ware will be on public
display at AMOCA’s new home in Pomona, CA.
became known by the village name
Mettlach also produced plaques, vases,
jardinières, and table wares, all of which are known for
their intricately decorated surfaces in a variety of designs
and styles.
Events Associated with the Exhibition Will Include:
Members-Only Preview Night – October 12, 2012 7pm9pm For AMOCA Members, join us in a private preview
of the new show from 7-9pm on the Friday before the
public opening. Mingle with other members, enjoy hors
d’oeuvres and wine.
Public Opening & Reception – October 13, 2012 12:00
noon-9pm. In conjunction with Pomona’s Second
Saturday Art Walk, the public opening of German
Mettlach Ware (1885-1915) will open to the public on
October 13th with a reception from 6-9pm.
Oktoberfest at AMOCA – October 27, 2012 12-noon to
8pm. A lecture entitled Beer Steins, Verses and History
will be presented at 6:00 PM by Dr. Roy De Selms.
In conjunction with German Mettlach Ware
(1885-1915) the American Museum of Ceramic Art will
host an outdoor Oktoberfest with German cuisine
available to purchase. This event will feature activities for
the whole family: music, cultural dancers, hands-on
activities for kids, and other entertainment. Highlighted in
the “Biergarten” will be beer tastings and sales offered by
local, award-winning microbreweries.
The exhibit will place the German pieces within
the context of their social history, and bring in a
contemporary component through a contrasting exhibition
of contemporary artists. In addition to the Wilson
collection, on display will be eight prominent ceramic
artists, showing work that relates in theme, content, or
technique to the vintage ceramics.
German Mettlach ware dates to 1836 when a
pottery was founded by François Boch merged with one
American Museum of Ceramic Art
399 N. Garey Avenue
Pomona, CA 91767
www.amoca.org
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