York, PA

Thirsty Knights
Standard
NEXT MEETING
Sunday
September 28,2014
The Crow’s Nest
Rt, 17 South
Hackensack, NJ 07601
(201-342-5445
Volume IV Issue III
President’s Message
September 2014
2016
Stein Collecters
International
Convention
Inside this issue:
Corning, New York
President’s
Message
1
A Lucky Find
2
A Riddle in a
Paradox
3
Vice-Presidents 8
Corner
History of the
Oktoberfest
9
Convention
Report
10
Photos
15
Minites
16
News Briefs
17
Hosted by Thirsty Knights
At the 2014 SCI Convention in Pittsburgh, SCI picked the Thirsty Knights as
their choice to host the 2016 Stein Collectors International Convention.
I would like to thank Johnsamual Coleman and Sidney Schwartz for all their
hard work putting together the convention package and the powerpoint
presentation. Without their dedication none of this would have happened.
Now the work starts. Johnsamual will shortly be reaching out to our members and putting together the convention committees. We all have our special talents, We are going to need yours to make this convention succeed!
Page 2
Thirsty Knights Standard
A LUCKY FIND
by Roger Barr
One bright and early Saturday morning around 8:30 a.m. our telephone rang. It was from a
dear friend who informed me that one of her friends, a neighbor, was about to put several
boxes of steins on the curb for pick up. She asked me would I be interested in them. “You
bet” I said.
I asked for more information and was told she had none but to come down immediately if I
wanted to pick up the steins.
It was only an hour and a half down to Hillsborough in Somerset County from our home in
Bergen County so I decided it was well worth the trip. So off to Hillsborough my wife and I
made the trip to Somerset County down Route 287.
After picking up our friend we drove over to her friends house to view and pick up a load of
unwanted steins. When we got there, she was so glad to see us but not as glad as we
were, so full of great expectations.
She ushered us into the family room and proudly showed us here husband’s stein collection, about 30 of them, on shelves around the room - all Avons!
Our excitement turned down a few notches, but we agreed that we would gladly accept
them. She was so grateful to get rid of them. Our great treasure did not turn out as high as
our hopes had been.
So we began to wrap them up in boxes and move them out to our car, but what did my
wondering eyes discover? In a corner cabinet was what appeared to be a real German
beer stein. On closer examination it turned out to be a Heinrich Schlitt, one liter Mettlach #
2778 with a little chip and a poor repair job, but it still looked great!
She told us it was her husband’s favorite and he had
had it a long time. So she
wanted to keep it. My elation
then hit bottom again. But
then her son said no, Dad
only got it a year ago and she
agreed that we could take it
along with the rest of the
Avon steins and here it is.
P.S. We did send her a thank
you letter along with a check.
Volume IV Issue III
RIDDLE IN A PARADOX
Page 3
by Johnsamuel Colman
Albert HAUBER & Hans REUTHER
HR BREINDEL BEER STEINS:
RIDDLE IN A PARADOX
SYNOPSIS OF SHOW-AND-TELL AT THIRSTY
KNIGHTS CHAPTER MEETING ON MARCH 09, 2014
Johnsamuel Coleman 1st Vice
President of THIRSTY
KNIGHTS NJ/NY
From left to right: mold
numbers 406/429/416
This article have plenty of show and very little tell; for there is very little to tell. More
simply said: there is very little known about
the maker of these steins; a man we only
know as Breindel.
Note the extremely heavy high
steeple ornate lids
Rich Mettlach color
Mold nr. 406
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Thirsty Knights Standard
RIDDLE IN A PARADOX
Continued
Den Affen und
Das Katervieh
Rare One Liter
Der Katzenjammer
Der famous “B.” Signature
Mold nr. 430
Here the signature is a very large
“B” on the depicted stein
A rare example with set inlaid lid
Mold nr. 416
Volume IV Issue III
Page 5
RIDDLE IN A PARADOX
A beauty even Mettlach is envious
Continued
A full signature very very rare
MOLD NR. 406
Enjoy a visual beauty, with bold vibrant exciting color. Researching Breindel is an
ongoing project.
Page 6
RIDDLE IN A PARADOX
Thirsty Knights Standard
Continued
HR Mole nr: 434
The standard 2 liter HR lid
Volume IV Issue III
RIDDLE IN A PARADOX
Page 7
Continued
The most exquisite Breindel stein I have ever seen. Mole nr. 541 one liter.
Page 8
Thirsty Knights Standard
Vice-President’s Corner
By Johnsamuel Coleman
Fantastic News!
SCI approved Thirsty Knights’
proposal to host the
50th Anniversary Convention in
Corning, NY!
After 2 years of intensive planning, I presented Thirsty Knights’ plans before the SCI
Board of Trustees. For the first time in many years, SCI had two chapters vying to host a convention. I understood that it was going a difficult task to win the Board of Trustee’s approval.
Therefore, over the last 4 months, I initiated a publicity tour, traveling to attend and present
our proposal to the Carolina Steiners, Gambrinus Stein Club, New England Steiners, Pennsylvania Keysteiners, Die Studenten Prince Gruppe, and Uppersteiners of New York State. These
clubs became extremely enthusiastic about our plans, and furiously supported our proposal at
the Board of Trustees’ meeting. I wish to thank the Trustees from these clubs as well as from
Arizona Stein Collectors and The Thoroughbred Stein Verein, for helping the Thirsty Knights
win the bid to host the Corning Convention.
Now as your convention chairperson, I pledge to work as hard to make the
50th convention one that will not only be memorable, but one that will balance the educational
aspects of beer steins and with opportunities to have fun and socialize. The Corning convention
will be much more than auctions and business meetings.
Volume IV Issue III
The History of the Oktoberfest
Crown Prince Ludwig, later to become King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on 12th October 1810. The citizens of Munich were invited to attend the
festivities held on the fields in front of the city gates to celebrate the happy royal event. The
fields have been named Theresienwiese ("Theresa's fields") in honor of the Crown Princess ever
since, although the locals have since abbre...viated the name simply to the "Wies'n".
Horse races in the presence of the Royal Family marked the close of the event that was celebrated as a festival for the whole of Bavaria. The decision to repeat the horse races in the subsequent year gave rise to the tradition of the Oktoberfest.
The Oktoberfest continues in 1811
In 1811 an added feature to the horse races was the first Agricultural Show, designed to boost
Bavarian agriculture. The horse races, which were the oldest and - at one time - the most popular event of the festival are no longer held today. But the Agricultural Show is still held every
three years during the Oktoberfest on the southern part of the festival grounds.
In the first few decades the choice of amusements was sparse. The first carousel and two swings
were set up in 1818. Visitors were able to quench their thirst at small beer stands which grew
rapidly in number. In 1896 the beer stands were replaced by the first beer tents and halls set up
by enterprising landlords with the backing of the breweries.
The remainder of the festival site was taken up by a fun-fair. The range of carousels etc. on offer
was already increasing rapidly in the 1870s as the fairground trade continued to grow and develop in Germany.
181st Octoberfest 2014
Today, the Oktoberfest is the largest festival in the world, with an international flavor characteristic of the 21th century: some 6 million visitors from all around the world converge on the Oktoberfest each year.
And since the Oktoberfest is still held on the Theresienwiese, the locals still refer to the event
simply as the "Wies'n". So "welcome to the Wies'n" means nothing other than "welcome to the
Oktoberfest"!
Page 9
Volume IV Issue III
Page 11
PRESENTATION #1
THE REINHOLD MERKELBACH COMPANY
PRESENTED BY JERRY BERG
Before the advent of the railroads, ceramic factories transported their wares by wagon. But change was in the air as rails
proved to be a faster, safer, and method of conveyance of their products. By 1890 the Höhr-Grenzhausen Railroad moved
Merkelbach ceramics to their store in Munich. It would be another 50 years before the town of Höhr and Grenzhausen
merged.
William Merkelbach ran the factory, which was opened in 1843, until his death in 1859. Thereafter the produced utilitarian
items followed by art pottery and as a “go with” invested in clay pits. During this period the steins had front capacity marks
until it was determined that the marks were considered a distraction rather than a positive hallmark to potential customers.
A major shift came in the form of concept when Costa Merkelbach took control of the factory after the death of her two sons
in WWI. She was an advocate and promoter of the Art Nouveau/Jugendstiel movement. Her passion is evident by the numerous steins that incorporate an Art Nouveau design. The Merkelbach catalog published during Costa’s tenure, as family and factory head, is a tactile indicator of her patronage. With the passage of time a consortium was formed (Hanke, Gerz and Merkelbach) and eventually dissolved.
Family members or outside managers guided the production of Merkelback ceramics through the 30’s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. In
1972 Goebel purchased 50% ownership of Merkelbach. They purchased the remaining 50% in 1985. But this transition proved
to be temporary. In 1988 the Merkelbach family bought the company back from Goebel. Although the Merkelbach factory did
close in 2007, licensing to produce Merkelbach steins was given to the firm of Girmscheid.
Jerry’s comprehensive, educational and informative presentation was well received by an appreciative audience.
PRESENTATION # 2
ANTIQUE SPORTS: CERAMIC, PORCELAIN AND POTTERY
(1850 – 1950)
PRESENTED BY JOHN LAMB
John gave a presentation on one of his favorite subjects: Sports. His slide show represented all types of sports and related
memorabilia, as well as the manufacturers who created them. Below is a sampling from John’s vast and myriad collection:
Baseball:
Gebruder Heubach (German) produced figurines – some as large as 18 inches. Two or
three of these 1880’s figures reside in the Baseball Home of Fame at Cooperstown, NY.
Basketball:
Dark blue porcelain bookends.
Boxing:
1930’s mugs and English steins.
Cricket:
Tribute pieces.
Football:
College steins and pitchers.
Golf:
1930’s retractable cigarette holders in different colors and bases.
Olympics:
Very little pottery or porcelain keepsake pieces were made prior to 1928 which holds the
distinction of being the “break-out” year. Even so, John did have a number of such items.
Rugby:
Humidor
Soccer:
1930’s red-colored glass vase in the Art Deco style. This piece sometimes gets mistaken for a basketball
hoop shot but is, in fact, the goalie saving the ball from going into the net. John has the provenance to accompany this piece.
Stadium
Recognition:
Doulton Prize Trophy Cup.
Page 12
Thirsty Knights Standard
Wrestling:
German 17” white vase commemorating a heavyweight bout in Berlin.
Tennis:
Dessert plates with comedic scenes of mishaps at the net. There were also
several steins depicting female tennis players.
Although Mettlach produced thousands of pieces, only 25 were made for competitive sports: baseball, football, soccer and bicycle
racing. Other firms that were popular manufacturers of sports mementos were:
Moritz Zdekauer (M&Z) (Austria) produced tobacco jars and mugs.
Homer Laughlin & Co. (USA) pottery and ceramic dinnerware for every day use.
Arthur Woods & Sons (produced mugs in the 1940’s for various sports such as baseball,
hockey and soccer.
Oddly tea sets made for children, that one would think would have been popular, fell out of favor. They are, therefore, not seen
very often. John had two plates featuring animals engaged in a sporting activity: an elephant playing soccer and a brown bear skating on ice.
The scope and variety of John’s sports collection was staggering and looked upon with awe – and there were items yet to be seen!
The presentation certainly gave rise to quiet oohs and aahs and an appreciativeness of a hobby that can segue from one theme to
another.
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION # 1
CHARACTER STEINS
SPEAKER DAVE HARR
Dave started the discussion period with the statement that if anyone presented him with a question that he rated a “10” they
would receive a stein as a reward.
Lined up on the display table were approximately 12 character steins: Munich child, cucumbers, dogs, dwarfs, skulls a monk and
rook stein just to mention a few. Dave has accumulated roughly 100 – 120 skull steins – probably the largest collection of one
hobbyist. He had a few doubles to use as comparison pieces.
Dwarfs:
The older version had muted colors and was not recessed vs. the newer version (after WW II) was brighter in
color and was recessed.
Munich Child:
At first glance both steins look similar except for the coloring. Upon closer inspections the darker brown
figure had the face of a girl while the lighter brown colored stein had facial features of a boy.
Monk:
This character stein was made by August Saeltzer and is considered rare as it is the only character stein pro
duced. The monk is holding prayer beads in one hand and a depiction of a monk can be seen on his vestment.
A lively question and answer session ensued but, to no one’s surprise, a level “10” query was not raised!
ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION # 2
GLASS
SPEAKER RON FOX
Ron brought with him a gorgeous array of glass. He started the program with some history notes. Glass making originated in
Murano, Italy (noted for Venetian glass manufacture). Over time many craftsman migrated to Bohemia, a part of the AustriaHungarian Empire. In that land (now the Czech Republic), high quality glass was crafted and then beautifully and delicately hand
painted. Those skilled artists, whose names are world-renowned today, decorated glass in their unique signature style – Myers
Neffe, Lobmeyr, Moser, Heckert and others. Serious collectors of glass can identify the individualism of each exquisite piece of
what is classified as “enameled” glass. As travel became less troublesome and glass production took hold in England and the United
States.
Ron answered a variety of questions from the assembled group, some of which dealt with:
Volume IV Issue III
Page 13
Differences:
Milk vs. opaque glass
Similarities:
Uranium glass is pressed glass
Terminology:
Overlay is also called flashed glass
Technique:
What is crackled glass and how is made? Ron had a stein sample on hand
What is sandwich glass?
How many overlays can a piece of glass have?
Tidbit:
Ruby colored glass can be overlay or stain
Cobalt colored glass is overlay
Amber colored glass is always a stain
As the session came to a close, Ron stressed the importance of a hands on study of styles, body shapes,
color, decorations; a life long learning process. Glass has many facets, in more ways than one.
______________________________________________________________________________________
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Thirsty Knights Standard
OCCUPATIONAL VS. OCCUPATION BEER STEINS
By Johnsamuel Coleman
There is a difference between occupational and occupation beer steins.
Occupational beer steins were: 1) commissioned students as a graduation present from trade school 2)
has graduate’s name and symbol of his trade on it, 3) has graduate’s favorite quotation.
Most occupational steins are made of porcelain. There is a symbol of the trade on the center panel of the
stein. The name of the student is on the top or bottom rim. It also has the graduate’s motto, or a personal quotation. Often the stein has a litho pane. The lid can be ordinary or creative with an eagle thumb
lift.
Occupation beer steins were: 1) Commercially produced steins symbolizing trade occupation.
2) Not commissioned pieces, 3) Don’t have student’s name or favorite quotation on it.
Occupation steins were commercially mass-produced with the trade’s symbols on them. They were not
personalized, so no names appeared on them. They were not commissioned by graduating students.
Editor’s Note: Due to space constraints and convention preparation, Johnsamuel Coleman has submitted snippets of his June 29, 2014 presentation.
Volume IV Issue III
THE RHEINHOLD HANKE’S CHRISTOPHER
COLUMBUS CHARACTER BEER STEINS
Photos of Our Last Meeting
Page 15
Continued
Page 16
Thirsty Knights Standard
Chapter Minutes for the Meeting of June 29, 2014
The Black Forest Brew Haus in Farmingdale, Long Island, N.Y. was the designated meeting place for 31 Thirsty Knights
on Sunday, June 29, 2014. The Brew Haus has its own microbrewery on site and holds a Sunday brunch offering over
20 selections from which to choose, including a carving station. The menu was sure to please every palette and
quench the thirst of those who sampled the day’s refreshments.
All officers were in attendance: President Richard Walter, 1 st Vice President JohnSamuel Coleman, 2nd Vice President
Jonathan Hoffmann and Secretary and Treasurer Lorraine Merz.
Chapter Minutes - June 29, 2014
Application and
Brochures:
Richard Walter brought a stack of membership applications and SCI brochures
to the meeting. He encouraged members to distribute the brochures among individuals
and at events and locations that might attract potential new members.
Convention
By a show of hands, it appears approximately 16 members anticipate Attendance:
attending the Pittsburgh Convention in September.
Combined Meeting:
Rich reminded the members the Three Chapter Combined Meeting will be held
on Saturday, July 19, 2014 in New Britain, CT. (see News Briefs for update).
Expenditure:
A vote was held and passed that a $100 donation would be given towards the
speakers’ fee for the Combined Chapter Meeting to be held in July.
New Member
Introduced:
Mark Eugster from New Jersey attended his first club meeting. We welcomed
Mark with a round of applause and hoped we will see him at future gatherings.
Treasurer’s Report:
Lorraine Merz gave the Treasuer’s Report for the period March 9, 2014 to
June 28, 2014. The balanace sheet figures were stated and accepted.
Welcome Mat:
Jack and Celia Clark invited the attending members to their home, after the
meeting closed, to view their collection.
Other:
An Executive Board Meeting of club officers will be held following the
September 28, 2014 meeting at the Crow’s Nest in Hackensack, N.J.
New Member Recruited: Daniel Eckert viewed the club’s proceedings from his
vantage point in the restaurant and decided to join the Thirsty Knights then and
there. Along with the check, he sent was a lovely note that read: “Hello - I met
your husband Herman at The Black Forest Brew Haus and had to join. Prosit”
50/50 Raffle - Bob Lucian won the raffle - $33.50
Respectfully submitted,
Lorraine Merz
Secretary
Volume IV Issue III
News Briefs CHAPTER MINUTES - Three Chapter Combined Meeting
Page 17
-July 19, 2014
The second annual Three Chapter Meeting was held on Saturday, July 19, 2014 in New Britain, CT. In attendance were 45 members; 20 of which were from the Thirsty Knights. Representing the Thirsty Knights were officers: 1 st Vice President JohnSamuel
Coleman (Guest Speaker), 2nd Vice President Jon Hoffmann (Guest Speaker) and Secretary and Treasury Lorraine Merz. Luncheon was held in the East Side Restaurant, a 70-year old family owned and operated establishment. The good food was primarily
of German-American fare and served in a friendly and homey setting.
The day’s agenda was jammed packed beginning with stein sales and news:
The Student Prince Restaurant in Springfield, Mass. is in the process of being sold. Rudy, the long-time owner and fixture in the
eatery, will aid in the transition and settling in period. The décor (steins) and cuisine are thought to remain in place - as of
now. Although the restaurant is currently closed , its reopening is expected sometime in September. Hopefully, the Student Prince Chapter will hold their annual “open house for sister chapter members” at this site in November.
Justin Pimentel, President of SCI, announced membership in the parent organization has dropped into the 800’s. The end result
of this decline may be the discontinuation of Prosit printing and distribution; although the magazine would still be available in
electronic form.
Possible 2015 Combined Meeting Venue Options (if scheduled)
East Side Restaurant - New Britain, CT
Ben Bereza’s (New England Steiner) home barring health issues
Kruckers Caterers and Picnic Grove in Pomona, NY
Show ‘n’ Tell (see Show ‘n’Tell Section)
Dual Presentations (see Feature Articles
Drinking Horns Around the World (Jon Hoffmann - Presenter)
Doulton Lambeth (JohnSamuel Coleman - Presenter)
Auction
Prizes
Random Drawing Winners: $10 gift certificates to Dunkin Donuts
Diane Pociadlo - New England Steiners
Joyce Pasco - Student Prince
Lorraine Merz - Thirsty Knights
Betsy Barr - Honored with a feather duster due to her diligence in keeping her husband Roger’s
steins dust free.
50/50 Raffle - Les Whitham - $45.00
Jelly Bean Contest Count - Mary Sullivan (Student Prince) with the closest number of 332 to the
actual 338 figure. Mary not only won a sweet tooth’s bounty, but
also the East Side Restaurant glass beer boot that held the tasty treats
One-Year Membership Award (2015) - The winner from the Thirsty Knights Chapter was
Sydney Schwartz
Appreciation Stein Award - Ron Jacob (The New England Steiners). JohnSamuel, on behalf of
the Thirsty Knights, presented Ron Jacob with a souvenir pottery
stein depicting the State House in Boston, Mass. (Ron’s hometown).
It was given to Ron in appreciation for organizing and solidifying the
day’s event.
Respectfully submitted,
Lorraine Merz
Secretary
THIRSTY KNIGHTS
Help make this Chapter a success!
Newsletter Committee
Lorraine Merz
gclorraine2010@aol.com
516-352-0138
Richard H. Walter
richwalt@richwalt.com
973-345-7503
Copyright 2014
Thirsty Knights
Please bring your items to sell at our meetings. Call
Rich or Lorraine to reserve your table.