Vol. 35 Issue 2 — Apr 2012

Die Golden Gate Zecher
Nachrichten
April Meeting and Auction
at the Elliott’s in Vallejo
Our April 28 meeting will be held at
Steve and Suzanne Elliott’s home in the
historic town of Vallejo. The Elliott’s
home has always been a favorite meeting
place, filled with their large and numerous collections that represent Steve and
Suzanne's diverse interests. Antique ice
cream scoops, oyster plates, beautiful
wood carvings, and high-quality steins
fill their house, each item typifying their
discriminating collecting tastes.
ners of your closets, garage, or in your
basement for those items you’ve stashed
away for this event. Since it has been
about two years since our last auction I
am sure that there will be many interesting and valuable treasures to be offered.
You’ll surely want to take something
home so don’t forget your checkbook,
because in order to have a successful
auction we need buyers as well as donations!
Suzanne reminds us that the Elliott home
is on a cul-de-sac, with parking limited
to the street. Please do not park in or
block the driveway. Members may be
dropped off at curbside, with the driver
then finding street parking nearby.
We hope to see you at the April 28th
Zecher meeting and Auction in Vallejo,
CA! Our auction promises to be outstanding. Steve and Suzanne are gracious hosts, and with their large and diverse collections a visit to their home is
always an interesting adventure!
The highlight of the day will be our everpopular Zecher auction. This fun-filled
event, usually accompanied with a lot of
good-natured teasing and banter, is our
only club fundraiser.
Members and
guests are asked to donate for the auction
those steins, go-withs, white-elephants or
other items that have been pushed to the
back of your closet shelves. Donate
them to a very worthy cause - our
Zecher treasury - which is used to bring
us knowledgeable speakers, special
events, and also to keep our membership
dues low! Start looking in the dark cor-
Donate those steins, those go-withs, whiteelephants and other items that have migrated to
the back of your shelves and closets. Bring your
wife, husband, or significant other, and your
checkbook, and do your part to support your
Zecher chapter!
A Newsletter for Northern
California and Nevada
Stein Collectors
Volume 35, Issue 2
April, 2012
2012 EVENTS
CALENDAR
March 31 EG - Kellogg -Lake Elsinore
April 28 GG Zecher Auction Elliott - Vallejo, CA
June 30 EG - Monterey Park, CA
August 15 -17 SCI Convention
Annapolis, Maryland
Sept GG Zecher - Watch for date
Oct 13 EG - Hill - Ojai, CA
Oct 27 & 28 Wilson’s Mettlach Collection, American Museum of Ceramic Art, Pomona, CA
Nov GG Zecher - Watch for date
Dec 8 GG Zecher Christmas Party
Harry’s Hofbrau, Redwood City
Dec xx EG - Christmas Party
Inside this issue:
April Meeting in Vallejo
1
President’s Message
2
February Meeting Report
3
Some Dumler and Breiden Go-Withs
4
Zecher Member News
6
Musicbox Steins
7
Zecher Contacts, Buy &
Sell
8
April Dinner Reservation
9
And Map
Membership Form
10
Page 2
Die Golden Gate Zecher Nachrichten
A Message from the President
A fun time was had by all Zechers at the Seavers’
home in Alameda on Feb. 11th We had the usual
great food, beer, steins, and friends there. Many
members had brought steins for sale and quite a
few changed ownership, were adopted by new
"parents" and are now living in a new home.
We had a unique speaker portion of our meeting
where the members themselves spoke on a stein or
a few steins that are in their personal collections.
They spoke on what is unique about them or just
why they like each one. Thanks to Ron Fox, Les
Paul, Arvid Frende, Steve Morris, Bea Taus, and
Mark Fieger taking an active part.
Dave Lowry
I know I sound like a
broken record, but we
need a Secretary to
record the minutes at our
Board and General
meetings.
I know I sound like a broken record, but we need a
Secretary to record the minutes at our Board and
General meetings. This is an important, yet easy
position to serve in. I say easy because it does not
take a lot of effort. Only 4 times a year, the Secretary takes notes at the meetings, then sends them
via email to our newsletter editor and sends a
thank you card to our meeting hosts. That's all
there is to it! Try it - it's fun!
In the near future, we will cover the "business"
side of our club at the Board meeting only. We
will attempt to cover what is most interesting and
fun at the General meeting level. For those interested in the "business" side, attend the Board meetings or read the minutes in each newsletter- IF we
can obtain a Secretary.
Our Vice President asked for ideas for upcoming
topics for future speakers/talks. What does the
membership want to hear about? Some ideas were:
Lithophanes, Munich Child, Regimentals, Pipes
and other Go-withs, specific stein manufacturers.
If you have other ideas, please tell Ron so he can
schedule for upcoming meetings.
We have other fun and exciting meetings planned
for this year, including a well known and loved
location that we will experience again on April
28th in Vallejo at the home of Steve and Suzanne
Elliott. Our Member's Auction will take place here
as it has in the past to generate funds for the club,
but we always have fun also. Bring your items,
anything to the auction. You can even bring steins!
There will be other meetings later in the year, the
SCI convention in August in Annapolis, MD, and
our Christmas party at Harry's Hofbrau in Redwood City again, on Dec. 8th from 5:30-9:00pm.
Thanks to Harlean for suggesting the location,
and Julie and Nancy making the arrangements.
A great time was had by all last year.
If the Zechers don't offer enough stein-filled
meetings, we have the opportunity of attending
our sister chapter meetings at Pacific Stein
Sammlers and Erste Gruppe, as well as an
event on October 27-28 when only part of the
Bob & Colette Wilson Mettlach collection will
be on display at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona. Ron Fox will also be
conducting an auction there during this time
frame. Make plans now to attend all of these
fun times for 2012!
Use the Zecher business cards and informational sheets to invite others to our meetings
and let them know they will learn much about
steins and have a lot of fun! Chuck Schoppe
had corresponded with a potential Las Vegas
member and he has sent in membership dues
for the next three years. We now have a Nevada member - Welcome, Eric Sanders! I also
have corresponded with a potential member
from Livermore who joined SCI for three years
and plans on joining the Zechers! So, it does
work when we try to generate membership.
A surprise- In a box that I had totally forgotten
about in one of the closets was found a wooden
stein with a Mettlach lid that has a ringing bell
on top that is passed between the Zecher Presidents. It is used to call the meetings to order.
On the bottom is an engraved plate that states:
"Presented to Die Golden Gate Zechers by
Aurel Keck, President and Vera Parr, Secretary
Jan. 1989 - Jan. 1991". This stein was passed
to me upon my election as President in 1993
but over the years was forgotten about. I guess
I was holding it hostage until I became the
President again. Well, that's my story and I'm
sticking to it!! I will bring it to the meeting in
April and to future meetings and will pass it to
my successor eventually.
We have a lot to look forward to this year!
Until April, Prosit!
Dave
Volume 35, Issue 2
Page 3
A Fabulous February Zecher Meeting!
By Dave Lowry
Claire Fieger and Julie Hughes say "Wish
you could be here".
A great time was had by all at the Zecher meeting on Feb. 11th at the
home of Marc & Maxine Seavers in Alameda.
We were glad to have Les Paul
with us after his recent illness and
surgery. And, of course, we always
enjoy the loads of steins that he
brings for display and sale, as
shown in the stein display area
which used to be Mark's garage!
Great
munchies,
beer , and
dinner were
served and
we had a
nice show
and tell
session by our members, including VicePresident Ron Fox and Arvid Frende .
Another nice and enjoyable time was experienced by many Zechers this fine day
and we look forward to seeing everyone
at Steve and Suzanne Elliott's home in
Vallejo on April 28th !
Page 4
Die Golden Gate Zecher Nachrichten
Some Dumler and Breiden Go-withs
By Dave Lowry
There are many stein manufacturers in history and many of them, at the same time that steins were being designed and manufactured, were also producing other wares. Since my primary collecting stein category is Dumler & Breiden, it would make sense that I would be interested in and collect other wares by this manufacturer
from the same historical period.
To show this "go-with" category, I
offer a large 15" plate entitled
"Minerva" which is D&B mold # 74.
It is a highly detailed plate that has a
portion of the design displayed on
every part of the surface. As stated
previously, this is one of the distinguishing factors of D&B designs. See
Fig. #2 for a close-up of the center
facial display, and Fig. #3 is a closeup of the edge of the plate.
Figure 1
Why this depiction? Minerva in
Roman mythology is the goddess
of wisdom, war, and the liberal
arts. What a busy woman! She
seems to have had an Etruscan
origin and was the counterpart to
the Greek Goddess Athena. On
this plate, she is seen wearing a
Roman military headdress to denote her role in war.
Figure 2
Figure 3
Continued on nest page
Volume 35, Issue 2
Next is a small vase (Fig. #4), which is only 3.5" tall. It
shows a phoenix bird on each side. In Egyptian and
other mythologies, the phoenix was a beautiful, lone
bird which lived in the Arabian desert for 500 or 600
years and then consumed itself in fire, rising renewed
from the ashes to start another long life; it is used as a
symbol of immortality. It is usually depicted with colorful plumage and a tail of gold and deep red. In heraldry, a charge depicting a bird surrounded by flames
was sometimes used.
Page 5
One of the most prevalent themes on steins, plaques,
and many other wares is dwarves. Many of us love
their reputation of being whimsical, playful, and somewhat a little prankster. In fact, in many stories they
have magical powers. This piece will not be used as an
ash tray but as a nice addition to my collection.
Figure 5
Figure 4
Fig. #5 is an ash tray with two dwarves, one with an
umbrella and the other hoisting a stein! This was made
by D&B immediately after WWII for the back is
marked "Ardalt Zum Wohl Hohr Germany French
Zone" (Fig. #6), made for sale to the soldiers stationed
in that area after the German surrender to end WWII. It
is colorful and detailed.
In Germanic mythology, a dwarf is a being that may
dwell in the mountains or in the earth. After the Christianization of the Germanic peoples, tales of dwarfs continued to be told in the folklore where German was spoken. Today dwarfs are common in modern popular
culture.
Figure 6
I have many other Dumler & Breiden Go-With items,
including at least several tobacco jars, soup tureens,
humidors, mugs, small pottery figurines, mustard pots,
etc. And, of course the steins!!
I love to learn about these pieces and to share what I
find with you, my fellow collectors and friends.
Until next time,
Mr. D&B (Dave)
DGGZ
Page 6
Die Golden Gate Zecher Nachrichten
Marie Carvalho Passes
Welcome!
A hearty Zecher welcome to Eric Sanders of Las
Vegas, Nevada, our newest DGGZ member! Eric
says that he enjoys the newsletter, and was especially interested in Roy DeSelms’ article “The Old
Germans and the Romans” published in the February issue, since he had recently acquired the subject
Mettlach stein #2100.
Just six short months after the sudden death of
Zecher life-member Gene Carvalho, Marie Carvalho passed peacefully, joining her husband Gene
and three of her children. Marie was a well-loved
member of the Zecher and her local community,
active in church activities and other charitable organizations. She was particularly interested in and
supportive of several charities relating to children.
Marie was always a gracious hostess in the many
Zecher activities conducted at the Carvalho home
in San Jose. We will miss them both.
Eric is a Mettlach collector, and is interested in acquiring the Mettach #2235, 1 liter Schutzenliesl
etched stein with a winner’s pokal on the inlay and
a displayed eagle thumb lift. This is a very nice
stein, one I am proud to have in my own collection.
If any of our members can help Eric add this one to
his collection shoot him an email with the information. His ad appears in the “Buy and Sell” column.
THIS IS YOUR LAST NEWSLETTER!
Yes, it is if you have not mailed in your 2012
membership form and dues! If you are behind in
mailing in your renewal, you will miss out on future meetings and the activities that your Zecher
officers and board members have planned, scheduled and arranged, just for you. Please help us to
minimize our bookkeeping and membership paperwork by mailing in your membership renewal
on time - this is your last reminder - we don’t
want to lose you! For your convenience you will
find a membership renewal form on the last page
of this newsletter. Don’t delay, mail it today!
Editor’s Note: In the absence of a chapter secretary,
and because there was no member willing to take
minutes during our February meetings there will be
no publication of meeting records.
Page 7
Volume 35, Issue 2
Musicbox Steins
by Steven Wessling
I have two steins in my "other" collection that I would like to share with you. The first is my "favorite stein". It is a
0.5 liter etched Mettlach, #2235 Schützenliesl or target girl stein that I purchased on Ebay approximately three
years ago. This stein has a very unusual feature, a music box with
the green Mettlach Mercury mark on the wood. It also has the original label with the name of the song it plays, "Komm Karlice Komm",
typed on it. Since this is way out of my field I called Bob Wilson, a
recognized expert on Mettlachs, to get some help. Bob told me that
the Mercury mark should also say "MADE IN GERMANY" and that
this was required after 1891 for export. Mine does, if you use your
imagination. He also told me that 1 in 400 Mettlachs had music
boxes and of that 10% to 20% were meant for export. For those of
you who may be unfamiliar
with the Schützenliesl or
target girl character, there
is a great article in the
June 1990 edition of Prosit
by Liselotte Lopez. I will be
glad to send anybody a
copy who would like one.
You may also recognize the target girl from the Blatz Beer advertisements of the past.
The second stein I would like to share with you is also a Mettlach with a
music box. This one is unusual in that it plays two tunes. It is a relief #
2130 called "man drinking" in the Mettlach book. This stein was purchased at auction from Richard Hatch (Hatch Auctions,
Hendersonville, NC). The music box wasn't installed at the time of the purchase.
It was in a rust stained plastic bag and Richard said it didn't work. Three weeks
later, with a few new parts, the music box worked great. It plays two tunes by
moving the cylinder left or right by way of an odd rectangular block at one end of
the cylinder. The music box starts playing as soon as you pick up the stein and
doesn't stop until you set it down. Even then, it continues to play until the end of
the song. The next time you pick up the stein it plays the other tune. This stein
doesn't have the Mercury mark or a label with the name of songs and I have
been unable to find anybody that recognizes the tunes. I don't quite understand
the purpose behind beer steins with music boxes but I do have a strong belief it
has something to due with some sort of medieval punishment.
From the “Show and Tell” section of the SCI website
www.steincollectors.org
If you are not a member of SCI, you should be!
Page 8
Die Golden Gate Zecher Nachrichten
Buy and Sell
Die Golden Gate Zecher
2012 Officers and Board of Directors
President - Dave Lowry
Phone: 510-828-4333
Email: drlowry@comcast.net
Vice President – Ron Fox
Email: starbuckseditor@yahoo.com
Secretary – Could Be You!
Phone:
Email:
Treasurer - Dick Hughes
Phone: 650-593-1261
Email: dandjhughes@hotmail.com
Newsletter Editor/Publisher - Chuck Schoppe
Phone: 408-867-9229
Email: chuck_sch@hotmail.com
or zechernews@yahoo.com
Board Members
Steve Elliott, Director, Phone: 707-552-8400
Email: stephen_r_elliott@pacbell.net
Sage Gunderson, Historian; Phone: 408-267-6734
Email: tomandjerry@pacbell.net
Julie Hughes, Director; Phone: 650-593-1261
Email: dandjhughes@hotmail.com
Nancy Morris, Director; Phone: 650-349-5345
Email: snmorris@comcast.net
Steve Morris, Director; Phone: 650-349-5345
Email: snmorris@comcast.net
Marc Seavers, Director; Phone: 510-523-1338
No Email
Bea Taus, Director; Phone: 510-490-8965
Email: beataus@sbcglobal.net
Chapter Contact
Les Paul - Phone: 510-523-7480; Email: oldsteins@aol.com
Wanted: Early Steins (16th to 18th Century), Characters, and Miniatures. Phone Les Paul, 510-523-7480
Wanted: Schierholz character steins. No problem meeting your price
for the right pieces. Email Steve Morris: snmorris@comcast.net
Wanted: Dumler & Breiden steins and other wares. Merkelbach &
Wick character steins. Falstaff depicted on steins. Trichter shaped or
depicted steins. Also above categories depicted on postcards. Dave
Lowry at drlowry@comcast.net or phone 510-828-4333.
Wanted: J.W. Remy steins; Stoneware steins marked with initials A.R.,
A.Roeseler, or P.Neu; Blown glass steins with set-on lids (mid 1800s);
and Full-body Schafer & Vater porcelain liquor bottles (around 1900).
Email Lyn Ayers: layers@wa-net.com or phone 360-693-0025, or cellphone: 360-609-1389
Wanted: Mettlach #2235, 1 liter Schutzenliesl etched stein.
Eric Sanders, email: mesanders2@gmail.com, or phone 702-254-9347
April 27 - 29, 2012
November 2 - 4, 2012
at the San Mateo County Event Center, San Mateo, CA
“Die Golden Gate Zecher Nachrichten” is published four
times a year for the benefit of our members. Die Golden Gate
Zecher, an affiliate of Stein Collectors International, covers the
Northern California and Nevada areas. We welcome contributions of articles, illustrations and photographs, letters of suggestion
or encouragement, or general interest items from the membership. Material submitted to this newsletter originally appearing in
another publication other than SCI must be accompanied by written permission to reprint. Permission to reproduce material
from this newsletter is granted to SCI or affiliate chapters, providing full attribution to this newsletter is given.
Zecher newsletter articles in native format will be provided upon
request for the publication in SCI chapter’s newsletters.
Deadline date for submitting articles for the September 2012
issue is August 18.
SCI members’ ads run free!
Send articles or ads to: zechernews@yahoo.com