Vintage From Paul is pleased to offer this stunning Hobbs Brockunier Frances Ware Frosted Hobnail Celery Vase.

The Hobbs Victorian Glass Celery Vase was made Circa 1885.    

It has the Francesware decoration and called Dew Drop, but more commonly known as Hobbs' Hobnail.  It is frosted glass on the body with the shiny amber glass around the scalloped rim.  One of the little hobs at the base (hob toe?) has a small chip; other than that and there appears that a small hairline was repaired also on the base.

The Hobbs Brockunier Frances Ware Frosted Hobnail Celery Vase  stands 6 inches in height

We ship the day after payment is received using Insured Priority Mail with delivery Confirmation. Parcels are generally received in 2-3 days depending on your location.

Hobbs, Brockunier and Co. aka Hobbs and Co

Hobbs, Brockunier and Co. / Hobbs and Co The South Wheeling Glass Works of Hobbs, Brockunier and Co. were located in the lower part of the city. The establishment can be traced back to a small furnace containing ten pots constructed in 1826, and operated by Plunkett and Miller, who were unsuccessful and, failing, were sold out. The works were leased in 1845 by James Barnes and John L. Hobbs who came here from East Cambridge, Mass. James F. Barnes, a son of James B. Barnes, and John H. Hobbs, a young man and son of John L. Hobbs, came shortly after their fathers. 

Wheeling at that time had done little towards developing manufacturing interests and utilizing the advantages she possessed over other communities. The start of this idle glass house was to mark an era in the history of the city, which would make her famous throughout the length and breadth of America, and renowned in the markets of the Old World for the quality and extent of the glass manufactured. 

The works at this time, 1845, consisted of one furnace, containing seven pots of the then customary small size. The coal used at the works cost 1 1/4 cents per bushel, or 35 cents per ton. Wood, at $1.50 per cord, was used in the lears. The glass manufactured was that usually known as flint, lead, or full crystal. The articles manufactured then were solar chimneys, jars, vials, tumblers, pungents, tinctures, lamps for lard oil, salts and cologne bottles. IN 1849 James B. Barnes died, when the firm became Hobbs, Barnes and Co.; being composed of John L. Hobbs, James F. Barnes and John H. Hobbs. 

In 1856 the firm again changed to Barnes, Hobbs and Co., composed on John L. Hobbs, James F. Barnes, J. H. Hobbs, and J. K Dunham. Under this firm name the business was continued until 1857, when the firm changed to Hobbs and Barnes. In this year the discovery of the illuminating property of petroleum, and the distillation of illuminating oils from from coal in Kentucky and elsewhere, added a new branch to the manufacture of of lamps and chimneys. The demand was so great for this class of goods that it was impossible to produce enough to supply it. 

In February, 1863, the firm of J. H. Hobbs, Brockunier and Co., was formed, consisting of J. L. Hobbs, John H. Hobbs, and Charles W. Brockunier. In the fall of 1863, William Leighton, sr., was admitted into the firm. In 1868 William Leighton, sr., retired and his son, William Leighton, jr., was admitted as a member of the firm. In 1881, Mr. John L. Hobbs died, the remaining members of the firm bought his interests from the heirs, and the firm name changed to Hobbs, Brockunier and Co.

In 1863, when Mr. Leighton, sr., was admitted into the firm and took charge of the manufacturing department, he entered readily into the prospect of finding glass pure in color and durable without lead being a component part of its composition. After numerous experiments, sand from Berkshire county, Mass., Spanish whiting or chalk, bi-carbonate of soda, with the other ingredients, were found to make a brilliant and durable glass. Every glass works at this time, East and West, of any importance, was making lead glass. Reference from The Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, Sept. 14, 1886. After 1887 the firm became a part of U.S. Glass Co.