Smokers Items - Part II
by Mark Nye
Issue No. 248 - December 1993
During the seoond half of the 1930s. Cambridge used, instead of a formal catalog, a series of brochures that covered the various types of articles they sold. These brochures resembled catalog pages and were most likely assembled into a catalog by their recipients. During the years the brochures were used, their content varied. Initially, color and price information was included directly under the item illustration. Later, this information was removed and supplied by means of a separate price list.
Unforninately, a complete set of the brochures, either the early or late versions, has not been found. The library at the Corning Museum of Glass has a microfiche copy of a set that contains both early and late pages. The information for this and future articles comes from this set.
One brochure dealt with smokers items. The quality of the paper
copies obtained from the microfiche of this brochure is so poor they
cannot be reprinted here. 
The first page began with the caption "SMOKERS
ITEMS" and it appears at right in its original style. (Even the caption
had to be computer enhanced and cleaned up before its reproduction
here.) The Corning microfiche copy of this brochure contains four
pages. For each item shown, price and color information appears
directly below the illustration. Prices are given for plain and etched
ware, but information regarding what etchings, if any, were available
on a specific item did not appear. It is entirely possible that the
presence of a price for an etched item did not necessarily mean it was
available etched in that color or colors. Rather, it might be a case
of, if available etched in this color, this is what the price would
be.
Among the ash trays pictured on the brochures first page are the 387-391 series discussed in a prior article. On this page it states all were available in Crystal, Amber, Emerald, Dianthus Pink, Forest Green. Royal Blue and Ebony. In addition, the six inch No. 390 was to be had in Carmen. While the smallest, the 2½ inch No. 387, was offered plain only. Prices for etched ware were provided for the other three in the colors of Crystal, Amber, Emerald, Dianthus Pink and Forest Green.
Prominently featured on the first page is the Nude or No. 3011 Figure ash tray. Its caption provided prices for pieces in the colors of Crystal, Amber, Forest Green, Gold Krystol, Royal Blue, Amethyst and in Crown Tuscan with an Ebony foot. Prices were provided for the piece etched in the colors of Crystal Amber, Forest Green and Gold Krystol.
Probably the most unusual ash tray seen on this page is the 3400/l46 four inch handled ash tray. I was unable to locate an illustration of this item in any of the available catalog reprints. It is similar in style to the Tally Ho 1402/86 handled ash tray. The 3400/146 differs in that it is made from what appears to be a small 3400 line bowl. The handle is very likely the same one used for the Tally Ho piece. No prices were given for the 3400/146 ash tray etched but were provided for plain Crystal, Forest Green, Royal Blue and Amethyst.
The No. 1314 three inch footed ash tray is illustrated on page 34-12 of the 1930-34 catalog reprint. In the brochure being discussed here, it was offered in the colors of Crystal. Forest Green, Gold Krystol, Heatherbloom Royal Blue, Amethyst and Carmen. Prices were also provided for etched versions in the colors of Crystal, Forest Green, Gold Krystol and Heatherbloom.
Other ash
trays appearing on this page are the Mt. Vernon #60 and #63, the
Gadroon line #129 and #130 and the combination cigarette holder and ash
tray set, No. 1455/1456, Illustrations of these pieces will be found in
the Welker Catalog Reprint I.
Page two of the brochure feathres 21 items, all of them ash trays. It is on this page that one of the more unusual Cambridge ash trays, the No. 3105 three inch ash tray, appears. The No. 3105 line is more commonly known as Pressed Rose Point stemware. The 3105 ash tray consists of the cone base from a Pressed Rose Point stemware item and a cast foot. It is captioned as made in Crystal only. This is consistent with the stemware line since only the bowls were in color.
It is on this next page (shown at the end of this article) that the No. 1040 swan ash tray is captioned as available in Crystal, Amber, Emerald. Dianthus Pink, Forest Green, Royal Blue, Gold Krystol and Carmen.
Four items from the Sea Shell line also make an appearance on this page, the ash trays #32, #33 and #34 and the five inch plate known as SS 1. While captioned as the five inch plate, it's intended purpose here was as an ash tray. The 2¼ inch Sea Shell No. 32 ash tray was offered in Crystal, Amber, Royal Blue, Coral, Moonstone and Carmen; the No. 34 in Crystal, Coral and Moonstone; and the plate and No. 33 ash tray in only two colors, Coral and Moonstone.
The six inch No. l313 ash tray consists of the 390 ash tray on, what today is commonly called the "keyhole" stem. It is captioned as made in Crystal, Forest Green, Gold Krystol, Heatherbloom and Carmen plain, and etched in Crystal, Forest Green, Gold Krystol and Heatherbloom. Made from the four inch No. 388 ash tray and a foot from the 3400 line, the No. 1311 footed ash tray was made in the same colors as the No. l3l3 with the addition of Carmen.
Three ash trays from the Tally Ho line appear on this page. They are the 1402/85 four inch ash tray, the l402/86 four inch handled ash tray and the l402/86 two piece ash well and cover. The cover of the latter consists of the 1402/86 handled ash tray. For illustrations of the three items, see page 33-4 of the 1930-34 Cambridge Catalog Reprint. All three items were manufactured in the colors of Crystal, Amber, Forest Green, Royal Blue and Carmen. The Gadroon line is again represented with the 3500/131 four inch oval ash tray, plain or etched in Crystal only, and the 3500/124 - 3500/128 series of nesting ashtrays. From the latter group, only the smallest, the 3¼ inch No. 124 and the 4¼ inch No. 127 were made in color, Amber, Royal Blue and Carmen. According to the captions, all were being offered in Crystal, plain or etched as were the Amber versions of numbers 124 and 127.
Four additional ash trays appeared on page two; these being the Crystal 1457 three inch and 1458 four inch ash trays, the 1454 Carmen, Emerald and Royal Blue ash tray with lugs and the 617 three inch ash tray that came in Crystal, Amber and Royal Blue. The 617 ash tray is nothing more than the cover to the No. 617 cigarette jar. Illustrations of numbers 1457 and 1458 (different sizes of the same style ash tray) will be found in Welker I.
To be continued ...
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