Co-author: Wendy Leyn, Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke), BelgiumAround Christmas 2015 Larry was speaking with Dare Hawkins, a marble friend of ours in Weston, West Virginia, about some questions we had about marbles. Dare is semi-retired and volunteers at the American Museum of Glass in West Virginia which is located in Weston … [Read more...] about Funny Money: Playing Marbles on Notes & Coins
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The Wearable Marble
When we were living in Kissimmee, Florida several years ago, we camped all over the state. One of our favorite trips was to the Florida Everglades where we were awed by the color and shapes in the flora and fauna. We took more pictures there than usual. From these we selected a few as inspiration for the glass colors for a marble … [Read more...] about The Wearable Marble
Invisible Children
For a very long time children had no role in archaeology. Child’s play, children’s toys, the life and health of children, and children’s roles in society were seldom mentioned in archaeological field dig reports. Children, toys, and games and children’s material cultures were almost never mentioned at learned meetings and … [Read more...] about Invisible Children
Rolley Hole Update
In a previous post, we wrote a short announcement about attending a rolley hole tournament. We recently learned about a long-standing tournament in Tennessee and a permanent rolley hole yard which honors a marble maker named Bud Garrett Robert “Bud” Garrett was an African-American musician, marble maker and supporter of a … [Read more...] about Rolley Hole Update
French Marble Triangles
Senior Author: Wendy Leyn, Zonnebeke, Belgium Deceased, 2024 In our October 2023 post “Circles, Triangles, & Holes” we described how children in different countries tend to draw different patterns on the ground, or in chalk or on cobbles, in which to set up their marble games. In the Americas, for example, … [Read more...] about French Marble Triangles
Mid-Western American Hot Glass
Remember James Harvey Leighton? Marble collectors everywhere and those who just have a love of marble history remember Leighton for his 1891 patent for the "manufacture of glass spheres". This was the first U.S. patent issued to make toy glass marbles by machine instead of by hand. Double Dipping? As described in our recent post … [Read more...] about Mid-Western American Hot Glass
Sand: Another Four Letter Word?
Smithsonian Open Access|Smithsonian Institution[1] Have you ever heard a story or read an anecdote in a book, magazine, or online which you then could not get off of your mind? Hopefully, that happened with one of our stories! While later searching or just browsing online or while working on a project with your marbles, have you … [Read more...] about Sand: Another Four Letter Word?
History Flashback: Dave McCullough & D.A.S. Marbles
Recognize these D.A.S. marbles? These were made by the legendary Dave McCullough (deceased 2024) in his hot glass shop Dave's Appalachian Swirls in Pennsboro, W.V. Dave was the premier colorist of the 20th and 21st centuries. In the March 29, 2012 online issue of Poor Richard's Almanac, Dave is referred to as having set the … [Read more...] about History Flashback: Dave McCullough & D.A.S. Marbles
It All Started In the Garden
Guest Author: Christiaan Therry, Roeselare, Flemish Region, Belgium Fifty years ago, when I got married, I moved in with my parents-in-law. Living with family was normal back then and it still is in Belgium. My father-in-law once asked me: “Christiaan, do you like working in the garden?” My answer was: “Yes, very much so.” No … [Read more...] about It All Started In the Garden
Marble Snippets From Afar
Joueur de Billes (Marble Player)[1] Co-Author: Wendy Leyn, Zandvoorde (Zonnebeke), West Flanders, Belgium Editors: It is with deep sadness that we tell you that our dear friend Wendy Leyn has died due to heart failure. Wendy was a friend, a colleague, and one of the most dedicated and tenacious researchers that it has been our … [Read more...] about Marble Snippets From Afar
Circles, Triangles & Holes
Wait a minute! We have shared marble stories with you about playing in circles and with holes, but "triangles"? Did you play marbles as a child or do you still play? Bet you played in circles. Have you ever considered how children in different countries (or even on different continents) set up for a game of marbles? Look at our … [Read more...] about Circles, Triangles & Holes
Marble History Flashback: Privy Marbles
It's hard to believe that you had to use an outside toilet not so very long ago. It's even harder to believe that anyone would go digging around in the accumulated "stuff" decades later to find a privy marble! You Dug It Up Where? was one of our most popular emagazine stories. This old privy marble has a story. The dealer we … [Read more...] about Marble History Flashback: Privy Marbles
