Marble Stories

“Be less curious about people and more curious about ideas.” Marie Curie [1]Doped Marbles & the 2% ClubIn our book The Secret Life of Marbles we take a look at one way the American Military used uranium-doped marbles in Cold War weapons testing. That section is called Hot Glass and Moving Targets and it is in “Chapter Five: Sex, … [Read more...] about Fenton Glass Marbles

All knowledge degenerates into probability. — David Hume [1]A Little BackstoryWe have a few Victorian sulfides in our collection and we recently posted Contemporary Figural Marbles in this eMagazine.  Check that post for some background on sulfides. In 2006 we first asked ourselves the question “Were sulfide marbles made in the … [Read more...] about Were Victorian Sulfide Marbles Made in America?

The proper order of things is often a mystery to me.” - Cheshire CatA Few Words about WordsWhat precisely is the difference between an antique and a contemporary figural marble? Before 1890 marbles were handmade; today gorgeous glass marbles are still being made by hand. Are “contemporary” marbles those made using the most up to … [Read more...] about Contemporary Figural Marbles

I’m 100% Certain!  Somewhat….Which facts, stories, or statistics do you know with absolute certainty about the Civil War?  You may not remember it “off the top of your head” but you can certainly get the solid facts online, right?  Yes.  And no.  For example, President Lincoln used electrical signaling with unparallel success … [Read more...] about Marbles Used as Munitions in the American Civil War

He never worked where?Our recent post about Cambridge Glass and Christensen marbles generated some very interesting responses online.  We were most surprised by the reaction to the information on A. Fiedler.  After complaining about misinformation in the post, one writer noted: most of the misinformation is about Arnold Fiedler . … [Read more...] about Cambridge Glass Company Marbles: A Second Look

You Have What? There are marbles in our collection made using cullet from well-known glasshouses which are extremely popular and often older and well-established.   These companies never produced marbles or have ceased their production.  For example, we have a clutch of marbles made from Burmese uranium glass made by The Fenton Art … [Read more...] about Cambridge Glass Company Marbles

Wimauma is in Hawaii, right?  Sounds like it should be. But, no, it’s in Florida --- about halfway down on the left-hand side.  Suntree; Umatilla; Wadi Tawiyyah; Blood Mountain (Tail of the Dragon); Limaville; Buckhannon; Warm Springs; Black Hawk; Eau Gallie; Key West; Hancock; Immokalee; and Africa Town.  What in the world could … [Read more...] about Far-Flung in Wimauma

About Oakleigh GardensWe have only lived in Mobile, Alabama, for a little over a year, but we have learned that the old city, founded in 1702  as Fort Louis de la Mobile, has dozens of historic districts and enclaves which we can explore.  Incidentally, the first Mardi Gras was held in Mobile in 1703.  We constantly … [Read more...] about One Cigarette Left: Ramblings in Oakleigh Gardens

Got Marbles?Do marbles have secrets? If you ask older generations about their marbles, most will remember their own childhood collection or recall that they inherited a jar or tin or box of "player" marbles from a family member. They know about their own marbles (past or present) in the context of their lives, family history and … [Read more...] about How Can Marbles Have Secrets?

We have no idea whether or not Ovid (43 BC- about 17 AD), the Roman poet, even wrote the poem Nux, which takes the viewpoint of a walnut tree.  We are relatively certain, however, that the poem does mention playing marbles from mother nature such as walnuts; in fact, the boys played several games with the … [Read more...] about Marbles From Mother Nature

What is Scrimshaw?Ever heard of a Scrimshander?  It’s an odd word for sure, and no one is certain either of its origin or the origin of the word scrimshaw.  While researchers cannot be certain of the origin of the name scrimshaw, it is certainly not for a lack of speculation.  Scrimshaw is a proper name!  It is an Anglo-Scottish … [Read more...] about A Cro-Magnon Marble