Houston 24 Expo – Seminars

EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS

This years Houston 24 seminars were coordinated by Andy Rapoza and all reports and comments have been highly favorable. Each seminar was well-attended and a success. We hope to have each seminar available on the FOHBC YouTube channel at some point in the near future. For the first time in recent years, the FOHBC Houston 24 team did not conduct seminars at competing times which is problematic if you want to attend all seminars and unfair the presenter to have a smaller audience due to a another seminar happening at the same time. Unfortunately, we had a late cancelation with Tom Askjem (Seminar #5) as he could not make the event. In his time slot on Saturday, the popular Seminar #2 (The Holy Grail) was given again.

Many thanks are in order to Andy Rapoza for spearheading the seminars and to our presenters, Michael Craig, Brandon DeWolfe, Eric McGuire, Ferdinand Meyer V, Andy Rapoza, Michael Seeliger, Treg Silkwood and to Gina Pellegrini-Ott for photographs and Bella Meyer for assisting with each presentation.

The lights dimmed—pass the popcorn!

Houston 24 Event Info Packet Description

Educational Seminars (5) • Friday 02 August 2024 [9:00 am to Noon] and Saturday 03 August [10:00 am and 2:00 pm] Hotel ZaZa Museum District | Room with a View, Grapevine – We are pleased to present five fascinating Houston 24 Educational Seminars. We have a distinguished group of seminar presenters organized by seminar coordinator Andy Rapoza. Three seminars will take place on Friday morning, August 2nd from 9:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Hotel ZaZa on the 11th floor. The two digging seminars will occur on Saturday morning and afternoon, August 3rd at Hotel Zaza on the 11th floor. Listed below are the seminar topics, presenters, time and locations where the seminars will take place. Any questions concerning the seminars can be directed to Andy or any Team Houston 24 member.

Weaponized Bottles: Fighting Witches & Demons in Colonial America (Andy Rapoza) [#1], Friday, 9:00 to 10:00 am, Room with a View, The Holy Grail: The three cobalt blue figural bitters and the commemorative Drake’s Plantation Bitters (Michael Seeliger & Michael Craig) [#2], Friday, 10:15 to 11:15 am, Grapevine, Gemstones & Glass (Ferdinand Meyer V & Eric McGuire) [#3] Friday, 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, Room with a View, A Decade of Galveston Digging (Brandon DeWolfe) [#4], Saturday, 10:00 to 11:00 am, Grapevine and Below the Plains (Tom Askjem) [#5], Saturday, 2:00 to 3:00 pm, Grapevine.

Weaponized Bottles: Fighting Witches & Demons in Colonial America

Seminar #1: Evil—the colonists felt surrounded by it. As they settled in the wilds of the New England and Mid-Atlantic colonies, their faith was constantly tested, and their fears often seemed overwhelming—with good reason. They were assaulted by life-threatening challenges: droughts, crop failures, sudden death of farm animals, bread that wouldn’t rise, family members who fell sick from strange, unrecognized sickness, and much more. They were convinced the Devil was using witches to destroy them. Many tried to protect their families by carving magical symbols into their houses and hiding magical objects under floors and behind walls—the most powerful of these were bottles they packed with particular objects designed to kill witches. Ministers warned that they were falling under Satan’s power by doing these things. But they were desperate…

Webinar #11: “Clear & Aqua but Uncommonly Colorful—Using Historical Research to bring out the color in every bottle” by Andy Rapoza. See website promotion. If you missed the FOHBC webinar presentation, you can see it see it here. Use Passcode: Wr=&KBj8

Seminar presenter, Andy Rapoza, standing with one of his many posters that adorned the room.

Entry aisle into the Hotel ZaZa “Room with a View” used for Andy’s seminar.

Andy is an excellent and experienced presenter who came well-prepared with his presentation and artifacts.

The seminar room was full of attendees who could see and hear the presentation.

Example of a witch bottle that Andy had on display during the seminar.

Examples of the four Promising Cures books that Andy published.

The Holy Grail: The three cobalt blue figural bitters and the commemorative Drake’s Plantation Bitters

Seminar #2: This highly anticipated seminar by Michael Seeliger presented the story behind the legendary cobalt blue Fish Bitters, Old Homestead Wild Cherry Bitters, and the Sazerac Aromatic Bitters. The presentation included images and anecdotes from the various collectors that at one time or another held each bottle and the few collectors who held all three specimens at one time. The seminar also included discussion and speculation as to why they were made. After the three blue bitters talk, the seminar transitioned into discussing the hand-blown, pontiled Houston 24 commemorative cobalt blue Drake’s Plantation Bitters. A review of the process included a video of the creation of the molds and the glassblowing—highlighting the great difficulty in making the mold, the applied lip and then the blowing of the glass even using today’s equipment. Attendees will gain insight into the artistry required of glassblowers in the 19th century. Michael Craig and Treg Silkwood assisted in this part of the seminar. See additional Houston 24 promotional material and pictures of the Drakes Plantation Bitters.

See the Making of the Drake’s Plantation Bitters video

FOHBC president, Michael Seeliger, awaits the crowd before his presentation.

FOHBC secretary, Alice Seeliger (audience standing) communicating with Charlie Martin Jr. FOHBC Northeast Region Director.

The second part of the seminar was about the making of the Houston 24 cobalt blue Drake’s Plantation Bitters commemorative bottles.

A professionally done video was presented showing the Drake’s Plantation Bitters being made.

Treg Silkwood, professional glassblower discusses the Drake’s Plantation Bitters.

The group responsible for the Houston 24 Drake’s Plantation Bitters. Left to right: Michael W. Seeliger, Michael Craig and Treg Silkwood.

Gemstones & Glass

Seminar #3: Houston 24 was described as the most exciting antique bottle and glass event in a generation and a major portion of the Expo happened at the Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS). The beautiful butterfly and spectacular early glass was the theme as Expo guests could experience the Cockrell Butterfly Center habitat and see the featured Sandor P. Fuss “American Antique Glass Masterpieces” collection and highlights from the legendary “Wilber and Gugliotti Barber Bottle Collections.” They would also get a chance to visit the world-famous Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. From a huge amethyst weighing more than 850 pounds to a crystallized gold cluster that is one of the most highly coveted objects in the mineral kingdom, the spectacular specimens on display there are true masterpieces—the Rembrandts and Picassos of the natural world. Promotion material to visitors said, “Discover more than 450 beautifully crystallized mineral specimens, including some of the world’s most rare and beautiful examples. Examine these dazzling treasures in detail from all angles through walk-around display cases illuminated by fiberoptic lighting to provide optimum viewing. The FOHBC and Houston 24 team paired a few of the glass and gemstone pieces on display in the Cullen, Brown and Hamill Galleries at HMNS.

Webinar #10: “Gemstones & Glass” Ferdinand Meyer V and Eric McGuire presented Gemstones & Glass. If you missed the presentation, you can see it see it here. Use Passcode: s%R2WpBW

Seminar presenter Ferdinand Meyer V (left) and Eric McGuire gave the presentation.

Ferdinand Meyer V fields questions from the audience.

Projected image comparing a Jared Spencer decorative flask to an example of Angelsite from the HMNS Cullen Hall of Gems & Minerals.

Discussing a Pattern Molded Salt Cellar from Zanesville, Ohio, Aquamarine, with Mesolite with Fluorapophyllite from the Pashan Hills near Khadakvasla Poona, Pune District Maharashtra, India

The audience was able to see a projected presentation that was previously given during the FOHBC online webinar series.

A Decade of Galveston Digging

Seminar #4: Digging for bottles in a low coastal city such as Galveston is an experience that often involves mosquitos, fire ants, water, sand and disappointment. The seminar will delve into Brandon’s 12 years of digging bottles in Galveston, the fascinating history of Galveston, methods and tools for finding locations to dig, some epic digs, and some of odd, mundane, unusual and incredible things that have been found while digging.

(Photographs Incoming)

Webinar #13: “A Decade of Digging Galveston” by Brandon DeWolfe. See website promotion. If you missed the presentation, you can see it at FOHBC.org or Here. Use passcode: stC9nej@