Mandicrafts News & Views - Teddy Bears & Collectibles: Mayfair Glassware

Treasure Hunting in Florida - Canadiana Items uncovered!

I am travelling in North Carolina and Florida. This is my annual Treasure Hunt in this area! Amazingly, I've found several Canadiana Collectibles!

Mayfair Glassware began as a gift shop, opened in 1951 in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba Canada by George Kelly Hill, son of a prominent druggest. George was the force behind several entrepeneurial ventures, including the Mayfair Hotel, Mauna Loa Lounge and a car dealership. The Hotel burned down in 1969 but the Mayfair factory building, at the back of the Hotel location, still stands today although it is now occupied by a drafting firm.

George Hill enjoyed travelling. While on a trip to Mexico he observed the creation of hand painted art glass. This inspired the SeeTuSee Glassware, by Mayfair, and the technique was further perfected in the new Mayfair factory. He brought Mexican artisans to the factory to train workers and artistic management was overseen by Foss Griffin.

Each piece of SeeTuSee Glassware is molded in an oven on metal molds, painted by dribbling or dripping paint onto the glass and then a pigskin leather backing applied, sealed and painted gold. In later production years, when pigskin became too expensive, a similar leather was used. The gold paint is distinctive and sets them apart from the original Mexican pieces. Mayfair created many shapes, each with a number and usually stamped with an "M" prefix. The base of each piece can be stamped or an oval foil label is applied and includes the cleaning instructions of "Wipe with a damp cloth - do not soak in water". Mayfair created this unique glassware c1960 to 1975. Canada's Hudson's Bay company eventually distributed the glassware across the country. George Hill was born 1904 and died 1978.

Found in Florida! A lovely red, black, green and turquoise square candy dish!

Note the edging is sealed with the pigskin backing.

The base of gold leather. No label remains, but the shape of where it once was is visible.

For more details, please click HERE.

Also found in Florida, a great vintage clear glass Hotel Logo Ashtray for "Hotel Stevens" in Niagara Falls Canada. The blue and white decor is pristine! In searching for the address, it no longer exists on any street map I found, and Ferry Street was once a street in Niagara Falls that led to the ferry terminal, so it may be where the Niagara terminal to the Rainbow Bridge now stands.

For more details, please click HERE.

A fun find in Florida, is a December 1953 Telephone Directory for Grande Prairie and Peace River Alberta Canada!! In booklet format of 47 numbered pages, it also includes instructions for using a telephone, a rate table for long distance calls, business and residential phone numbers given as 2 to 6 digits, and the pages are chock full of text ads including one on the back cover for J.M. Crummy Garage Company! It has an orange card stock cover with a stapled spine, and unfortunately, some moisture/water damage although all pages are fully legible.