Francis Whittemore (Pennsylvania, USA). Francis Whittemore (b. 1921) of Lansdale, Pennsylvania, USA, was a dean of the American Paperweight Renaissance. He was the subject of a full chapter in the classic book American Glass Paperweights and Their Makers, published in 1967. Like many glass artists of the period, he was first a scientific glass blower. Educated at Harvard University (which he paid for by blowing glass) he later became a college instructor in glass making. He worked hard to perfect the colors he wanted. Most of his paperweight work occurred during the early 1960s and 1970s. For several summers Frank was hired by Baccarat to come to their factory in France and train the glass workers in the finer details of paperweight making. He made his last paperweight in 1976. In my opinion, his work is artistic, precise, inspired, and belongs in any collection with weights by the greatest American glass artists. He lived a beautiful life by all accounts, moving on at the age of 98 on January 4, 2020.
PW2819. Francis Whittemore Crimp Rose Pedestal Weight. Beautiful yellow rose tilted to enhance viewing. Condition excellent. Signed at the base of the flower with his “W” cane in yellow circle. Pedestal base is 2 1/16 inches in diameter; globe is two inches; height is 2 7/8 inches; eight ounces. $250
PW1720. Francis Whittemore Crimp Rose Pedestal Weight. Whittemore’s finest red rose with nicely graduated color in the petals, frosty white to vivid red – this petal-tip part was the toughest part of making a crimp rose and was very difficult to get right. Beautiful fifteen petal crimp rose. Condition excellent. A top Whittemore red rose. Signed at the base of the flower with his “W” cane in yellow circle. Pedestal base is 2 inches in diameter; globe is 2 1/16 inches; height is 2 3/4 inches; eight ounces. $275
PW2888. Francis Whittemore Crimp Rose Pedestal Weight. Beautiful fifteen petal pure white crimp rose opening blossom. Signed at the base of the flower with his “W” cane. Condition excellent. Pedestal is 2 1/16 inches in diameter; globe is 2 3/16 inches; height is 2 3/4 inches; nine ounces. $175
PW3176. Francis Whittemore Crimp Rose Pedestal Weight. Beautiful fifteen petal pure white crimp rose. Signed at the base of the flower with his “W” cane. Condition excellent. Pedestal is 2 1/16 inches in diameter; globe is 2 1/8 inches; height is 2 13/16 inches; nine ounces. $225