I finally got the new L. E. Smith Glass Company book! It is written by Tom Felt and I believe of all the glass books I own that were written in the last 15 years, this is by far the best and most researched book I've got in my fairly extensive library. The book has a LOT of the LE Smith Company history as well as a lot of information on molds, where they came from and when they were used. I highly, highly, highly recommend this book! There are so many pieces there that we have attributed to either "unknown" or to other companies (such as many pieces attributed heretofore to Viking!). My hat is off to Tom Felt for the extensive research and plethora of information and fantastic photos throughout this book. It is so very well organized and is a HUGE book! If you are a seller of glass or a collector, this is a "must have" book!
Tom Felt has written the most comprehensive and useful compendium of L.E. Smith Glass company that has come along. With more 398 pages of brilliant and useful information, coupled with hundreds of clear, full-color photographs, and great historical research, this is the reference work no collector or art glass seller should be without.
Multiple indexing adds to the usefulness of this book. You can find an item by color, pattern, stock number or by it's photograph. In addition, the bibliography gives many further sources of information on this prolific and important American Glass maker.
L.E. Smith made thousands of glass pieces, in dozens of popular patterns and shapes. One that is very popular today, is Moon & Stars. While L.E. Smith was not the sole maker of this pattern, they were one of the most popular. This reference work includes a "Visual Index" of thumbnail photographs that you can use to locate any pattern/shape that Smith made; and, cross reference to it's history, and a good indication of it's current value.
This work stands alone in it's completeness and detail. It goes hand-in-hand with the fine pattern references by Gene Florence.
I really like Tom Felt's great pictures, general index and visual index. These indexes really make the book easy to use for reference. I have been able to use it to identify several pieces of glass I had.