Westford Bottles Auctioned

Norman C. Heckler & Co.

Norman C. Heckler & Company, in Woodstock, Connecticut, is the specialist auction house most closely associated with glass from the Quiet Corner, because of geography and the expertise of the company's founder. This summer, Heckler's is liquidating the collection of Ralph Fletcher, a specialist in the Westford Glass Company and also owner of the property that includes the site of the glass works in Westford (a village in Ashford, Ct). There are a bunch of Westford pieces being offered in the current online Heckler's auction, and more coming up in future sales. Here are a few highlights.

GXIII-37 half pint sheaf-of-wheat / "Westford Glass Co Westford Conn" flask. A common flask, but almost unheard of with a sheared lip rather than a tooled applied collar.

Demijohn blown in a three piece mold with a beveled base, a form associated with the Westford Glass Co. The colors of glass produced at Westford are overwhelmingly dominated by amber, so this blue-green example is unusual, possibly suggesting that this particular bottle was made at the Willington Glass Co., which made a broader range of colors (in addition to also making a whole lot of murky dark amber glass).

Free blown flask with sheared lip and sheared or pontiled base. Made of very heavy, dark olive amber glass and attributed to Westford by Fletcher.

"Geo. W. Hoxsie's Premium Beer" bottles are generally thought to have been manufactured at Westford. 

More dark amber beer bottles, cylinder whiskey bottles and demijohns in styles and colors that are linked to Westford. These less valuable bottles are to be sold at Heckler's August live auction. 

A case of unembossed Hoxsie-style beer bottles, also maybe of Westford origin and destined for the August live auction.