Milbra and Emily

Milbra has a life-long passion for beauty. Emily, her daughter, has a life-long love of words.

Retired teacher Milbra Long is generally considered one of the premiere American authorities on glassware, especially Fostoria.

Her dedicated research on the subject has yielded articles for many publications, including Glass Collectors Digest and The Daze.

She served as Chair of the Research Committee for the Fostoria Glass Society of America, as well as on its Board of Directors, and has written numerous articles for Facets of Fostoria, the organization's newsletter. In the antiques business with her husband Frank since the early 1970s, Milbra recognized the need for a crystal replacement service as the great glass houses closed their doors. In 1984, she launched Milbra's Crystal, and in 1991, Emily joined her.

Milbra and Frank helped organize the Fostoria Glass Society of North Texas in 1987, and Emily (who was no stranger to Fostoria) became a charter member, as well as the first secretary.

Emily has written articles and presented seminars on Fostoria glassware, both with Milbra and by herself. Emily’s first book of fiction is Ah-Mah, her second is The White Crown, (just published!) from the series, The HeartMind Chronicles. Two more books are scheduled for publication in 2008-2009. Learn more at www.EmilySeate.com.

Don’t miss Foolish Wisdom, Emily’s poetry, published 2006.

In 1992, Milbra and Emily decided to combine their knowledge and skills in a project they call The Crystal for America, an ambitious series of books detailing glassware produced from 1924 through the closing of the Moundsville, West Virginia factory in 1986.

They celebrated publication of the first book, Fostoria Stemware, in 1994. Two additional volumes were required to cover Fostoria Tableware produced from 1924 through 1986.

After that, the intrepid writers decided to write a fourth book, Useful and Ornamental, to cover pieces which were not part of a pattern and to organize them into easily-used categories. This book also included glassware and catalogs from before 1924.

A fifth Fostoria book was published in Spring 2003 by Collector Books of Paducah, Kentucky. The Fostoria Value Guide features updated prices for the entire series.

This book series is unique in the field because of the authors' extensive research and careful organization, and flair for presenting detailed information in a very accessible format.

Through precise line drawings, luscious color photographs, original manufacturer's catalog pages, brochures and advertising, Milbra and Emily share with readers a wealth of knowledge about this fascinating subject.