Noted early American glass aficionado Duff S. Allen Jr of Falmouth, Mass., passed away on October 20, at the age of 80. He was born on December 8, 1928, in St Louis, Mo., to Dr Duff S. Allen Sr and Mildred (Burns) Allen. He is survived by his loving and dedicated wife of 33 years, Mary “Molly” Allen; three children, Duff Allen, Cori Allen and Tana Allen; a sister, Rita Glastris; a brother, Robert Allen; and two grandchildren. His first wife, Iris, predeceased him.
Duff was a graduate of John Burroughs School, Princeton University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he earned a doctorate in organic chemistry. Duff was a longtime resident of Greenwich, Conn., where he worked for more than 30 years at Lederle Laboratories. It was his career as a pharmaceutical researcher that would provide the foundation for his quest of knowledge in the field of Nineteenth Century American glass.
When Duff was just 10 years old, he came across a copy of Ruth Webb Lee’s seminal 1939 volume, Sandwich Glass. After reading the tome cover to cover, Duff presented a report on antique glass to his grade school class, but it was not until many years later, in 1981, that he remembered the book and the glass that had inspired it. That year, Duff and Molly attended a local antiques show and purchased their first piece of antique glass. That initial purchase sparked a passionate interest in early American glass that would happily occupy the Allens for the next three decades.
Shortly after acquiring that first object, Duff and Molly became active members of the Westchester Glass Club, and they enthusiastically agreed to manage the club’s annual show and sale. As co-managers for the next ten years, they were instrumental in building the annual event into what was arguably the top early American glass show in the country.
After retiring and moving to Cape Cod in 1991, the Allens joined with Joan Kaiser and several others to form the Cape Cod Glass Club, and up until 2005, Duff co-managed the club’s annual Sandwich, Mass., show with Douglas Reed. Duff also served on the boards of the National Early American Glass Club, the Westchester Glass Club and the Sandwich Glass Museum.
In 2006, Duff began to lose his eyesight, and soon could no longer safely handle his beloved glass or perform the historical research that he so dearly loved. After much consideration, he decided the time had come to sell his cherished collection. In late 2007, Duff and Molly entrusted Beverley and me with the honor of dispersing their collection, which we did through a single-owner cataloged auction conducted on October 18, 2008. It was Duff’s desire that the collection that he and Molly had so carefully assembled now be shared with and enjoyed by a new group of glass lovers. This desire was fulfilled when more than 100 different collectors, museums and dealers from across the United States and Canada were successful bidders at the auction.
Beverley and I were very fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Duff a month before he passed away. He was his usual joking self and we had grand conversations about glass and life. He reiterated how pleased he was with the auction and the catalog, and how happy it made him to know that others were now enjoying the pieces that he and Molly had loved for so many years. And then there were the stories, always the stories, most of them familiar, a few new, all dearly cherished. And as we prepared to leave, unknowingly seeing Duff for the last time, I thanked him for his kind words and the great stories.
It was a privilege knowing you Duff Allen; your memory will always bring a smile to my face. And, yes, Molly, the memories and stories will hold a special place in all of our hearts forever.
⁊eff Evans
Jeffrey S. Evans & Associates
