Our Next Meeting

On Sunday, August 24, the MD-DC-VA PCA will be having a meeting at a member's home in Alexandria VA.  Alison Ruzsa, a leading paperweight artist from Brooklyn NY will be our special guest and speaker.  Our Virginia hosts have recently undertaken a major renovation of their house in order to be able to display their fabulous glass art collection!  Some of their pieces weigh in excess of 100 pounds!  Don't miss this very interesting meeting.  A potluck lunch will be served.  To get the address of the meeting, send your name and email address to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call our Membership Chairman Beverly at (703)938-2975.

Our Fall Meeting

On Sunday October 5, we will be having our fall meeting at a member's home in Mannheim PA.  This member has over 1000 paperweights and paperweight related objects.  We will be organizing carpools for the trip up to Mannheim, which is close to Lancaster.  Send an email to our President at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or call Beverly at (703)938-2975 if you are interested in attending.

The Chapter's Holiday Party will be at a member's home in Montgomery County Maryland on Sunday December 7.

Courtesy LH Selman Ltd.

Courtesy LH Selman Ltd
 

Joining the MD-DC-VA PCA

If you are interested in joining the MD-DC-VA PCA, send an email to our treasurer Elaine at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . Dues are $25 for one year and $45 for two years.  And we have a special rate of $15 for new members for their first year.  Dues for a couple are the same as for an individual.  As a member, you will receive copies of our quarterly newsletter, invites to all of our meetings, a chance to learn more about paperweights, and an opportunity to meet other collectors in the Baltimore and Washington area.

PAPERWEIGHTS FOR SALE - Visit the Capitol Corner page.

Paperweight Pictures

A listing of the makers of the various paperweights on this website can be found on the Contact Us page.  We would like to thank L.H. Selman Ltd. very much for letting us use some of their .jpgs on our website.

Chapter History

The PCA’s fifth Paperweight Convention began June 2, 1977 in Boston, Massachusetts.  At the convention, Paul Jokelson, the PCA’s founder and President, suggested that state chapters be established, so that collectors could meet throughout the year (PCA conventions at that time were held every fourth year).  Beverly Schindler was at the 1977 Convention and went to the room where the Virginia members were gathered and discovered that there was the only one  other collector from Virginia.  So Beverly went to the room where the Maryland members were gathered in hopes that they would be willing to let her join the Maryland chapter.  Their meeting was well attended with a large group from the Baltimore area and a few collectors from the Maryland suburbs of DC.  Lelia Easson, one of Paul Jokelson’s associates, had suggested that all Chapter Presidents should be men.  But, the Maryland Chapter decided to go against her wishes and selected Beverly Schindler as their first President.

Beverly was a bit overwhelmed at how to put together a chapter for what would be the Greater Baltimore and Washington areas, but was greatly helped by paperweight dealers Don Eckel and Betty Toomey, who supplied her with a list of 60 names.  Unfortunately, two mailings elicited nearly no response.  Beverly decided to set up a meeting in September, 1977 at her home and invited any interested collectors,  their friends, and some of Beverly’s friends who were barely interested in paperweights to come to the meeting.  Only five people showed up for the MD-DC-VA PCA’s first meeting.

Beverly was undeterred and put an advertisement in the newspaper, made dozen of phones calls, and was able to get 12 attendees for the 3rd Chapter meeting.  The Chapter has continued to grow and flourish over the next 29 years.  We will be celebrating our 30th Anniversary at our October meeting!

Courtesy LH Selman Ltd.

Courtesy LH Selman Ltd.