Pull up a cozy chair and pour a cup of hot tea as I read this wonderful Christmas story, “The Red Glass Bowl”. It was first published 90 years ago this month in Good Housekeeping magazine.
“The Red Glass Bowl” short story is by Margaret Weymouth Jackson; the illustrations are by Frances Tipton Hunter.
The vintage ads in the old magazine pages from 1931 lends even more to its time capsule feeling.
Laying out all of the magazine pages from my issue Good Housekeeping December 1931 for The Red Glass Bowl for scanning. Back in 2015 I was able to get the original issue on eBay and sent copies of the short story to friends that year with Christmas cards. Fast forward to 2021 & this year wanting to make sure PDF of it available for everyone to access for reading. It is hard to believe 90 years ago this month it was first published! – Helen Rittersporn December 12, 2021
Happy Sunday with Christmas less than two weeks away! I hope you enjoy this treat of this cherished Christmas short story during the depression.
Margaret Weymouth Jackson
I’ve always thought of her as a very talented writer when reading this short story. In preparing today’s AnchoredScraps blog post, I find my observation confirmed discovering in 1996 Margaret Weymouth Jackson (who was born Feb. 11, 1895) was inducted into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.
I’m quoting this partial excerpt from their entry about her:
“In all, she wrote a half-dozen novels and more than 200 short stories for national magazines such as Liberty, Good Housekeeping, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan and others. More than 50 of her pieces appeared in the Saturday Evening Post.
Reading The Red Glass Bowl short story by Margaret Weymouth Jackson 1931 Good Housekeeping magazine
Recording this has taken me longer than anticipated; however, it is a delight to share this video that has my reading it along with featuring the scanned images of the pages from my copy of the 1931 Good Housekeeping magazine.
TaDahhhh! Here's my video Reading The Red Glass Bowl
And here's the PDF for downloading and printing
In the PDF button you can view, download and print; it is a high resolution I have scanned for you from my copy of the 1931 December Good Housekeeping magazine. It was first published 90 years ago this month!
The thumbnail images showing below is to show what the pages look like, especially the illustrations; they are not meant for reading – please use the PDF, Thanks!
Finding Margaret Weymouth Jackson listed in the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame
In finding the 1996 entry for Margaret Weymouth Jackson into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame, here is another partial excerpt.
“…Mrs. Jackson was a writer in the heydays of the magazine short story,” Indianapolis Star reporter Shirley Rogers wrote in 1973, “before television stole upon the American scene and, with the click of a dial, banished most of America’s colorful periodicals to dusty existence on library shelves.”…
Looking back to first sharing about The Red Glass Bowl here in 2015
Almost exactly six years ago, on December 17, 2015, my AnchoredScraps blog post was on The Red Glass bowl sharing about it. I first heard it read aloud at my book club group about 20 years prior by a member who had kept her magazine clipping of it.
My previous blog post on “The Red Glass Bowl” (Margaret Weymouth Jackson).
“It was over twenty years ago when the short story was first shared with me – it was with my book club group – which I was a member of for over ten years – and that year for the December book club meeting we decided in advance that all of us would bring our favorite Christmas book (could be short-story) to read aloud selections and this way share some of our favorites. Someone brought “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, AND someone else brought “The Red Glass Bowl” along with their original magazine clipping and it was read aloud. It became one of my favorites and somewhere I believe still have the reprint somewhere.”
Since posting that in 2015, I am now finding the link no longer active; however, the great news is the copy of the Good Housekeeping issue I ordered on ebay is what I have scanned and including the PDFs of those pages here. Furthermore, you can download, print and have it for reading yourself. I hope you’ll share it with others!
I'm still in search of finding a Red Glass Bowl matching the short story description
Even after six years of everytime I’m in a vintage thrift shop I LOOK and yet to find an actual red glass bowl that matches the description for it in the short story, “The Red Glass Bowl” (Margaret Weymouth Jackson).
This is its description excerpt from the short story:
“…The bowl was about five inches across, deep garnet red in color, and with the most beautiful curlicues painted on it in gold…”
You will have to let me know if you ever come across The Red Glass Bowl when out and about, especially in small vintage thrift shops!
Thank you for joining me today. Here’s to a GREAT week ahead and continuing to pace ourselves! And I truly hope you enjoy The Red Glass Bowl!
Anchors Aweigh,
Helen
AnchoredScraps #2144
Attribution & Thanks: Good Housekeeping 1931 December magazine; Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame.
P.S. Here's a follow-up from my post last Sunday on Topical Christmas Mail Time!
In follow-up to my post last Sunday, attending the Christmas Philatelic Club was amazing. There is so much to discover specifically about “… the collecting of Christmas stamps, covers, postal markings, seals, and much more”.
In fact, I have signed up and am now a member of it! 
I’m anticipating catching the replay of the Christmas Mail Art and Postmarks. It is exciting seeing all of the philatelic interests tie-in with my letter writing during the holidays.
