The Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association (GCICA) is a friendly cast iron enthusiast group. The group provides an opportunity to meet fellow collectors of vintage iron cookware, tell stories, swap pieces, learn, and make new friends. Do you know how some people’s eyes glaze over when you start talking about your love for old cast iron cookware? Not with this group!
GCICA has an annual convention each Spring. In the fall, each of the four local “chapters” holds two-day meets.1
In September, Linda and I traveled to North Platte, Nebraska, for the Heartland GCICA meet hosted by collectors Doug and Kathy Wenz. There were approximately 27 cast iron enthusiasts in attendance who had traveled from all over the United States.
Friday Evening
The meetup began on Friday September 27 with dinner at a local restaurant.
Doug and Kathy then welcomed all attendees to their beautiful home nearby, where Kathy had prepared an extensive array of desserts using some of their collectible kitchenware.
Doug and Kathy, especially Kathy, are fans of mid-century modern style, just like me. I enjoyed seeing all the wonderful mod items in the Wenz home, including Blenko and Viking art glass (and more!), swag lamps, Oppenheimer table lamps, Heywood Wakefield furniture, a black ceramic panther planter (similar to a panther lamp from my childhood that I display), and a fantastic Venetian shade lamp.
Additionally, of course, they have a gorgeous collection of iron. The Wenz iron collection is displayed in Doug and Kathy’s house and in Doug’s adjacent workshop. Doug is the primary iron collector, although Kathy is also strongly interested in the pieces, particularly for cooking. If a piece is in the house, Kathy considers it fair game for cooking!
Doug’s main collecting focus is on Griswold. Their collection includes beautiful Griswold Flamingo Red enameled pieces, skillets, muffin and gem pans, Dutch ovens, and much more. Doug and Kathy estimate that they have about 500 pieces in their collection.2
Saturday
On Saturday morning, attendees gathered at the North Platte American Legion. Kathy once again treated us to a delicious spread of food, including sweet treats, biscuits and gravy, egg casserole, and fruit. Kathy shared that all of the foods she cooked for the weekend’s events were prepared in pans from their collection.
Show and Tell
One of the highlights of all GCICA meets is a “show and tell,” where collectors bring interesting and/or unusual items for others in the group to see and discuss. Saturday’s show and tell highlights featured Tom Moran’s Mohawk salesman’s sample display of toy-sized tin cookware, Art Chatfield’s “The Favorite” kettle with raised lettering, and Larry and Marg O’Neil’s Grateful Dead “Steal Your Face” skillets. Heartland director Brian Wheeler showcased several unusual pieces including a mop wringer, Stover window sash puller, and a Stuart Peterson piece. Heartland chapter founder Russ Howser closed out Show and Tell with several items, including a Wearever waiter’s tray, a gate-marked round griddle with a honeycomb bottom, and a ceramic “Honey Baked Ham Company” carving stand.
After a short Q&A session, the group had a swap meet, which is always a favorite among attendees. It’s a great opportunity to purchase collectible pieces at fair prices. I was able to buy a Favorite Piqua Ware skillet from Art Chatfield and an ERIE wax ladle from Larry O’Neil. Although Linda and I brought a few pieces to sell, we didn’t get them out in time to take advantage of the fresh and enthusiastic buyers.
Following the swap meet, there was a business meeting followed by lunch. The lunch included brisket sandwiches, 24-hour coleslaw, and potato salad – again, all prepared by Kathy Wenz.
Skillet Toss
The final event for the meetup was a fun skillet toss game. GCICA Treasurer Brenda Bernstein made adorable skillet awards for the competition, which added to the friendly atmosphere. Deanna Harrison won first place, Linda Lamb came in second, and Lydia Rutt placed third. Shirley Willard received the “Good Sport” award.
Many thanks to Doug and Kathy for hosting the very tasty weekend of enjoyable and educational events. Everyone had a great time, and it was wonderful to spend time with cast iron friends!
Now, isn’t it time for you to join the Griswold & Cast Iron Cookware Association?
- GCICA has four chapters: Northeast, Heartland, Dixie, and East Coast.
- I am writing a blog post about the Wenz’s and their collection.
