WHAT IS A VINTAGE VIOLET? ~ The official age is 25 years and older. Many vintage violets are extremely hard, if not impossible to find.
Where do I find Vintage Violets? You may find them for sale online or from commercial violet sellers, but your favorite vintage violet may be as near as your neighbor, your family, or local club.
NOW YOU CAN SHOW YOUR CLASSICS! ~ There is a new "Classic" class that is being adopted by some violet clubs. Now you can show your 15 to 24 year old "Classic" violets.
It is of utmost importance that the original name is kept with the violet. There are literally thousands of African Violets. It is impossible to identify a violet that has lost its name.
What's so important about the name? The name of the violet preserves its identity. The name provides a way to reference the hybridizer and any other information, including a registration number and date. A vintage violet with this information might be very valuable. Without it, it is just another "no-name" or NOID (no ID). Many "no-name" violets are lovingly grown by their owners. That is not to say they are any less beautiful without their names.
I grow a few vintage violets and the list of those hybridized by the Richter's is growing.
WHO ARE FORREST & ALICE RICHTER? ~ The Richter's had a greenhouse in northwest Indiana (see an ad from 1972). I bought violets from them in the late 1970's or early 1980's. The Richter's retired the mail-order business in July 1973, but kept the greenhouse open for local business until the greenhouse was damaged by a storm. Hybridizing violets was their life work. Their registered violets range in date from 1954 to 1980. I purchased Kaper and Topps from their greenhouse. They are named but not registered.
Local African Violet enthusiasts believe the greenhouse was still in
operation as late as 1983, which would be 10 years after the Richter's
officially ended their mail order business.
MY VINTAGE VIOLETS ~ RICHTER
| Bambino (Richter) Light blue
double. Dark plain shiny. AVML number 3* Semiminiature
(User Database) *unregistered violets from 1966 to 1976. |
 |
 | Bon-bon (843) 12/17/1956 (F. Richter) Double pink. Girl foliage. VINTAGE Semi-miniature |
| Chenille (92) 11/29/1954 (F. Richter) Single dark purple ruffled. Supreme. Standard |
|
| Kaper (F. Richter) Semidouble-double pink with ruffled white edge. Medium green, wavy. Small standard.
(purchased from Richter's Greenhouse, late 1970's) |  |
 |
Richter's Charm Song
(1137) 08/19/1959 (A. Richter) Double light blue. Ovate. Standard |
| Richter's Pearly Shells (1607) 03/30/1966 (F. Richter) Double medium pink. Ovate, quilted. Large |
 |
 | Topps (F. Richter) Single/semidouble medium-blue. Dark, quilted, red reverse. Standard.
(purchased from Richter's Greenhouse, late 1970's) |
| Sherbert (2534) 03/27/1974 (M. Steele/F. Richter) Double lavender two-tone/variable white. Light green, plain. Standard |  |
| Softique
(1957) 07/09/1969 (A. Richter) Double pale pink. Ovate, quilted, fluted.
Standard |
|
 | Tipt (F. Richter) Single large lavender/purple tips. Standard |
OTHER VINTAGE
|
Amethyst (12) 11/26/1957 (Armacost & Royston) Single
red-orchid. Heart-shaped, quilted, glossy. Standard |
 |
 | Happy Harold (2169) 02/01/1971 (Rienhardt) Single red-wine. Variegated, plain. Standard |
Neptune (AVS48) (Armacost &
Royston) Single medium blue-violet. Ovate, cupped,
quilted. Large
(mine is still a baby) |
 |
I AM LOOKING FOR THESE VIOLETS HYBRIDIZED BY F. or A. RICHTER:
Calumet Beacon (85) 12/21/1954 (F. Richter) Double blue and white. Round, spooned, heavy. Standard
Richter's Indiana Doll (1179) 09/01/1960 (F. Richter) Double pink and green. Ovate. Standard
Richter's Green Dawn (1138) 08/23/1959 (A. Richter) Double pink/green edge. Ruffled. Standard. Someone must have this!
Belisle's Violet House used to carry it. They still have a couple Richter's.
Richter Violets - registered varieties
My own hybrid, a cross between Kaper and a no-name pink. 1980. The flowers are huge but the peduncles (flower stems) are way too long, so I have not registered it.
