Fenton Revival Spruce Green Carnival Glass, 1999 - 2000
“Splashy New Glassware”
In 1999, Fenton’s catalogues featured Spruce Carnival with an interesting accompanying write-up. The product/colour codes were "SI" and "US" or "S8" for the decorated pieces. The code "AS" was used for multi-product assortments.
“In 1908 Fenton originated the first Carnival Glass in an attempt to capture the beauty of the expensive Tiffany Favrile and Steuben Aurene at popular prices. The method developed by F.L. Fenton, Jacob Rosenthal and Fenton glass workers did not depend on using precious metals in the glass batch but utilized a spray ‘dope’ that applied a rainbow of colors on the surface of the glass. The American public fell instantly in love with this splashy new glassware. Green Carnival is one of the most collectible of the early iridescent colors.”
Items featured on the page above included some decorated items and the familiar shape of the Grape and Cable Tobacco Jar (#9188). This was the Fenton reworked version of the Classic Northwood design and it was introduced in the late 1960s, when it was described as an "authentic reproduction". In our NetworK #41, we had a feature about Fenton’s introduction of the tobacco jar that they described as being “based on an original Northwood design”.
Novelties such as the ever-popular Alley Cat and the miniature Hand Vase are also shown, as well as a basket that featured the Lions interior and a Leaf Tiers exterior (complete with twig feet).
Novelties such as the ever-popular Alley Cat and the miniature Hand Vase are also shown, as well as a basket that featured the Lions interior and a Leaf Tiers exterior (complete with twig feet).
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Alley Cat, courtesy Burns Auctions
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In 2000, Fenton offered Spruce Green Carnival in further shapes and with another interesting, accompanying write-up:
“A historic favorite among collectors, our Spruce Green Carnival offering features many engaging moulds purchased in 1999 from the L. G. Wright Glass Company when they went out of business. Delicate petals of wild rose, created by Martha Reynolds, further beautify the glass as the sheer pink on the leaves adds movement and dimension.”
“A historic favorite among collectors, our Spruce Green Carnival offering features many engaging moulds purchased in 1999 from the L. G. Wright Glass Company when they went out of business. Delicate petals of wild rose, created by Martha Reynolds, further beautify the glass as the sheer pink on the leaves adds movement and dimension.”
Catalogue images are courtesy of the Fenton Family and Fenton Art Glass Company.
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The Heavy Iris water set (Fenton called it Iris) features in this offering. This was originally a Dugan-Diamond pattern. In 1939, the original moulds were among many others that Si Wright (L. G. Wright Glass Co.) purchased.
In around 1975, Wright brought some of them out of storage, and arranged for Westmoreland to use them to make Contemporary Carnival. The full story is here: Westmoreland's Carnival Revival. Later still, many of the Wright's moulds were acquired by Fenton. Items made from them should be marked with the Fenton single letter F (the full word Fenton was reserved for Fenton’s own moulds, while the single F was used on items made from moulds acquired from other companies). |
Above: on the left is a Contemporary Spruce Green Heavy Iris water set, and on the right is a Classic marigold Heavy Iris pitcher. Both pictures are courtesy of Seeck Auctions. Note the broad plain band above the iris pattern at the top of the Contemporary pitcher. On the Dugan-Diamond original pitcher, the pattern went almost to the very top.
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Shown below and right are the Heavy Iris tumbler and pitcher moulds originally Dugan-Diamond, later owned by L. G. Wright and subsequently by Fenton.
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If you look closely at the pitcher mould, you can see a very faint line around the top, where a new section was added. Note that there is no handle on the pitcher mould - the handle was applied after it had been removed from the mould. Both pictures are courtesy of the Fenton Family and Fenton Art Glass Co. 
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The 10 inch Leaf Basket (#6836) shown in the catalogue is also of interest: although it is not possible to view the interior pattern in this catalogue image, the base of the item is familiar in its shape. It is the Dugan-Diamond pattern Dogwood Sprays. You can see this, along with several other Fenton Contemporary Carnival items made using the Dugan-Diamond / L. G. Wright moulds, in our NetworK #62.
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Flowers of the World
Spruce Green was also the colour chosen for this Contemporary Carnival piece - the exterior pattern is called "Flowers of the World. It was designed by Glen Thistlewood, whose original design is shown on the far right. The mould was made by Fenton, and Fenton also pressed the glass (in 1999). This one is particularly special, in that it is a handkerchief vase - a "one of a kind" decorated whimsey. |
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The full story of the design and the making of this piece, from the original concept through every stage of mould making and the final production of the glass itself is told here: We Made a Mould ... with Fenton!
See more Fenton Revival Carnival catalogues, ads and related pattern information.
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We have many more Fenton Revival Carnival Glass catalogues and ads, covering the period from the 1970s through to their closure in 2011. They are all accessed from our Fenton Revival Homepage. Click on the image on the left, or go here: Fenton Revival Carnival |