The Glass Block Store - The Story Behind The Glass

Panton & White department store in Duluth, Minnesota
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Wanted!
​5000 LADIES To Accept FREE Presents!

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This show-stopper of an ad from 1909 is offering five thousand pieces of Carnival Glass … absolutely free … to ladies only at the Panton & White department store in Duluth, Minnesota.

This astonishing sales promotion was part of a massive Christmas Opening campaign that would take place on Wednesday December 8th. 1909. The Carnival items were to be given away in two separate two-hour sessions: in the morning from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. and in the afternoon from 1 p.m. until 3 p.m.

The ad was very clear that the glassware was “For Adults Only” and would not be given “promiscuously to children” (sic).

The opening hours were long; from 8 a.m. and not closing during the pre-Christmas rush, until 10 p.m.

Above: A store ad in The Labor World, Duluth, 1909.
These are the affluent Ladies of Duluth that Panton & White was hoping to attract to the Grand Christmas Opening of it new store.

​Right: Panton & White's ad from the Duluth Evening Herald, December 7th. 1909.

This 1909 ad is absolutely brilliant and well worth a closer look.
​If you click here, or on the image above, we have put it on a page, full-sized.
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The Panton & White department store (above courtesy Duluth Public Library) started up in 1887 when John Panton and Joseph Watson opened a small, one-room dry goods store on Superior Street in Duluth, Minnesota. Nine years later, William White took over Watson’s share and the store acquired its familiar name. Interestingly it was also called “The Glass Block Store” which was a Minneapolis term for a dry goods and department store.  

The postcard on the right shows Superior St., Duluth in 1908 – the Panton & White department store is the large building, part way down on the right, with the two tall flags on the roof. Postcard image courtesy of www.lakesnwoods.com You can see that it was a sizeable business.

The FREE Carnival Glass

​The ad shows some of the pieces of Carnival that were to be handed out free, and it offers the following description:

“In the assortment there are Footed Violet Bowls, Compotes, Footed salad and Nut Bowls, Fruit Dishes, Flower Vases, Bon Bon and Sweetmeat Dishes in beautiful emerald green, wine and ruby shades – jeweled polka dot and prism patterns, and iridescent, radiant, rainbow hues. The dishes are from 5½ to 12 inches in size, not cheap trashy things that will look nice for a day, but real Art Glassware with the decorations baked or burned in, and guaranteed not to wear off. These gifts are too expensive for us to give out promiscuously to children, and our supply of them is limited.”

What were some of the Carnival pieces that were being handed out free?

The ad showed six items that we have also arranged in the composite graphic on the right. This is what we believe the items were (left to right):
Fenton Long Thumbprint vase, courtesy Joan Doty
Northwood Diamond Point vase *
Northwood Wild Flower compote (exterior pattern with plain interior)
Northwood Daisy and Plume (exterior pattern with plain interior) *
Northwood Blossom and Palms bowl (exterior pattern) *
Fenton Stippled Rays bowl *

Shown below in the same order.

​* pictures courtesy Seeck Auctions

"not cheap trashy things ... real Art Glassware with the decorations baked or burned in, and guaranteed not to wear off"

Long Thumbprint, Fenton

Diamond Point, Northwood

Wild Flower (exterior), Northwood

Daisy & Plume (exterior), Northwood

Blossom and Palms, Northwood

Stippled Rays, Fenton

Read more of The Stories Behind the Glass in Carnival Glass Times