NetworK ezine Issue 24. May 2017
Totally Devoted to Carnival Glass
A Puzzling Pattern from 1911
An iridescent glass nappy; a SPECIAL low price of just 9 cents for a piece said to be "cheap at 25 cents". What’s not to like in this splendid ad seen in a Pennsylvania newspaper back in 1911? The only question is, what could it possibly be? The pattern is barely shown, unlike many other old ads where the Carnival design is faithfully depicted. It appears to be made from quite thick glass, judging by the edge which has 12 scallops, and the outer part of the pattern seems to be triple leaved sprigs. Could those be two berries inside that can just be glimpsed? Here’s what we believe this little “nappy” is … we think it’s a Millersburg piece - one of their "Wreath" patterns. Below the ad on the right is a side-on view of a marigold Grape Wreath bowl which as you can see, has distinct similarities in shape to the one shown in the ad. We think the sauce in the ad is most probably Millersburg’s Blackberry Wreath in the sauce or small bowl shape. But yes, it could be their Grape Wreath or even Strawberry Wreath, as the only way to differentiate between these three patterns is the design in the very centre, which can’t be seen in the drawing in the ad! Below are two amethyst sauces in the Blackberry Wreath (left) and Grape Wreath (right) - they have the triple leaflets in just the right place, and crucially, there are 12 thick scallops. |
Two amethyst sauces in the Blackberry Wreath (left) and Grape Wreath (right) designs. Pictures courtesy of Seeck Auctions.
Is it a blackberry, or maybe a strawberry (or even a grape)?
A question we are asked regularly: How do you tell the difference between the different berry wreath designs on the Millersburg bowls? It’s easy: Strawberry Wreath has no central motif, Blackberry Wreath has a berry in the middle surrounded by little leaves, while Grape Wreath has one of several different abstract design options.
Is it a blackberry, or maybe a strawberry (or even a grape)?
A question we are asked regularly: How do you tell the difference between the different berry wreath designs on the Millersburg bowls? It’s easy: Strawberry Wreath has no central motif, Blackberry Wreath has a berry in the middle surrounded by little leaves, while Grape Wreath has one of several different abstract design options.
On the right are the four different central motifs found on Millersburg’s Grape Wreath and Grape Wreath Variants (the one shown in the photo above right, is the #3 peacock eye and feather motif). They are: 1. Eight point star motif (spider web) 2. Feathery leaf motif 3. Peacock eye & feather motif (also called clover & feather) 4. Square & plume motif (star & bars) |
Why was the nappy in the ad offered at a "Special" low price?
The special low price supports the advertised nappy being a Millersburg item. Why? Because by that time, 1911, the Millersburg factory was in deep trouble and was soon to be made bankrupt. Clearance of stock at any price would have been a priority - perhaps that is why this nappy was available at such a cheap price?
In ground-breaking research, we examined the rapid Rise and Fall of Millersburg Glass Co., bringing the story to life through the “eyes” and “ears” of people as it was reported at the time (with grateful thanks to the Millersburg Glass Museum / Holmes County Historical Society for sharing some original archive material).
The full, intriguing Story Behind The Glass is here: Magnificent Millersburg - the Rise and Fall.
Why was the nappy in the ad offered at a "Special" low price?
The special low price supports the advertised nappy being a Millersburg item. Why? Because by that time, 1911, the Millersburg factory was in deep trouble and was soon to be made bankrupt. Clearance of stock at any price would have been a priority - perhaps that is why this nappy was available at such a cheap price?
In ground-breaking research, we examined the rapid Rise and Fall of Millersburg Glass Co., bringing the story to life through the “eyes” and “ears” of people as it was reported at the time (with grateful thanks to the Millersburg Glass Museum / Holmes County Historical Society for sharing some original archive material).
The full, intriguing Story Behind The Glass is here: Magnificent Millersburg - the Rise and Fall.
So Graceful This magnificent water set is shown here courtesy of Sandy Sage. Made by Cristalerias Piccardo in Argentina, it features a story of mystery and brilliant detective work, going back over many decades. Recently, Sandy and Bob Sage achieved a long standing ambition to complete this beautiful water set for Bob’s mother, Dolores … and here is the result. You can read the full story of how the first piece was named, and the evidence that led to the maker, in our Collectors Facts article. |
Blue Pressed Carnival Glass from Czechoslovakia! A major discovery emerged a few weeks ago when Iris Down came across an unusual piece of blue Carnival at a boot sale in England. Our subsequent research into this intriguing piece revealed its significance – it was made by Libochovice (in Czechoslovakia) and it is the first reported example of BLUE press moulded Carnival Glass from that country. Josefine Wreath by Libochovice. Photo courtesy Iris Down. You can read the full story of this amazing pattern, and see all the splendid photos of this item courtesy of Iris, here: Josefine Wreath - the Story Behind the Glass. |
Damage...? Or maybe a Crizzle, Lap, or Layover Mark?
Much of the earliest Classic Carnival Glass is over 100 years old, and unsurprisingly, some pieces will show damage - from very obvious chips or a broken foot or handle, to the less significant.
Naturally, glass collectors have questions - and concerns - about damage, and a whole vocabulary has developed to describe damage: flake, flea-bite, chigger, rough spot, and even so-called “no-harm” damage. There is also damage from poor care over the years, and "wear and tear" to what is actually a very thin iridescent surface.
However, it's important to recognise that there are also various features of Carnival Glass that reflect the way it was made ... and the lack of “quality control” over what was allowed to leave the factory.
On our website we have a whole series of Carnival Glass Frequently Asked Questions (and Answers!), and our latest addition, thanks to Fenton engineer Howard Seufer, explains these features, with very clear illustrations. It really is required reading for everyone who collects handmade glass! Read it here: Features (and Defects) of Handmade Glass, or click on the image on the right. |
Gone Bananas!
Two decades ago we were privileged to spend some time in the Archives at the Fenton Art Glass works in Williamstown (thanks to the late Frank M. Fenton).
With Frank’s help, we had access to all the old company files and historical archives, among which was a book of handwritten check stubs, dating back to the early 1900s. A number of the checks had been payable to “S. Hipkins, Martins Ferry” – which was, of course, Stephen Hipkins Novelty Mould Shop, where many of the early Fenton moulds were made.
Two decades ago we were privileged to spend some time in the Archives at the Fenton Art Glass works in Williamstown (thanks to the late Frank M. Fenton).
With Frank’s help, we had access to all the old company files and historical archives, among which was a book of handwritten check stubs, dating back to the early 1900s. A number of the checks had been payable to “S. Hipkins, Martins Ferry” – which was, of course, Stephen Hipkins Novelty Mould Shop, where many of the early Fenton moulds were made.
A number of the checks had been payable to “S. Hipkins, Martins Ferry” – which was, of course, Stephen Hipkins Novelty Mould Shop, where many of the early Fenton moulds were made. We were intrigued by one of the payments – on December 11th, 1911, Fenton paid $70 to Hipkins for “an oval mould”. That’s a lot of money. The equivalent today would be around $1,750. And the description of the mould was very interesting, as it was OVAL. Surely there is only one Fenton piece that could be … the Thistle banana boat with Waterlily and Cattails exterior! The timing is right, as the first ad for that item in Butler Bros. catalogues was in April 1912. Yes, we do have bananas! The context of making an oval fruit bowl is interesting. Northwood had brought out their Grape and Cable oval fruit bowl a year or so earlier, no doubt in response to the growing demand for bananas! Yes, everyone was buying bananas. News reports at that time proclaimed their increasing popularity, stating that four thousand million bananas were imported into the USA in 1910 alone. So, Fenton really had to |
Fenton Thistle banana boat in blue (Waterlily and Cattails exterior).
Courtesy of Seeck Auctions. |
get in on the act quickly – hence they really needed that oval bowl.
Stephen Hipkins (an Englishman who migrated to the USA when he was eight years old) is one of the "Unsung Heroes" of Classic Carnival Glass. His Hipkins Novelty Mould Shop specialised in the design and manufacture of metal moulds for the glassmaking industry. And, in a fascinating connection with our earlier feature, an unpaid debt (for moulds, naturally) was instrumental in putting Millersburg Glass Co. into receivership. Read all about unsung hero Stephen Hipkins, here: Master Mouldmaker |
1912 ad in a North Dakota newspaper for bananas
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And finally, Goodnight ... We leave you with this delightful little chamber stick (candleholder) made in England by Sowerby. Known as the Goodnight chamber stick (which was actually Sowerby’s original name for the item) it was only made in one Carnival colour … black. Shown here courtesy of Lynne Martin. |
We invite you and your friends to join us all on NetworK's fast growing and very active Facebook Group - Carnival Glass NetworK. If you have missed any of the previous issues of NetworK and NetworK Specials, they are on our Back Issues page.