Northwood (Wheeling, West Virginia)
Harry Northwood (the eldest of ten children) was born in Stourbridge in 1860, to a family that lived and breathed glass! His father was the celebrated John Northwood, who was famed for his work in cameo glass, in particular his creation of a replica of the Portland Vase. Trained in art and well versed in glassmaking in England, Harry Northwood emigrated to the USA in 1881 where, after six years further experience in the glass industry, he established his first factory in Martin’s Ferry, Ohio. But it was at Northwood’s subsequent glassworks in Wheeling that his famous Carnival Glass was first issued in 1908.
Harry Northwood was a master colourist, renowned for his fabulous aqua opals and mouth-watering pastel colours. Many of the patterns that emerged from Northwood’s glass works at Wheeling have become iconic – symbolic of the very essence of Carnival. The Peacocks and Rose Show patterns and the delightful Town Pump all epitomise the classic quality and top-notch design associated with Northwood.
Grape and Cable is one of Northwood's very popular patterns, and the general feeling was that it was not introduced until 1910. However, we have discovered newspaper ads that prove it was in production earlier - in 1909 - and in fact was being promoted for the Christmas 1909 market. We revealed the proof in our free Network ezine - issue #10.
Harry Northwood was a master colourist, renowned for his fabulous aqua opals and mouth-watering pastel colours. Many of the patterns that emerged from Northwood’s glass works at Wheeling have become iconic – symbolic of the very essence of Carnival. The Peacocks and Rose Show patterns and the delightful Town Pump all epitomise the classic quality and top-notch design associated with Northwood.
Grape and Cable is one of Northwood's very popular patterns, and the general feeling was that it was not introduced until 1910. However, we have discovered newspaper ads that prove it was in production earlier - in 1909 - and in fact was being promoted for the Christmas 1909 market. We revealed the proof in our free Network ezine - issue #10.
Patterns shown in the above ad, from the top and left to right: Four Pillars vase; Hearts and Flowers compote; Poppy pickle dish; Grape and Cable handled bonbon; Fine Cut and Roses footed candy dish; Rose Show bowl; Bushel Basket; pie crust edge Hearts and Flowers bowl; ruffled Peacocks bowl; Peacocks plate; Lattice and Poinsettia bowl; Poppy Show plate. |
But for many years there was a niggling problem: the Rose Show and Poppy Show patterns could not be firmly and positively attributed to Northwood. Then in 1999, this 1913 ad from Baltimore Bargain House was discovered by glass collector Karen McIntyre who passed on to us for publication in our NetworK journal in January 2000.
The ad provides the Carnival Glass world with the proof - the "missing link" that it had wanted for many years. It showed the first reported illustrations of the Rose Show and Poppy Show patterns. An array of Northwood's Carnival in a wholesaler's ad wasn't a new phenomenon - there are plenty of Butler Brothers' ads showing Peacocks, Good Luck and more. But until this Baltimore Bargain House ad was brought to light, the attribution of Rose Show and Poppy Show to Northwood had only been based on strong, but circumstantial evidence. The famous N trademark does not appear on either of Rose Show or Poppy Show (no doubt because the marie design wouldn't accommodate it), so the patterns had been attributed to Northwood mainly on account of the colours they are known in - especially Northwood's "signature" aqua opal, like the magnificent Rose Show bowl shown below. But here, in this fabulous trade ad, was the absolute proof positive that Northwood was the maker of these two lovely designs, and we were pleased to have first published it to the Carnival Glass world! 
Rose Show bowl, aqua opal
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Above, left to right: Peacocks (on the Fence), pastel marigold; Acorn Burrs, purple; Poppy Show, pumpkin marigold.
Harry Northwood - Triumph and Tragedy!
Harry was a brilliant glassmaker, inventor, artist, glass colourist and businessman, and his Carnival Glass is often seen as some of the finest that has been made. His Peacocks design is artistically perfect, and his Poppy Show and Rose Show patterns are a triumph of mouldmaking and superb Carnival Glass production. Northwood also mastered the making of pastel Carnival colours (the iridescent white, ice green and ice blue colours), which are highly sought-after beauties. Soft, subtle and frosty iridescence shimmering with lime, pink and aqua, they were introduced by Northwood in January 1912 as “pearl” (white), “azure” (ice blue) and “emerald” (ice green). They were documented in the Trade Press at the time, and we covered this in our NetworK #64.
Sadly, Harry Northwood's younger brother Carl died in 1918, and Harry himself died only a year later in 1919. Production limped on, but without Harry’s genius, the guiding light was gone, and the Northwood glass works was forced into receivership, closing in 1925. There was also stress in the Northwood family concerning Harry's son, Clarence, who was responsible for sales and in charge of the trade show displays. As was reported in the 1911 Pittsburg Press, Clarence left his wife and fled to St. Louis. Here is the story (in NetworK #64): Wheeling Glass Man and Girl Disappear.
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Closure of the factory
In the past, little attention has been given to understanding the actual reasons for the decline and closure of the Northwood factory. However through our recent research, we have now filled that gap in our knowledge of this famous glassmaker. It began when Scott Beale discovered a letter that Harry Northwood had written in November 1914. The letter had been known about and published in Carnival Glass circles, but when Scott sent us a copy, it set in motion our huge research project and our amazing discovery. It was a patent dispute over a glass formula for lighting that ultimately became a tragedy for Northwood. Harry had focused the factory's glass production on what he saw as a very profitable line - glass lighting products - to exploit the roll-out of electric lighting across the USA. Unfortunately as it turned out for Harry, the glass formula that he used extensively for his "Illuminating Glassware" range (which he called "Luna") had been patented by another glassmaker. There was a court case ... Harry lost ... and one thing led to another...! The Story Behind The Glass is here: Harry Northwood - Triumph and Tragedy! |
Pillar and Drape on Luna base glass
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Contemporary Production
In the late 1990s, Wheeling resident, David McKinley, resurrected the name Northwood and its connection with glassmaking. David McKinley’s great grandfather was Carl Northwood (the younger brother of Harry and a main player at the Northwood glass works).
In 1998 the Northwood Art Glass Company was born in Wheeling, and they engaged Fenton to make some limited edition Northwood-signed glass, including a Grape and Cable vase and a Dolphins comport, both made in the style of old Northwood glass.
You can read more about the Carnival made by David McKinley’s New Northwood Art Glass Company here, and also in “A Century of Carnival Glass”.
Read and see more about Northwood - click on any image.
