Glen & Stephen Thistlewood
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The Presznick Carnival Glass Museum

Presznick museum

Rose Marie Presznick was one of Carnival Glass' pioneers. Together with husband Joe, they began collecting Carnival Glass in 1942 and by the late 1960's they had built up what was thought to be the largest collection of Carnival Glass "originals" in the USA. Not only did they collect, but Rose, along with other Carnival Glass pioneers like Marion Hartung, documented and named the patterns they found, and attributed them to the then-known major USA makers: Fenton, Imperial, Millersburg and Northwood (at that time, Dugan-Diamond was "undiscovered" and unrecognised by Carnival Glass collectors). 

To display all their Carnival Glass, Rose and Joe set up "The Carnival Glass Museum" at their home in Lodi, Ohio - here, we show extracts from the museum's Souvenir Issue to record the Presznicks' contribution to, and influence on Carnival Glass.

Rose and Joe also played an influential role in distinguishing between Classic, old Fenton Carnival Glass and their contemporary reproductions and reissues (made from the 1970s). The Presznicks commissioned Fenton to make contemporary Carnival Glass souvenirs, and in doing so, they said to Frank Fenton (President of Fenton Art Glass) that "we would want it [the souvenir Grape and Cable Humidor] fully marked with the trademark, 'Fenton'....." Frank Fenton agreed, and gave them written assurance that Fenton's contemporary Carnival Glass would be trademarked. In fact, Fenton did not use the original Northwood Grape and Cable humidor mould - Rose commissioned Fenton to make an entirely new mould for her souvenir. It was fully marked "PRESZNICK'S CARNIVAL GLASS MUSEUM LODI, OHIO 1969"

Rose and Joe auctioned their glass in 1977, saying "the time has come to let the glass go to the many people who love it."



The Heirloom Auction brochure is in our Ephemera feature.
Fenton ad
Presznick museum
Presznick museum
Presznick museum

More Blasts from the past!
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