A tumbler short of a set?
We have seen various comments about what makes up a Water “Set”.
Although nowadays, for reasons of display space, some collectors may decide to have a pitcher and one tumbler to make up a set, there is a lot of misinformation about what originally constituted a Water Set, including how the number of tumblers can help identify who made it.
Comments like:
False: Fenton always made 5.
False: American glass water pitcher sets had eight glasses, and they were fragile...that is why so many have fewer than eight glasses.
False: The old sets came with five tumblers.
False: Always 5, never 6.
Truth - Six tumblers! We suspect that the “5 not 6 tumbler” myth is because tumblers got used and were broken – so the original set of 6 becomes 5!
The proof? Here are some adverts from when it was actually being made in 1911 - 1912. Three different Carnival Glass makers. All the adverts are from Butler Brothers catalogues (thanks to San Diego County and Southern California Carnival Glass Clubs).
Although nowadays, for reasons of display space, some collectors may decide to have a pitcher and one tumbler to make up a set, there is a lot of misinformation about what originally constituted a Water Set, including how the number of tumblers can help identify who made it.
Comments like:
False: Fenton always made 5.
False: American glass water pitcher sets had eight glasses, and they were fragile...that is why so many have fewer than eight glasses.
False: The old sets came with five tumblers.
False: Always 5, never 6.
Truth - Six tumblers! We suspect that the “5 not 6 tumbler” myth is because tumblers got used and were broken – so the original set of 6 becomes 5!
The proof? Here are some adverts from when it was actually being made in 1911 - 1912. Three different Carnival Glass makers. All the adverts are from Butler Brothers catalogues (thanks to San Diego County and Southern California Carnival Glass Clubs).
Imperial, Diamond Lace
|
Northwood, Raspberry
|
Fenton, Lattice & Grape
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