Antonio Mcgowan
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. The company made quality glass, by hand, and is known for its innovative iridescent ware. During the Great Depression and World War II, Fenton produced practical items such as mixing bowls and tableware. They also continued to create new colours and produce perfume bottles. In 1940, Fenton introduced the Hobnail design to their general line, which included Blue Opalescent, French Opalescent, Cranberry Opalescent, and Green Opalescent. This article will explore the history of Fenton Glass and the era in which they produced the Green Opalescent Hobnail perfume bottles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of introduction | 1940 |
| Manufacturer | Fenton Art Glass Company |
| Colors | Blue Opalescent, French Opalescent, Cranberry Opalescent, Green Opalescent |
| Height | 4.5 inches (cologne bottles) |
| Additional items | Stoppers, powder jars, dresser trays |
| Auction year | 2019 |
| Selling price | $274.99 |
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What You'll Learn
Fenton Art Glass Company history
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. The company started out as a decorating company that purchased blanks from glass manufacturers and placed their own decorations on them. The original factory was located in an old glass factory in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and in 1906, the Fenton brothers moved across the Ohio River to Williamstown, West Virginia, and built a new factory. Fenton Art Glass began manufacturing its own glass in 1907, introducing "'iridescent ware," now known as "Carnival" glass, which became a popular collectible item.
During the Great Depression and World War II, Fenton produced practical items such as mixing bowls and tableware due to shortages. They also continued to create new colours and supplied glassware to American importing companies who were unable to obtain glassware from overseas. In 1938, Fenton produced perfume bottles for the Wrisley Company, introducing the Hobnail pattern in 1939. In 1940, Fenton started selling Hobnail items in French Opalescent, Green Opalescent, and Cranberry Opalescent, with the Hobnail pattern becoming the company's top-selling line.
In the late 1940s, a new generation of Fentons took over the company, with Frank M. Fenton and Wilmer C. "Bill" Fenton leading the company through significant growth over the next 30 years. In 1970, Fenton added their logo to the bottom of their "Original Formula" Carnival Glass pieces, and by 1974, the logo was being used on many of their pieces. In 1986, George W. Fenton, Frank's son, became president of the company.
Fenton Art Glass continued to produce new colours and patterns, introducing a range of transparent colours in the 1960s and handcrafted art glass jewellery in 2011. However, in 2007, the company announced it would cease operations due to financial challenges, and traditional glassmaking at the Williamstown factory ended that year. The factory remained open as a jewellery-making operation, producing handcrafted glass beads and earrings. In 2017, the Fenton Art Glass Company property was sold, and plans were made to demolish the factory and build a new elementary school on the site.
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The introduction of the Hobnail pattern
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. The Fenton brothers started the company in rented space in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in an old glass factory. The Fenton Art Glass Company initially painted glass blanks sourced from other glassmakers. However, they soon began making their own glass due to supply shortages. In 1906, the company moved across the Ohio River to Williamstown, West Virginia, where they built a new factory. The Fenton factory produced its first piece of glass, a crystal cream pitcher with a Water Lily and Cattails pattern, on January 2, 1907.
During the Great Depression and World War II, Fenton produced practical items such as mixing bowls and tableware due to shortages. They also continued to create new colours during this time. Towards the end of the Great Depression in 1938, Fenton produced perfume bottles for the Wrisley Company. These bottles were made in French opalescent glass with the hobnail pattern. In 1939, Fenton introduced the No. 289 French Opalescent cologne bottles made for Wrisley Perfume of Chicago, Illinois.
In 1940, Fenton introduced the Hobnail pattern into their general line, offering it in Blue Opalescent, French Opalescent, Cranberry Opalescent, and Green Opalescent. The Hobnail pattern glass became the company's top-selling line, allowing Fenton to survive during World War II and expand after the war. In the 1950s, Fenton introduced the Milk Glass Hobnail, which became a popular pattern for home decor and entertaining. Over the years, Fenton continued to expand its business and introduce new patterns and colours, solidifying its place as a renowned glass manufacturer.
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Green Opalescent Hobnail's place in the Fenton line
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. The company's first year of glass production was in 1907, and its designs were initially influenced by Tiffany and Steuben.
During the Great Depression and World War II, Fenton produced practical items such as mixing bowls and tableware due to shortages. They also continued to create new colours. In 1938, Fenton produced perfume bottles for the Wrisley Company, made with French opalescent glass and featuring the hobnail pattern.
In 1940, Fenton introduced the Hobnail pattern into their general line, offering it in Blue Opalescent, French Opalescent, Cranberry Opalescent, and Green Opalescent. This pattern became the company's top-selling line and helped Fenton expand after World War II.
The Green Opalescent Hobnail line included perfume bottles and powder jars, with the perfume bottle measuring 3 1/2" tall and the powder jar 3 1/4" at the opening. The Green Opalescent Hobnail pattern was produced until 1962, when it was discontinued.
Fenton's Milk Glass Hobnail pattern, introduced in the 1950s, became the company's flagship pattern and was fondly recalled by Bill Fenton as "our bread and butter" line.
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The manufacturing process of Fenton glass
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. The company started out as a decorating company that purchased blanks from glass manufacturers and placed their own decorations on them. However, they began manufacturing their own glass in 1907, a year after their factory in Williamstown, West Virginia was built.
Fenton Art Glass is known for its innovative colours and hand-painted decorations on pressed and blown glassware. The company created hundreds of different colours of glass over the years, with popular colours including colonial amber, colonial blue, colonial green, and colonial pink. Many of these colours were developed by Jacob Rosenthal, a famous glass chemist.
Fenton Art Glass also introduced new patterns to the market, such as carnival glass, which was first introduced in 1907 and became a popular collector's item. Other popular patterns include crests, marble or slag, overlays, and Vasa Murrhina. The company also specialised in a form of glass known as Hobnail, which is covered in small, raised spheres that resemble dew drops. This pattern was introduced in the late 1930s and became a top-selling line for the company.
In terms of the manufacturing process, Fenton Art Glass used a combination of hand-crafting and machine-assisted techniques. The company is known for using snap rings, which meant that most of their pieces did not have a pontil mark (a mark left by a punty rod used to hold a glass piece during crafting). The base of Fenton glass typically has a flat, collared surface, or may have ball or spatula feet. The edges are often smooth, bracketed, crimped, or ruffled.
Fenton Art Glass also used a coding system to describe the items it produced. Numbers were used for patterns, letters for colours, and letter codes for any decorations. To distinguish original pieces from older or newer items, Fenton added its logo to the bottom of its "Original Formula" Carnival Glass pieces in 1970. From 1974 onwards, Fenton started putting its logo on some of the other pieces they made.
In 2007, Fenton Art Glass announced that it would cease operations, but due to an unexpected buying frenzy and internal restructuring, the company remained open until at least 2008. In 2011, the company closed its glassmaking facility, but Fenton glass moulds are still being used by another glassmaker in Ohio to produce "Fenton" stamped products.
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The Fenton family tree
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. The original factory was based in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in an old glass factory. The Fenton brothers first painted glass blanks sourced from other glassmakers but soon began making their own glass. In 1906, they moved to Williamstown, West Virginia, and built a new factory, with the first piece of glass produced in 1907—a crystal cream pitcher with a Water Lily and Cattails pattern.
John Fenton left the company in 1908 and founded the Millersburg Glass Company in Millersburg, Ohio. Frank Fenton, a designer and decorator, remained at the helm of the Fenton Art Glass Company, which continued to expand over the next few decades. During the Great Depression and World War II, the company produced practical items such as mixing bowls and tableware. They also continued to innovate, creating new colours and patterns.
In 1938, Fenton produced perfume bottles for the Wrisley Company in French opalescent glass with the hobnail pattern. In 1939, they introduced the No. 289 French Opalescent cologne bottles for Wrisley Perfume of Chicago, Illinois. The following year, Fenton added Hobnail to their general line in Blue Opalescent, French Opalescent, Cranberry Opalescent, and Green Opalescent. The Hobnail pattern became their top-selling line, allowing the company to survive World War II and expand afterward.
Frank L. Fenton designed the Diamond Lace pattern, introduced in 1948-49. Milk Glass Hobnail became Fenton's flagship pattern in 1952, with Bill Fenton recalling it fondly as "our bread and butter" years later. In the late 1940s, the top three members of Fenton's management died, and Frank Fenton and Wilmer C. "Bill" Fenton took over as President and Vice President, respectively. They steered the company through the next thirty years, a period that saw many glass factories close down.
In 1970, Fenton added its logo to the bottom of its "Original Formula" Carnival Glass pieces. By 1974, the logo was being used on some of the pieces they made, with different numbers added under the letter "n" in the logo to denote the decade of production. In 1994, Fenton's Showcase Dealer Program began with 235 dealers, and by 2000, the company celebrated its 95th anniversary. In 2007, Fenton Art Glass announced it would cease operations, laying off its workers over the next few months.
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Frequently asked questions
The Fenton Art Glass Company made green opalescent hobnail perfume bottles in the 1940s.
The Fenton Art Glass Company was founded in 1905 by brothers Frank L. Fenton and John W. Fenton. They started out by renting an old glass factory in Martins Ferry, Ohio, and made glass decorations. They moved to Williamstown, West Virginia, in 1906 and began manufacturing glass in 1907.
Fenton introduced its iridescent ware in 1907-08, which was a popular and affordable alternative to expensive products from Steuben or Tiffany. They also created the Hobnail pattern in the late 1930s, which became their flagship pattern in 1952.
Yes, during the Great Depression and World War II, Fenton produced practical items like mixing bowls and tableware due to shortages. They also made special bottles for cologne and perfume companies in the 1930s.
No, Fenton Art Glass announced in 2007 that they would cease operations and lay off their employees. However, their products remain collectible items, with some dating back to the 1940s.
