above: Fenton vase
below: the Fenton logo
Fenton Art Glass from
The Glass Encyclopedia
A short explanation of Fenton Art Glass:Frank L Fenton and his brother John decided to open a glass decorating shop in Martins Ferry, Ohio, in 1905. A year later they moved to Williamstown, West Virginia where they built their own glassworks. In their first year they exhibited carnival glass (which they called Iridill) at a trade show and it was an instant success. For the next fifteen years the Fenton company made carnival glass as one of its main products.
The Fenton Art Glass company has always aimed for good quality hand made pressed glass. Until the outbreak of war in 1914, Fenton could sell virtually everything they could produce in carnival glass.
The fortunes of the company have been up and down during the past ninety years; in the Depression years they made mixing bowls for the Dormeyer company (to go with electric mixers) and hobnail perfume bottles for Wrisley, and these two major contracts saved the company from failing when many others went bankrupt.
Another slump in the hand glass industry in the 1940's and 1950's saw many other companies go out of business. Once again, Fenton survived, and once again they found a magic product which the public loved. From 1952 onwards they made and sold tons and tons of items in milk glass (white glass that looks like porcelain) especially hobnail milk glass.
Milk glass became Fenton's top-selling line, and the company expanded in the 1950's and 1960's.
Carnival glass also entered a new phase of popularity in the 1970's, mostly with collectors. Fenton have continued to produce carnival glass for collectors since that time, but marking it clearly so that it is not confused with earlier production.
