Hobbies And Interests
Early History
Fenton is truly a family company, owned and still operated by members of the Fenton family. The company was started in 1905 by two brothers, Frank and John Fenton, in Martins Ferry, Ohio, near the West Virginia border on the Ohio River. They initially painted glass made in other companies. In 1907 the company moved across the river to Williamstown, West Virginia, and began to produce the glass themselves.
Glass Color
Frank Fenton was interested in making ornamental glass in beautiful colors. His colors and designs where so amazing that they were copied by Tiffany artists. Early Fenton glass was pressed in iron molds and came in green, ruby, amethyst and clear. It also came in two opalescent colors--blue and topaz. The glass was hand painted and in some, 22k gold was applied. Today, Fenton art glass is made in a wide variety of colors and finishes.
Carnival Glass
One of the most unusual products produced by Fenton is Carnival Glass. It was first developed in 1907 as Iridill glass. This glass had an interesting iridescent sheen that looked metallic. The name Carnival Glass came into being because the pieces were very inexpensive, were sold at local carnivals, and the sheen made it look like a celebration. The metallic look is made by adding salts containing metal to the product while still hot and then it is put back in the kiln for a re-fire.
Hobnail
Fenton is well known for its hobnail design. This is a series of raised dots that are uniform throughout the piece, giving it a rounded porcupine look. This design first made its appearance on a cologne bottle in 1939. The design was featured in blue, green, cranberry and amber, and also in milk glass, an opaque white. The Fenton family referred to glass items with the hobnail design as the "bread and butter" of the family.
Patterns
Fenton produced hundreds of popular patterns in molded, pressed glass. Hobnail is the most popular, but other designs include coin dot, diamond lace, daisy and button, thumbprint, poppy, Spanish lace, block and star, swirled feather, and cactus. There are some crest designs where the inside of the product was a dark rich color while the outside of it was lighter or white. These patterns include silver crest, peach crest and black rose. The swirled feather pattern is a modern one where the glass is smooth but the colors are swirled.
Products
Fenton has a multitude of popular glass products that have been made over the years and that are available today. They include glass baskets, fancy ruffled bowls, jars, condiment sets, cookie jars and canisters, vases, candle holders and, one of the most distinctive: the covered dish shaped like a hen in a basket.