Popular Vintage Glassware Patterns: Part VI

 

Part VI

If you missed Part V last week, we looked at popular vintage glassware patterns by Viking Glass, Avon Glass, New Martinsville, and MacBeth-Evans. Up this week is Dugan Glass, Northwood, Westmoreland, and Colony.

Dugan-Diamond Glass

Dugan Glass was founded by Thomas Dugan. Dugan was the cousin of Henry Northwood and asked his cousin to join the company in 1904. This is when the name was changed from Dugan Glass to Northwood-Dugan. Dugan held many names during its operation, with the next name change creating the company Dugan-Diamond and then finally becoming just Diamond Glass Works when Mr. Dugan finally left the company he started. Dugan created some of the most beautiful glass ever made in my opinion and some of the company's more popular patterns were "Keyhole", "Maple Leaf", and "S. Repeat". "Keyhole" production began in 1905 and could be found in colors such as white opalescent, green opalescent, and blue opalescent. Some pieces you should discover in the "Keyhole" pattern are the crimped bowls and rose bowls. "S. Repeat" was only produced from 1903-1907 and was available in amethyst, blue opalescent, white opalescent, blue, and amber. "S. Repeat" pieces to look for are the covered butter dishes, along with creamers and sugars. "Maple Leaf" was available as a much broader line with many more pieces available in many more colors such as amethyst, blue, and marigold. In addition to creamers and sugars and covered butter dishes, "Maple Leaf" also boasted a 48-oz. pitcher and matching 8-oz. flat tumblers.

Northwood

Northwood is the company many think of when discussing antique carnival glass and the reason for that is very simple. As far back as the 1890s, Northwood had been producing beautiful, intricate glassware featuring otherworldly colors and designs. In 1897, Northwood began production on a glassware pattern called "Alaska-Vaseline" in colors like green opalescent, blue opalescent, white opalescent, and emerald green. Another widely popular pattern by Northwood Glass Works was called, "Klondyke" was available for purchase in blue opalescent, white opalescent, yellow opalescent, blue opalescent with decal, floral white, green, and custard. Look for gorgeous Northwood "Klondyke" pieces such as pitchers and tumblers, creamers and sugars, covered butters, and bon-bons. The largest pattern line collection made by Northwood was probably "Grape & Cable" which was first released in 1910 in colors like cobalt, ametheyst, vaseline opalescent, marigold, and many others and in new piece types of glassware items including hair pin holders, punch bowl sets, and even spittoons'.

Colony Glass

Colony Glass was a producer of the 1970s carnival glass pattern we all know and love known as "Harvest Carnival", (1973-1976). "Harvest Carnival" was produced in amber, green, and green. Another popular glass pattern by Colony that you have probably seen or at least heard of is "Color Crown Carnival" and it was available in blue and amber. The final pattern of vintage carnival glass made by Colony Glass was called "Whitehall Carnival" and it was made in green. While this more modern carnival glass is not nearly as high in value as the older antique carnival glass made by Northwood and Dugan, it's demand is probably the same or higher than its much older counterparts and will probably remain that way for some time longer.

Westmoreland Glass

Westmoreland Glass Company was famous for their many elegant and intricate patterns produced on milk glass. Popular patterns to watch out for by Westmoreland are "Fruits", "Doric" and "Paneled Grape". What relates Westmoreland Glass to the other glassmakers of this week is the fact that Westmoreland is said to be responsible for the revival of carnival glass in the USA in the 1970s. Westmoreland were also producing carnival glass in the early 1900s alongside Dugan and Northwood, however they had a much smaller amount produced of their "iridescent ware" as it was called. This has served to create a few rarities of early carnival glass by Westmoreland, however. But in the 1970s, Westmoreland produced carnival glass products for L.G. Wright, and Levay Glass, to be sold as a lure to their collectors. Some of the moulds Westmoreland used to produce the limited carnival glass lines had actually been old Dugan-Diamond moulds aquired by L.G. Wright some time before! It's all very circle-of-life don't you think? Continuing in 1976 after Westmoreland Glass had finished producing the carnival glass items for other companies, they unveiled their own line of new carnival glass and even added a few new signature colors: Honey, Ice Blue, and Mother of Pearl milk glass.

Of course these four aren't the only companies who made carnival glass. There was also Fenton Art Glass, Imperial Glass, Jeannette Glass, Indiana Glass Company as well as Millersburg, and a few pieces by U.S. Glass and Federal Glass. Carnival glass is still a popular and fun glassware to own. More recently, Ree Drummond, the Pioneer Woman, released a line of glassware that she calls "Luster Glass". It was available in iridescent shades of pink, blue, and green and was quickly a crowd favorite due to it being reminiscent of their mom's and grandma's glassware in childhood. Can you see the resemblance?

I hope you enjoyed this very brief history of carnival glass and companies that were producing in the US, both in the early 1900s and in the 1970s, such as the powerhouses Dugan-Diamond, Northwood, Westmoreland, and Colony Glass. If you haven't already, check out last week's post, you can read it here. And please do come back next week for Part VII when we look at popular vintage glassware patterns by Jefferson Glass, L.G. Wright Glass, Smith Glass, and Lancaster Glass Company.

Until next time, Happy Hunting!