Glass Act

A couple of days ago Mom and I visited Addy's Antiques, a new store in Wellington, Ohio, where Mom lives and where I grew up.  I purchased a 1940’s-looking bracelet for $15.

The next day I went back with some friends. This time I purchased a beautiful purplish/blue carnival glass bowl for just $12.50.  Mom has two similarly-colored bowls at home, and once I got back we started researching carnival glass plus other glass Mom has.   Photos and a few comments below.

Mom at Addie's Antique's.  It used to house Wellington's Lonet Theater, which closed way back in 1955. No business had operated there since, although someone was apparently using the space to store and work on vehicles. I'd heard the building was once in such bad shape that a big tree was growing inside; the new renters said that was true. It's nice now, though.

My newly purchased carnival bowl is at the top. Mom thinks the other two belonged to my Great-Aunt Florence, who was my Dad's aunt.  Carnival glass was made by pressing liquid glass into a mold and later spraying it with metallic salts for an iridescent "oil on water" finish. These pieces were most likely made by Fenton Glass Company of Williamstown, West Virginia, which made traditional glass from 1905 to 2011.

Close up of one of Mom's carnival glass bowls. The pattern is called Carnival Holly.

Bowls with a satin-like finish were popular during the depression. This one is hand painted and mom thinks it belonged to my Great-Uncle Clarence, Aunt Florence's brother.

Mom's set of autumn leaf patterned bowls and ramekins made by the Hall China Company and sold door-to-door by Jewel Tea Company salesmen, who made their rounds from the late 1800s until 1981. Mom remembers her family buying tapioca and spices from the Jewel Tea Company in the 1930's, but the bowls belonged (once again) to Aunt Florence. Mom puts the ramekins through the dishwasher and they've held up pretty well.

Called "Ruby Flash," this sparkling glass was popular in the US from the late 1890s to the late 1920's and often sold as a souvenir at fairs and train stations.  I read that purchasers often had their names engraved on the pieces; I turned this one over and in beautiful handwriting was the word "Florence."  Thanks for saving all this stuff, Aunt Florence!  Aunt Florence would have been 20 years old when she purchased this glass at Cedar Point Amusement Park in 1909.

And, my $15 dollar glass bead bracelet.