Carnival Glass originally called Iridescent Ware first came out
Monday, March 10th, 2008Carnival Glass, originally called Iridescent Ware, first came out in late 1907. It was not commonly referred to as Carnival Glass until the 1950s, though, when collectors started calling it that. These pieces were typically made from extremely ornate glass pieces, characterized by the myriad hues of their sheens. Their luster was achieved by applying metallic salt sprays to the glass before it had completely cooled down.
Carnival glass is an inexpensive pressed glass, made as both functional and ornamental objects, found in a wide spectrum of colors. This glass is sometimes referred to as dope glass by the glass workers because the process of applying the iridescent coloring to the surface is called doping. Its production started in 1907 in many different pieces in over 150 patterns. However, it did not command the prices expected, and was subsequently discounted.
The glass is produced in various translucent colors. Primarily amongst these are amethyst, marigold, cobalt, green, and red. Sometimes it is also made in opaque white which is called milk glass. A semi-transparent or translucent pale-green hue was also available before the widespread knowledge of radiation hazards. this glass was called Vaseline or uranium glass. Both of these contain traces of uranium salts which gives the glass a faint green glow when exposed to UV light.
Among the greatest producers of this type of glass was Millersburg glass Company in Ohio. The first glass products by that company were crystal however the Millersburg plant decided to follow success for iridescent glassware. So in the beginning of 1910 the Millersburg Company started its line of Radium glasswares
Carnival glass is highly collectible item. Prices vary widely, with some of the pieces worth very little, while other, rarer items command thousands of dollars. It has become an antique glass collectible and there is a very active market for it.
It is very hard to identify carnival glass. Most of the time, the makers didn’t mark their work, others only marked them part of the time. To figure out who made the glass one has to match, patterns, colors, sheen, edges, thickness and some other factures from old trade catalogs, examples of prior work or a reference material. Many manufacturers made dlose copies of rivals popular works to. So even for an experienced expert this is a hard task.
At the time of introduction in late 1907 the carnival glass was called as Iridescent Ware. The prices of this glass vary widely depending on their quality and availability. This glass is a highly collectible item with some of the pieces worth very little, while other, rarer items command thousands of dollars. There is a very active market for this item since it has become an antique glass collectible. Among the greatest producers of this type of glass was millersburg glass in Ohio. It is very hard to identify these products, because the makers didn’t consistently mark their work.