Archive for November, 2011

Two Websites – One Subject: Fenton Glass

Fenton Art Glass has a long history of producing beautiful, colorful, quality glass.  Started in 1905 by two Fenton brothers, the company today is still family owned and operated.  Last July, Fenton announced they would stop production of their traditional glass, and focus on lampwork beads and teardrop earrings.  Existing inventory is still available and there’s over a hundred years of art glass already out there.

More so than many other companies, Fenton made a commitment to collectors.  By sharing the company’s history, from the earliest logos and labels, a timeline of artisians, signatures, and more – they’ve removed a lot of the guesswork for both collectors and dealers.  Quite helpful, especially if you’re about to plunk down a good chunk of change for a Fenton piece.

The site map at the bottom of Fenton’s home page [http://www.fentonartglass.com] leads you to the company history where you’ll find, not only the Fenton story, but a timeline and family tree.  Paper labels used from 1921 are illustrated along with comments about each.  Included in the mold logos, which were only begun in the 70s, are logos used on seconds.  Fenton Family Signatures is an invaluable reference for the ‘Family Signature Series’ introduced in 1993.

In the 50s it was decided that each basket handler (those who attached the handles to baskets) should have their own mark.  Basket Handler Marks, along with employment dates, can be found on the Collectors page.  Yet another great help in dating Fenton.

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Our second website “Fenton Fanatics” [http://www.fentonfan.com/] is sponsored by Berry Patch Gifts, an Alabama Fenton dealer.  It has direct links to most of the subject matter mentioned above, but also a great deal of additional information you won’t want to pass up.

Two databases are available with a great search engine.  Fenton glass has been sold through QVC since 1989 and you have a choice of browsing through 43 pages of photos (fun, but time-consuming if you’re looking for a particular item) or using the search.  Fill in as little information as ‘bowl’ and up pops every bowl offered on QVC.  Click on a single one and everything you could possibly want to know is at your fingertips: name, date, color/treatment, mold type, QVC item #, Fenton #, price, signature, description, and a photo.  Those who collect animals will be tickled pink with the Fenton Animals database – same search engine, same great results.

Fenton catalogs in full color from January 1950.  Candy for the eyes, you’ve got to browse through these to realize the beauty, variety, and glorious color of Fenton glass.

Over the years, many decorators worked at Fenton.  The Decorators’ Names list is extensive, includes ‘also known as’ (usually due to marriage), and, where possible, the actual signature.  A shorter list identifies some of the independent and retired artists known to have painted Fenton glass outside the factory.

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With the valuable knowledge offered in these websites and a little ‘hands on’ experience, you can feel confident in selecting Fenton Art Glass.

While it may be collectible, it’s not really ‘old’ if you find the following:

POSTAL CODE
1943:  The postal service implements postal zones for large cities.
                John Hancock
                28 Main St.
                Boston 24, Massachusetts
July 1, 1963:  Non-mandatory 5-digit ZIP codes are announced for the whole country.
                John Hancock
                28 Main St.
                Boston, Massachusetts 02124
1967: ZIP mandatory for second- and third-class bulk mailers, and soon adopted generally.
1983: USPS begins using an expanded ZIP + 4

 
TELEPHONE NUMBER
(Actual dates vary widely, as determining factors such as region, company, population, etc. could mean a delay of years before innovations were implemented.)
1878:  First commercial switchboard begins operation.  Callers request connections by name.
1879:  First numbers/letters are assigned; no particular order or number of digits.
ca. 1928:  Letter prefix and digits begin, number of characters vary with region, etc.
1947:  Three-digit area codes, called the North American Numbering Plan (NANP) including the United States and Canada, go into effect.
1958:  ANC, or all number calling begins.
(note: in old advertisements you may find a name before a number that is not an exchange. Areas with competing telephone companies did not provide interconnecting service.  Therefore a business might list two phone numbers—Bell 1234 and Atlanta 4321—so customers using either Southern Bell or Atlantic Telephone could call.)

 
BAR CODE
Late 1960’s: Two early systems are installed – one in a General Motors plant and the other in the General Trading Company’s distribution center in New Jersey. The barcodes held only 2 digits of data.
1972:  A bullseye symbol and scanner are installed and operating in a Cincinnati Kroger. Printing problems with the bulls-eye barcodes and scanning problems limited its usefulness.
June 26th, 1974:  A 10-pack of Wrigley’s chewing gum was the first product logged in a grocery store by a barcoding system using the modern UPC code.
1994:  The QR (quick response) code is created to track parts in vehicle manufacturing. Since then it has become more widely used, and is rapidly expanding.