Finally, we come to it. An area of glass collecting with something for everyone. Collecting bottles can become all consuming, and there are so many types, one must specialize. Let’s look at the possibilities.

Soda-pop and soft drink bottles: Usually made from sturdy glass in order to survive transhipment, soft drink bottles were also painted with the company and drink name, making them collectibles where the presence or absence of a paper label is usually not a consideration. Also, the use of many colors make these bottles attractive on their own, with or without contents. Signature shapes, like the Coca-Cola bottles, also bring interest to this area of bottle collecting. Bottle cap collecting can be an adjunct collection for this collectible.

Bitters bottles: When the taxation of alcohol began, many formulas became bitters, “medicinal” tonics to cure whatever ailed you, and give you a kick in the pants in the process. Bitters were so popular that different brands had signature bottles and frequently had the name impressed on the bottle at the time of manufacture. These bottles also come in various colors, including cobalt and brown. Having the paper labels increases the value, as the labels were often soaked off so the bottles could be reused in the home once the original contents were gone.

Milk bottles: Back when the milk came to you, it was delivered in milk and cream bottles. The creamery painted their name on the bottles, in hopes of returns as well as advertising inside the home. Collecting these bottles can be a lesson in geography, as each town had one or more milk processing plants, and you can expand your area of collection as broadly as desired. Bottle cap collecting can be an adjunct collection in this area as well.

Beer bottles: Like soda-pop bottles, but usually colored green or brown, beer bottles (with caps, corks or other closures) brings painted labels, paper labels and fancy, signature shapes to the table. Even starting a collection of today’s beers, whether you drink the contents or not, can bring pleasure to the collecting heart. Look at the supermarket for those easily acquired, then you can start looking at beers at bars, restaurants, and import stores. An easy collection to start, and you can quit whenever you want.

Household bottles: These collectibles were used to hold corrosive and other dangerous household fluids in generations past. Like Poison bottles, they make our plastic society seem safer, somehow, in that such sturdy containers are not needed for household cleaning solutions anymore.

Poison bottles: Bottles made specifically to be identified as containing something that would kill you, these bottles are macabre now. We like to think such are unnecessary, but our society just hides the dangerous away instead of making it perfectly obvious that the contents are dangerous. A collection of poison bottles will certainly set the tone of your decor.

Medicine bottles: Similar to poison and bitters bottles, medicine bottles can either amuse or horrify, depending on whether the paper labels are still intact. Collecting these may be a little more difficult, but reading about the contents while you search will provide plenty of amusement at the afflictions suffered in previous times.

Cosmetic bottles: Most cosmetics used to be brought home in glass containers of various sizes and many shapes. There are many, many possibilities in this area, depending on whether you want to collect by size or color of glass container, company or product. The paper labels maybe of interest, or you may want to collect only those without labels.

Wine and whiskey bottles: In wine bottles, the beauty of the glass containers is in the shape, as the colors are pretty mundane, dark green, brown and the light-green of unperfected soda-lime glass formulas. If you add liquor bottles, then you get the clear glass bottles, some with imprinted or etched designs, as well as a wider array of shapes and sizes. Again, you can collect empty or full bottles, as you see fit, and include labels or not, as seems most pleasing to you.

Baby bottles: With the advent of the bottles used with disposable liners and bags, the baby bottles of today are plastic. But older baby bottles were made of glass so they could be sterilized before use. Many were broken over time, but there are still some of these relics left. Labels are a moot point, as brand name and measurements were impressed and sometimes painted on these bottles. Fairly plain and in only a few sizes, this collection becomes a hunt for brands and condition.

As one can see, there are number of major areas in collecting bottles. Even if only considering the color of the glass and shape, a nice collection awaits at your liquor store. If you get interested in the bottles of the past, there are clubs, magazines, shows and other pleasures awaiting you. Pick a place to start, and see where you end up.

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This is a brief discussion of American glass and the techniques, patterns and forms that were made at various times. Knowing these general times and classifications can help you find the types of glass you would like to collect and help you communicate with other glass collectors.

The Colonial Period

The Colonial period glass is mostly of a useful nature and include bottles, jars and flasks for storing food and drink. The workshops that created this glass were relatively short-lived and local phenomenon. You can see this glass in museums and in books, but do not expect to find it on the marketplace. Like antique Chinese pottery, this is a realm for experts.

American Flint Glass

The addition of flint rock to glass, making it clearer and brighter, was discovered in Europe in the mid-Seventeenth Century. Flint glass started to be used by some US glass makers early in the Nineteenth Century, and was used for approximately fifty years (1808 to 1860). This glass was blown and tooled, blown into molds and used with early pressing machines. Eventually the lead based glass formula replaced that using flint, and the soda-lime formula became the standard for everyday glassware.

American Cut Glass

American cut glass had an early period of about sixty-five years, from 1765 to 1829, when the patterns were generally reflective of the English and Irish cut glass of the time. Reaction to imported designs brought on a short period of simpler, American designs from 1830 to 1870. The heyday of American cut glass was from 1870 to 1910, a period called the American Brilliant Period in some publications. The glass of this period was heavily made and had intricate cut designs, and was based on a new lead glass formula that used lead as a clarifying agent. Pieces of this period are still easily found on the market, and they reward their collectors with some of the finest American glass, and prismatic rainbows.

Pattern Glass

Pattern glass, also called Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG), is the glass first created using molding machinery. From the 1827 to the 1860s, this pre-Civil War glass was made by skilled workmen using pressing machines and molds. This type of glass is sometimes broken into two types, pressed glass, from 1827 to 1830, and Lacy glass, made from 1830 to 1860. Lacy glass can be recognized by the stippling used on the non-pattern areas, giving a matte effect to the glass. Pattern glass molds were detailed and ornate, trying to replicate the fancy patterns found in the cut glass favored by the well-to-do. This is the first ornamented and ornamental glass widely available and within the economic reach of many Americans.

Art Glass

Art glass is the name given to the hand-made glass wares created in Europe and the US from the 1870s. These pieces were highly artistic and made from colored glass, using cameo and other techniques. In the US, Louis Comfort Tiffany and his Favrile glass are probably the best known of the art glass. Art Nouveau motifs of nature were the main style produced in art glass objects for decoration the home or office.

Carnival Glass

Carnival glass, pressed glass with a iridescent sheen imparted by the addition of metallic salts to the surface of the glass once the piece is molded, was originally made from 1905 to 1930. Made as give-aways during days of economic distress, the term carnival is not complimentary, yet many people now collect this glassware. Enough interest has been generated for it to have been reissued in the 1960s and 1970s, either by the original glass company or another glass companies holding the old molds.

Depression Glass

Following World War I, and the excessive weight and flash of the American Brilliant Period cut glass, American taste turned to light-weight, pastel colors of glass. Depression Glass, made from 1920 to 1940, was molded pieces made in pink, yellow, blue and green as well as clear glass. Simpler designs, often etched on the outside of the glass, provided a light, airy touch to the family dinner table. Most patterns are known by name, but there is some variation in the names applied to some patterns, and the molds were passed from one glass house to another at times, so the same pattern may have different names when made by different glass companies.

Studio Art Glass

Since the establishment of the Seattle glass houses in the 1960s, art glass, handmade and one-of-a-kind works of art, has continued to grow both in volume and influence in the US and abroad. There are now glass houses in most major cities where those interested can watch glassware being made by hand and where the collector can purchase fine glass works of art as well as fine decorative pieces. The growth of this glass has led to imitation by factory made glass animals and perfume bottles from China and elsewhere, so the best bet is to buy directly from the maker or at a glass-works gift shop. Ask to make sure the item was made on the premises.

Synopsis

colonial glass: 1600s to 1800-ish
flint glass: 1808-1860
cut glass: 1765-1910, Brilliant Period 1870-1910
pattern glass: 1827 to 1860s, including pressed glass (1827-1830) and lacy glass (1830-1860)
art glass: 1870s-?
carnival glass: 1905-1930
depression glass: 1920-1940
studio art glass: 1960s to present

In truth, each new style or technical break-through did not mean the end to the production of glass by previous methods or formulas. And there are obviously times, more recently, which have not been given names and dates. These will come as the Twenty-First Century progresses and the items from the second half of the Twentieth Century become collectible.

Glass continues to be made in the US by both hand-worked and machine-made processes, and each has their place. Furthermore, the glass of the late Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries continues to be available to the glass collector. Whether you follow the latest fads or collect the glass of one or more past glass periods or styles, there is plenty of glass to look at and consider adding to your own collection.

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I have never been that fond of milk glass, but perhaps that is because most of the milk glass I have seem was hobnail pattern, which I do not like. So, maybe if the milk glass is in some other pattern, perhaps, I will find some I like.

Why should I like milk glass? Well, I like nearly everything glass, especially decorative glass, so not liking white glass is an anomaly. In addition, I have a nice piece of milk glass, inherited from my mother, which I do like, so maybe this is the piece that will change my mind about milk glass collectibles.

Large Slag Glass Covered Bowl © by Tobyotter

I will approach this adventure as I do most: read up and see what I already have, identify possible acquisitions, and, this time, document the process.

My milk glass is a round, vertically sided bowl. It is just short of eight inches across and the wall is three inches tall. The bottom looks like it was formed by the plunger, and the walls are in four sections, so it would seem to be the product of a four-part mold.

SOLD: Hobnail milk glass lamp © by TheLivingRoominKenmore

The upper edge is scalloped by a garland and small clumps of roses. The bottom also has the garland and roses, but instead to scalloping up and down and providing feet, this garland scallops horizontally a bit, so the edge against the table is solid and smooth.

The inside of the glass piece is completely smooth. It has been used to hold a potted plant, and is probably a jardiniere. There is no makers mark that I can see, but that is not unusual. The color is consistent throughout the piece, and the thin parts are not less opaque, which can be an identifying feature.

OK. That’s it for now. I need to get a couple of books from the library that may help me identify my piece, and which will give me plenty of pictures of other pieces I might like. More soon.

Vintage White Vitrock Milk Glass Vase and Saucer with Fired Orange Glaze - Made by Anchor Hocking © by GranniesKitchen

What is Milk Glass?

According to Wikipedia, milk glass was first made in Venice in the 16th Century, and came in colors besides white, including blue, pink, yellow, brown and black. According to this source, the material added to the glass to make it opaque is either tin dioxide or bone ash. There is little more information about this form of glass in this source.

Warman’s Glass, A Value and Identification Guide (4th ed., 2002) adds that this glass was especially popular during the fin de siecle, the turn of the century from the 19th Century to the 20th Century. One reason milk glass was popular was that was cheaper than porcelain dinnerware but provided the same white dishes and serving ware for those who could not afford porcelain china. Milk glass is also a substitute for porcelain in some jewelry, like hand-painted brooches, etc.

Because there are other colors of this glass besides white, opaque glass is perhaps a better name, but it is probably too late to get everyone to change now. There is some variation in the opacity of milk glass pieces, with some being more translucent where the glass is thin. This is sometimes a mark of the age of the piece, but not always. Furthermore, old and popular pieces are often reissued from the same or similar molds by the same or different glass makers, so you must learn to tell the difference of old from new milk glass or work only with dealers you trust.

Jadeite is the term for any green opaque glass. It was originally a company-specific name for this glass, but it has entered the popular terminology as more encompassing than one company’s production. The actual shade of green changes with glass manufacturers, and within the production of most glass makers as well. The other opaque colors have names applied by their makers, but these have not become so wide-spread.

Milk glass was often mixed with glass of other colors to make end-of-the-day items, where the glasses were swirled together as the piece was made. The milk glass makes the other color stronger and more visible. Although these pieces were not necessarily made at the end of a shift, they may often have been the result of the ends of glass batches that needed to be used up.

still life with milk glass © by mazaletel

Covered Dishes and Border Plates

Covered dishes, especially where the cover is in the shape of a resting animal and the bottom is shaped like a nest, have been very popular with the makers of opaque glass. There is some variation in the base form, and some of the covered bowls look like normal candy dishes, and there are lids with other motifs, such as man-made objects or ornaments like fleur-di-lys, etc. There are also opaque glass boxes where the top and bottom form the whole animal, like a duck or rooster. One of the interesting items I have found since beginning this project is a camel covered dish, which comes in white and and brown. I am going to have to look for this covered box and buy one, or two.

Another area where there are plenty of opaque glass items is in that of plates with fancy or cut-out borders. These borders have names like club and shell or rabbit and horseshoe which describe the motifs in the border. It took be a minute to realize that the club in club and shell was the three-lobed trefoil of the club suit in a deck of cards, rather than a large piece of wood for hitting things. The other names are just as descriptive. These plates may also have a motif in the center of the plate, commemorating an event or famous person. Although one could eat, carefully, off of these border plates, in general they are made for decorating a china hutch or to be hung on a wall.

There are plenty of opaque glass vases and candlesticks, including some that are decorated with enamel paints or with touches of gilding. The white glass provides a fine backdrop for such embellishment, whether done by professional decorators or by amateurs. For glass objects with impressed flowers and garlands, the embellishment takes the obvious tactic of picking these details out in appropriate colors. For smooth items, the embellishment can be much like the motifs used on casual china: song birds, fruits or nursery rhymes.

Opaque Glass, by S. T. Millard, provides a wonderful catalog of the many forms that this glass has been made in. It is an old book, but has been reprinted, and you may find it in your library. The black and white pictures do justice to this subject, as the white objects are shown against a black background. There is enough contrast in the lighting to allow the reader to pick out some details, and each object has a short description that may further identify one object from another. The book shows like pieces together, like all plates, rather than trying to group them by maker or pattern.

I think I will split the sections on each specific glass company’s milk glass production into separate posts, for ease of access. Here are the one’s I have done so far:

• Atterbury Milk Glass
• Fostoria Milk Glass
• Imperial Milk Glass
• Kemple Glass Company
• Vallerysthal Milk Glass
• Westmoreland Milk Glass
• Akro Agate Glass

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Time to take a break from glass collectibles to talk about the floor they hit when you drop them. Considering new flooring? Here are some pertinent links.

The environmentally conscious householder needs information about the various “green” flooring varieties on offer. Is the product you are considering really green? Read this before you buy cork flooring. Or you might consider woven bamboo flooring. Heaven known bamboo grows fast enough to floor the world. There is also the possibility of installing coconut flooring. Any of these choices will last and can be used by ecologically conscientious home or apartment owners.

Remember, you house or apartment is actually part of your glass collection, as that is where it is displayed and is its home as well. Treat your house or apartment as you do your collections.

Glass collectibles can be classified in many ways. Some people only collect glassware from a particular time period, like Ancient Roman glass or Glass from between the World Wars. To do this, you must become something of an expert about the time in question and the kind of glass products made. This can be a good part of the appeal of this kind of collection, especially if there is a period of time you already have an interest in. If you are a scholar of the American Civil War, it is only a small step from reading and collecting books to collecting artifacts from the conflict. Arms and uniforms are one collectible you might pursue, but what about the kitchen paraphernalia or lighting fixtures of the time, camp or home?

Some glass terms sound like time period designation, but are actually process and style classifications. Depression glass was first made at a particular time, between World War I and World War II, and is pattern glass in pale colors. The colors and patterns were a reaction to the enforced plain glass made during the First World War, but this kind of glass continued to be made for decades, off and on, and study will be required to be able to identify when a particular piece of glass was made, if that is your interest. There are many styles of glass collectables available.

Many glass collectors have a specific manufacturer they collect, like Fenton glass collectibles or the production of Libbey or Corning. The manufacturer may still be production glassware, or may have closed its doors so only past production is available. Often, in the case of closed manufacturers, club of enthusiasts have formed to share information and to trade glass, and joining such a group may enhance your collecting experience.

A glass collector may specialize in a particular color of glass, like cobalt blue glass or milk glass collectibles. In this case, the collection will span long periods of time and many manufacturers. The fun in this kind of collection is seeing how many different kinds of things you can find in your chosen color. Duplicates are, of course, likely, as the color shade may vary, or there may be slightly different shapes of the item in the same color. How many cobalt blue glass hen and nest dishes do you suppose there are?

A collector may choose a glass artifact and then collect that article in as many colors, shapes and styles as possible. The choice of item is totally personal, but a collection of syrup pitchers or water pitchers would make a real decorating statement. The collector who chooses a particular form will eventually learn a lot of history and about glass manufacturers as well.

And, finally, there is the eclectic collector, who collects on some personal criteria and only what he or she likes. This will lead to a series of specializations as the collector’s attention strays to new areas, but this can be a fun way to collect, and as one thing leads to another, many areas may eventually be covered, offering a more complete education in glass.

The best part about collecting glass is that, after the initial education, almost all glass collecting can be accomplished on one’s own expertise. Barring ancient glass, once one has done the reading and educated the eye about the details to be recognized, you can collect with others, but you can do it alone.

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by a Guest Author

When remodeling a small bathroom, you must consider how cost effective it is to do certain projects. It may be tempting to take out that old grungy window and replace it with something new and shiny. But a small bathroom remodel should not be that involved, nor that expensive. Instead of replacing the window, use these steps and bathroom decorating ideas to make that old window seem like a new one.

First, you have to clean the window, inside and out, glass and trim. The best way to clean the glass, especially if it is very dirty, is to use a lime based cleaner. This will clean the glass without damaging it. Make sure that you have the door to the bathroom open, with a fan running to circulate air. You should also wear a mask and cleaning gloves when using these harsh chemicals. However, it will be well worth it because once you have finished cleaning the window it will look like it did when it was brand new.

Cleaning the trim of the window is another story. If it is not that dirty, you can actually clean it with something like a bathroom cleaner and it will be fine. However, if the paint has gotten really grimy and flaky, you will want to repaint the trim. This is not difficult, but to prevent bacteria build up famous for bathrooms, you’ll want to completely disinfect the trim before you repaint it.

Once you have made the window look like you just put it in yesterday, you can decorate the window. Most bathroom windows are fairly small, so all you really need is a little half curtain. If you want more privacy, you can purchase small sets of blinds for this purpose as well. However, adding a little curtain or swag over the blinds will give your bathroom a softer touch.

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by a Guest Author

Quality glassware made with actual glass or even crystal is almost always the more elegant option over plastic, but sometimes you just don’t have a choice. Glass and crystal material, as beautiful as they are, are generally far more expensive than plastic, and a lot less durable. If you’re hosting a major event or party like a graduation celebration or a wedding reception, you can quickly rack up a massive bill on champagne flutes alone. I haven’t even mentioned the virtually inevitable fact that at least a few will break or get lost in the festivities.

Fortunately, there is plastic glassware available on the market that looks and feels very similar to the real thing, but costs a whole ton of a lot less. This isn’t exactly breaking news – I’m sure there have likely been several occasions in your life, where you’ve attended functions where the drinks are served in plastic champagne flutes, or acrylic cocktail glasses. But, did you think anything of it? Did you say, “this free booze just isn’t worth drinking out of a disposable vessel”.

Oh, you did say that? Oh, well then feel free to spend an extra grand or two on the drinkware at your next neighborhood cookout. Me, I’m going with the plastic material because when serving the masses, money has to be saved somewhere.

As mentioned, savings are certainly achieved when using the plastic alternative. Champagne glasses are expensive – even on the cheap side, you’re still looking at around $2.50/pop. Go with the plastic option, and you can easily find 100 for $.25/piece. Generally, as basic economics goes, the more you purchase, the more exponential the savings are reflected.

Say, however, the previous example doesn’t apply to you. You don’t throw major parties, and you certainly aren’t a large-scale event coordinator, so why would you want plastic? To put it simply, plastic glassware allows for more flexibility in both design and resilience. There are tea tumblers manufactured that actually have compartments to brew the tea within the cup, and keep it insulated and warm for hours at a time. Glass can’t do that – at least not for $11.

For special personal occasions, and time alone around the house, sipping a beverage from a real glass has it’s perks. That said, if cost in numbers is a factor, or you’re seeking a quality that can’t be hand blown, you might want to go with the plastic drinking glass.

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Many kinds of glass collectibles are available in the 21st century. I hope you will come along with me as I explore the possibilities in both newly made collectibles and in antique glass collectibles.

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