Pattern Glass

Glows in the Dark

Actually, the uranium content of these glasses glows under a black-light, if not in the dark. The amount of the glow is also dependent on the amount of uranium added to the glass batch. During the Cold War, uranium was monopolized by the US government, so US production of uranium colored glass was non-existent. Since then, some uranium colored glass has reached the market.

vaseline glass 1 © by the1pony

Vaseline Glass

This is a term now commonly used for any uranium-containing glass. It originally was used for glass made in the 1920′s that was yellow-green and transparent or semi-transparent glass. It is even used for any color of transparent or semi-transparent glass with a greasy luster in some places. Therefore, read the description of any glass purchased online as vaseline glass and get pictures before buying.

Custard Glass

Custard glass is milk glass with some small portion of uranium that turns the glass from ivory to a custard to a strong yellow color. It was developed in England in the 1880′s, and was made in the US starting in 1889. Until 1915, this glass was used to create pattern glass and glass souvenirs. There are many patterns of glass table items, made by many of the prominent glass houses of the time.

Inspired by . . . © by EraPhernalia Vintage . . . (playin

Jadite Glass

Jadite glass is a green opaque or semi-opaque glass most commonly used for kitchen glass items. Before the advent of aluminum or plastic, many leftover containers, staple canisters and salt and pepper shakers for the kitchen were made of jadite. The term is also spelled jadeite, and Jade-ite is the name of a specific glass line made by Anchor Hocking. The popularity of this color of glass as a collectible has led to the re-issue of Jade-ite items by the maker.

Uranium Glass in Europe

The use of uranium to color glass in modern times can be traced to Bohemia in the 1830′s. From there, the technique traveled through France to England, then to the US. No doubt some European uranium glasses would make an interesting addition to a collection of this glass, although there is certainly enough made in the US to create a large and interesting collection.

Uranium Glass Today

Together with the re-issue of some of the Jade-ite line by Anchor Hocking, uranium colored glass is still made by Fenton Glass, Mosser Glass, Gibson Glass and Jack Loranger. Look for these new glass items at gift stores.

The glasses made using uranium as a colorant have been popular ever since their re-dicovery in the 1830′s. Look for pattern glass and modern molded items, as well as some blown-molded pieces in this glass that glows under black-light. And add a black-light to your display area to amaze others with the effect this glass has under the right circumstances.

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It is unusual in the history of glass and glass products to have an absolute starting year for any feature or development, especially for one over a hundred years old. But we have Deming Jarvis and his 1927 patent to point to as the beginning of pattern glass. This patent, and others that followed, allowed a worker with less experience to make completed glass objects in quick succession, Furthermore, they were all the same, for the most part, and the skilled position on which this glass depended was the mold maker, and not the master glass blower.

Two-, Three-, Four- and Five-Part Molds

A skilled worker cut a glob of glass and dropped it into the closed mold. He then pressed a plunger into the mold to force the glass into the various nooks and crannies of the mold, and forming the smooth interior of the piece.

Plates only required the bottom half, usually with the pattern and the smooth plunger to form the top of the plate. Until the workman became skilled at judging how much glass to use, there were under- and over-filled plates, which varying in the thickness of the rim. Even so, after decades of plain dinnerware made from glass or pottery, the clear glass plates with swirls, curly-cues and other patterns were quite exciting.

For pieces with a hollow, the mold was made up of two, three or four hinged parts that formed the outside of the glassware at the press of the foot pedal. When first made the parts were tight fitting and very little work was needed or used to removed the mold mark. With continuous use, the moving parts get looser and the mold begins to get less precise. Nevertheless, molds were kept for many years, and sold to other companies when necessary, so a popular pattern may be found in several glass formulas and made by several companies.

Identifying Your Pattern Glass

There are many books available that can help you identify pattern glass. I recently acquired Field Guide to Pattern Glass by Mollie Helen McCain, Collector Books, 2000. It has nice drawings of the various patterns of glass, ordered by the main motif of the pattern, so the reader can find out what pattern a piece is while on the hunt. Drawings are much better for this kind of book as much pattern glass is clear and even the colored pieces do not usually show up well enough in photographs to make this kind of identification.

Looking through this book is a real eye-opener. All these various pattern had from one to twenty-odd pieces made in them. To collect just one of each would be a major undertaking. For this reason, most pattern glass collectors select one or a few types of pressed glass, like syrup pitchers, or a few patterns to collect. Even a collection of just what catches your eye would mount up fast, and quickly take over your living space.

Lacy Glass

The pattern glass from 1830 to the 1860s is sometimes called Lacy glass because of the fancy patterns the mold makers used to cover nearly every inch of the glass. Any blank areas outside the main patterns were filled with small bumps or stippling to enhance the glass and perhaps to hide any flaws that might included in the glass or made by using the molding method.

Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG)

The molding methods created by Deming Jarvis continue to be used today, only slightly modified and with further automation. Therefore the earliest period of this glass is called the Early American Pattern Glass (EAPG). The early refers to pattern or mold-made glass, not the period of history of American history.

Due to the partial automation of pattern glass making, this was the first fancy glass that was within the economic reach of many Americans. Only the coming of the American Civil War stopped the production of this beautiful glass, as the materials needed were put into the war effort, and no one had time or money for fancy glass. And, as usual, after the war, public taste wanted something different, so the pressed glass passed into history, and people’s closets, only to become popular again at the turn of the Twentieth century.

Pattern glass is found in many transparent colors of glass, milk glass, opalescent glass, slag glass and custard glass as well as various qualities of clear glass.

Pattern glass is easy to find and can make a fun project in collecting, allowing the new collector to explore the many patterns and table-wares of pre-Civil War American households. Borrow a book or two from your library and look around your house to see what you already have that is pattern glass. Then you can decide where to go next in collecting this wonderful glass.