Once handed out as a fairground prize, now a prized collectible. Talk about a glow-up.
Carnival glass is pressed glass with a shimmering, rainbow surface, a little like oil on water. It was made to be affordable, it was once handed out as a prize at fairs, and today it is one of the most collected kinds of American glass. Here's what carnival glass is, where the name came from, how collectors name its colors and how to tell older pieces from newer ones.
We have four pieces of carnival glass in the shop right now, starting at $17, plus a necklace of carnival and slag glass beads. Each one is the only one we have.
See the carnival glass →
What carnival glass is
Carnival glass starts as pressed glass, which means hot glass was pressed into a patterned metal mold. While the piece was still hot, it was sprayed with metallic salts and heated again. The salts left a thin film on the surface, and that film is what breaks light into color.
The idea was to give ordinary households the look of the expensive hand-blown iridescent art glass of the day. That's where its old nickname, poor man's Tiffany, comes from.
Where the name came from
The Fenton Art Glass Company of Williamstown, West Virginia, introduced the first of it around 1907 and called it Iridill. It sold well for years. When the fashion cooled and prices were cut, pieces were given away as prizes at carnivals and fairs. Collectors gave it the name carnival glass later on, and the name stuck.
Who made it
- Fenton: the first and the largest maker, and one of the few to make it in red.
- Northwood: a West Virginia maker. Many of its pieces carry an underlined N inside a circle.
- Imperial: an Ohio maker known for strong geometric patterns.
- Dugan, later Diamond: a Pennsylvania maker.
- Millersburg: a short-lived Ohio maker whose pieces are scarce.
The classic period ran from about 1907 into the late 1920s. Glassmakers in Europe, Australia and elsewhere made carnival glass too.
Classic and revival carnival glass
Carnival glass went out of fashion, and then collectors rediscovered it. By the 1960s and 1970s demand was strong enough that factories began making it again. Collectors call these later pieces revival or contemporary carnival glass.
Indiana Glass of Dunkirk, Indiana, was one of the biggest revival makers. It brought out its grape pattern, called Harvest, in iridescent blue in 1971, then added gold and lime green. It also made a red that shades to amber, sold as Iridescent Sunset. Indiana did not mark its carnival glass, so the pattern is how you recognize it.
Revival pieces are collected in their own right. They are usually much more affordable than classic carnival glass, and they are a good way to get the look.
See it in person: carnival glass in the shop
Indiana's Harvest grape and Iridescent Sunset, side by side. Each one is a single piece, so when it's gone, it's gone.
How collectors name the colors
This surprises most people. The color of a piece of carnival glass is the color of the glass underneath, not the color of the shimmer on top. To find it, look for a spot with no iridescence, usually the base or the foot, and hold it up to the light.
- Marigold: clear glass with an orange-gold shimmer. It is the most common color.
- Amethyst and purple: a favorite with collectors, especially in deep shades.
- Blue and green: found in both classic and revival pieces.
- Red: the scarcest of the main colors, and usually the most expensive.
How to tell older pieces from newer ones
- Look for a mark. Most classic carnival glass was never marked, with Northwood's N as the best-known exception. Later Fenton and Imperial pieces usually are marked.
- Learn the patterns. Each maker had its own, and the pattern is often the surest way to name the maker and the date.
- Feel the weight. Indiana's revival pieces are thick and heavy.
- Look at the base. A piece that has sat on shelves for a hundred years usually shows fine scratches where it rests.
No single clue settles it. Collectors weigh all of them together.
What to check before you buy
- Run a fingertip along the rim, the feet and any points in the pattern. That's where chips happen.
- Hold the piece up to the light and look for cracks.
- Look at the shimmer. It should be bright and even. Dull or worn patches lower the value.
Caring for carnival glass
Wash by hand in lukewarm water with a little mild soap, and dry with a soft cloth. Keep it out of the dishwasher, which can dull the iridescent surface, and skip scouring pads and harsh cleaners for the same reason. Avoid sudden changes from hot to cold, which can crack old glass.
Carnival glass in the shop
We currently have three Indiana Glass pieces in the Harvest grape pattern: a blue carnival pedestal compote with lid, a footed oval bowl and a goblet. We also have a red Iridescent Sunset carnival glass basket with a ruby handle and a necklace of red slag and carnival glass beads with real pearls. You can browse our collectable glass for more one-of-a-kind pieces. Every piece is the only one we have.
Keep browsing:
Collectable glass →Vintage kitchen & dining →Vintage home decor →
Keep reading: Pressed Glass vs. Cut Crystal · What Is Milk Glass? · What Is Slag Glass?
Did someone in your family keep a piece of carnival glass on the table, or win one at a fair? Tell us what color it was.