There’s often confusion with old Fenton pieces
The shape of a lamp once was determined by its power source. A candle required a holder that kept the candle upright, caught drippings and was not damaged if the candle burned too low. Most early candlesticks were made of metal, and many had drip pans and handles so the lit candle could be moved. Whale oil and kerosene needed a lamp that had a way to adjust the wick and burned oil in the font, a special ball- shaped container.
In the late 1890s, when electricity was available in many homes, some lamps were designed for a light bulb that could be positioned to direct light down toward the top of a table. But manufacturers also created electric lamps that looked like old-style “kerosene” lamps. They had new parts that included an on-off switch, a light cord and a plug. Even today some modern electric lamps look as if they were made before 1900.
The Fenton Art Glass Co. started making glass in 1907. It made dishes, bowls, lamps and other molded glass pieces. The L.G. Wright Co. of New Martinsville, W.Va., opened in 1937 and soon ordered and sold lamps made by Fenton and other glasshouses. L.G. Wright also bought old glass molds from several companies. Today there often is confusion about who made a particular piece, about whether the piece is a copy made from an old mold and about the piece’s age.
Collectors search for Fenton pieces sold by Fenton, and for Fenton pieces made for and sold by L.G. Wright. The Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America is an active club still researching and collecting the glass. A peachblow L.G. Wright Fenton lamp decorated with painted roses sold a few years ago for $106.
Q. A friend gave me a Burleigh Ware wash set about 20 years ago. It included a basin, chamber pot, covered soap dish and toothbrush holder. I recently found a matching pitcher and second basin at an antique show. All of the pieces are stamped with a beehive mark surrounded by thistles and the words “Burleigh Ware, Estd 1851, B & L Ltd., Made in England, Reg. Trade Mark.” Can you tell me when the set was made?
A. The mark on your pieces was used in the 1930s by Burgess & Leigh, a British pottery company. The pottery started using the trade name “Burleigh Ware” in the 1930s, and it continues to use the same trade name today. Burgess & Leigh was founded in 1862 in Burslem, a town in England’s famous Staffordshire district. We have seen sets of Burleigh Ware pitchers and matching wash bowls selling online for more than $200.
nTip: If you have old laces and ribbons, iron them by pulling them over a warm electric light bulb. Limp lace can be washed, then sprayed with starch or sizing. Lace can be colored by a quick dip in tea.
Current prices are recorded from antiques shows, flea markets, sales and auctions throughout the United States. Prices vary in different locations because of local economic conditions.
n Elsie the Cow needle pack, cardboard, red ground, yellow daisy around Elsie’s neck, “If It’s Borden’s, It’s Got To Be Good,” foil needle pack inside, 1950s, $20.
n Indiana Glass Co. cake salver, Bubble pattern, clear, square top, brandy well in center, c. 1935, 10 1/2 square inches, 7 inches high, $95.
n New York World’s Fair cane, Trylon & Perisphere decoration, fireworks in background, 1939, 28 inches, $115.
n Paperweight, railroad coal car, Central Coal Mining Co., copper- plated cast metal, c. 1920s, 2 1/2 x 5 7/8 inches, $185.
n Display sign, Dionne Quintuplets Rexall Cod Liver Oil, quints in sailor suits saluting bottle, Puretest Rexall, 1942, 24 x 27 inches, $250.
n Bicycle, boy’s, AMF Roadmaster Luxury Liner, black, chrome, spring front suspension, headlight, 1960, 26 inches, $300.
n Plastic hood ornament, Indian chief’s head, chromed metal, plastic, light-up, box, 1950s, 4 x 2 x 4 inches, $465.
n Candlestand, Queen Anne, wood, round top, baluster support, red stain, Delaware, c. 1790, 27 1/2 x 18 inches, $1,778.
Write to Kovels, Observer-Reporter, King Features Syndicate, 300 W. 57th St., New York, NY 10019.