Bonnie Bull in front of the Fenton Factory in Williamstown, West Virginia.
October 17, 1998.
I was really surprised one night not so long ago [May '98] when my husband was flipping channels and we landed on QVC and Bill Fenton, 2nd generation, was talking about his line of collectible glassware. I just never thought about all those Fenton Glass Collectors out there today buying Fenton Glass on the QVC Home Shopping Network. Fenton didn't make a lot of different flower frogs, but the September Morn Nymph is one of my favorites. I have a separate collection of September Morn "souvenirs" resulting from the stir caused by the Paul Chabas painting displayed in a Manhattan art gallery in 1913. This is an interesting story in itself; but keeping Fenton in mind, I recently [10/17/98] had the opportunity to visit their factory outlet and museum in Williamstown, West Virginia. The company has been owned and operated by Fentons since its founding in 1905 and they are still making handmade art glass in the time-honored, traditional way. BB.
Note: The Fenton Art Glass Company is closing after 102 years due to rising fuel costs and foreign competition. The website and gift shop will remain open. 8/18/07. Guess what... they didn't close! Please read the letter of 8/15/08 from George W. Fenton, President of Fenton Glass. Letter from George W. Fenton, 8/15/08
Fenton Art Glass Company - visit their website.
Glass Encyclopedia / Fenton Glass - read more about Fenton Glass
September Morn Story - see what the stir was all about
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Bonnie Bull in front of the Fenton Factory in Williamstown, West Virginia. October 17, 1998. |
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| Ruby September Morn Nymph, Fenton No.1645, c.1928 | Rose Fenton No.1564 Turtle Flower Block, 1927 | Stretch Glass in Celeste Blue by Fenton No. 2 flower block, c.1922. |
Thanks to the work of Margaret and Kenn Whitmyer, who authored Fenton Art Glass, it is known that the nymph was made in 17 different Fenton colors- Amberina, Aqua, Chinese Yellow, Crystal, Custard, Dark Green, Ebony, Jade Green, Light Green, Lilac, Mandarin Red, Milk Glass, Moonstone, Pekin Blue, Rose, Royal Blue, and Ruby.) From the tip of her head to the bottom of her peg base she is 6-1/2" tall. Her peg fits into her own flower block #1234.
The #1564 turtle has 8 holes, is 4 inches long and was made in several colors.
A NOTE ON REISSUES:
When I wrote to Frank Fenton in May of 2000 I was informed that the nymph has been made in 5 different colors in the 1990's:
1990 - Rosalene and Peachalene with opal and black bases for
the FAGCA
1993 - Dusty Rose iridized
1995 - Celeste Blue for the Fenton 90th Anniversary. (Frank forgot
to mention this one) See photo below
1997 - Joyce Colella put a Rosalene Nymph on a clear base in a
Burmese decorated bowl
1998 - Plum iridized for QVC.
2000 - Frank indicated that there were no plans to produce the
nymph in 2000.
Note: Recent issues are marked with the Fenton logo. Original issues are not marked. Also recent issues are made in colors not used for the original nymph .
2001 - Vaseline
2004 - Periwinkle Blue nymph, bowl and candle (peg) holder bowl
made for Fenton
Finders of Greater Kansas City. 150 were made and they are
still being sold by the club on Blujay.com at the original cost
of $90. (3/1/09)
From Kay Kenworthy, 2009 editor of the Butterfly Net newsletter of the Fenton Art Glass Collectors of America (FAGCA) I have learned about the following issues:
2005 - Chocolate - sold at the Friday special sale at the 2005
FAGCA Convention
2007 - Black and White Slag - sold at the Friday special sale
at the 2007 FAGCA Convention
2009 - Plum Opalescent - sold through the Butterfly Net as the
2009 Souvenir.
Note: The 2005-2009 issues are made for the Fenton Art Glass
Collectors of America and sold with a candle bowl base in the
same color as the nymph, not the mini flower arranger that was
used for the rosalene and peachalene issues. Kay will be reprinting
my article, The September Morn
Story, in the Butterfly Net.
Fenton 90th Anniversary reissue (1995) of September Morn Nymph consisting of four pieces: a clear cobalt blue stand, a stretch glass bowl, a clear glass frog, and a clear blue nymph.
Original Fenton September Morn Nymph in Milk Glass.
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