Labels Applied to Vintage Fenton Art Glass

Vintage Fenton Art Glass
History of Labels Applied to Fenton Art Glass

Fenton Art Glass Label History
Below are the various Fenton labels used
from 1921 through present time


Circa 1921. Color: Only a black & white copy available.	Circa 1925. Color: Outer rim & printing is silver and background is ivory.	Circa 1939. Color: Blue - part of the letterhead.	Circa 1939 to 1947-48. Color: Silver label & silver print and a greenish yellow background. 2 styles used - Handmade in America by Fenton & Handmade by Fenton.

Circa 1940-41. Color: Red and white - may have been used for shop samples.	Circa 1949 to 1952-53. Color: Yellow on silver 1949 Yellow - 1950. Brown - 1950. Blue - 1950 to 1952-53. Gold - 1950 to 1952-53.	Circa 1949-50 to 1957. Color: Used only on Milk Glass in 2 types. Dark background is red with silver print & light background is silver with red print.	Circa 1952-53 to 1957. Color: Brown with silver print. Gold (greenish yellow) with silver print. Foil with blue & silver.

Circa 1957 to 1971. Color: Magenta and blue. The "worker" label.	Circa 1957 to 1971. Color: Magenta & blue for Milk Glass. The print reads "Milk Glass Handmade."	Circa 1968 to 1982-85. Color: Black & white. Used on hand painted items with other labels.	Circa 1970 to 1985. Color: Black & gold. This "worker" label has rounded edges.

Circa 1982 to 1985. Color: White & black, used on hand painted items, with other labels.	Circa 1985 to 1996. Color: Silver & black. Bottom portion is for price & it can be removed. 3 styles used Handmade, Hand Painted and Quality Giftware.	Circa 1990 to 1995. Color: Silver & Black. This label was used on special order items such as QVC, and does not list price information.	Circa 1997 to Current Color: Silver & black. 3 styles used - Handmade, Hand Painted and Quality Gift ware. The price portion was separated from the label.

Circa 2000. Color: Silver & black. Used on all ware to denote Fenton 95th Anniversary.	Circa 2005. Color: Silver & black. Used on all ware to denote Fenton 100th Anniversary.

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Barber bottles were produced from the 1870s through the 1920s. After the Food and Drug Act of 1906 made it illegal to refill non-labeled bottles, these bottles declined in production. Another reason for the decline was the invention of the safety razor in 1903. With the disposable razor, men didn’t require daily or weekly visits to the barbershop. Demand for these bottles, therefore, had already begun to fall off. Nonetheless, barbershop owners kept their shops decorated with these fine looking bottles. However, before the turn of the century, barbers mixed their own tonics and would then order the containers from glass factories. They would fill them with hair tonic, hair oil, bay rum, shampoo and rosewater. The bottles came in distinctive colors and shapes so that the contents of each one could be identified. As mentioned previously, some were personalized with the customers’ names. They were intended for those customers, particularly the more successful ones, who would regularly patronize barbershops—a common center for finding out the latest in town gossip, reading the local papers and engaging in colorful conversation while waiting for their shaves. The bottle was finished with a pewter or porcelain top spout. These bottles can be found in all colors, with paint decoration and/or varying bottle shapes. Some are label under glass and hobnailed types—both plain and opalescent—as well as milkglass, Bohemian glass, Spatter and Tiffany type cut glass. But the standard shape is a wider base narrowing to the top (sometimes with a slight lady's leg shape). More generic brands were labeled: Witch Hazel, Bay Rum, Hair Tonic, Shampoo etc. The earlier bottles are pontiled and are very light in weight. Nearly all older bottles were blown with with raw or ground pontils. The most common mass production barber bottles with no paint can be found for $20-30, common painted earlier examples can be found for $60-100, more desirable pieces such as label under glass and personalized customer name bottles are harder to find commanding $200- $500, with some extremely rare bottles asking upwards of $1000. Unfortunately, there are many reproductions in circulation. But don’t let that deter you if you want these beauties in glass.

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