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The
following article is the second in a series written by American carnival
glass collector Bob Grissom. It is reproduced with Bob’s kind permission.
There are other articles by Bob on Fenton and Millersbsurg.
Original Carnival Glass
Makers – Northwood Glass Company
by Bob Grissom
 Harry Northwood
(pictured at right) came to America from England in 1885, where his
family was well established in the Glass industry. He started his
American career at Hobbs, Brockunier and Company of West Virginia. In
1902 he purchased this company and started the ‘Harry Northwood Glass
Co.’. Many of the best known patterns in custard and clear pressed glass
came from his factory. By 1910, they were busy making and advertising
iridescent glass. The Northwood Glass Company produced some of the best
known carnival glass pieces, in many different patterns and colours, in
various sizes and shapes, between 1910 and 1918. Harry Northwood died in
1919, and the company ceased operation in 1925.
Of the
glass companies that originally produced carnival glass, Northwood was
the only company that marked much of their production. Their trademark
was the ‘N’ (in most cases underlined) within a circle. In the mid 1970s,
the trademark was used on an ice blue and a pale amber ‘Grape &
Cable’ butter dish, nut bowl, and rose bowl. At the time, the trademark
belonged to the American Carnival Glass Association (ACGA). They rook
legal action to stop it from being used on other reproductions. Northwood
did not make these pieces in either colour. In the 1970s and 1980s the
L.G. Wright Company used a modified version of the Northwood mark on some
of its production. The mark had a line, at an angle, coming from the
front leg of the ‘N’. It was said to be a ‘W’.
 ‘Grape & Cable’ (pictured at left)
is the pattern everyone associates with Northwood. They produced at least
50 different items in the pattern, the largest of which is the majestic
master punch set. Almost every colour known in carnival glass was made at
one time or another, in one shape or another, in one or more patterns, by
this company. The exception is red; the company closed prior to the red
carnival glass production era. Most of their production was in the usual
carnival glass colours of amethyst/purple, blue, green, and marigold.
Their pastel colours of aqua opalescent, ice blue, ice green, and white
are some of the more expensive and sought after pieces by the carnival
glass collector today. They also made items in about 20 other colours,
all of which would be considered from scarce to rare. Two companies,
Fenton and Dugan/Diamond made many pieces in peach opalescent (French
opal with marigold iridescence), but only four pieces are known to be
made by Northwood.
Northwood’s
aqua opalescent is the most collectible carnival glass colour on today’s
market. They produced about 75 per cent of the aqua opalescent colour,
and most of the ice blue and ice green pieces. The only known aqua
opalescent ‘Grape & Cable’ small size punch set reportedly sold for
$US95,000 a few years ago. (Editor: See the separate article on the aqua
opalescent ‘Peacock & Urn’ master ICS bowl).
Some
of the most collectible Northwood patterns are ‘Acorn Burr’, ‘Bushel
Basket’, ‘Corn Vase’, ‘Embroidered Mums’, ‘Good Luck’, ‘Grape &
Cable’, ‘Greek Key’, ‘Hearts & Flowers’, ‘Memphis’, ‘Nippon’,
‘Peacock at the Fountain’, ‘Peacock on the Fence’ (Peacocks), ‘Poppy Show’,
‘Rose Show’, ‘Singing Birds’, ‘Spring Time’, ‘Strawberry’ (stippled),
‘Three Fruits’ (stippled), ‘Tornado’ vases, ‘Tree Trunk’ vases (all three
sizes), and ‘Wishbone’.
Web
Master’s Note: Descendants of the late Harry Northwood resurrected the
Northwood Art Glass Company in 1998, and they produced a beautiful range
of Carnival Glass which you can see pictured on the Contemporary Carnival Glass 2 page of our
Gallery. Alas, their venture did not last long, but no doubt their glass
will be coming back on to the market again as current owners decide to
sell their pieces. These will no doubt become very collectible in years
to come.
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