Mid-Century glass encompasses more than two decades; the words mid-century have come to represent a style. This mid-century phenomenon, in all of its wild variety, is recognizable and definable. This glass has become highly collectable. Prices are influenced by things like rarity, design, quality, size, color, finish, and signature. Rarity can be due to short production run or low survival rate. Some extreme designs are more subject to damage or even disposal. Limited production is a more controlled cause of scarcity, especially since it was not unusual to discontinue a design after only one or two years. Either it didn't sell well or it was too costly to produce - Leslie Pina. The vendor information has been acquired through various works of Leslie Pina. ITALIAN VENDORS: BARBINIGLASSWORKS After workingfor S.A.I.A.R. Ferro Toso, Zecchin Martinuzzi, Seguso Vetri D'Arte, and V.A.M.S.A., Alfredo Barbini became a partner at Gino Cenedese & Co. in 1947. He began his own furnace, Barbini Glassworks, in 1950 and excelled at making heavy sculptural forms for which he won international awards. The company also made knick-knacks, such as ashtrays and figurines, which were imported exclusively by Weil Ceramics & Glass Inc. in New York City with branches in Hingham, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles. His son Flavio (b. 1948), joined the firm in 1968 and assisted in designing glass. They are still producing. BAROVIER & TOSO The company was founded in 1877 by Antonio Salviati (1816-1890), Giovanni Barovier (1839-1908), and his cousins, but had origins in the fourteenth century in Murano. It went under the name Artisti Barovier at the end of the nineteenth century and then Vetereria Artistica Barovier in 1919. At that time, Nicolo Barovier (1895-1947) began working as a designer and left in1933. In 1936 Artemio and Decio Toso (owners of S.A.I.A.R. Ferro Toso) merged with Barovier to form Ferro-Toso-Barovier, which became Barovier & Toso in 1942. Their highest achievements were during the 1950's, especially with the imaginative and technically superior use of patchwork and murrine. Several other designs such as the textured surface of "Barbarico" are unique to the company and were the work of Ercole Barovier, head designer from 1930 until 1972. His son Angelo joined the firm in 1947 and began designing in 1951. SALVIATI & CO. Founded in 1859 by Antonio Salviati (1816-1890) and partners in Murano, the company was active in the revival of Venetian glass in the nineteenth century; it was sold to the Barovier family in1883. In 1898 Maurizio Camerino (1859-1931) managed the glassworks and then became sole proprietor. His sons, Mario and Renzo (b. 1904), became active in the 1920's and headed the firm beginning in 1931. Salviati won several awards for its long tradition of excellence. The company was sold in 1987 and continues to produce. VETRARIA ARCHIMEDE SEGUSO The company was created in 1946 by Archimede Seguso, who left Seguso Vetri d'Arte in 1942. He was his own chief designer and artistic director and is especially noted for the "merlotto" technique using a variety of fine lacework and netted patterns (introduced in 1951), for the use of color gradations and sprays of metallic flecks, and for figural works. The combination of original designs and fine craftsmanship have made Archimede Seguso one of the important masters of Murano, still active today. SEGUSO VETRI D'ARTE The company was formed in 1932 by Archimede Seguso, Napoleone Barovier (1881-1957), Antonio Ernesto, Luigi Olimpio Ferro, and the brothers Angelo and Bruno Seguso. Archimede Seguso became the maestro di prima piazza, while Flavio Poli, who began to free-lance in 1934, served as artistic director from 1937-1963. When Ferro left in 1937, Poli took his place as a partner. Poli is known for his designs calling for the sommerso technique, in which thick layers of colored glass appear to float inside other layers. Archimede Seguso, who executed and influenced Poli's designs, left in 1942 to form his own glassworks. His brother Angelo Seguso (b. 1921) also a master glassblower, worked there until 1971. Poli left in 1963, and Mario Pinzoni (b. 1927) was artistic director from 1963 until 1971. VENINI & CO. The company was founded in 1921 in Murano by Paolo Venini, a lawyer from a glass making family; Andrea Rioda (1878-1921), a Venetian glass factory owner; and Giacomo Cappellin, an antique Venetian glass dealer. It was incorporated in 1924 as Vetri Soffiati Muranesi Venini Cappellin & C., and hired the most creative a nd talented artists and designers including Muranese painter Vittorio Zecchin, as art director. In 1925 Cappellin withdrew to form his own glass company, also taking the art director and master glass makers Francesco Zecchin and sculptor Napoleone Martinuzzi to join Venini. Martinuzzi became art director but left with Zecchin in 1932. From the Mid 1930's through the 1970's Venini began collaborating with Scandinavian companies. The company is noted for the revival of filigree techniques and innovative use of canes and murine. It is considered to be the most important of all Murano glassworks, especially during Venini's lifetime. When Venini died in 1959, Ludovico Diaz de Santillana (1931-1989) married Venini's daughter Anna and became head of the company in addition to designing. Though the Venini family no longer owns the company, it is active today. SCANDINAVIAN VENDORS: HOLMEGAARD Founded in 1825 in Denmark, the company made dark green bottles followed by service glass production beginning in1835. Glassblowers were brought from Bohemia and southern Germany for hand-formed glass production. The first full time designer joined in 1923, followed by Jacob Bang in 1925, and Per Lutken in 1941. Holmegaard merged with Kastrup in 1965 and then with Royal Copenhagen in 1985. RIIHIMAEN LASI (RIIHIMAKI) The Riihimaki Joint Stock Company was founded in Riihimaki, Finland, by M. A. Kolehmainen and H. G. Paloheimo in 1910 and renamed Riihimaen Lasi in 1937. Riihimaki manufactured household glass, container glass, crystal, window glass, and eyeglass lenses and was Finland's largest glass factory in the 1920's to the 1960's. The company underwent modernization in 1927 to 1948 under the direction of Roope Kolihmainen. Riihimaki began a cooperative agreement with A. Ahlstrom in1961 and manual production of glass ended in 1976 when the company turned to mass production. Household glass was also produced in1977 by the newly founded Kotilasi unit. A. Ahlstrom bought Riihimaen Lasi in 1985 and in 1988 was merged with Karhula to form Ahlstrom Riihimaen Lasi Oy. Riihimaen Lasi closed in1990 and in 1995 Owens-Illinios, an American company, bought Karhula. AMERICAN VENDORS: BLENKO An American company based in Milton, West Virginia; founded in 1921 (after three attempts and failed companies) by William John Blenko. The company was named Eureka Art Glass Company specializing in colored stained glass. In the late twenties and thirties the company changed names and Blenko started making decorative tableware. In 1946 Winslow Anderson was hired as the first design director and elevated the level of artistic achievement. 1952 Wayne Husted came on board as the second design director and introduces oversized stoppered bottles and other fifties icons. 1963 Joel Myers begins as design director. These first three designers were the beginning of a Blenko tradition that is still alive today. Subsequent designers have been and are; John Nickerson, Don Shepherd, Hank Adams, Chris Gibbons & Matthew Carter. Blenko is still doing business out of Milton, West Virginia. Blenko colors include: Amethyst, Antique Green, Aqua, Azure, Charcoal, Chestnut, Cobalt, Crystal, Desert Green, Ebony, Emerald, Grass, Honey, Jonquil, Kiwi, Pine, Plum, Rose, Ruby, Sapphire, Sea Green, Sky Blue, Surf Green, Tangerine (amberina), Teal, Topaz, Turquoise, Violet and Wheat. BISCHOFF A.F. Bischoff Glass Company was founded by A.F. Bischoff in Huntington, West Virginia in 1922. The company moved to Hurricane, West Virginia and again to Culloden, West Virginia where it produced glass from 1942-1963. Bischoff made items very similar to those of other West Virginia companies. In addition to using some unusual, even bizarre, original; shapes, Bischoff copied designs from leaders like Blenko. Lancaster Colony, of Columbus, Ohio, purchased Bischoff in 1963, keeping the Bischoff name and molds. (Blenko's fifties designer Wayne Husted, joined Lancaster in that year to head its design and production department.) The following year, 1964, Sloan Glass bought Bischoff, and Sloan closed in 1996. Bischoff colors include: Amberina, Amethyst, Charcoal, Copperette, Crystal, Emerald Green, Gold, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Peacock Blue, Poinsettia Red and Wisteria. ERICKSON GLASSWORKS Carl Erickson was a Swedish-born glass artist who brought the spirit of Swedish design to his Bremen, Ohio Factory. This defunct glass factory was purchased by brothers Carl and Steven Erickson in 1943. Carl designed most of the mold-blown glass, distinguished by heavy casing, controlled bubbles, and frequently, a heavy ball of glass for a base. They were identified by a yellow and blue paper label, and free-formed pieces had an engraved signature. The company closed in 1961. HAMON Robert Hamon founded Hamon Glass in 1932 in Scott Depot, West Virginia, where it continues operating today. The company produced crackle glass from the late 1940's until the mid-1970's. In 1966 Hamon merged with Kanawha Glass Co. and, although the production was separate, Hamon items were included in the Kanawha catalog. Features which help identify a piece of Hamon include the handles will have a ridge across the end on most Hamon crackle pieces. Like Pilgrim's style of crackle, the Hamon finish is extremely fine. This easily identifiable finish is also called "onion crackle" or "Swedish crackle." Hamon colors include: Amber, Amberina, Amethyst, Blue, Crystal, Green, Ruby and Smoke. KANAWHA When Dunbar Glass Company in Dunbar, West Virginia closed in 1953, production head D. P. Merritt and others joined to form the Kanawha Glass Specialties Company. Named after nearby river, The Kanawha, the company opened in 1955 and made blown crystal in addition to cutting and decorating purchased glass. In 1957 they changed the name to Kanawha Glass Company. By 1960 they began production of the colorful decorative wares that have become so familiar, especially crackle glass. Soon Kanawha was making 350 production items in seven colors. In 1969 Kanawha purchased Hamon Handcrafted Glass in Scott, Depot, West Virginia. The Hamon Crackle Glass that was added to the Kanawha line retained its identity, which explains why Kanawha catalogs often show two different types of glass-molded and hand-blown. Production continued until 1987, when Kanawha was sold to Raymond Dereume Glass Inc. in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. This lasted for only two years, closing in 1989. Kanawha colors include: Amber, Amberina, Amethyst, Authentic Cranberry, Blue, Cranberry, Crystal, Green, Ruby and Yellow. MORGANTOWN The Morgantown Glass Factory (1899-1971) operated under several names-The Morgantown Glass Works, Economy Glass Company, and Morgantown Glassware Guild. Under the leadership of Joseph Haden and his sons J. Richard and Samuel, Morgantown produced high quality handmade traditional "Depression Era" glass and several Art Deco stemware designs until the 1950's and 1960's brought a new emphasis to the company. J. Richard Haden, the last vice president, introduced the Décor Line of glassware in modern, often angular, shapes and vibrant colors. But their most typical fifties items were the freeform vases and bowls designed by Steve Britvec in the 1960's. PILGRIM The Pilgrim Glass Corporation in Ceredo, West Virginia was founded by in 1949 by Alfred E. Knobler. He purchased Tri-State Glass of Huntington, West Virginia and then land in Ceredo (near Huntington) and built the Pilgrim facility, which opened in 1956. From the beginning they specialized in free blown crackle glass in vivid colors. Like other producers of crackle glass, Pilgrim made large quantities of it in the 1950's and 1960's. Generally they used colored handles in the 1950's and crystal handles in the 1960's. Some items can be identifies as Pilgrim by a mark impressed in the center of the base-either a group of little dots ("strawberry marks") or a group of wavy lines ("water waves") Like other companies in the area Pilgrim made a range of decorative objects in both crackled and plain colored glass. Two brothers Alessandro and Roberto Moretti introduced Murano style to Pilgrim in the 1950's. Their introduction of glass animals, figurines, and other Venetian style items gave Pilgrim another desirable line. Pilgrim colors include: Amber, Amethyst, Blue, Crystal, Emerald Green, Lemon-Lime, Olive Green, Ruby, Sea Green, Sky Blue, Smoke Crystal, Tangerine and Topaz. RAINBOW The Rainbow Art Company was founded in 1942 in Huntington, West Virginia by Joseph Goudeket and Henry Manus. Originally a glass decorating business, the Rainbow Art Co. turned to producing its own hand blown glass in 1954, and it became the Rainbow Art Glass Company. Like other neighboring companies, they produced blown glass in vivid colors, often with a crackle finish. Rainbow made crackle through the 1970's, which was later than most competitors. In 1973 they were purchased by Viking and continued to make crackle glass until 1970. The Rainbow factory burned down in 1983, and all operations ceased. Rainbow colors include: Amber, Amberina, Amethyst, Blue, Crystal, Golden Amber, New Turquoise, Olive Green, Orange/Amberina, Pink, Ruby, Smoke, and Tangerine. VIKING Based in New Martinsville, West Virginia, the Viking Glass Company emerged from the New Martinsville Glass Company in 1941. They were known for manufacturing hand-made, quality glassware of the Swedish type. Viking was predominately a pressed glass factory. In the fifties Viking introduced colored glass to compliment their crystal lines. Over time a number of people created designs for Viking; Dick Schnacke, Gail Docktor, and Bill Prindle. In the late 1950's Billy Reinbeau arrived at Viking and developed the "spun mold." This was an important development at the time and remained so until the factory's closing in the 1990's. A spun mold used centrifugal force to raise hot glass up into the sides of a moving mold. The results were abstract and very graceful fluid forms. Color complements form and design. It was critical to Viking's successes. Kenneth Dalzell, former head of the Fostoria Glass Co., re-opened Viking as Dalzell-Viking in 1987, but it finally closed in 1998. Viking colors include: Amber, Amberina, Avocado Green, Amethyst, Bluenique, Crystal, Honey, Lime Green, Persimmon, Thistle, and Ruby. Colors include amber topaz wheat honey rose-orchid multi-color amethyst plum purple peacock teal green sea-green chartreuse olive-green topaz tangerine amberina emerald ruby tangerine-amberina sky-blue turquoise cobalt-persian blue lilac pink ebony charcoal jonquil-yellow pattern periwinkle ivory desert-green dark-olive-green leaf-green nile ice-blue and kiwi. Browse for collectible and antique 20th Century, Mid-Century, Art Glass offered for sale on line. Styles include pitchers decanters vases compotes bowls plates trays lamps abstract gulvase canisters cruets lamp sets candle holders decanter sets. Designers include Avitra Barbini Bischoff Blenko Erickson Fenton Fostoria Gibson Greenwich Flint-Craft Hamon Kanawha Kanawha / Hamon Morgantown Murano Pilgrim Rainbow Seguso Venini Viking Holmegaard L. E. Smith Vimax Riihimaen Lasi Colony American Italian Scandinavian Salviati Aseda Zeller Toscany. Designers include Winslow Anderson - Wayne Husted - Joel Philip Myers - John Nickerson - Don Shepherd - Hank Adams - Chris Gibbons - Matt Carter - Otto Brauer - Nanny Still - Tamara Aladin