GALEN
April 12, 2016: Homestead PLATES
Galen here.
Things sure have been quiet lately – we're not getting much for pictures or stories from our carnival collectors on their first piece. It would be great if everybody would start sharing some pictures again (hint, hint!). I’m really enjoying the messages that we have been getting (and the help answering the questions).
However, we do have some great information being shared by our carnival “cousins” – the stretch glass “triple dolphins,” so, here we go again with the “Tuesday Stretch!”
Stretch Tuesday on the Old Homestead
Have you closely examined the Homestead Plate? It is like a Kincaid painting: a house in the woods with a pond that invites you to fish for your dinner. Watch the ducks playing around in the stream. No other houses or people around to bother you. Where is this place? I'm ready to move! These plates really tell a story!
Ready for a test? Three weeks ago, we talked about the Heavy Grape Plates; do you remember the colors Imperial gave for the “Satin Iridescent Colors” (stretch glass) and the “Bright Iridescent Colors” (carnival glass)? Imperial called this line of stretch glass “Satin iridescent colors” with “crizzled satin effects” such as Iris Ice crizzled on crystal glass, Rose Ice crizzled on crystal glass (marigold), Blue Ice crizzled on crystal glass (smoke), Green Ice crizzled on green glass and Amethyst Ice crizzled on mulberry glass. The description of the colors sounds like ice cream toppings – Yummy !
Imperial’s line of carnival glass is “Bright iridescent colors”: Peacock, Rubygold, Nuruby, Saphire, Azur, Purple Glaze and Helios. Don't the names sound very exotic? Today we call these colors Amber, Blue, Emerald Green, Green, Helios, Purple (Amethyst), Marigold (on crystal), Smoke (on crystal), and White (crystal).
Some of the Homestead plates have, on the front lower right side, NuArt in an oval. These NuArt plates are from a different line of the Homestead plates.
Imperial and Imperial Lenox Companies reproduced the Homestead plates in the 1970’s and 1980’s; most of them are marked “IG” or “LIG” with a stippled back (old plates have a faint ribbing on the back and, of course, no IG or LIG). Over the years, the IG has been called the old GI– but the reverse is true! The marigold and the smoke were reproduced in the early 1970’s; most of the other new pieces produced were in colors that were never made in the old glass such as marigold and smoke on opaque white glass which are very desirable (and beautiful). None of the Satin Iridescent Colors (stretch glass Homestead Plates) were reproduced that we know of.
Satin Iridescent Color Plates (stretch glass)
Rose Ice (Marigold)
Blue Ice (Smoke)
Green Ice (Green)
Bright Iridescent Colors Plates (carnival glass)
Blue Glow (Blue)
Azur (has all the colors of the rainbow including yellow); purple base glass
Amber Ice (Amber)
Happy 100th Anniversary Stretch Glass
Galen here again. Yes, 100 years is a very long time. Happy Anniversary!
King and Charmaine, thanks for your messages. It's great to share information, isn't it?
Elaine, I'm sure the pictures (and measurements) will help ID your stretch piece. Thanks for sharing.
Tonight’s header is a rare pair of Millersburg Rays & Ribbons bowls – one in Blue, and one in Vaseline. Who will win them at the HOACGA auction?
It’s time to see what we have for the mail list tonight.
From: BugDoc Dave
To: Elaine Blair, TX
RE: Imperial Bowl
Most excellent! I was able to easily see the Imperial Cross logo! I think it may have been the blue background that was throwing off the color. Your bowl appears to be Amber Ice which is Imperial’s name for a light amber glass with the stretch effect. Amber Ice pieces are known in Imperial’s sherbets and wide-panel plates, but this is the first bowl of this type that has shown up! From the size, the bowl is likely the Imperial #693 “Pea Vase.” This has a 3 1/2-inch base and is usually 7 to 8 inches wide at the top. The measurements certainly are correct for your bowl. I’ve seen this pea vase with and without the impressed logo. Some have the logo inside and some have the logo in the bottom! Imperial’s amber glass wouldn’t show much fluorescence under a black light. So, still a great find!
From: Zella
To: Charmaine and King
Thank you both for your reply. We bought these at auction for a pittance because we recognized the patterns and wanted to learn about them.
Charmaine, we would love to meet you and talk carnival. Where do you live? We are in Wallace, across the water from PEI.