A quick Fenton history
The Fenton Art Glass Company started in 1905 in Martins Ferry, Ohio, as a business decorating glass made by others. The Fenton brothers soon built their own factory across the river in Williamstown, West Virginia, and started making glass there in 1907. By the end of that year they were making iridescent carnival glass, which became one of their signatures.
For more than a century Fenton made handmade glass in a huge range of colors and treatments: hobnail, opalescent, crested, milk glass, Burmese, hand-painted pieces and more. The company wound down its main collectible glass production in 2011, which is part of why vintage Fenton is so collected today.
Is all Fenton glass marked?
No, and this trips people up constantly. For most of its first 65 years, Fenton didn't mold a logo into its glass. Pieces made before about 1970 are usually unmarked and were sold with a paper or foil label that has long since washed off.
So an unmarked piece can absolutely be Fenton. It can also be Westmoreland, Imperial, L.E. Smith or an import. Unmarked Fenton is identified by pattern, color, shape and comparison with Fenton catalogs and reference books.
Paper and foil labels (before about 1970)
Fenton used paper and foil labels for decades before it molded a logo into its glass. Collector references describe a foil label reading something like "Authentic Fenton Handmade" from roughly the late 1950s to around 1970, and later labels showing a glassworker in the 1970s and 1980s. Exact dates vary by source.
If a label survives, great. If not, don't take a missing label as evidence of anything. Most were gone after a few trips through the sink.
The Fenton oval logo (1970s)
In 1970 Fenton began molding its logo, the word Fenton in script inside an oval, into the bottom of its revived carnival glass, partly so collectors could tell new carnival from Fenton's old, unmarked carnival of the 1900s and 1910s. Over the next few years the logo spread to hobnail and other lines, and sources agree it was on nearly all Fenton by about 1974 or 1975.
A plain oval logo with no number underneath generally points to the 1970s.
Decade numbers: the 8, 9, 0 and 1
Starting in the 1980s, Fenton added a small number under the logo to show the decade. This is the most useful dating clue on a marked piece.
- Oval logo, no number: 1970s
- Small 8 under the logo: 1980s
- Small 9: 1990s
- Small 0: 2000s
- Small 1: 2010s
The script F and other special marks
When Fenton made glass from molds it acquired from other companies, such as McKee, it generally used a script F in an oval instead of the full Fenton logo, again with a decade number. So a script F in an oval is still Fenton, made in a mold that started life somewhere else.
You may also see sandblasted logos on pieces where the molded mark didn't come out clearly, anniversary marks like a 90th anniversary logo in 1995, and special marks on gift shop seconds in the late 1990s. These are less common but all Fenton.
Sometimes the mark is hard to find. It may be tucked into the pattern on the base, or partly melted away when the piece was reheated and shaped. Look with a bright light at an angle.
Artist signatures on hand-painted Fenton
Fenton's hand-painted pieces are usually signed on the base by the decorating artist, often alongside the logo. Collectors look for names like Louise Piper and Martha Reynolds, among many others. A signature adds interest and helps date a piece, since each artist worked at Fenton during specific years. Fenton's own catalogs and collector references are the best way to match a signature to its era.
Reproductions, reissues and fake marks
Fenton reissued many of its own older patterns and colors over the years, and those reissues are usually marked with the logo. That's a good thing: the mark tells you it's a later piece, not an early one.
Marks can be faked, though. Carnival glass collectors have documented reproductions carrying another old maker's mark that was never theirs to use, so a mark alone isn't proof. Be wary of a mark that looks too crisp, too big, or oddly placed, on glass whose color, weight or finish doesn't feel like Fenton.
There's also later glass made from Fenton-era molds after the company stopped production in 2011. When in doubt, compare against documented pieces and ask in a Fenton collectors' group.
How to identify unmarked Fenton
Without a mark, you're matching the piece against what Fenton is known to have made. A few habits help:
- Learn the colors and treatments Fenton is famous for: hobnail, opalescent, Silver Crest and other crests, Burmese, carnival and milk glass.
- Look up the shape in Fenton catalogs and reference books, which show item numbers, colors and years.
- Check the base and handles. Fenton baskets, for example, often show a small mark where the handle was applied.
- Compare weight, color depth and finish with marked pieces you trust.
- Ask. Collector groups are generous with ID help, and so are we on our shows.
Bring us your mystery Fenton
On our Whatnot shows we flip every Fenton piece over on camera so you can see the base, the mark (or the lack of one) and any wear. Glowy Fenton like Burmese goes under the UV light too. Catch a show and ask us to take a closer look.
FAQ
Is all Fenton glass marked?
No. Fenton began molding its oval logo into glass in 1970 and had it on nearly everything by the mid-1970s. Earlier pieces are usually unmarked and originally carried paper or foil labels.
What does the number under the Fenton logo mean?
It's the decade the piece was made: 8 for the 1980s, 9 for the 1990s, 0 for the 2000s and 1 for the 2010s. A logo with no number generally means the 1970s.
What does a script F in an oval mean on glass?
It's a Fenton mark used on glass made from molds Fenton acquired from other companies, such as McKee. It usually appears with a decade number.
When did Fenton stop making glass?
Fenton announced in 2011 that it would wind down production of its collectible and giftware glass, ending traditional glassmaking at its Williamstown, West Virginia factory.