Stretch, that ‘Other’ Iridescent Glass

Stretch glass is not considered art glass. It also doesn’t fall under the definition of Carnival glass or Depression glass. It’s in a collectible area all its ownMade from about 1916 until the early 1930s, the glass was made by nine different American glass companies. It wasn’t given the name “Stretch Glass” by its makers, but instead was called, “Rainbow”, “Lustre”, “Crackle”, “Iridescent”, and “Cobweb” glass. The name “Stretch Glass” came from the collectors and authors that began writing and talking about it.

It’s likely that stretch glass was produced and offered as an alternative and more affordable choice for those that didn’t want to spend massive amounts of money for a Tiffany or Steuben. It was described before as having a “Tiffany finish” according to a 1916 trade journal.

The top U.S. companies in stretch glass production were the Diamond Glass-Ware Company, the United States Glass Company, H. Northwood and Company, Fenton Art Glass Company, and the Imperial Glass Company. Smaller, but no less interesting lines were produced from such companies as Vineland Flint Glass Works, Jeannette Glass Company, Central Glass Works, and Lancaster Glass Company.

Blown into a mold or pressed, stretch glass pieces were not free-blown so no piece has a pontil mark. While still hot, the glass was sprayed with metallic salts before being reheated. The end result was an iridescent effect. Each item was then hand worked using such tools as paddles and crimpers. The glass was then stretched by hand until the proper look was achieved. By applying these methods, the surface of the glass would then appear to have “cobwebs”, “crackled surfaces”, or “onion skin”.

Some pieces had to be reshaped when removed from the molds, but not all. The ones that were not reshaped were fully functional. The pieces that were not reshaped did not have the noticeable “stretch marks”, but did have an iridescent satin finish. Stretch glass pieces have very little pattern to them and cannot be confused with carnival glass. More often than not, the glass is very plain. If one of the pieces has any patterned effect at all, it is usually limited to simple panels, rings, and ribs. Colors are varied in stretch glass.

The most common colors used were blue, yellow, green, and white. These colors were not solid, but transparent and most companies all produced the same colored products. Though not as common, other transparent colors included marigold, pink, teal, cobalt blue, ruby, yellow-orange, green-brown, and purple. Opaque colors were also used at times. Some of the glass was also decorated with painted on images of flowers and human figures.

The value of the glass was determined by supply and demand as well as size, shape, and color. Vases, compotes, plates, and bowls were very common. Some of the harder to find glass pieces being puff boxes, cigarette boxes, pitchers, cigarette holders, and colognes.

The pieces that were done in uncommon shapes or color are also more expensive additions to the collection. As in all collectable pieces, some colors were in larger demand than others. Cobalt blues are always in demand and the red pieces of Imperial or Fenton are always sought after by collectors.

Where common pieces would cost $20 to $30 dollars, the more uncommon pieces done in an uncommon color could be worth hundreds.

Unlike Depression glass, stretch glass was not made in complete dinnerware sets. Tableware was made, but on a very small scale. Luncheon plates, sherbets and liners, and even a few cups and saucers were created. A few companies even went so far as to produce beverage sets consisting of a pitcher and tumblers. Other stretch glass that was made consist of a wide variety of serving pieces. To name a few, there were serving plates, mayonnaise bowls, nut and candy dishes, fruit and sugar bowls, and creamer holders.

Candle holders and floral bowls were also offered in many a different style. Two of the glass companies, Imperial and Diamond, also made a unique collectable that was a combination of a floral bowl and a candle holder. Some of the best stretch glass sellers were both common and unique. The common being a vase and the more uncommon being an entire collection featuring a theme, such as dolphins.

Because glass molds were expensive to have manufactured, companies did their best to create as many different pieces, out of a single mold, as they could. A bowl coming out of a mold could end up with straight sides, or it could be rolled over, flared, pulled into the shape of a vase, or flattened into a plate. To make the piece just a little bit different they could even crimp or flute the edges. They did this to many of the items, including the vases, just so they could make a new and different style without having to spend the money on new molds.

For more information, the Stretch Glass Society offers an informative quarterly newsletter that offers you information on up coming sales, shows, conventions, and meetings. The Society also offers an online detailed website that shows you how certain pieces are made and information on colors and shapes of various glass pieces. As well, the site has a list of books that are helpful to both beginners and long time collectors of stretch glass pieces.

For Society membership information and further details about conventions, please call (904) 471-7703 or visit the web site at http://members.aol.com/stretchgl/

We hope we’ve made you interested enough to take a closer look at stretch glass on your visits to the antiques malls and shows. Stretch glass makes a wonderful addition to any glass collection