Fenton Art Glass Georgian Pattern Mug

Today’s Museum Monday treasure from the collections of the Museum of American Glass in WV is a mug in the Georgian pattern. Georgian is one of those patterns that traditionally drives collectors crazy – not because it is difficult to recognize, but because it was made by literally dozens of different companies, and it can be almost impossible to tell the different versions apart. In the case of our mug, however, it is part of a group of pieces we acquired from the Fenton Art Glass Company when the factory was closed in 2013, so we can be reasonably certain that these five pieces are Fenton.

Fenton originally introduced their No. 1611 line as Agua Caliente in 1931, with production continuing until 1942 (though most of the colors were discontinued by 1939, with only ruby continuing into the 1940s). In addition to our mug, we are fortunate to have a cup and saucer in crystal, cups in amber and rose, and a wonderful mug in jade green. Other colors known for this pattern are aquamarine, black, transparent green, ruby, and milk glass. In 1952 Georgian tumblers were reissued in several colors, including pale blue, amber, milk glass, ruby, amethyst, dark green, and light green.

For those of you who might have Georgian pieces that you haven’t been able to identify with any certainty, several helpful hints are provided by Margaret & Kenn Whitmyer’s Fenton Art Glass, 1907-1939.