Stories from the Past and Present: Fenton Baskets

As we experience the warmer temperatures and sunshine of what we hope will be the spring season, our attentions turn towards the bright colors of flowers and the smell of fresh soil. In our store, Past and Present Home Gallery, we are excited to see all of the new spring items start to arrive—like our amazing, found-object garden art and cast-aluminum statues. This year something else has caught our attention as well: Fenton art glass.

Fenton art glass has been one of the many staple items in our store and we love hearing the stories from long-time collectors and other customers who appreciate the beauty of art glass. Recently, we stumbled upon a very interesting piece of information about Fenton and the artisans responsible for creating one of their most recognizable pieces: the glass basket.

Handled with Care: Fenton Glass Baskets

It has been said that the Fenton Glass Company is one of the longest running glass manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1905 in Ohio, the Fenton company began its work by painting glass banks created by other companies and in 1907, Fenton began manufacturing its own glass. In the late 1930’s Fenton’s glassworks surged in new directions as they experimented with exciting designs including the Fenton basket.

Creating a basket entirely from glass proved both to be an artistic and manufacturing challenge. The artisans at Fenton set to work coming up with new pattern and color combinations while also problem solving their way through how the baskets themselves would be put together. Attaching the glass handle to the base of the basket became one of the most difficult procedures Fenton had ever tackled. The artisan had only 30 seconds to manipulate the hot glass material into its handle shape and attach it to the basket. It was difficult, but possible. Fenton collectors loved them and the baskets were a market success. Then, in the 1950’s, Fenton company President, Frank M. Fenton, and Vice-President, Bill Fenton, developed the idea that each artisan should have his own, unique stamp applied to every basket handle he attaches so collectors could better identify which artisan created which piece. If one looks closely at the basket handle where it meets the base, you can see the mark of the artisan responsible for attaching that handle. Using the official Basket Handler Marks section on the Fenton company website, you can then identify the name of the artisan and his employment dates at Fenton.

This basket handle was most likely attached by Robert Oliver, Sr. who worked for Fenton for almost 40 years.

Robert Oliver, Sr. 1957-1995

Yes, we ran around the store and matched as many of the handler marks we could. The process gave us an even greater appreciation for the dedication of these artists and their work. Come in and browse through our collection of Fenton as well as our other beautiful glass pieces including stained glass lamps!

Can't wait to see you at Past and Present Home Gallery, the antique store with character!

Meet the Characters: Antique Leopold Desk

We are often asked at Past and Present Home Gallery if our building had ever been a bank. The answer is actually no, because the 700 square-foot vault that is now home of the Man Cave housed furs, and not currency, for the Bartholomew Fur Company until it closed in 1995. However, with the many antique treasures and vintage finds that come through our doors, we get to host bank related items on a regular basis. Our current guest is this 1920’s desk from the Leopold Desk Company.

The Banker: An Antique Leopold Desk

The Leopold Desk Company began in Burlington, Iowa in 1886 as the Northwestern Furniture Company and specialized in the construction of bookcases and sideboards for offices. In 1888, the company changed its name to the Rand-Leopold Desk Company and began manufacturing other types of office furniture including desks. In 1900, the company changed its name again to the Leopold Desk Company. Whatever the name of the company, it was a thriving business that utilized local timber, mostly the maple and oak from area farms, to create some of the most desired desks on the market. It is estimated that during the company’s peek it produced close to 30,000 desks per year.

The desk hosted at Past and Present Home Gallery is from “The Banker” series manufactured between 1920 and 1930 and seems to be a mixture of two of that line’s patterns: it has the size and modesty panel of Pattern 2866 with the drawer pedestals from Pattern 2366. The center drawer on our desk is also different from the catalog's illustration with square edges instead of rounded. While we are unable to verify if this specific desk was ever used in a bank, with its grand size, beautiful features, and well maintained condition it must have helped someone accomplish something important. And it can help you accomplish your tasks that are just as important.

General Officer Furniture Leopold Desks 1920-1930 catalog page 19. Retrieved March 8, 2017. Special thanks to the University of Iowa Digital Library.

Come in to Past and Present Home Gallery to view this beautiful desk along with all of the other amazing antique and vintage furniture pieces in our showroom. While you’re here, make sure to browse through the lower level and check out the non-bank vault known as the Man Cave. Can’t wait to see you at Past and Present Home Gallery, the antique store with character!

Stories from the Past and Present: the Crowning Cupola

There seems to be a developing theme at Past and Present Home Gallery: Bigger is Better. Our store hosts numerous unique treasures that are also quite large; giant pigs, tables that stretch to more than 10 feet long, large cow hides—and now we even have a full-size kangaroo hide. The most recent large item to be hosted at Past and Present have been farm fresh cupolas.

The Fred and Rosa Fulton Barn, a historical barn in Iowa, features two cupolas with weather vanes.

The site of a well-kept barn with a striking cupola on its crown may bring back nostalgic memories for some Minnesota residents, but would you be surprised to learn that the cupola’s history reaches as far back as the 8th century?

A cupola can serve as a look-out, let light into a structure, or to allow air to escape. It is believed that the cupola was used as far back as the 8th century in Eastern architecture to crown all types of buildings including towers. The design and function of the cupola slowly made its way westward where it revolutionized the dome during the Renaissance. Before that time, the very top, center portion of a dome was often left open to the elements and was called an oculus. With the introduction of the cupola, architects and engineers of the Renaissance erected elaborate cupolas on top of their domes which completely changed the skylines of their cities, and history, forever.

The Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral features a dome capped by a large cupola or "lantern".

Stop in to Past and Present Home Gallery to check out the cupola currently on display in our store. This great piece even has its weather vane and is more than 12 feet tall! Looking for some smaller, farm fresh treasures? A quick search through the Man Cave is sure to turn up something! Can’t wait to see you at Past and Present Home Gallery, the antique store with character!