National Depression Glass Association
Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage
Fostoria's Animals
by Gwen Shumpert
Glass Review - July 1985
I've got more of my favorite Fostoria items to show - and, as longtime readers of this column realize, animal figurines are tops in my collecting list. I don't have the space to show the complete line of Fostoria's figurines so I'm gonna pick my favorites this time.
The photo
at right shows perhaps the most elusive - the vertical and horizontal
goldfish. These beauties are about 4" tall (or long) and the glass is
superb, so clear and sparkling - typical of the 1950's glass produced
by Fostoria.
My "next
favorite" is seen at left, the magnificent Chanticleer, 10¾"
tall. He can be found in ebony (some with gold decorations) but the
crystal is my favorite. These, too, were produced in the 1950's.
The next photo (below, right) is of one of the most graceful figurines produced by any company - Fostoria really excelled when they gave us this lovely lady-of-the sea. She is 10" tall and the base is a seashell. The "Mermaid" was available in crystal during the 50's and I find her in my Fostoria Co. Eastern Price List Supplement dated Jan. 1, 1962, but she is not listed in the 1963 issue. These supplements, by the way, are original company catalogs.
Then there is the rare owl bookend, shown at left. It was produced in crystal for
only one year - 1943. This ebony one was produced either as a trial run
or feasibility study - it was never sold as a line product, but was
sold at the factory outlet stores. The base is 4" x 2" and it stands 7½"
tall.
The photo at the end of this article and to the left, shows a duck family with personality! See what a proud look that 4" mama duck wears - and the ducklings are so cute - you can see mischief written all over them! Duckling A (head back) is 2½" tall; Duckling B (walking) is 2" tall and Duckling C (head down) is 1" tall. They are pictured in Fostoria's dealer's catalog on a page dated 1950. In 1964 they were available in clear colors of amber, olive green and cobalt blue as well as silver mist (frosted) of the same three colors. The duck family was discontinued in the mid-1970's.
Technically, the item in the photo at the bottom of the page and to the right is not really a figurine, but a figural vase. Anyway, I think it's so cute I just had to include it. It is 7" tall and is a lovely lavender color. According to the Jan. 1, 1965 original price list catalog it was called the "Flying Fish" and was available in teal green, lavender and ruby.
Below, left is one of the oldest of Fostoria's figurines - the Pelican. It is 4½" tall and the base is 3" x 3". The production dates are from 1935-1943 and the colors were crystal, topaz, gold tint and Silver Mist (frosted crystal) which is the one here.
The newest of the figurines pictured is seen in the photo below, right - a very "modern" style rabbit. Mama rabbit is 4½" long and signed (acid stamped) Fostoria on the base. These were produced in the 1970's for the first time and were made in three colors - clear and frosted, crystal, lemon and olive green.
Hope y'all have enjoyed seeing some of my "Glass Menagerie." If you want more just let me know.
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