Carnival glass

Common card · No. 319579

Carnival glass is moulded or pressed glass with an applied iridescent surface shimmer. It has previously been referred to as aurora glass, dope glass, rainbow glass, taffeta glass, and disparagingly as 'poor man's Tiffany'. The name Carnival glass was adopted by collectors in the 1950s as the items were sometimes given as prizes at carnivals, fetes, and fairgrounds. However, evidence suggests that the vast majority of it was purchased by households to brighten homes at a time when only the well-off could afford electric lighting, as the finish catches the light even in dark corners. From the beginning of the 20th century, carnival glass was mass-produced around the world, but largely in the U.S. It reached the height of its popularity in the 1920s, though it is still produced in small quantities today. Carnival glass gets its iridescent sheen from the application of metallic salts while the glass is still hot from the pressing. It was designed to look like the finer and much more expensive...

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