QUESTION: My grandmother collected antique glass. Of all the pieces she had, which I inherited after her passing, one stands out. It’s a small multi-colored vase that fades from a rose pink at the top to a white toward the bottom. It’s devoid of decoration, has a simple shape, and a matter finish. Can you tell me what type of glass this is and a bit about its history?
ANSWER: It seems that you’ve inherited a piece of Mt. Washington “Peach Blow” glass. Of the three distinct types of Peach Blow, pieces produced by Mt. Washington are the rarest.
Peach Blow glass was a craze in the third quarter of the 19th century. The sale of a single 8-inch porcelain vase in 1866 changed the glassmaking industry for the 20th century and beyond. It belonged to Mary Jane Morgan, widow of shipping magnate Charles Morgan. Mary Jane lived a frugal life until her husband’s death in 1878, but she then began a shopping spree that lasted until her death in 1885. The media and the public at the time focused on a single porcelain “Peach Blow” vase that sold for $18,000.
The glass industry was quick to embrace the fad. A new craze developed for anything Peach Blow in color. Unlike most categories in glass collecting, Peach Blow isn’t characterized by color, transparency, the number of layers or decoration. The term was nothing more than a gimmick to sell the glass. Peach Blow glass had no single identifying characteristics, thus its appearance could vary widely. It can be pink, peachy, red, lined or unlined, decorated or undecorated. Plus, it came in just about all ceramic shapes.
So what makes it Peach Blow? The only way to tell is by the original maker’s name. Peach Blow is Peach Blow only if a manufacturer called it that. So collectors must learn who made this type of glass, and learn to recognize each company’s product.
Public demand for this glassware led to the production of souvenir interpretations for major public events like the 1893 Worlds Fair. The Libbey Glass Company of Toledo, Ohio, successor to New England Glass, set up a working glass factory at the Fair to make Peach Blow souvenirs on site. These pieces shaded from rose pink to white and isn’t lined. Pieces were either matt or glossy and decorated or undecorated and is paper thin.
There were 17 different makers, thus 17 different types of Peach Blow. They include Mt. Washington, Hobbs, New England, World’s Fair, Webb, Stevens & Williams, Carder/Steuben, Gundersen, Pairpoint, Guernsey, Italian, Pilgrim, Kanawha, Fenton, L.G. Wright, Imperial, and Intaglio. If a piece didn’t originate from one of these lines, it isn’t Peach Blow. And while all of them differed from one another in the colors that fade, the number of layers, and whether they’re lined or not, all can be generally classified into three groups— Wheeling Peach Blow, Mt. Washington Peach Blow, and Webb Peach Blow.
Made by Hobbs, Brockunier & Company of Wheeling, West Virginia, starting in 1886, it shaded from a rich, mahogany red to a deep golden orange and had a creamy white lining. It came in both matt and glossy finish and its was only decorated with a band of amber found on some pieces. Prices can range from three to four figures. A Hobbs Morgan vase with its amber glass stand can sell for $500 to $2,500.
Like Wheeling Peach Blow, Mt. Washington Peach Blow was produced from about 1886 until 1888 in both matte and gloss finishes and was originally called "Peach Blow" or "Peach Skin." Unlike Wheeling Peach Blow, Mt. Washington Peach Blow wasn’t lined. Paper thin, it looks as if someone dusted it with rose and blue powders from opposite ends. Due to the very limited production, Mt. Washington Peach Blow is the rarest of the three distinct types of Peach Blow glassware with the average price being around $2,000. But a rare decorated cruet can cost $10,000.
In England, Thomas Webb & Sons produced an English Peach Blow reminiscent of the Hobbs Brockunier production, lined on the inside and shading from a deep red to a lighter yellow. Webb Peach Blow is also referred to as "Peach Bloom" and has more reddish hues than the Hobbs version which is more orange by comparison. This is the only Peach Blow not technically called “Peach Blow” by the manufacturer. It can be found in both satin and glass finishes and can be decorated or undecorated. Most pieces sell for an average of $400 each.
To identify period Peach Blow and the three major variations, pay close attention to the shading of colors from top to bottom and whether the piece is lined or not. Pink satin glass is sometimes mistakenly referred to as Peach Blow as well.
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