Alaska pattern (AKA: Lion Leg)

Manufacturer Northwood Glass Company (American (Wheeling, WV), 1902 - 1924)

Date1897

MediumVaseline glass

Dimensions3 ¾ x 3 1/8 in. each.

ClassificationsDecorative Arts, Glass

Credit LineGift of Lawrence Thorpe in memory of Beatrice Briley Thorpe (’53 Home Economics). In the permanent collection, Brunnier Art Museum, University Museums, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa.

Object numberUM2021.191a-f

Status

On view

Collections

Decorative Arts

CultureAmerican

Label TextVictorian vaseline glass marked a notable innovation in 19th-century glassmaking by blending scientific experimentation with decorative appeal. Glassmakers created vaseline glass by adding small amounts of uranium oxide to molten glass, producing its distinctive yellow-green color and its remarkable ability to glow under ultraviolet light. Although Victorians did not fully understand this phenomenon, they found it deeply fascinating. Manufacturers shaped the material into tableware, vases, oil lamps, and decorative novelties, reflecting the era’s enthusiasm for chemistry, novelty, and visual spectacle. The Northwood Glass Company, founded by English immigrant Harry Northwood, produced these objects and emerged as a major American glass manufacturer between 1887 and 1925, later gaining fame for pioneering carnival glass with its vibrant iridescent colors. The development of vaseline glass also demonstrates how Victorian industry merged modern science with mass production. Advances in pressed-glass techniques allowed manufacturers to produce luminous objects at affordable prices, making them accessible to middle-class households while maintaining an exotic and refined appearance. Displayed in parlors and cabinets, vaseline glass embodied Victorian optimism about progress and innovation by transforming cutting-edge materials into everyday art. Vaseline glass reached peak popularity between the 1880s and 1920s, before production declined due to uranium regulations. Today, collectors prize vaseline glass both for its technological curiosity—its fluorescence under ultraviolet light—and as a symbol of the era’s inventive spirit. https://glassencyclopedia.com/Northwoodglass.html Heacock, William. Harry Northwood, the Early Years 1881-1900, 1999.

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