Northwood, was founded in 1896 in Indiana, Pennsylvania by Harry Northwood, an Englishman. He was the son of John Northwood, a prominent glassmaker and art director of Stevens
and Williams, an English glassworks. He immigrated to America in 1880 at the age of 20. Before he founded his own company, he had worked at several well-known glass companies as an
apprentice. He joined the National Glass Company in 1899, but then formed the Harry Northwood Glass Company in 1901 in Wheeling, West Virginia. Also in 1901, he purchased Hobbs,
Brockunier and Company. For approximately three years, there were two Northwood plants. In 1904, he sold the Indiana, Pennsylvania plant to its managers. It later became the Indiana
Glass Company.
In 1908 he started making iridescent carnival glass which soon became his most popular product. They introduced design patterns such as grape and cable, wild rose, leaf and beads, singing
birds, beaded cable, and peacock at the fountain. Northwood was also known for producing decorated glass with gold and opalescent edges, custard glass, and goofas glass.
Harry's brother, Carl, was the creative partner, where Harry was more business focused. Carl worked in the decoration area as the perfect complement to Harry. The grape & cable pattern
was produced as vases, dishes, compotes, bowls, and accessories. Soon other companies began copying their designs. Northwood also produced an assortment of opalescent, decorated, and
special effect glasses such as splatter glass, iridescent blue, and green. In 1914, Northwood began producing iridescent custard glass; a cream colored glass with pastel iridescent overlay.
Harry Northwood died in 1923. The company closed in 1925.
MARKS
Northwood marked many of their pieces with an N in a circle or an N underlined, but much of it was unmarked.
To view examples of Carnival Glass:
Carnival Glass Worldwide
Poormanstiffany.com
RESOURCES:
Collectics.com
Schroeder's Antiques Price Guide - 18th Edition, 2000
Antiques and Dynasties
Official Price Guide to Glassware-First Edition-Mark Pickvet
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