Cormorants
At Sunsetby John Gager (Page 2)
The lamp also came with a Letter of Authenticity signed by Frank Fenton and James Measell, with the letter written as follows:
Cormorants
At Sunset
by John Gager (Page 2)
The lamp also came with a Letter of Authenticity signed by Frank Fenton
and James Measell, with the letter written as follows:
"Cormorants
as Sunset"
Handpainted on Burmese glass by Louise Piper
This one-of-a-kind lamp is a special piece of Fenton art glass.
Burmese is an elusive, heat-sensitive art glass formula from the 1880s. It was
perfected by Frederick Shirley of the New England Glass Company. As the legend
goes, he sent several items to his native England so that they could be presented
to its monarch, Queen Victoria. When she saw Shirley's glass, she exclaimed
that it reminded her of a Burmese sunset.
The Fenton Art Glass Company recaptured the beauty of Shirley's original formula
in 1969. Fenton chemist Charlie Goe experimented for many years until just the
right effects were achieved. Fenton's Burmese glass contains pure gold, and
careful reheating of the glass is necessary to obtain the soft pink highlights.
Burmese is one of Fenton's most popular colors among glass collectors today.
As a young girl on her way to school, Louise Piper was curious about the glass
decorators she saw at work. They invited her to try her hand at decorating,
and her lifelong career was launched. She worked as a decorator at several glass
and china establishments in Westmoreland County, Pa., before coming to Fenton
in 1968. She was instrumental in starting Fenton's Decorating Department, and
many current Fenton decorators received their training from Louise. She created
many floral designs, and she was particularly fond of wildlife subjects. Louise
Piper retired from Fenton Art Glass in 1989. She passed away in 1995 at age
88.
"Cormorants at Sunset" combines extraordinary art glass with the unparalleled
talent of a remarkable woman.
Frank M. Fenton James
S. Measell
Historian Associate
Historian
At 42 years of age, Doug shares his passion for Fenton with his wife Debbie, 3 sons, and a daughter. I asked Doug if he was required to purchase a new Living Room set for his wife after he bought the lamp :) Although Debbie is not as much of a Fenton Fanatic as Doug, she still shares in the fun of collecting. Doug is from Benton, Arkansas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration. He is currently employed as a financial advisor. Fitting that he would make such a wise investment in such a beautiful lamp.
