Glass Gems

See the Wrisley article on this
website for more information on the
A.B. Wrisley/Fenton connection.

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French Opalescent hobnail
vanity items for Wrisley.

The other Hobnail cologne bottle made for Wrisley also found its way
into Fenton's own line as the #3865 bottle. In this case, however, Fenton
replaced the round ball-like wood and cork stoppers used by Wrisley
with glass stoppers. Through the years, the #3865 was made in all
opalescent colors, some transparent colors, milk glass, and pastel
colors. In addition, the small size puff box made for Wrisley was also
incorporated into Fenton's regular line. Like the #3865 cologne bottle,
the wooden lid to the #3885 puff box was replaced with a glass lid. The
puff box was produced in colors matching the #3865 cologne bottle and
proved to be as equally enduring as the cologne bottle.

Anchor Hocking machine
made bottle that replaced
the Fenton version in 1940.

Very scarce Fenton #289
Cranberry Opalescent hobnail
6 ¼" cologne for Wrisley,

ca. 1939. Original wood top.

Fenton's first association with Wrisley proved to be short lived, lasting
just one year until 1940. Looking to cut costs, Wrisley contracted with
Anchor Hocking to produce a cheaper machine made cologne bottle as
opposed to Fenton's costlier mould blown bottle. Whereas Wrisley used
a wood and cork stopper for the Fenton made bottle, a round milk glass
and cork stopper was used for the Anchor Hocking made bottles.
Proving much more durable than stoppers used on the Fenton bottles, the
milk glass stoppers used on the Anchor Hocking bottles are sometimes
found today on Fenton bottles. It is very easy to distinguish between the
Fenton and Anchor Hocking bottles. The Fenton bottles have six mould
lines and the Anchor bottle has four. Although the Fenton/Wrisley
connection ended in 1940, the relationship was renewed later in that
same decade.

On the left is a Cranberry Opalescent
hobnail vanity set for Fenton's line.
The Wrisley set on the right was
made from the same moulds.

The first item made for Wrisley was a modified version of a
hobnail barber bottle that Fenton was producing for L.G. Wright.
One turn of these cologne bottles were made for Wrisley in
Cranberry Opalescent but using the expensive gold based ruby
glass proved cost prohibitive. This resulted in a switch to the less
costly French Opalescent color.

Fenton produced two sizes of cologne bottles and two sizes of puff
boxes in Hobnail for Wrisley. All were issued with wooden stoppers
and lids. The original box labels for these said "Hand-Blown" but did
not mention Fenton as the manufacturer. These cologne filled #289
French Opalescent Hobnail cologne bottles retailed for $1.00 and
became the most popular item Fenton produced for Wrisley. Fenton
also produced this for their own line in various opalescent colors and
identified the bottle as a #389 when made for them.

Fenton #289 French Opalescent
hobnail 6 ¼" cologne for A. B.
Wrisley Co., ca. 1939. Original
hang tag and satin bow.

L to R: Fenton Cranberry opalescent
hobnail barber bottle for L.G. Wright,
Canary hobnail bottle by Hobbs and
Brockunier, white opalescent hobnail
bottle by Hobbs.

L to R: Original long neck on L.G.
Wright bottle, modified neck for
Wrisley.