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Tall Beaded Melon: We use this name very reluctantly as it is sure to cause confusion with
the #711 Beaded Melon that Fenton produced for their own Tiara line. Both bottles are completely different from one another but we can find no other name attributed to this bottle so Beaded Melon it is. We have been unable to find patent information for this design. The atomizer hardware appears to be a slight variation of the hardware used on the 5-ounce Dot Optic bottle discussed earlier. Fenton produced this bottle in 1947 for DeVilbiss and then again in 1991 for their own line. The 1991 bottle, called simply Beaded by Fenton, represented the first time in Fenton history that a DeVilbiss bottle was reproduced for Fenton's own line. As will be discussed later, Fenton repeated this historic event again in 2001 with another DeVilbiss bottle. The original bottles are shown in the 1947 DeVilbiss catalog and described as "Blue-Cased Glass" and "Rose-Cased Glass". The 1947 2 ¾ ounce bottle was made in Milk Glass, Model S350-22; Blue Overlay, Model S350-23; and Rose Overlay, Model S350-24. Blue and Rose Overlay are made by layering blue and pink glass, respectively, over Opalescent Milk Glass. The hardware shown in the photograph on the Rose Overlay version is the original. The Blue Overlay bottle is shown with new replacement parts. The hardware, which is the same as used on the 5-ounce Dot Optic bottle, consists of a gold-plated collar and top with an inner glass dip tube and cloth covered hose and netted atomizer bulb. |
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Although the 1991 bottle is technically outside the scope of this article, I am including
it since the original 1947 mould was used to produce these bottles. The 1991 Fenton in-line production consisted of Salem Blue (5316SR), Pink Pearl (5316HZ), Iridized Sea Mist Green (5316EZ), and Dusty Rose (5316DK). The Pink Pearl bottle is the one we have pictured. All feature the Fenton logo and the number 9. Prior to putting this bottle into the 1991 line, Fenton made samples in various colors. These samples, later sold through the Fenton Gift Shop, do not have the Fenton logo on them. Known sample colors are Dusty Rose Overlay, Country Cranberry, and a green color which was either Sea Mist Green or Minted Cream. The problem with these logo-less samples is with them being mistaken for the 1947 bottles. Another area for misidentification exists even within the realm of in-line colors. These bottles are blown and blown items occasionally fail to show the logo even though the logo is in the mould. The bottom of the glass sometimes fails to strike the mould hard enough to leave an impression in the glass. While the 1991 bottles are lovely and, of course, quality made, they in no way command the prices of the 1947 bottles. Collectors must keep continually informed to not only know who made an item but, more importantly, when. |
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Dot Optic: Three sizes of these ball-shaped bottles were made - 7 ounces, 5 ounces,
and 2 ounces. Patent 118,922 designed by Fredrick A. Vuillemenot for DeVilbiss was filed December 18, 1939 for the 7 and 2-ounce on the other two bottles. We have been unable to locate the patent information for the 5-ounce bottle, which must be different, since the top of the atomizer differs from the other two bottles. The 7- ounce bottle was shown in the 1941 DeVilbiss catalog and described as "Gay opalescent polka dots on transparent background". The 2-ounce bottle, also shown in the 1941 DeVilbiss catalog, was described as "Perfume atomizer with opalescent polka dots on transparent glass to match CS150-102 style cologne atomizer" (the 7- ounce bottle). The 5-ounce bottle was produced later, in 1947, and appears in the DeVilbiss catalog for that year. Both the 7-ounce and 2-ounce bottles were made in Blue Opalescent, Models CS150-103 and CS100-6; French Opalescent, Models CS150-102 and S150-107; Green Opalescent, Models CS150-105 and S150-109. When Fenton ceased production of Green Opalescent in mid-1941, Topaz Opalescent was substituted for Green in the 7-ounce bottle. No 2-ounce Topaz Opalescent bottles have been reported but it is reasonable to assume they were made. The 5-ounce bottle was made in Blue Opalescent, Model S250-24, and French Opalescent, Model S250-23. Since Fenton was making neither Green Opalescent nor Topaz Opalescent in 1947, it is unlikely that these colors were used for the 5-ounce bottle. The hardware as seen in the photograph is original and consists of a gold-plated collar and top with an inner glass dip tube and clothe covered hose and netted atomizer bulb. As mentioned above and as shown in the photo, the atomizer top used on the 5-ounce differs from the one on the 7 and 2-ounce bottles. A few years ago, while helping Jackie Shirley with her research, Mr. Fenton found the original moulds for all three bottles still stored at the Fenton Factory. |
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Hobnail: The bottle used for this DeVilbiss atomizer was the #3685 which Fenton
produced for Wrisley and later for their own line. The DeVilbiss atomizer hardware appears to be Patent 124,046 designed by Frederic A. Vuillemenot and filed for DeVilbiss October 28, 1940. This was previously used on the Cosmos bottle to be discussed later. This bottle, which holds 2 ¼ ounces, was shown in the 1941 DeVilbiss catalog. It was made in Blue Opalescent, Model CS100-6; French Opalescent, Model CS100-5, Green Opalescent, Model CS100-7; and Topaz Opalescent, Model CS100-14. Again, Green Opalescent was made until mid-1941 and was then replaced with Topaz Opalescent. The atomizer hardware as shown in the photograph is original and is a simpler design than the ones previous described. The hardware consists of a gold-plated metal collar and top with no hose. The netted atomizer bulb fits directly into the top. There is a glass dip tube inside connected to the screw-in top. |