The Art of Carnival Glass

Glen & Stephen Thistlewood  

The Art of Carnival Glass is a truly innovative and indispensable book for everyone who is interested in Carnival Glass. It begins at the very heart of Carnival, with a comprehensive analysis, full of fascinating insights, into how the glass was made, colored, iridized and decorated. A splendidly memorable feature is the powerful examination of the way in which many Carnival designs were created and often copied. An irresistible addition is the delightful look at the human aspects of collecting. But the real core of this encyclopaedic volume is the detailed and comprehensive coverage-simply set out and easy to follow  -  on Carnival Glass Shapes. Bowls, plates, vases, drinking vessels, tableware, lighting, tobacciana and more  -  and within each of these categories even more subdivisions, full of indispensable information. 

Almost 700 breathtaking, color illustrations provide the visual explanations for this magnificent volume. The language of Carnival is fully documented through definitions of shapes and edge treatments plus straightforward explanations of a multitude of Carnival Glass terms.

    What is a pie crust edge and what's a furrowed edge and a bullet edge?

    What's a jardinière?

    What does a float bowl look like?

    How do you define a plate?

    What's an elephant foot vase, and how can you tell if you have a funeral vase?

The answers to these questions and many more are found within the colorful pages of The Art of Carnival Glass. The splendid photos feature a wealth of Classic USA Carnival, as well as new discoveries from Europe, South America and India, plus many wonderful Contemporary examples from America.

Comments and Reviews

Brian Pitman, President of the International Carnival Glass Association (ICGA) and co-founder of Woodsland World Wide Carnival Glass Club (wwwcga).

The Art of Carnival Glass, by Glen and Steve Thistlewood, continues their journey into the heart of what makes this collectible glassware so, well, collectible.  The Thistlewoods have taken three very distinct and completely different looks at the glass, giving readers a trilogy of diverse information from three different perspectives.  Each journey gave the reader a fantastic look at the glass, with each book as impressive as the beautiful glass itself.

The journey began with Carnival Glass: The Magic and the Mystery, which gave enthusiasts of all levels a broad look at the basics of the glass.  The focus of the book was a look at the colors, manufacturers, and patterns of the glass.  It gave readers a basic appreciation of the glass and a sampling of the availabilities to all.  It is simply a must for those beginning their obsession with carnival glass.

The Thistlewoods' second book, A Century of Carnival Glass, moved deeper into the specifics of the glass available from non-United States manufacturers and its influence on the medium as a whole, as well as a definitive look at the contemporary offerings from the USA.  This holistic view of carnival glass is what makes the Thistlewood books stand apart from the others.  No other author delves as deeply into the minutiae of carnival glass, especially with a focus as broad as that of the Thistlewoods.  They have embraced carnival glass as a whole, and their infectious love for the glass shines through each tenderly constructed page.

The Art of Carnival Glass moves even deeper, albeit with a surprising perspective: Carnival Glass is presented from the viewpoint of an artist.  The book is perhaps the single most comprehensive look to date at the glass itself.  Leave it to a couple of artists to reinvent the method of enjoying carnival glass.  Glen and Steve up the ante by forcing you to consider the art of the glass, its biggest selling point.  Their approach of placing gorgeous photography in your hands is similar to the rebellious "art rebels" of the sixties, but its effectiveness cannot be denied.  By the time you finish Art, you will either love the glass completely, or you will have a complete appreciation of its skill.

Art, however, is no encyclopedia.  Encyclopedias generally don't offer this much information, nor pictures, nor unique perspective.  What the Thistlewoods have created is a book that answers the real world questions about the creation of carnival glass, while displaying the best imaginable examples to illustrate their point.  Perhaps it isn't fair, stacking the deck as deftly as they have, but then art isn't fair: it's real.  This book, incontrovertibly, is real.

As a noted artist herself, Glen's influence can be found in the writing and photography as the book actively explores how shapes, colors and patterns were devised and created.  Steve's photography incoorporates Glen's artist eye, and yet his skill maintains the quality at incredible highs.  Investigative work is evident as the book reads almost as a "how-to" manual on the creation of carnival glass.  The beauty of the book (other than the gorgeous eye-opening photography) is that, like the previous two, it is written for newbies and seasoned carnival veterans alike.  There is much to be learned here.

The book (indeed, all three) is a must.  As I rapturously flip through the pages, being inevitably drawn into the artwork like an obsessive needing an art "fix," I shudder to think what I'll do once the books fall apart from serious overuse...

Derek Sumpter, past Chairman, Carnival Glass Society, UK.  Reproduced here with full permission of the CGS (UK) and is the joint copyright of Derek Sumpter and the CGS (UK).

"The Art of Carnival Glass" completes Glen and Stephen's magnificent trilogy in the same lavish style and to the same high standard of "Carnival Glass: The Magic and the Mystery" (1998, Revised Second Edition, 2009) and "A Century of Carnival Glass" (2001).

Whereas "A Century of Carnival Glass" concentrates on manufacturers and introduced the reader to many makers outside of the USA, "The Art of Carnival Glass" takes us back via Glen's artistic roots and Stephen's stunningly detailed photography to why and how it became a popular must of the early 19th century household.

In Part One we are treated to the authors' insights on the Inspirations of Carnival Glass, whilst Part Two details the galaxy of shapes from Tableware and Tumblers to Tobacciana. Amazingly, the book is not repetitious of the previous volumes in any way and manages to combine and compare the various designers and manufacturers worldwide.

Of the almost 700 colour photographs, many are completely new and are representative of not only the authors' own collection but are also drawn from those of fellow CGS members.

Amazingly, almost as an aside, Glen and Stephen slip in a large number of previously unreported non-USA produced patterns to delight the avid collector who might recognise the odd one or two! As a further treat we are introduced by full documentation to yet another major European manufacturer (August Walther) who was responsible for a number of familiar pieces from the 1930s through to the 60s. At the same time Glen and Stephen reveal a whole Indian based industry of 8 or 9 manufacturers other than the more familiar Jain Glass Works. When I asked Glen about this research she rather shyly admitted "it was hard work".

That hard work has paid off in a very informative read and a breathtaking volume that is value for money in every sense of the word - less than the price of many an average piece of glass. A must for the serious collector.

Tom & Sharon Mordini, authors of the annual "Carnival Glass Auction Price Reports" - It is a professional masterpiece. You have outdone yourselves and deserve a lot of recognition for this great work.  Your books will stand the test of time and will be looked upon in years to come as the "best of the best"  Thank you for your efforts and dedication to the carnival glass movement in the USA and throughout the world.

Joan Doty - It is breathtakingly beautiful!  I'm having trouble tearing myself away from it. Fantastic photographs and fascinating copy on every page. It's difficult to know where to even begin. Almost an embarrassment of riches. The further I get into it, the more spectacular it becomes. And part of that is its incredible depth. It can be enjoyed and appreciated on so many different levels. It is such a gorgeous book that even if a person knows nothing about Carnival, he is mesmerized. If a person has even so much as glimmer of interest in Carnival, this book will have him hooked for life. Of course, its real treasure is for collectors. The more a collector  knows about Carnival, the more he has to learn from this book. The incredible wealth of information is almost overwhelming.  There are pages that make me gasp. The end papers at the back.... I keep trying to read from the beginning. A quote, a phrase, a sentence, a concept, a beautifully phrased and composed paragraph, will cause a halt. Requiring much contemplation before continuing.

Jackie Poucher - I am just in awe of this book and I can't put it down. Your pictures are beautiful. Your descriptions are wonderful as well as your explanations. I especially love your quotes! Your love and dedication to this glass is evident in every picture and every written word. The hard work in researching and documenting is appreciated, I know, by every carnival glass collector. This is truly a superb book and a must for every carnival glass collector. I can't even imagine the hard work you both have put into this project. Your love of this glass just shines through every picture and every word you wrote.

Lynn Dow - Wow! "The Art of Carnival Glass" is spectacular! Another eye-popping, mouth-watering collection of great glass and information from the Thistlewoods. Congratulations, Glen and Stephen! Especially cool, to me, are the chapter on decorating methods used on the glass, and also the rare pictures of the milk glass based carnival and Vaseline carnival glass. Great stuff!

Lance & Pat Hilkene - Received your new book and been reading it all afternoon. Great job. You should be very proud of this "world class" publication. A great addition to my reference library. Beginners and advance collectors will profit from the information you give us in this edition. Kudos Kudos Kudos. Bravo!!!

Marty Seufer - WOW!!!  What else can I say?  The book is AWESOME.  I paged through it and the photography is fantastic!I can't believe the amount of work that had to go into this!