Topic: Vaseline glass? Bear paperweight

[detroit442]

This a large chunk of what appears to be Vaseline glass with a lot of flaws and bubbles.  The reason I bought it was because it had a makers mark (and it was dirt cheap).  If the photo doesn't show well, it's a W with little wings.  Any information would be appreciated.

http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/9152/dscf1985f.jpg

 

[antiquerose123]

 :hi:
Looks like it says to me AWF, BWF, or EWF.....FWF....PWF as it looks like the letters kinda join together.....will take another peek at it, but just a ? guess ?

 

...and since it is a Bear, and it sure looks like a   _ WF    to me, could those 2 letters stand for Wildlife Federation ? being a Bear.  Maybe it was marked for some ?? Organization, rather than the company that made it.

Again, just a

[antiquerose123]

 :mrgreen: :mrgreen:  Any other ideas, friends

@ detroit442:  Could we see a whole Pic of the UV Bear?  Thanks

[Wuff]

It's from Wilkerson Glass, Moundsville, West Virginia - see www.opensalts.net/Wilkerson.pdf

[Lustrousstone]

Some more on Wilkerson
http://www.wvcommerce.org/people/successstories/fredwilkerson.aspx
http://www.meganationalgallery.com/wilkerson_glass.html

[detroit442]

:mrgreen: :mrgreen:   Any other ideas, friends

@ detroit442:  Could we see a whole Pic of the UV Bear?  Thanks

Here you go.
http://img690.imageshack.us/img690/6202/dscf2004d.jpg

Thanks to Wuff and Lustrousstone for the links.  My question now is why does it glow?  Is Wilkerson working in Vaseline glass?  I at least have a direction to research.

[Lustrousstone]

Yes it's uranium aka vaseline glass. Can we see him in daylight please. There are a fair number of companies in the USA currently using uranium glass (Boyd, Mosser and Fenton are examples). I think you have all your answers, except when it was made, and you can probably get that by contacting the company.

[m1asmithw8s]

Full frontal bear

[chopin-liszt]

Ummmm, where?  :thud:


Uranium glass glows under UV because the energy from the radioactive decay "bumps" up the energy level of the light hitting it, so the deflected (green) light you see is of higher energy than the purple UV light entering it. Different energies of light give rise to the different colours seen. :thup:

[Lily of the Valley]

Does your bear look like this?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=310284331214#ht_500wt_946


Lily