Musings on Vintage Milk Glass

I didn't always love milk glass, as pretty as it is.

I knew that some people collected it, but I was into blue and white, my own personal collecting passion.


And then, as an Etsy seller, the Modern Farmhouse trend became something I started to follow.

My home isn't Modern Farmhouse, it's definitely Country Primitive (see the "About" page in my shop --scroll down on the link--where I share a video tour of several rooms in my house) because I prefer lots of color, and the basis of Modern Farmhouse is All Things White. White, white, white. With maybe a little wood tone thrown in for good measure.

(If you're still not exactly sure what the Modern Farmhouse look is, check out my Pinterest board called Modern Farmhouse Decor.)

Anyway, if white was selling, white was what I was buying--white objects of all kind, from white cream pitchers, plates, cups, vases, and soup toureens to white matelasse coverlets, enamelware pails, and even bird houses. A few examples currently in my shop include a pair of white creamers, white dessert bowls, and a white serving dish:

During my vintage finding forays, then (church sales, yard sales, thrift shops of all kinds), the color white always caught my eye. And of course, that included milk glass. I bought a few vintage bud vases and sold those, and then became aware of the current craze for using collections of white milk glass vases at weddings. Like these, currently in my shop:

So I kept on buying them, and it was during this period that I really began to fall in love with all the shapes and sizes and designs and textures of this interesting opaque, translucent or semi-translucent glass.

Its history is interesting. I found out that milk glass was first made in Venice in the 16th century but rose to popularity during the Victorian era because of its similarity to porcelain. In fact, the  Victorians are credited with first calling it "milk glass." While its popularity dipped during the Depression, interest surged again after World War II, especially during the 1950s and 1960s.

Some of the companies producing collectible milk glass are Fenton, Fostoria, Imperial, Mosser, Anchor Hocking, and Westmoreland.

(For glimpses of various other items made out of milk glass, as well as articles about it, see my Pinterest board called "Vintage Milk Glass Love.")

And now, in the 21st century, its popularity is back. Because, when you start taking a good look at milk glass, what's not to love?