Colored Agricultural & Normal Univ. milk glass souvenir

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Colored Agricultural & Normal UniversitySouvenir Hand Painted Milk Glass Dish c. 1910 Oldest Black College in the West Westmoreland Old Quilt glass? This is an extraordinary little piece, and very rare.Founded in 1897, the Colored Agricultural and Normal University instructed men and women of color in the agricultural, mechanical, and industrial arts. Within a year, following the territorial act that established the college, black settlers determined to provide higher education for their children raised enough money through auctions, bake sales, and donations to purchase the 40 acres of land on which the school was built. The first bachelor's degree was awarded in 1901. The first president, Dr. Inman E. Page, was the son of a former slave. The school adopted its present name, Langston University, in 1941. Langston University is Oklahoma's only historically black college. It serves a double mission as a land grant institution and an urban center for the state. The original mission to carry out agricultural research and cooperative extension continues. Enrollment and programs for urban residents also continue to grow. The University is acclaimed both nationally and internationally for its research projects in the soils, grains, and water of Oklahoma. Bessie Coleman, the first African American woman pilot and the first American woman to obtain an International Pilot's license, enrolled in 1910. For lack of funds, she only completed one term. Langston graduates include Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher, who stood at the forefront of the fight to integrate historically white law schools in the South; Marques Haynes, who starred in basketball and football at Langston before going on to captain the Harlem Globetrotters and induction into the Basketball Hall of Fame; and Nathan Hare, who wrote the conceptual proposal for the first department of black studies and was the first person hired to coordinate a black studies program in the United States. First made in Venice in the 16th century, the white color of milk glass is achieved through the addition of tin oxide. 19th-century glassmakers called milky white opaque glass "Opal." Made into decorative dinner-ware, lamps, vases, and costume jewelry, milk glass was highly popular during the turn of the century. Pieces made for the wealthy of the Gilded Age are known for their delicacy and beauty in color and design, while Depression glass pieces of the 1930s and '40s are less so. Milk glass will often glow under an ultraviolet (UV) light source due to the reflection from the white oxide or dioxide pigments used in its manufacture, and is similar to the way in which white clothing will glow violet under a black light. This little pin dish is 4.5 inches long and just a hair over three inches wide, it is three quarters of an inch deep and is sharply ribbed on the outside edge. It is not marked (and milk glass was often marked only with a sticky tag). T are some handpainted pieces of this vintage made by Tiffin glass, but the pattern on the bottom of the dish is very reminiscent of Westmoreland's Old Quilt pattern, and the dish itself is more like Westmoreland pieces than Tiffin. The dish is in excellent condition with no cracks, scratches or chips. T are some fleabite irregularities along the inside rim, which came from the unmolding process and is not considered damage. T is no paint loss, but like on all hand-decorated pieces, t is some lack of uniformity in the decoration. When held up to the light, it has a lovely opalescent glow. The real value in this piece, though, is in its history. Though we searched long and hard on the internet we could not find another souvenir of any sort from the Colored Agricultural and Normal University. If this piece interests you don't let it get away, t will not be another one to be found. Thanks for your interest! Please Read The Fine Print! Payment Payment is expected in a timely manner. (After all, we can't ship you this wonderful thing you just won until you pay us) We welcome payments t... read more

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