I love...

My Depression Era vintage vaseline glass juicer!
That's right...I went to an antigue annex off of Red Bank Expressway (Exit 9, N. I-71, OH). I was looking for a sturdy good looking table of some kind to put my T.V. on or a book case to replace the audacious piece of crap that has been decomposing in my living room for the past 6 months. So I found something for my T.V. A vintage sterio cabinet. Misha and Mike helped me pick it up and get it into my apartment. It's from at least the 1940's, if not later, and it has an old turntable in it and radio. And it all works!!!! I plan on stripping the paint and either staining it, if the wood is good, or repainting it with some fun colors (Albeit, not too fun. Just sensibly chic, appealing, and smart).

Anyway, I crossed paths with a sexy cheap green juicer...I couldn't leave her there. So I bought her. And then I came home to find out how absolutely amazing it is!
And just now I found out some pretty insane facts about vaseline glass on http://1st.glassman.com/vaselineglass.html.

For instance, in 1835 experiments with uranium as a glass colorant were being carried out by Whitefriars Glass Works in London and that in 1836, a pair of uranium glass candlesticks were presented to the Queen. Production of uranium glass in Britain ceased by the end of the second world war but a small amount is still being manufactured in the USA and Czechoslovakia.

HEALTH AND SAFETY ASPECTS OF VASELINE GLASS / URANIUM GLASS
One of the most significant aspects of uranium glass is that it is radioactive and does give a positive reading on a geiger counter. This may cause some concern as to its safety with regard to health but I am now able to report that in June 2003 I assisted the UK's National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in a study of uranium bearing glass. During this study, technical representatives of the NRPB visited my home and conducted extensive tests on a very wide variety of uranium bearing glass from many manufacturers and time periods. They confirmed that the radiation levels detected were low and quite safe with normal use. The full results of the NRPB study will be published in the near future and at that time I will be providing a link to the publication.

ADDITIONAL SAFETY NOTE: The grinding or abrasive polishing of vaseline glass cannot be classed as 'Normal Use' as the dust and residue produced by these actions can be toxic if inhaled or ingested and therefore should be avoided.

The other significant aspect of uranium bearing glass and that which is of major interest to collectors, is that it glows a vivid bright green under Ultra Violet light (blacklight). This is due to the Ultra Violet radiation exciting the outer electrons of the uranium atoms which as a result give off energy and which is seen by our eyes as a bright green glow.

"Now that's whack!"