If you’ve gone to any antique mall or glass show you’ll notice there are roses everywhere – etched roses, cut roses, molded/pressed roses – and that’s just on glass! There are even more roses on china. One pattern that is very easy to distinguish is Fostoria’s Midnight Rose.
Midnight Rose has two roses side by side, with petals touching. The pattern has rose stems on pieces with sufficient room for that motif, and only two rose blossoms on plate rims. The other motif is a flower with scrolls on either side and a small scroll below.
I thought I had photographed a Midnight Rose relish tray but couldn’t find that so take a look at Replacements if you would like to see the design. Fostoria made Midnight Rose from 1933 to 1957 in crystal only. Despite the long production period this is not an abundant pattern that is easy to find. I recall only a piece or two in the 20 years we shopped seriously for glass. Replacements has a very good selection in stock at the moment (October 2023) including most stemware, serving pieces, some dinnerware pieces, even vases and pitchers.
Midnight Rose is mostly a stemware and accessory pattern. Fostoria made plates, cups, saucers, creamer and sugar, but there really is no bowl to use with a place setting. There are 10 (!) relish trays per Coe and Coe’s excellent reference Elegant Glass Early, Depression and Beyond, but only 9 vases and 4 candle holders. (This is starting to sound like the 12 Days of Christmas.)
You can enjoy a full range of stemware and tumblers. Fostoria used their Line 6009 stemware blank for most pieces, which has a 6-sided stem with little nubs along each side.
Most of the other pieces are on the Lafayette blank. This is the same blank that Fostoria used for Navarre and other etches, plus they sold it undecorated. Lafayette has an optic that alternates wide panels with very narrow panels and curlicue handles. It’s very pretty, a good choice for such a lovely etch.
As noted, this is not the easiest Fostoria pattern to find and you likely will have to look online. Replacements has a good selection and I saw many pieces on eBay. Interestingly the prices seem to be about what Coe and Coe list in their 2001 1st edition reference. Of course you need to check condition and shipping when you buy online since you cannot check the glass in person.
Fostoria made many glass patterns, far more than the best known patterns, American, Navarre, Meadow Rose and the like. One pretty pattern full of flowers you might consider is Midnight Rose with its rose pairs around each piece.