Four-light bent glass chandelier with brass garland filigree, leafy iron fitters, and Ellis Island motif featuring the Statue of Liberty and slag glass detail, with 4 blue swirled Kokomo glass shades.

Kokomo Opalescent Glass Works has quite the origin story. Started in 1888 in Kokomo, Indiana by Charles Edward Henry and supervised by chemist Vital Belard, the company started out by selling sheet glass to many customers throughout the Midwest, as well as some big name manufacturers such as Tiffany. However, following their gold medal distinction at the 1889 Paris World's Fair for their opalescent glass, the factory became overwhelmed with foreign demand for their inventory. Henry was already in financial straits due to overdue bills from the factory construction, and he began to suffer from delusions of grandeur. His erratic and dangerous behavior led him to be committed to the Indianapolis Insane Asylum in 1890, where he died two years later at age 46. Meanwhile, Belard's work continued to be highly acclaimed by major art glass firms on the east coast, and the company prospered. In 1891 Kokomo was sold to three "Kokomo capitalists" and Belard went off to start his own firm. Since then, the company has continued to produce glass for Tiffany reproductions and restoration, all while producing old favorites and new designs for their own customer base.

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