History of Several Major Producers of Depression Glass - Part Two by Barbara E
VOLUME 38, NUMBER 5 PAGE 7 History of Several Major Producers of Depression Glass - Part Two by Barbara E. Mauzy
Men blowing glass ~ this is how bottles and similar items were created before the use of ma- chines.
By the end of the Great Depression more than half of the American glass factories had closed, but those engaged in the production of this cheaply manufactured dinnerware and accessories were able to survive, and here are some of the most important and successful enterprises.
.Jeannette Glass Company The Jeannette Bottle Works began operations in 1888 and after several changes of ownership became the Jeannette Glass Company in 1898. Apothecary (medicine and drug store), beverage, and other bottles were hand- made at Jeannette Bottle Works, but with the introduction of the O’Neill semi-automatic bottle blowing machine in 1899 Jeannette first expanded production to include wide-mouth jars and then to lens covers, glass blocks, and more. O’Neill semi-automatic bottle blowing machine
In 1917 American 3-Way Luxfer Prism Company bought controlling interest of the Jeannette Bottle Works and the entire plant was converted to the manufacture of pressed ware. It is this pressed glassware that most collectors think of when con- sidering Depression Glass. By the end of the Depression more than half of the American glass factories had closed, but those engaged in the production of this cheaply manufactured dinner- ware and accessories were able to survive, and Jeannette Glass Company was among these successful enter- prises.
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Manufacturing of glassware continued for decades with the peak of production being in 1930. Jeannette Glass Com- pany bought McKee, which had become a division of Thatcher Glass Manufacturing Company in 1961 and moved into their factory in 1962. The factory was closed in 1983. McKee Glass Company McKee and Brothers Glass Works originated operations in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1853 as producers of clear (called “crystal”) glassware. This successful enterprise continued in this location until 1888 when they constructed a new glass factory in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The National Glass Company acquired McKee and Brothers Glass Works in 1901 and the new name became McKee-Jeannette Glass Company. Also in 1901 they began making “tec” patterns, a series of Early American Pattern Glass tableware names whose last syllable is “tec.” These patterns are: Aztec, Bontec, Carltec, Doltec, Fentec, Glentec, Martec, Nortec, Plutec, Plytec, Quintec, Rotec, Sextec, Startec, Toltec, Valtec, Wiltec, Wortec, and Yutec. The most successful “tec” pattern was Fentec with pieces of this pattern shown in McKee catalogues until 1942. McKee Aztec Punch Bowl Set Corporate restructuring occurred in 1908 and the McKee Glass Company was born. “Tec” glassware was a large part of McKee Glass Company’s product line with the addition of new patterns (see the list above) through 1915. McKee Glass Company introduced Glasbake Ovenware in 1917 to compete with the highly successful PYREX ovenware by Corning Glass Works. This clear, tem- pered glass was designed to withstand the hot temperatures of an oven and yet toler- ate the chilly interior of an ice box. (Glasbake continued to be produced until 1983, long after the demise of McKee.) Glasbake ovenware McKee Glass Company produced several dinnerware patterns of Depression Glass, but they are most known for “kitchen glass” that was produced in the 1930s. Items fit- ting this category would include glassware utilized to prepare, serve, and store food: canisters, measuring cups, and mixing bowls are among the most common and recog- nizable. Not only did McKee Glass Company create a successful line of kitchen glass, they did so in opaque colors that are favorites with today’s collectors. Opaque glass is not transparent; one is unable to see through these colors of glass: Seville (yellow), custard (off white), chalaine (light blue), delphite (Wedgwood blue), and jade-ite (green). All chalaine and Seville kitchen glass is attributed to McKee Glass Company, and many items are quite rare and there- fore of great value. In the 1940s McKee Glass Company offered glass stovetop cookware that was in direct competition with PYREX Flameware. They also produced child’s tea sets because Hazel-Atlas Glass Company was having success selling child’s glass tea sets.
Children’s Tea Set with Scottie Dog Decorations
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Little documentation of McKee Glass Company endeavors in glassware for the home can be found after World War II. McKee Glass Company became a subsidiary of Thatcher Glass Manufacturing Company in 1951. In 1961 Jeannette Glass Company purchased Thatcher and therefore acquired McKee or at least what was left if it. Some glass tableware continued to be manufactured until Jeannette’s closure in 1983. McKee Glass Company’s story ends as many other American glass companies: the factory closed.
Macbeth-Evans Glass Company George A. Macbeth and Thomas Evans each owned their own glass factories. In 1899 they merged and the Macbeth-Evan Glass Company was created, and quickly became the country’s largest producers of glass lamp chimneys. This com- pany also manufactured lighthouse lenses and other lenses for use with boats and trains, and later ith cars. In the 1920s Macbeth-Evans began production of glassware for home use, starting with “Water Sets;” these are a pitcher and matching tumblers used for serving wa- ter or other cool beverages. In 1930, Macbeth-Evans Glass Company introduced their first set of colored glass dinnerware. In 1937 the company was purchased by Corning Glass Works of New York, the makers of PYREX, but the Macbeth-Evans name was used until the late 1940s.
U.S. GLASS COMPANY A glass factory was built in Tiffin, Ohio in 1889-1889 and it became the source of high quality glass dinnerware in lovely colors with delicate etchings. When production began in 1889, this factory could produce an astonishing half- million pressed tumblers a week! In 1891, a large group of smaller glass companies in Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia joined together and created the United States Glass Company. Most collectors refer to this manufacturer as U.S Glass. As the fac- tories were scattered across many miles, this venture was difficult to operate, but the Tiffin, Ohio factory was part of this venture and became known as Factory R. In 1893 the factory was destroyed by fire and a new one was built. Until 1927 all glassware from Factory R was sold with the U.S. Glass Company paper label, but after that date their products were labeled with a TIFFIN sticker. During the Great Depression many of the other U.S. Glass Company factories were closed due to diminishing sales, but Factory R remained profitable. U.S. Glass’s company office was moved from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Tiffin, Ohio in 1938. During the 1940s, Factory R became a major source of clear (called “crystal”) stemware.
An advertisement from 1942 Tiffin Glass Fucshia Etched Crystal Stemware
In 1940, a new pattern of glass called Swedish Modern was introduced, and the name was changed to Tiffin Modern in 1946.
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This pattern was successful into the 1960s. Glass molds from other companies were purchased in 1955, and pieces made from these molds were produced until the factory closed in 1980. However, beginning in 1958 there were serious financial problems with this factory and it was bought by numerous investors and renamed several times: 1963, Tiffin Art Glass Company; 1966, Tiffin Glass Com- pany; 1968, (still) Tiffin Glass Company; 1979, Tiffin Crystal, a division of Towle Silversmiths.
Swedish Modern vases The other factory whose glassware has historic significance is the Gas City, Indiana plant, known as Factory U, which manufactured colored glass kitchenware and dinnerware through the 1930s.