Elegant glass
Encyclopedia
Depression glass
Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States around the time of the Great Depression. The Quaker Oats Company, and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to...
, because it was at least partially handmade, had a cleaner finish, and more vibrant colors. From the 1920s through the 1950s, Elegant Glass was an alternative to fine china. Most of the Elegant Glassware manufacturers closed by the end of the 1950s, and cheap glassware and imported china took its place.
Manufacturing process
Elegant Glass was at least partially hand made during production. Elegant Glass manufacturers produced vibrant colors that varied far more than Depression Glass. Shades of red, blue, green, amber, yellow, smoke, amethyst, and pink were produced. An easy way to compare the difference in color quality is to take a look at a piece of cobalt Elegant Glass and place is along side a piece of cobalt Depression Glass. The intensity of the former piece is quite evident. Pressed Elegant Glass was fire polished to get rid of the flaws in the glass. The normal flaws found in pressed glass – straw marks, raised seams, etc. were removed. The base of bowls, platters, etc. was ground so it would sit evenly on a table. Many patterns of Elegant Glass were embellished with acid etching, cutting, enamel decoration, gold encrustation, platinum and gold trim.Sale and marketing
Elegant Glass was sold in the finer stores (never given away). It was also marketed as wedding patterns. It was offered as an alternative to china and crystal which were still imported due to manufacturing costs and were incredibly expensive. Many consumers purchased Elegant Glass and placed it on display, only using it for very special occasions.Tableware
Tableware included plates, bowls, platters, sherbets, salt and pepper shakers, compotes, creamers, sugar bowls, epergnes, mayonnaise bowls, place holders, baskets, candy dishes, cruets, bells, candlesticks, cheese stands, bread and butter plates, baskets, bon bons, jam/jelly jars, tidbit trays, nut dishes, celery dishes, pickle dishes, lamps, cracker jars, oil and vinegar bottles, marmalade jars, and vases.Bareware
Bareware includes card trays, milk pitchers, jugs, cigarette holders, coasters, cordial glasses, cocktails glasses, decanters, bitters bottles, ice buckets, water goblets, wine glasses, ashtrays, and muddlers.Manufacturers and patterns
Companies that made Elegant Glass and the patterns they produced.- Cambridge Glass Company
- Apple BlossomApple Blossom (Cambridge Glass)The Apple Blossom pattern was manufactured by Cambridge Glass Company from 1930 - 1939. It is a type of Elegant Glass. The is an all over floral pattern...
- Byzantine
- Candlelight
- Caprice
- Chantilly
- Cleo
- Chrysanthemum
- Daffodil
- Decagon
- Diane
- Elaine
- Gadroon
- Gloria
- Imperial Hunt Scene
- Imperial Victorian
- Lorna
- Mt. Vernon
- Portia
- Rosalie
- Rose Point
- Seashell
- Springtime
- Statuesque
- Tally Ho
- Valencia
- Wildflower
- Apple Blossom
- Central Glass Company
- Morgan
- Consolidated Glass Company
- Ruba Rombic
- DiamondDiamondIn mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
- Charade
- Duncan & Miller
- Buttercup
- Canterbury
- Caribbean
- Dover
- First Love
- Nautical
- Sandwich
- Spiral Flutes
- Terrace
- Fenton Glass Company
- Lincoln Inn
- Ming
- Rose Crest
- Silver Crest
- Sophisticated Ladies
- FostoriaFostoriaFostoria may refer to:* Fostoria Glass Company 1887-1990sPlaces in the United States:* Fostoria, Iowa* Fostoria, Kansas* Fostoria, Michigan* Fostoria, Ohio...
- American
- American Lady
- Baroque
- Chintz
- Colony
- Contour
- Coronet
- Garland
- New Garland
- Fairfax No. 2375
- Hermitage
- Kashmir
- Navarre
- Pioneer
- Rosalie
- Rose
- Royal
- Seville
- Sun Ray
- Trojan
- Vesper
- Versailles
- Heisey Company
- Carcassonne
- Charter Oak
- Chintz
- Crystolite
- Empress
- Ipswich
- Lariat
- Lodestar
- Minuet
- New Era
- Octagon
- Old Colony
- Old Sandwich
- Old Williamsburg
- Orchid
- Plantation
- Pleat & Panel
- Queen Ann
- Ridgeleigh
- Rosalie
- Saturn
- Stanhope
- Triplex
- Twist
- Victorian
- Waverly
- Yeoman
- Imperial Glass CompanyImperial Glass CompanyThe Imperial Glass Company is located in Bellaire, Ohio with a factory located on 29th Street and the offices located on Belmont Street. The factory was razed in 1995 to make room for commercial development and the Belmont Street location was transformed into a museum known as the National Imperial...
- Candlewick
- Cape Cod
- Lily of the Valley
- Mt. Vernon
- Provincial
- Tradition
- MorgantownMorgantownMorgantown is the name of several places in the United States of America:* Morgantown, Indiana* Morgantown, Kentucky* Morgantown, Maryland* Morgantown, Mississippi* Morgantown, North Carolina* Morgantown, Pennsylvania* Morgantown, West Virginia...
- Biscayne
- Rosalie
- Sunrise Medallion
- New Martinsville Glass CompanyNew Martinsville Glass CompanyThe New Martinsville Glass Company was an American manufacturer of decorative glass products. It opened in 1901 in New Martinsville, West Virginia. The company was renowned for the use of color in their glassware. They initially made tableware but quickly expanded into vanities, bare ware, lamps,...
- Hostmaster (Repeal)Hostmaster (New Martinsville Glass)The Hostmaster Pattern was manufactured by New Martinsville Glass Company during the 1930s. Though the line was extensive, New Martinsville Hostmaster Pattern is one of the lesser known patterns of Elegant Glass...
- Florentine
- Florentine (with Meadow Wreath Etch)
- Janice
- Moondrops
- Mt. Vernon
- Prelude
- Radiance
- Hostmaster (Repeal)
- Paden City Glass
- Black Forest
- Crow's Foot
- Daisy
- Gazebo
- Pairpoint
- Grape
- Tiffin Glass Company
- Cadena
- Cherokee Rose
- Classic
- Flanders
- Fuchsia
- June
- June Night
- Mt. Vernon
Etching patterns
Companies and artists that designed acid etching, cutting, enamel decoration, gold encrustation, platinum and gold trim but did not create glass.- Lotus
- Bridal Bouquet
- Flanders
Pattern gallery
CambridgeDiamond Glass Company
New Martinsville Glass Company
See also
- Carnival glassCarnival glassCarnival glass is moulded or pressed glass, always with a pattern and always with a shiny, metallic, 'iridescent' surface shimmer.The keys to its appeal were that it looked superficially like the very much finer and very much more expensive blown iridescent glass by Tiffany, Loetz and others and...
- Milk glassMilk glassMilk glass is an opaque or translucent, milky white or colored glass, blown or pressed into a wide variety of shapes.First made in Venice in the 16th century, colors include blue, pink, yellow, brown, black, and the white that led to its popular name....
- Goofus glassGoofus glassGoofus glass is pressed glass which was decorated with cold, unfired paint in the early 20th century in America by several prominent glass factories. Because it was mass-produced and relatively cheap, it was given as a premium for buying things, awarded as prizes at fairs...
- Pressed glassPressed glassPressed glass is a form of glass made using a plunger to press molten glass into a mold. It was first patented by American inventor John P. Bakewell in 1825 to make knobs for furniture....
- Satin glassSatin glassSatin glass is the name for any glass that has been chemically treated to give it a satin finish. The term "satin glass" is frequently used to refer to a collectible type of pressed glass.Satin glass can be used for decorative items...
- Depression glassDepression glassDepression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States around the time of the Great Depression. The Quaker Oats Company, and other food manufacturers and distributors, put a piece of glassware in boxes of food, as an incentive to...
- Vaseline glassUranium glassUranium glass is glass which has had uranium, usually in oxide diuranate form, added to a glass mix before melting. The proportion usually varies from trace levels to about 2% by weight uranium, although some 19th-century pieces were made with up to 25% uranium.Uranium glass was once made into...