Collecting: Elegant American Glassware
Elegant glassware is the common name that collectors use to refer to the handmade crystal
patterns that were manufactured by many American companies which flourished from the 1920s
through the 1980s. These patterns were retailed in department stores and jewelry stores.
It is not the popular dimestore or giveaway glass that has commonly become known as depression
glass.
Glass and crystal are two terms that collectors frequently use interchangeably. Crystal
is used to describe glass that has a percentage of lead in the raw materials that form the
composition. Lead adds a clarity and weight that gives crystal beautiful qualities to see
and feel. Almost all of the elegant glassware patterns have some lead in their composition,
so they are actually crystal.
Elegant glassware can be cut, etched or plain. Patterns are usually clear or colorless,
however many examples are colored. Colored patterns can vary from rich cobalt or ruby
to pale canary yellow or fuchsia. Some elegant patterns are decorated with a gold or
platinum trim, and some are plain.
Cut crystal patterns incorporate actual cutting in to the decoration of the piece. A
person uses a grinding wheel and polishing tools to manually cut the decoration in to
the surface of each stem. Decoration that is cut is usually fairly sharp to the touch
and reflects light like a cut gemstone. Since these patterns required so much handwork
they were usually more costly.
Etched patterns have a decoration that is applied to the surface through the use of
acids that leave a light pattern on the crystal. When this technique is used the
decoration can be a fairly detailed pattern, usually floral or geometric. These
patterns were especially popular prior to WW2 although some were produced afterwards.
Plain patterns, of course, are simply patterns that have no additional decoration on
the surface. These patterns celebrate the clarity of the crystal and the shape of
the pattern. These patterns are quite beautiful and due to the smaller amount of
handwork, they were less expensive to produce.
Most elegant glassware manufacturers used molded stems (the part between the bowl
and foot on a stemware pattern) for their patterns. They manufactured many different
stems, but frequently used the same stem for a number of different patterns. The bowl
or the foot of the pattern is where the decoration would be applied to make the pattern
unique.
A list of the major manufacturers that produced elegant glassware follows.
Tiffin
Fostoria
Heisey
Cambridge
Seneca
Imperial
Libbey Rock Sharpe
Lotus Glastonbury
Hawkes
Morgantown
Duncan Miller
Steuben
Lenox
Most of the major manufacturers that produced patterns during the elegant glassware period
started producing glass around the turn of the last century and continued to produce until
going out of business in the 1970s and early 1980s. Lenox, Steuben and Libbey are the
exceptions. These companies are still in business, although Steuben no longer produces
stemware, and Libbey produces mostly institutional glassware.
In the 1920s and 1930s, it became very popular for American brides to select crystal
patterns along with their china and silver patterns. In order to assist in marketing
their wares, almost all china, silver and crystal manufacturers made sure to assign names
to their patterns. Up until this time manufacturing companies did not necessarily give
patterns a name. Old crystal patterns had common names and were mostly abbreviated descriptions
of their decoration like "Moon and Star" or "Olive and Cross".
In a calculated effort, the new pattern names typically evoked long lasting commitment and
romance since most of the consumers were newlyweds. Names like "First Love", "Wedding Ring"
and "Virtue" were the norm at this time. The crystal manufacturer Tiffin went so far as to
adopt the motto "Tiffin is Forever". Business was so good at the time that there was no
reason to think that any of these companies would ever close.
Most of these crystal companies went out of business for the same reasons. Middle class
American dining and entertaining habits began to change. As most people's lifestyle became
much more casual, a completely different fragile stem for each beverage or course became
less common. Additionally, significant competition from lower priced foreign manufacturers
became much more common. The large increase in the inexpensive crystal available from post
war Japan and Europe was equally important to the demise of these companies.
Prior to WW2 the most fashionable metallic decoration for crystal patterns had always been
gold. After the war, platinum trim became quite popular for a time, but gold surpassed
until recently. Now, platinum has once again become more popular for new patterns.
Just as the trend in gold and platinum trim has come and gone, so too have other aspects
of taste in glassware. Styles continue to evolve. A good example of this is the champagne
glass. Although antique patterns of stemware generally included a champagne flute,
champagne was always served in a saucer shaped champagne glass during the elegant period.
In the last 20 years, the fluted champagne has once again become more popular. The old
saucer champagnes were originally retailed as champagne/sherbets, so these are most
likely to be used now for footed desserts. They also make perfect martini glasses because
the old fashioned stem used for a martini was the liquor cocktail which is too small for
today's taste.
Another trend that has been observed recently is in response to the size of the old wine
glasses which are truly small in elegant glassware patterns. Most people find that the
larger water goblet is much more practical since there are fewer wine courses. Besides,
the larger size keeps someone from having to refill wine glasses all evening long. If
this idea is adopted, then the iced tea can be substituted for the water goblet.
There is an abundant quantity of most of these wonderful, old elegant glassware patterns
available to buy and actually use. They are beautiful, high quality and represent a
great value. With a few adaptations these patterns are perfect for the modern table.
Patterns can be selected to work well with antique or current patterns and all will add
a touch of American history and "elegance".
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