Depression Glass

In the 19th century, glass companies were busy with items such as globes for oil lamps and fancy glassware for people who could afford hand-blown items for their dining pleasure.

When technology changed and oil lamps were not as prominent a fixture in most households and techniques were developed that allowed for glass companies to turn out mass-produced items with machines that could press glass into shapes and designs, the glassware that we now know as Depression Glass began to appear on the market.

It was not as finely produced as hand-blown glass. The pressed glass often had flaws such as air bubbles or mold marks. But the ability to produce cheap glassware with attractive patterns and bright colors made up for the small flaws and imperfections.

The cost of producing this glassware was so cheap that often the glassware was included as a premium in cereal and other foods or as an incentive to attract people to a store or theatre.

Sometimes you will hear Depression Glass patterns referred to as “A to W”. This refers to the alphabetical list of patterns beginning with Adam and ending with Windsor.

After 1939, some of the companies continued to make Depression Glass or came up with new patterns. Some companies also reproduced some of the more popular patterns.

There is a pattern to the patterns too. In the mid- and late-1920s Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles were popular. Good examples are Jeannette Glass Company’s Iris pattern, Hocking's Black Optic and Hazel-Atlas’ Ovide.