Depression Glassware: The Jeannette Glass Company
The Jeannette Glass Company was based in Jeannette, Pennsylvania and was built upon a previous company known as the Jeannette Bottle Works. As the Jeannette Glass Company, bottles and dishes of all kinds for product use (drinks, food dishes, pickling jars) and by the 1900’s, lights and pressed glassware was produced. A special bottle blowing machine was used at the glass factory to produce bottles and other practical glassware.
Prism glass was introduced to the factory in 1917, which was used for increasing light exposure in enclosed places, especially houses and buildings. Jeannette also worked exclusively in pressed glass from this year, which made it possible for the company to later produce some of the finest Depression glassware in the 1930’s. The company was able to produce much glassware due to owning five tanks, enabling mass production. By 1924, a new factory manager by the name of Carl Sloan created pressed tableware that is now considered highly collectible by antique collectors.
Jeannette came out with some beautiful designs, using basic glass colors of rose-quartz pink, pale green, yellow, clear, and opaque pale blue. Some of the popular designs appear below:
Adam. Produced in pink and green, the design consists of four feathers arranged in a floral shape with four smaller triangular points in between them and a series of spirals on the edge of the pattern. This was commonly seen in the dishes and lids of containers such as creamers. Creamers, candle-holders, pitchers, drinking glasses, candy jars, vases, ashtrays, coasters, salt and pepper holders, and plates all bore this design in some form. Many of the plates were square in shape. This design stopped being produced after 1935 so pieces are rare. Production dates for Adam are 1932 to 1934.
Cherry Blossom. Produced in opaque pale blue, rose-quartz pink, pale green, the design resembles a cherry blossom and is created by a procedure called mold-etching. This designed belonged to the Jeannette Glass company exclusively and many of the plates, bowls, cups, and creamers have scalloped edges. There are no cookie jars, candy dishes, salt and pepper sets, relish dishes, or candlesticks made with the Cherry Blossom design. The pink and green appeared to be the most popular and a limited quantity of the opaque pale blue was produced with this design. Production dates for Cherry Blossom are 1930 to 1938.
Cubist. Produced in crystal, pale green, rose-quartz pink, this design was one of the first patterns made by Jeannette and resembles small cubes in an overall pattern on plates, cups, bowls, sugar and creamer sets, trays, tumblers, candy jars, butter dishes, and salt and pepper containers. The pattern was a pressed glass design and the production dates for Cubist are 1929 to 1933.
Doric. Produced in rose-quartz pink, light green, crystal, opaque pale blue, the pattern consists of small squares with a Doric-style column top complete with a scroll design around the edge. The plates bearing this pattern had a large Doric design in the center and smaller ones at the edge of the plate at regular intervals. Plates, cups, bowls, sugar and creamer sets, salt and pepper sets, trays, pitchers, butter dishes, candy jars and ash trays were produced with this design. This pressed pattern was produced from 1935 to 1938.
Doric and Pansy. Produced in a dark blue-green, with some pieces in rose-quartz pink, the pattern was similar to Doric but also had pansy designs mold-etched into the glass. This elaborate design was produced only in plates, cups, saucers, bowls, tumblers, and sandwich trays. There is even a child’s sized set of the Doric and Pansy that come in four cups, saucers, sugar and creamer, and 6″ plates, most likely for children’s tea party use. This pattern was produced from 1937 to 1938.
Floral. Produced in rose-quartz pink, light green, and later on, opaque green, the design is of a passion flower complete with leaves and is a mold-etched pattern. A full table service of plates, tumblers, drinking glasses, butter dishes, candle holders, salt and pepper sets, sugar and creamer sets, covered dishes is available in this design. The opaque green pieces were produced from 1935 to 1936 and were not a complete table service. The Floral pattern was produced from 1931 to 1934.
Iris. Produced in clear crystal, some pieces in rose-quartz pink and light green. The pattern was of a bouquet of irises and the plates had partial scallops creating an octagon shaped plate. The Iris design included plates, cups, bowls, saucers, sugar and creamer, platters, tumblers, vases, candle holders, butter dishes, and pitchers. Iris was produced between 1928 to 1932.
Sierra. Produced in rose-quartz pink and light green, this pattern of a pinwheel was pressed and the edges of the plates and bowls were serrated, making it difficult to handle and store as these edges chipped very easily. The set included plates, cups, saucers, bowls, sugar and creamer set, butter dishes, sandwich tray, and salt and pepper sets. Sierra was produced between 1931 to 1932.
Swirl. Produced in rose-quartz pink, opaque blue and dark blue-green, this is a pressed pattern of an overall swirl design on the plates, cups, bowls, sugar and creamer sets, and other objects of use. The dark blue-green is sometimes referred to as ultramarine. The complete set of Swirl dishes and items appear to be available only in the ultramarine while only certain pieces were in the pink or opaque blue. Swirl was produced from 1937 to 1938.
Windsor. Produced in rose-quartz pink, light green, and crystal, this was also a pressed pattern created in an overall diamond design on the plates, bowls, tumblers, and complete table service. The candle holders are pyramid in shape, square relish dishes, and boat-shaped bowl. One unique piece available in this design was a powder jar with a cover, for use on a lady’s dressing table. Windsor was produced from 1936 to 1940.
The company’s signature was usually a J enclosed by a square, triangle, or by itself in the bottom of a drinking glass. The Jeannette Glass Company closed in 1983 but many pieces are sought after by collectors of beautiful Depression glass.
Image Credit: Jeff Baxter via Flickr.
