Challinor and Taylor Glassware

The Pennsylvania based glass company Challinor & Taylor began in 1884 in the town of Brackenridge, located in the Pittsburgh metro area. Company owner David Challinor came to the United States from Birmingham, England with his parents in 1849 and settled in Pennsylvania, having gained experience as an apprentice in glassmaking in his native country. He made the decision to move the company to Tarenton in late 1884, due to the increasing number of glass companies located there. As a popular glass company, Challinor & Taylor manufactured a wide variety of glass for both practical and decorative use. They specialized in manufacturing “opal ware” or “milk glass” as it is more commonly known. This milk glass was not always white; many times it was tinted in other colors such as green and blue. Challinor invented the process of silver-backed glass concave light reflectors but was unable to patent it due to the increasing manufacture of the same by other local glass companies.

Most patents of Challinor & Taylor were issued to David Challinor, who became known for marble or slag glass in 1886. The company became known for manufacturing covered dishes of opalescent glass, or milk glass, in the shapes of roosters, hens, ducks, swans, or eagles. Milk glass was also used in compotes and plates. The company also produced marble or mosaic glass, which is considered very rare today. The colors of purple and white or amber and white, or blue and white. This marbling process was patented by Challinor, and while the appearance of glass has been imitated by many other glass companies since then, does not hold up to the original glass recipe which was never written down by Challinor.

Challinor & Taylor also produced custom made decorative glass. One of these happens to be paperweights made during the 1880’s. These were not mass manufactured, however, and remain in the family as special heirlooms.

In 1889, Challinor & Taylor leased more than one thousand acres of land in North Washington, located in the western part of Pennsylvania for the drilling of natural gas. David Challinor died at the age of 78 on March 5, 1909 in Pittsburgh, and by 1915, the company saw a fire, and eventually went out of business by 1920.

Among the many Challinor & Taylor glass pieces include:

Pressed purple and white marble glass pitcher

Footed bowls with lids, milk glass and marble glass

Decorative table ware, milk glass and marble glass

Hen on nest covered dishes, milk glass and marble glass

Celery flute vase, milk glass and marble glass

Biscuit jar, green milk glass

Image Credit: Ellen Mann, via Flickr.