Pairpoint Glass and the American Brilliant Cut Glass Period

Pairpoint, the company that has been crafting beautiful art glass for over one hundred years was a merger between two companies, Mount Washington Glass Company and Pairpoint Silver Company. They merged in 1894 to become Pairpoint and a derivative of the company still does business today in Pairpoint Glass Works in Sagamore, Massachusetts. The original company produced hand blown art glass lamp shades as well as cut glass lamps. However, the glass that most people associate with Pairpoint as well as other companies of the time comes from the American Brilliant period, the mid 19th Century to the early 20th Century.

Many companies including Pairpoint produced what is sometimes known as ABCG glass (American Brilliant Cut Glass). This type of glass was usually thick and cut in many patterns, with the hobstar being one of the top designs and motifs generated by all the glass houses of the time. A lot of ABCG collectors favor the signed pieces, especially those by Libbey and Hawkes as well as pieces that were named for American statesmen. ABCG can ranges in price from relatively inexpensive to very expensive. A ruby cut glass wine goblet in the Lincoln Pattern once sold at a Christie’s auction for close to $23,000.

Elegant Glass – Brief History of Fostoria Glass Company

In 1887, the Fostoria Glass Company was born in none other than Fostoria, Ohio. However after a brief stint, they moved their operations to Moundsville, West Virginia. From 1887 until 1983, Fostoria produced various products in different forms including blown glass, pressed glass, etched glass and crystal. Their most famous pattern is the American Fostoria pattern, which we have all seen at one time or another. Fostoria Glass was sold in 1983 to Lancaster Colony, which closed the company in 1986. Fostoria Glass is part of the elegant glass family; glass that was made prior to the Depression. Other elegant glass companies that are part of this family are Cambridge, Libbey and Heisey.