Decanter, 1850-1880

Mechanically pressed glass was an innovation in glass history, making decorative, "patterned" glass available to a broad audience. One of the earliest types of pressed glass, dating to the 1830s is known as "Lacy Glass". Complex stippled patterns were developed to help hide technical defects caused by early presses, when the glass gather was cut off and dropped into a mold.

During the 19th century, barrooms such as the one at Eagle Tavern were both the center of their inns or hotels, and also community centers. Learn more about what drinking at Eagle Tavern in the mid-1800s would have been like.