Side Lever Glass Press, Used by Fostoria Glass Company, 1890-1920

As early as the 1820s, American glass manufacturers mass-produced pressed glassware to meet the demands of a rapidly growing population. Using presses to shape molten glass in intricately engraved molds, workers could churn out highly decorative -- yet affordable -- pieces that looked like expensive cut or etched glass. By the late 19th century most Americans owned a set of pressed glass tableware.