20th Century Mainstream Glass

Corning Glass Works' heat-resistant glass bakeware, called Pyrex, was introduced in the mid-1910s. Pyrex products were inexpensive, with an easy-to-clean smooth surface. Pyrex glassware could travel from freezer to oven to table. Colored Pyrex kitchenware was introduced in 1947. Corning released an array of products with its Spring Blossom Green pattern in 1972. The company redesigned the pattern several years later before it was discontinued.

During the 1930s, some American glass manufacturers produced inexpensive, pressed glass serving ware. The glassware, which came in a variety of colors and scores of distinct patterns, could be bought at many lower-end retailers as well as through catalogue merchants. Movie theaters and other businesses also gave it away -- intending to lure the cash-strapped Depression-era public inside.

In 1932, Louis Schnitzer and Nathan Gelfman formed Everlast Metal Products Corporation, producing high-quality, hand-forged aluminum giftware. In an era of growing manufacturing uniformity, the "made by hand" aspect of these products held an aesthetic appeal for consumers. The owner of this punch set -- thought to be a General Motors executive -- allegedly had the aluminum tray and lid custom made by Everlast.

This footed pitcher and tumblers were part of a dinnerware service produced by the Indiana Glass Company of Dunkirk, Indiana. Known as "Depression Glass" these wares were distributed free, or at low cost, in the United States around the time of the Great Depression of the 1930s. The stepped or zig-zag design is the epitome of the Art Deco style, popular at that time.

From the late 1930s through the 1960s, glass manufacturers designed "hostess sets" for every taste and budget. Often presented as wedding or housewarming gifts, these sets became features of the popular cocktail and patio parties of the time. Whimsical decoration on the glassware, such as the colorful carousel figures depicted on these tumblers, reflected the personality of the hostess.