A beautiful turquoise green color, distinguishes this lovely set of what is termed Depression Glass.
Dear Ms. Maril:
I just read your latest antique column in What’s Up? Annapolis about antiques you can use in the kitchen. I have some dishes I inherited from my grandmother that are very attractive. While they are not actual kitchen gadgets they are nice for serving an elegant lunch or tea. Could you identify them?
RESPONSE:
What you have is a lovely set of swirl pattern depression glass. Mass produced glassware in a variety of pastel colors has become known as Depression Glass because it reached the height of popularity during the Great Depression in the 1930’s. Actually, it was introduced in the 1920’s. The first mass-produced molded glassware made in the United States, it was both festive and inexpensive.
Hold up a piece of your Depression Glass to the light and you will notice numerous imperfections in the glass. These imperfections include air bubbles and lines in the glass called “straw marks.” Depression glass was designed with detailed patterns and produced in colors to hide what would have been very apparent defects.
The most popular Depression glass colors were green, pink, and ruby red. Opaque colors such as “delft blue”, “jadite”, “monax” (which looks like an opaque milk glass), and cremax”, (a creamy beige) were also produced. Clear glass is very common because it was made for the longest period of time, into the 1940s and 1950s, when the pastel colored glassware went out of vogue. Collectors should be aware that some manufacturers have re-introduced Depression glass patterns using the old molds, primarily producing pieces in crystal and pink.
Initially Depression glass patterns sought to emulate the look of Sandwich glass by copying many of the most popular patterns as well as drawing inspiration from 19th century English glass patterns and designs. As the market developed, light delicate patterns evolved as well as more simplified and angular designs, the style we today term Art Deco.
Depression glass is a fun item to collect because many pieces can still be purchased for less than ten dollars. During their era the same pieces sold for a few pennies apiece, and many senior citizens still remember going to the movies during the Depression and receiving a free piece of glassware on “Dish Night.”
“Many advertising items were made of glass,” writes Marian Klamkin in her highly regarded reference book, “The Guide to Depression Glass.” “These ash tray and mugs or other objects could be made to order cheaply and helped promote the sale of many products. Cobalt blue mugs, pitchers, and cereal bowls with a decoration of the photographic image of Shirley Temple, the popular child actress, were packed in cereal boxes to entice the consumer to purchase the product.”
While glass dishes were once given away as advertising premiums, sometimes a complete set with the purchase of a set of furniture, some pieces can be quite valuable due to their rarity. Whereas saucers and luncheon plates are common, items like a covered butter dish or a stemmed iced tea glass are very rare. Generally pieces that were easily broken such as glasses and covered dishes are rare commodities. Combine a rare item with a rare color and pattern and you have a valuable piece of Depression era glass. The current popularity of particular colors and patterns is also a determining factor in the current market values.
To read more articles about antiques by Nadja Maril go towww.WhatsUpMag.com
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