Depression Glass
By Tiffany Meekins
Possibly a piece of Waterford pattern by Hocking Glass Company, 1939–1944. (Kristina Braga ).
The years of the Great Depression were some of the most difficult in history, starting in 1929 after the stock market crash and lasting until World War II. Many businesses were lost, people were without jobs and life savings, and it was the largest financial downturn ever.
During those dark times, there was something that brought color and cheer to the family dinner table: Depression glass! During the Roaring Twenties, people would buy fancy, etched, elegant glassware, but during the Great Depression era, people didn’t have the money to buy glass, so manufacturers had to do something different to keep their companies going. They decided to start mass producing glass to make it affordable. Manufacturers were making so much glass that they would use glass pieces as promotional items, placing pieces in cereal and oatmeal boxes. Companies would also offer a whole luncheon set with an appliance purchase, and many businesses would just give out a piece of Depression glass to thank customers for their support during the rough times. People took advantage of these promotional offers and built complete sets of the colored glassware for their tables, and if they wanted to add more to their collection they could go to their five-and-dime store and purchase additional pieces.
Oat package that contained Depression glassware. Ruby Red glassware, Oyster and Pearl, Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, 1938–1940 (Tiffany Meekins). Ultramarine glassware, Swirl, also known as Petal Swirl, Jeannette Glass Company, 1937–1938 (Tiffany Meekins).
After the Great Depression, a lot of people got rid of their Depression glass or packed it away in their attics. Depression glass is now highly collectible, and I think it will continue to be, especially as we approach the 100-year anniversary of the Great Depression.
There were over 20 Depression glass manufacturers producing glass from the 1930s into the 1940s, and over one hundred patterns. Some patterns were produced more than others, so some of those less-produced pieces can be rare and highly valuable. Each manufacturer had their unique patterns, shapes and colors that they used. Most Depression glass came as dinnerware pieces, including plates in different sizes, saucers, different size bowls, cups, tumblers, and goblets, but there were also candy dishes, cookie jars, vases, candle holders, and other miscellaneous items. The majority of the patterns came in clear/crystal but the most desired pieces are the colored pieces.
Peach/pink sea glass (Tiffany Meekins).
Depression glass was produced in an array of colors, mostly transparent. Pink and green are common Depression glass colors and were the first colors I started collecting. The pink is more of a peach color, and most of the green Depression glass is a pale green, although there are a few patterns that come in darker greens. The light, pale green is the Depression glass that will glow under a black light because it contains uranium. Amber, yellow, and cobalt blue were popular colors, and there are a few ice blue, red, amethyst and ultramarine/teal patterns. The ultramarine has been the newest color for me to add to my collection, and I just love how it looks with all the other Depression glass colors. Also, jadeite and custard glass were made by some of the manufacturers. Jadeite is an opaque milk glass in a green shade and custard glass is an opaque pale yellow.
Iris, Jeannette Glass Company, clear/crystal (1943), iridescent (1950 & 1969), white (1970). (Kristina Braga).
Depression glass was machine made, so the quality wasn’t always great, and pieces had their share of flaws. Rough seams are very common, but that doesn’t affect value, and some pieces have bubbles which I think adds some character to the glass. Over the years, this collectible glass has been passed around so much that often pieces get chipped or scratched. This does affect the value, and so does cloudy glass, which is glass that isn’t clear anymore, often referred to as sick glass.
A lot of glass was made during the Depression era, but not all of it is actually Depression glass, although a lot of collectors display it with their Depression pieces. When buying Depression glass, always be aware that there are many reproductions on the market. As a PACC-certified AIA appraiser specializing in Depression-era glassware, I always recommend researching the pattern and the colors. The newer reproduction colors and sizes are usually different from the originals.
Depression glass has always been one of my favorite things to collect other than sea glass and shells. When I was little my mom would always take me with her and her friends to go to yard sales, flea markets, and antique stores trying to find that special piece of Depression glass. I look back at those days and realize how much fun they really were. Now when I go to a yard sale and find a piece of Depression glass, it just brings back all those memories.
As an avid beachcomber who hunts daily for sea glass, I find it fascinating that some beachcombers find pieces of sea glass that are not only Depression glass but Depression glass with a pattern from the Depression era. I haven’t found a sea glass piece with a pattern from the Depression era yet, but I have found a piece of yellow with a pattern from the sixties, along with a few plain pale green UV pieces and peach pieces that are more than likely from the Depression era, even though I can’t see the pattern. A Depression sea glass piece with a discernible pattern is definitely on my bucket list to find!
Following are some of the numerous Depression glass patterns, which may help you with beach glass identification, along with some sea glass pieces. Please email submissions@beachcombing.com with your Depression glass identification questions.
Happy collecting and beachcombing!
Cherry Blossom
Cherry Blossom (Brooke Latuska)
Jeannette Glass Company, 1930–1939. Came in pink, green, Delphite (opaque blue), clear, jadeite, and red.
Cherry Blossom (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Barbara Smith).
One of the most collected patterns but also one of the most reproduced.
Moderntone 1934-1942
Moderntone (Tiffany Meekins).
Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, 1940s–1960s. Came in cobalt, amethyst, pink, some clear/crystal, and Platonite (fired on colors).
Madrid
Madrid (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Heather Koglin).
Federal Glass Company, 1932–1939. Came in pink, green, amber, crystal, and blue.
Patrician or Spoke
Patrician (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Merri Lassotovitch).
Federal Glass Company, 1933–1937. Came in pink, green, amber, and clear/crystal.
Mayfair Open Rose
Mayfair (Tiffany Meekins).
Hocking Glass Company, 1931–1937. Came in pink, ice blue, yellow, green, and clear/crystal.
Block Optic
Block Optic (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Barbara Smith).
Hocking Glass Company, 1929–1933. Came in pink, green, topaz/yellow, crystal, and amber.
Windsor
Windsor (Tiffany Meekins).
Jeannette Glass Company, 1932–1946. Came in pink, green, crystal, amberina, ice blue, and Delphite.
Floral or Poinsettia
Floral (Jeanne Connell).
Jeannette Glass Company, 1930–1937.
Floral (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Leslie Curtis).
Came in pink, green, crystal, amber, jadeite, Delphite, red, black, and custard.
Newport or Hairpin
Floral (Newport (Karen Friel, Tiffany Meekins).
Hazel-Atlas Glass Company, mid-1930s. Came in pink, cobalt, amethyst, clear/crystal, and fired-on colors.
Flower Garden with Butterflies
Flower Garden with Butterflies (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Merri Lassotovitch).
U.S. Glass Company, late 1920s. Came in black, blue, yellow, pink, green, amber, and crystal.
Adam
Adam (Tiffany Meekins, Barbara Smith).
Jeannette Glass Company, 1932–1934. Came in pink, green, Delphite, yellow, crystal, and satin pink.
Oyster and Pearl
Oyster and Pearl (Tiffany Meekins).
Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation, 1938–1940. Came in pink, crystal, ruby, and Vitrock as well as fired-on pink, blue, and green.
Old Café
Old Café (Tiffany Meekins, Tiffany Meekins, Barbara Smith).
Hocking Glass Company, 1936–1938. Came in pink, ruby, clear/crystal, and white/Vitrock.
Likely a Royal Ruby glass from Anchor Hocking Glass Company, 1938–1960s and 1977 (Kristina Braga ).
This article appeared in Beachcombing Magazine Volume 41 March/April 2024.
