Cambridge Glassware

One of the top vintage elegant-glass companies of the 20th century was Cambridge, which was founded in Cambridge, Ohio, in 1902. Cambridge excelled at hand-pressed, hand-molded, and hand-blown pieces, whose bases were frequently hand-finished. Extra steps made the difference. For example, after a piece was shaped, it was inserted back into a "glory hole" for fire polishing, which gave it a high gloss. In its first few decades, much Cambridge glass was clear or solid-colored, but in the 1920s, etched and engraved designs were added to the company's lines. By the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the company had hit its stride. From that decade into the 1950s, Cambridge produced numerous etched and pressed patterns in an array of colors. For example, Apple Blossom bowls, teacups ("four-toed" teacups are very rare), saucers, sandwich trays, candlesticks, compotes, pitchers, and tumblers were produced in amber, green, and amethyst, the latter offset by silver etched decorations. Rosepoint was produced in amber and green, too, as well as ebony and a red called Carmen, which was offset by gold as well as silver. Most of the etched patterns depicted flora and fauna. At least one vase featured a dragon, and numerous flower holders, cocktail glasses, and candlesticks had a cast glass human figure at their centers. Cambridge also produced novelty glassware, such as the tumblers, canape sets, decanters, and barware featuring Scottie dogs, polo scenes, or university logos on them. Many of the company's engraved stemware and other glass products were also advertised as being made of "rock crystal." Molded or pressed patterns included Caprice, whose grooves and lines attempted to mimic those of actual cut glass. In fact, Cambridge highlighted the similarity of its products to cut glass by branding much of its pressed glass as "Near-Cut." One popular pattern resembling cut glass was Mount Vernon, whose pieces were given deep geometric cuts, often at their bottoms and bases to create a contrast with their unpressed rims. Because this geometry was a product of the Art Deco era, many pieces of vintage Cambridge glass reflect that period's aesthetic influence. In particular, many pieces in the Tally-Ho—look for its punch bowl and matching mugs—and Nautilus lines have a strong Art Deco look. In fact, pitchers and decanters in the Nautilus line have a great deal in common with the look of Fiestaware, which was produced around the same time. Of course, not all Cambridge glass was decorated with pressed or etched patterns. One line called "Round" was exactly that—its cups and saucers, creamers and sugar bowls, plates and casseroles were all round, although many trays were oval shaped while rectangular and square trays only featured rounded corners. Slightly more embellished was a pattern called Martha Washington, whose surfaces appeared chiseled or carved, although not as detailed as, say, Mount Vernon. Naturally, Cambridge made plenty of beer steins and other types of glassware for bars and taverns, which were finally reopened after Prohibition was repealed in 1933. Some of these tumblers, pilsners, and goblets were pressed while others were blown. Cambridge continued to produce glassware until 1954, when the plant closed for about a year. It reopened in 1955 and limped along until 1958, when Cambridge closed its doors for good. In 1960, the company's name, molds, and other assets were acquired by another Ohio glass manufacturer, Imperial.