The Lacy Salt Period 1825 to 1851
The first known patent referring to pressed glass was issued in 1825 to John Palmer Bakewell of the Pittsburgh firm of Bakewell, Page & Bakewell. Designs were very ornate in order to blend into the design, manufacturing flaws caused by improperly aligned dies in the pressing machine or incorrect use by the operator. The Lacy glass was delicate and attractive with patterns featuring geometric,Fluer Di Lis, hearts, scrolls, flowers and overall crisscross designs on finely stippled backgrounds. Among the first pieces made on a large scale were heavy furniture knobs, cup plates and master salts. The Mckearins,Neal,Lee and Rose,Webb and all the rest of the early glass historians missed on one very important aspect of all of the glass produced in the United States between 1800 and 1840,that is the direct,and glaring role the Masons played in it. Virtually every piece of Lacy glass has at least one Masonic symbol most having multiple ones. The early sunburst flasks produced at Coventry between 1812 and 1820 were for all intensive purposes Masonic in makeup. The Sunburst is the oldest religious symbol known, that of the Egyptian Sun God Ra . The Sunburst symbol is seen in every Masonic temple on the face of the earth.
During the later half of the Lacy Period, creamers, bowls, plates & other large items were manufactured. The glass houses were located primarily around Pittsburgh at Bakewell, Page & Bakewell,New Stourbridge,and Fort Pitt. In Boston The New England Glass Company and the Sandwich Glass Works were large producers of pressed glass. Providence Rhode Island was the home of the short lived Providence Flint Glass Company. In Philadelphia at the Union Flint Glass Works and in New Jersey The Capewell glass works in Camden and the Jersey City glass works each of which pressed glass was a major portion of the output. Lacy glass had high lead content & was called flint glass & has a characteristic tone or ring when tapped. During this time glass was pressed into drawer pulls, master salts, & toddy & cup plates but "sets" of dishes were not produced on a large scale.
Salt Dishes were some of the most ornate pieces of glass first pressed on a large scale in Pittsburgh and Boston. Historically the Boston based factories are credited with producing the most pressed glass of the Lacy period but recently growing evidence is quite suggestive that the Pittsburgh area may have in fact produced an equal amount if not more. The Union Flint Glass Works in Kensington near Philadelphia produced some of the most rare and collectable Lacy glass available today. The Jersey City Glass Company of George Dummer also produced Lacy glass in which a good percentage of their glass was a very pretty emerald green.
During the later half of the Lacy Period, creamers, bowls, plates & other large items were manufactured. The glass houses were located primarily around Pittsburgh at Bakewell, Page & Bakewell,New Stourbridge,and Fort Pitt. In Boston The New England Glass Company and the Sandwich Glass Works were large producers of pressed glass. Providence Rhode Island was the home of the short lived Providence Flint Glass Company. In Philadelphia at the Union Flint Glass Works and in New Jersey The Capewell glass works in Camden and the Jersey City glass works each of which pressed glass was a major portion of the output. Lacy glass had high lead content & was called flint glass & has a characteristic tone or ring when tapped. During this time glass was pressed into drawer pulls, master salts, & toddy & cup plates but "sets" of dishes were not produced on a large scale.
Salt Dishes were some of the most ornate pieces of glass first pressed on a large scale in Pittsburgh and Boston. Historically the Boston based factories are credited with producing the most pressed glass of the Lacy period but recently growing evidence is quite suggestive that the Pittsburgh area may have in fact produced an equal amount if not more. The Union Flint Glass Works in Kensington near Philadelphia produced some of the most rare and collectable Lacy glass available today. The Jersey City Glass Company of George Dummer also produced Lacy glass in which a good percentage of their glass was a very pretty emerald green.