So, pieces of this elegant glass was often used as a promotional item, given away for free with the purchase of other products (by including free gifts of a piece of the inexpensive glassware in food boxes), or sold in sets as a way to encourage consumers to buy more. One story goes that some food manufacturers and distributors wanted to include an incentive with their products to boost their sales. The exact origins of what could be classified as Depression Glass originally are a little unclear, as the term is now used to describe a wide variety of mass produced glassware that became popular during this period. With colors ranging from delicate pastels like pale blue and soft pink glass, through to bold, bright colors such as cobalt blue and royal ruby. Many different patterns of this attractive colored glassware were produced, some with delightful names! Who wouldn’t love a candy dish in the American Sweetheart pattern? Or some pink glass plates in the Royal Lace pattern? It became something beautiful that people could put on the dining table, even though times were tight. This glassware was often mass-produced and sold at a low cost, or given away, making it accessible to many people who were struggling financially during this time. It was distributed through a variety of channels, including department stores, grocery stores, five and dime stores, and through mail order catalogs. Not all of them made it.ĭepression Glass was distributed throughout the United States and Canada during the 1930s and 1940s. The key is that the glassware was produced cheaply – partly because people had little money to buy it and partly as a way the glass companies could strive to stay in business. For some, there was barely enough money for food and shelter.ĭepression Glass, then, is a type of uncolored or colored translucent glass produced in the form of dinner table ware, or other useful and attractive decor items like candy dishes or candlesticks or cannisters. So, many families really struggled to support themselves and there was little money for extravagances, treats or niceties. For a variety of reasons, the Great Depression meant that there were few jobs and a lot of poverty and these conditions lasted through to the early 1940s. Welcome to The Wonderful World of Depression Glass! What is Depression Glass? And a Brief History.ĭepression Glass is a particular type of glassware, made for a particular purpose (or purposes), during the Great Depression. The Great Depression, triggered at least partly by the stock market crash of 1929, was a really tough economic time starting in the 1930s.
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