What we now know
as Westmoreland Glass Company started it's life off as "The Specialty
Glass Company" in Ohio during the latter part of the 20th
Century. Because of a move to Grapeville, PA and the sale of it's
main plant, the name changed again to "Westmoreland
Specialty Company". In 1924, it officially became Westmoreland
Glass Company.
The company originally made glass containers but it also processed
baking powder, mustard,
vinegar, and other condiments to fill them. During World War I they
also made candy containers but soon found themselves unable to keep up
with the demand for this specialty product and stopped doing them.
By
1924, they dropped the Specialty part of their name to become
Westmoreland Glass Company and soon high quality handmade glass became
their specialty product.
The company then became famous
worldwide for their decorated and clearly marked reproduction glassware
including milk glass and colored glassware.
Many of the Early
American pressed patterns were reproduced. This carried the company
through to the 1930s when the depression glass era started when
Westmoreland followed with colored glassware in many elegant dinnerware
patterns.
Start Date/
End Date |
Color Produced |
1923 - 1930 |
many effects including fired-on color,
satined glass in black and white |
1924 - 1930 |
amber, first transparent color made |
1925 - 1930 |
green and blue |
1926 - 1930 |
rose aka Roselin |
1929 - 1935 |
black-footed pieces;
all crystal-and-black |
1930 - 1935 |
crystal-and-topaz; decoration
on black-and-topaz |
1931 - 1935 |
deep blue called Belgian blue;
opalescent blue called Moonstone |
After 1935 |
crystal colored glassware |
1940s/50s/60s |
black, ruby, amber called
Golden Sunset produced on
older pattern molds |
The
company did produce a wide range of colors over the years and some very
famous patterns which are collected with enthusiasm today. Up until
1957 their glassware was hand-finished with ground bases and
fire-polishing. This proved to be too expensive a process from 1957
onwards.
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There was a very difficult
period in the 70s and to
try and improve matters Westmoreland made glassware for other companies
to market.
They used molds and glass formula from L.G. Wright to make
glass for that company and from 1973 they used old molds with new
colors and finishes such as carnival glass for the Levay company. The
financial problems worsened and Westmoreland Glass was sold to David
Grossman in 1981. He tried several innovations to save the company, but
finally closed it in 1984.
The two most common trademarks to
be found on Westmoreland Glass are the W in a keystone, which was used
from approximately 1910 -
1919; and the W surrounded by a G which was most common from the 1940s
onwards When Grossman bought the company in
1981 he used the trademark of a W that looked more like JJJ surrounded
by the word Westmoreland. Paper labels were used extensively by
Westmoreland Glass usually with the words Westmoreland Glass written in
a circle around the keystone or around the W in G trademark (see
trademarks from drop-down menu). [2] |