Macbeth-Evans Glass Company
The Macbeth-Evans Glass Company was an American glass company that created very fine glassware with beautiful designs but is famous for making depression glass.[1]
It was located in Charleroi, Pennsylvania and started in 1899. Before 1929, Macbeth-Evans made hand blown glass before the use of machines became popular. This method was adopted by the company in 1930. The company later merged with Corning Glass Works in Charleroi by 1936.
The most popular color used in tableware was pink, and the glass made was thinner than other companies of the time, thus more fragile. No candy jars, candle holders, cookie jars, or butter dishes were made by Macbeth-Evans. Pattern names were referred to by letter. Ruby red and Ritz blue colors were used in the 1930s glassware, beginning with the American Sweetheart pattern.
Some of the patterns Macbeth-Evans created were:
- American Sweetheart was produced in pale pink, translucent white (Monax), with dessert sets produced in ruby red, Ritz blue, and crystal. The pattern was an elaborate design of lacy swirls, finely detailed and quite feminine, created from a mold-etched pattern. The translucent white, when held up to the light, had a faint bluish hue to it. This unique colored glass is called "Monax" and is sometimes mistaken as milk glass, which is thicker and whiter. American Sweetheart's Monax dishware is thinner, more opaque and appears to be more delicate. Plates, saucers, bowls, sugar and creamer sets, salt and pepper sets, tumblers, pitchers were created with this pattern. The dessert sets included plates, cups, saucers, sugar and creamer sets, console bowls, and tid-bit sets. American Sweetheart was referred to as the R-pattern and produced from 1930 to 1936.
- Chinex Classic (19302-40s) is one of the most elegant Depression glass patterns and fits in with most fine china sets with an elaborately scrolled lacy pattern. Macbeth-Evans seemed to have seen the wave of the future and produced this delicate ivory and cremax pattern with what we think of as 50s and 60s colored accents. Chinex Classic fits well into a Depression Era setting, or it can be used to bring a 50s look for your kitchen. Some patterns also have impressions of florals and castles.
- Crystal Leaf (1928) is in pink, green, and crystal colors and is a pattern with stylized leaves bordering the bottom and flowing up over the pieces made. Pieces include a tankard style jug, a fancy kitchen pitcher, a 5 oz. tumbler, a 9 oz. tumbler, and 12 oz. tumbler. This pattern was made for both bedroom and kitchen use.
- Dogwood (1929–1932) sometimes called Appleblossom, or Wild Rose is a deep mold pressed delicate pattern that has attracted many collectors of Depression glass. A set of green can be obtained in this pattern, but the pink color is more commonly found and much easier to acquire. Other colors, listed above, are very hard to find and there are not enough pieces to put together an entire set.