Lancaster Glass

The Lancaster Glass Company plant remains in operation today. While it is running under the name of Anchor Hocking, the plant is still in Lancaster Ohio where the company began. Anchor Hocking took over a major part of Lancaster Glass in the mid 1920s due to the depression (something that happened to many glass companies during the era).

Founded by Lucien Martin and his son Phillip, the company opened in 1908. Lucien had a background in glass, having worked for Fostoria just over 100 miles away. By the end of that year, the Lancaster Glass Company employed 200 people. The plant produced both mass-manufactured and hand created pieces for both home and hotel use.

Lancaster is considered a “small” mark in glass history with some BIG impact.

People loved the Jubilee and Patrick lines that came in rose and yellow hues. These were classics in Depression glass and remain very collectible to this day. Even so, some people were critical of the Jubilee line because the Standard Glass Manufacturing Company had a cut with that name (typified by a 12 petal flower). The key in separating one from the other is that most of Lancaster's line focused on decorative tableware and specifically luncheon collections.

Other well-known Lancaster lines include the Morning Glory, Sunshine, and Jody. All three of these have grown in popularity among collectors. Having said that – their Open Work collection has the highest appreciation value. This line offers seven colors and other decorative elements including hand painted pieces, gold gilding, and etching. This is one of the things that set Lancaster apart from other Depression glass – the predominance of hand work.

Of the decorative pieces most collectors recognize the Lotus' Hunt Scene etched in pink or yellow and the Grecian Urn design in silver. Other things to watch for in the Lancaster line include luster glass – pink, green and purple, the orange flower decoration, and purple flower decorations.

While the company only lasted 29 years before being acquired, that short life makes some of the pieces highly desirable including the corn flower etch, and Sphinx. If you find one, grab it and be ready to pay a pretty price – but if the item is in good condition you will be making a great investment.

If you are not certain you are looking at a Lancaster Glass piece, watch for a six-pointed scallop design. This was highly produced for table and serving ware. There’s also the popular six-scalloped narrow/wide panel pieces with twisted cable at the base. The craftsmen also seemed to frequently use a vine motif to cover mold lines.

The Lancaster Depression Glass Patterns are Jubilee and Patrick

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