Macbeth Evans Glass Company

Macbeth Evans Glass Company was formed in 1899 when two major producers of lamp chimneys joined together. The merger between Thomas Evans (whose company began in 1869) and George MacBeth (company founded in 1872) then added one other company into the mix, the American Lamp Chimney Company. By 1900 the Macbeth Evans Glass company had plants in two Pennsylvania cities – Pittsburgh and Charlotte, and three more in Ohio – Marion, Indiana and Toledo. This neatly placed Macbeth-Evans in first place for the production of lamp chimneys in the US.

Brief History:

The company made a huge variety of glass chimneys to fit the kerosene lamps of the era. Originally the glass was plain but more decorative pieces also appealed to consumers, which is how pie crust edging and pearl top chimneys came into production. Along side the decorative tops, shades with etched or hand painted designs also became available. While the glass chimney was the staple of the Macbeth-Evans line, they also made other items like lenses for the automotive companies and railroads. Bear in mind this was all hand blown glass up until 1930!

Tableware as such didn't appear until the mid 1920s. Macbeth Evans Glass Company began creating glassware (plain initially, just like the chimneys). Unlike some companies they would not expand into entire lines of tableware but focused on glasses exclusively for their domestic focus.

Five years later they began production on colored stemware lines, many of which continue to be popular including ruby red, Cremax beige, Monax white, crystal, and Ritz blue. Some of the patterns for which to watch include American Sweetheart, Petalware, Thistle and Dogwood. These came out before Corning Glass Works acquired Macbeth-Evans in the late 1930s. Even after acquisition the name of the company remained intact until nearly 1950.

Pricing:

The value of Macbeth-Evans glassware varies tremendously on the piece. A simple blue lampshade in good condition can run over $1,000 where the brown colored ones are a little more affordable averaging $700. By comparison the smaller pieces of Monax white tableware are very affordable (cup - $20, saucer - $10, soup bowl - $40). The pink line of tableware is comparable to the white for some pieces (cup - $15, salad plate $15) but pricier for harder to find items like matched footed salt and pepper shakers that cost upward of $1,300.

Pattern Description:

As previously mentioned, the Macbeth Evans Glass Company produced some popular patterns. Perhaps the one closest to collectors hearts is the American Sweetheart. The design in this tableware was lacy and very feminine with lots of detailing. It was produced from 1930-1936. Also produced during this period was the Petalware pattern. The plates and bowls in this line had petal shapes all around the edges.

A short run pattern (1930-1932) is the stippled rose. This pattern had roses and scrollwork in complete table service sets. Another short run (1929-1939) was the Thistle. As you'd expect there were thistle patterns on the plate. This wasn't a popular design, but because of the short manufacturing period may be a great item to collect.

The dogwood pattern, as the name implies, features dogwood blossoms on the glassware. This was the first of Macbeth-Evans mold-etched designs. Additionally every single dogwood pitcher was handcrafted so each is unique. This was produced between 1928-1932.

Macbeth Evans Depression Glass Patterns:
American Sweetheart
Chinex Classic
Cremax
Dogwood (also known as Apple Blossom and Wild Rose)
Petalware
Stippled Rose Band (also known as "S" Pattern)
Thistle

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