Portland’s Rain of Glass

American Glass History

2011 Show

By Carole Bess White & Dennis Headrick

Augustus Heisey founded the A.H. Heisey Glass Company in Newark, Ohio, in 1895. He was quite a character and in the early days personally inspected the day’s production. If the quality did not meet with his approval, he would take his walking stick and sweep the whole lot off the table. Think of the many, probably quite acceptable, pieces that bit the dust!

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As the factory grew, a second smokestack was added.

A third smokestack was soon added as glass grew in popularity.

Heisey’s production followed along the same lines as Fostoria’s—first tableware sets and accessories, followed by glass dinnerware sets in similar colors. However, even though all glass was made in the same colors at their respective factories, the colors are easily differentiated. If one compares a green Cambridge plate to a green Fostoria and a green Heisey, it’s very easy to tell them apart.

Heisey pattern 473—dice-moongleam.

Many more buildings were added to the complex as Heisey’s Glass Factory grew.

Heisey collectors consider Heisey’s quality to be superior to other companies. They claim the glass is purer and more brilliant, and the pieces are better finished with fire polishing and ground feet. Many Heisey pieces are marked with an H in a vertical diamond molded into the glass, so many collectors prefer to collect this company because they don’t have to study shapes, sizes and colors—they just have to look for the mark. But they miss out on all of the blown pieces that are never marked.

Heisey advertisement from 1930.

Heisey advertisement from 1930.

Heisey pattern 3404—cobalt-soda.

Like Fostoria, Heisey’s most prolific and popular line was made in clear glass: Crystolite. Introduced in 1938, Crystolite production continued until the factory closed and was sold to Imperial Glass Company in 1958, and they continued to produce pieces under the name of “Heisey by Imperial” until Imperial closed in 1984.

1920s view showing Heisey’s neon sign high above the Atlantic City Boardwalk near the Steeplechase Pier.

Nearly 20 Crystolite items were made through 1961, and several patterns and animals were made up until closing. One Heisey pattern, Old Williamsburg, that had origins as early as 1899 was credited with keeping Imperial alive in its later years and it was made until they closed.

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