#3130 Stemware
by Mark Nye
Issue No. 128 - December 1983
Production of the #3130 stem line began in 1929 and continued until at least 1956. This was the last year this line was listed in a Cambridge Glass Company price list.
The 1958 price list (the last known) makes no mention of this stem
line. The earliest reference to the #3130 stemware, found to date, was
located in an October 1929 issue of China, Glass and Lamps and
dealt with the line etched #740.
In addition to etch #740, other etching found on this stem line include Apple Blossom, Elaine, Gloria, Portia, #731, #732 and #739. The earlier etchings are to be found on both colored and crystal #3130 stem blanks, while it appears that Elaine and Portia were only etched on the crystal blanks.
Rock Crystal engravings known to have been cut onto this #3130 stem line include Auburn (#867), Cordelia (#812), Glendale (#1028), Ravenna (#527), Wedding Rose (#998), Winthrop (#993), #538, #541, #652, #656 and #657.
Ravenna and the latter numbered cuttings all date to the early 1930s and, with the exception of Ravenna, appear in the NCC 1930-34 Cambridge Catalog reprint. Auburn, Cordelia, Winthrop and Wedding Rose first appeared in the mid to late 1930s. Glendale dates to the early 1940. All, of course, continued to be used on the #3130 blanks for some years after their initial introduction.
The #3130 stemware can be found with colored bowl, stem and foot in the colors of amber, crystal, dianthus pink, emerald (light) green, gold krystol, moonlight blue, peachblo and willow blue. It can also be found with a crystal bowl with ebony stem and foot. Recently, a #3130 goblet with a Carmen bowl and crystal stem and foot, etched #731, has been seen.
In the late 1930s, The Cambridge Glass Company featured the crystal bowl with ebony stem and foot combination, etched Apple Blossom. Apple Blossom is also known on this #3130 stem in the colors of crystal, gold krystol, emerald, willow blue and peachblo. Other known etching/color combinations include: etch #739 on emerald, gold krystol, amber and peachblo; etch #731 on emerald and Elaine and Portia on crystal.
Other etching/color combinations are highly probable. The earlier etchings such as #731, #732, #739, #740, Apple Blossom and Gloria are likely candidates to be found on any of the prevalent colors from the early 1930s used to produce #3130 stemware.
A very unusual decoration involving the Apple Blossom etching is known on a crystal footed tumbler from this line. In this decoration, the medallion portion of the etching is black and gold encrusted while the apple blossoms remain undecorated.
Amber, dianthus pink, moonlight blue and crystal were the colors being used for #3130 stemware in 1940. However, no etchings were being done on colored blanks at that time. The only etching available at this time was Portia and it was on crystal blanks.
By 1949, only crystal #3130 stemware was being produced and it was
available plain, etched Portia, and with the rock crystal engravings
Cordelia, Glendale and Wedding Rose.
The October 1953 price list contained no listing for Portia on any blank and #3130 stemware was listed as being available plain or with the Glendale cutting. The 1956 price lists offered the line with the Glendale cutting only. There was no listing for plain, undecorated #3130.
An added feature Cambridge offered during 1956 was a replacement service for inactive patterns. The following is taken from a 1956 price list.
"To further improve our service to our customers, we have inaugurated another CAMBRIDGE GLASS first by providing inactive listings. This means to you that you can assure your customers that they will always be able to obtain replacements for their fine CAMBRIDGE glassware patterns. In the regular course of business we shall accumulate your replacement orders over a period of time so that we may ship such orders at least twice a year. We shall be glad to quote you prices on inactive listings upon request. However, in view of the increased cost of producing small quantities of glass, you may reasonably expect prices of inactive patterns to run 20% higher than on similar active items. Please remember that inactive DOES NOT MEAN discontinued."
Included in the listing that followed the preceding paragraph was the #3130 stemware, plain or with the rock crystal engravings, Auburn, Cordelia, Ravenna and Wedding Rose.
As mentioned earlier, no reference to this stemware line is found in the 1958 price list, nor was the replacement service being offered.
The #3130 stem line consisted of goblet, tall sherbet, low sherbet, claret, oyster cocktail, cocktail, wine, cordial, fingerbowl, fruit salad, a stemmed footed tumbler, five footed tumblers ranging in capacity from 12 oz. to 2½ oz.
The original listing for this line did not include the stemmed footed tumbler. It was added to the line sometime prior to 1937. Also during that same time period, the capacity of the goblet and sherbet was increased by one ounce, the original sizes being 8 oz and 6 oz. respectively.
By 1949, the 12 oz. footed tumbler with no stem and the 8 oz. and 2½ oz. footed tumblers had been dropped from the line. The final listing in 1956 was missing the 10 oz. footed tumbler, leaving only the 12 oz. stemmed tumbler and the 5 oz. footed juice. Otherwise, all other pieces remained in the line during its entire production run.