A Look Back in Time: 1934
by Mark Nye
Issue No. 467 - April 2013
"Those seeking to add pieces of interest to their post-Repeal glassware should see the Cambridge Glass Company Line. Pressed crystal bottles for the liquid diet are made in a variety of sizes in two
types of shapes – a rounded and a square form, while the stoppers of both are in keeping with the type of bottles.
Another group of interest is their Nautilus line. This has a cordial, wine, a whiskey bottle and an iced tea jug with tumblers and glasses in keeping with each of these types. All of these bottles are rounded, reminding one of the Nautilus with its circular ribbings for both the body and the stopper. The spout is drawn directly from the body, while the handles are placed in a rather squared effect at the top. The cordial glasses are fairly tall stemmed while the other glasses are footed tumblers in varying sizes, depending on the bottle of the set to be made up. In this same line we have sugar, creamer, and pepper and salt shakers with chromium tops that carry out the idea of the larger pieces.
In stemware they are showing a blown bowl with a squared stem in a variety of cuttings and etchings that range from the simple classic to the modern Neo-classic. Swirl cuts and swag effects vie with pineapple and simple-line cuttings. They are also showing
several Val St. Lambert and Waterford types of cuttings in a full range of stemware."
Crockery and Glass Journal February 1934.
"Vichy By Cambridge --- These blown bowls on square stem, etched with myriad of bubbles, modern in conception, meet every standard of taste. In every wanted size, shape, and the design duplicated in flatware and other pieces. 'Vichy' will rise to new heights of popularity, the quality and price most appealing."
Cambridge Advertisement – Crockery and Glass Journal April 1934
"Quite a number of new glass items are to be seen at the Cambridge Glass Co. Square decanters plain, etched or with heavy cuttings, also labeled with Scotch, Rye or Gin labels. Decanters and bottles of all types and shapes either decorated or plain that leaves you plenty of choice, no matter what the tastes of your clientele be. For home serving, and the coming seasons promise much more than what has been done in the past, they have an array of relish dishes in three, four, five and six compartments. There are plenty of shapes and an array of decorations which adds much to the sales value. Besides this, they have marmalade dishes and mustard dishes, all to help in setting up for home entertaining. They have also brought out a line of buffet plates in the Everglade, Mount Vernon and Martha Washington patterns.
The have a modern line with a square stem and a Bubble etching called 'Vichy' made up in stemware and flatware. It is really a grand line and the etching adds much that is desirable to the simple severe shape.
For liqueur service they have a handled cordial set …colored glasses and a crystal tray that makes an excellent retailer. Their Gadroon line adds a variety of bowls in different shapes and numerous odd service pieces in colors just as we found in the original lineup. The Nautilus line, that we described a few months ago, has taken to tricky cuttings and etchings that greatly enhance the elegant shapes."
Crockery and Glass Journal April 1934
"The popular shape, No. 7966, at the Cambridge Glass Co., is now being offered with a cut stem in a complete line of stemware. Undecorated, these will retail for around $10.00 the dozen for the goblet. This is really just the beginnings of the possibilities this line offers, for the shape is a simple bell shape tapering down to the cut stem and permits many decorations. These will be presented on the market shortly."
Crockery and Glass Journal July 1934
"The honey box – a square dish with a cover in the Gadroon pattern—has been especially designed to fit a box of honey. A ridge around the top of the dish holds the box, while a knife run around inside loosens the comb and it drops into the dish. The ridge makes it impossible for the box to slide into the dish, and the height of the dish fits the honey square so that the honey is kept in the comb. They are also showing a dish for strained honey. This is round, with a cover, and is slotted to admit a ladle. This dish may also be used as a marmalade jar.
An early morning scene, with mallard ducks flying over a background of the sun rising over a blue lake, edged with rushes and cattails, painted in soft colors, decorates a new liquor set by Cambridge. All of the liquor glasses are included, i.e., cocktail shaker, bitters bottle, cigarette box and ash tray. This set is very beautiful as well as very unusual."
Crockery And Glass Journal September 1934
Editor's Notes:
As indicated above, all of the preceding items were taken from
1934 issues of "Crockery and Glass Journal," one of the leading
trade journals of the time. It would have been widely read by both
wholesale buyers and manufacturers.
Neither the Vichy etching nor 3129 stemware on which it is shown in a 1934 Cambridge catalog supplement (included in the NCC 1930-34 Cambridge Catalog reprint) are easily found today. Apparently the etching did not prove to be a popular one and hence, little was produced.
The only illustration of 7966 stemware with a cut stem is shown on a page in the 1930-34 Cambridge catalog and described as a "Cut flute stem." Whether or not this is the cut stem referred to in the Crockery and Glass Journal item is unknown. On the catalog page the line is shown etched Bacchus, one of the several grape etchings produced by Cambridge.
While plates depicting ducks and swamp scenes did survive, none exactly match the scene described in the September 1934 item. The items not illustrated with this article can be found in the 1930-34 Cambridge Catalog reprint.