Pressed Rose Point
by Joy McFadden, Frank and Vicki Wollenhaupt
Issue 67, November 1978
ROSE POINT by Cambridge! Most people who collect Cambridge
immediately visualize that delicate etching when the word Rose Point
appears. Today, we wish to introduce you to what is considered the
original Rose Point.
A recent discovery of an original Cambridge advertisement (below) has helped to confirm speculation about an earlier style of Rose Point. As you can see from this photo, this was a full line of stemware consisting of several sizes.
The Rose Point pressed design appears on the cone shaped foot and the bowl is plain, blown, and without design. This is in direct contract to the more popular Rose Point, where the design appears on the bowl in the form of an etching and the foot is plain.
This pressed design which appears on the cone shaped foot (below left) is on the
top side and is raised, not indented. The authors are aware of this
pressed style of Rose Point being available in colors of carmen, royal
blue, amber and crystal. It should be noted that thus far the foot has
been seen in crystal only. Of the seven styles shown, the authors have
only seen goblets, sherbets and one cordial. This all crystal cordial
was most unusual, in that it combined the pressed Rose Point on the cone
shaped foot, with the etched Rose Point on the blown bowl.
We feel that the pressed Rose Point was available at the very maximum, for a period of two years - 1932 to October, 1934. In late October, 1934, a circular letter from Mr. W. C. McCartney, Secretary and Sales Manager of the Cambridge Glass Company, was sent to all Salesmen, informing them of the introduction of the Rose Point etching. This letter read in part:
"We want to be the first on the market with the Rose Point ETCHING for, no doubt, our coming out with this at this time will keep any other glass manufacturer from making a Rose Point Etching or at least using the name "Rose Point".
The Pope-Gosser China Company make a Rose Point Design on Dinnerware while R. Wallace & Sons make a design called "Rose Point" on Silverware, both of which are very striking and most beautiful. Pope-Gosser has applied for a design patent for the Rose Point design for dinnerware, R. Wallace have asked for one to use the design on silverware and we have application for a design patent for the Rose Point for Glassware.".
The Rose Point etching was available to the general public in January, 1935 and proved to be one of the most popular lines ever produced by Cambridge.
(Author's Note: We wish to thank Russ and Joanne Vogelsong of Summit Art Glass Company, for the loan of their original advertisement used in the first photograph.)
EDITOR'S NOTE: Sincere thanks go to the author's for sharing this most informative article with us. This same article will also appear in the November, 1978, issue of The Glass Review. Joy, Frank and Vicki are Contributing Writers for this monthly magazine, published by Ben and Barbara Shaeffer, Costa Mesa, CA.