Sweetheart and Allegro Stems
by Mark Nye
Issue No. 130 - February 1984
What could be a more delightful way to celebrate St. Valentine's Day than to set a table with Sweetheart stemware? However, it is doubtful very many Cambridge Collectors will be able to do so.
The Sweetheart line (goblet shown at left), whose stem is a heart,
appears to have been in
the Cambridge line at most, for two and a half years, and perhaps was
in production for even less than that.
Trade journals, during late winter and early spring, 1951, were advertising the line as new. At some point in time during the very early 1950s a supplemental page was added to the 1949 catalog showing the Sweetheart line was issued. It is from this page we learn the line number assigned was #3795. The line had been discontinued by fall of 1953 since a price list issued that October contained no reference to Sweetheart stemware or to the line number.
The few pieces of Sweetheart seen by this writer have been in crystal and undecorated. Whether or not the line was made in color or decorated is an unanswered question. What is known is, that even in crystal, one seldom finds pieces of this stemware.
Company records exist that show, prior to the initial plant closing in 1954, the stem for the #3795 stemware line was redesigned and new molds ordered. The redesigned stems consisted of two hearts interconnected at right angles. It is not yet known if the new molds were received and put into use prior to the plant closing.
The first documented proof for production of the new design is a
trade journal advertisement dated February 1956. From this we learn the
name for the #3795 line was also changed, the new name being
Allegro. The goblet is illustrated at left.
The March 1956 Cambridge price list contained listings for Allegro stemware, plain and etched "Paisley," as did the October 1956 price list. The line is shown in the 1956-58 Cambridge catalog, plain or etched Paisley. The 1958 price list offered Allegro stemware plain, or with the rock crystal engraving "Fascination," the Paisley etching having been discontinued by that date.
Besides Fascination, two other rock crystal engravings, "Spring" and "Fiesta" are known on Allegro blanks. Both of these engravings most likely date to 1957.
In addition to crystal, Allegro is known in smoke and smoke crackle. These treatments of the Allegro line do not appear in any known Cambridge catalog or price list and were no doubt produced for a very short time, probably during the period 1956-57.
This picture of the Allegro stem is actually taken from the 1956-58 Catalog, but an exact picture was in an advertisement placed by the Cambridge Glass Company in the June 1956 issue of China, Glass & Lamps. Caption with the picture stated, "Very new, very different - Paisley stemware pattern #3795. Retail $2.35 each."
As is the case with Sweetheart, very little Allegro stemware, plain or decorated is being found today. Collectors of Cambridge stemware will do well not to pass up any opportunity to acquire a piece of either line.
It will probably never be known why the same line number was used for Sweetheart and Allegro and actually, it would only be of academic interest to learn why. To avoid confusion when discussing these lines, it is recommended the names be used, leaving the line number in its place in reference books.