3121 Stemware
by Mark A. Nye
Issue No. 184 - August 1988
During the 50 plus years of production at the Morton Avenue plant, the Cambridge Glass Company produced many lines of stemware, including many that for one reason of another, didn't catch on with the buying public and hence quickly disappeared. These are the lines that are infrequently seen today. On the other hand, several lines proved to be quite popular and were manufactured for a number of years. Included in this group is the #3121 line.
An application for a design patent for #3121 stemware was filed in
August 1931 and granted two months later in October 1931. The #3121
stemware appeared in the 1932 Cambridge catalog supplement, etched
Portia and with the rock crystal engravings #640, #654 and #655. In
this catalog supplement the size of the wine is stated to be 2½
oz. while in the 1940 catalog, the capacity of the wine is listed as
3½ oz. The café parfait did not appear on a Cambridge
catalog page until sometime in the mid-1940s.
The #3121 stemware was produced with bowls in the colors of amber, Gold Krystol, forest green and crystal; in all cases the stem and foot was in crystal. Other colors may have been used to produce bowls for this stem line, but if so, examples have not yet been found.
The stem utilized for the #3121 line was also used in conjunction with a different shape bowl to produce the #3126 line. Once the collector has familiarized themselves with the difference in bowl shapes, there should be no difficulty in distinguishing between the two lines.
During the late 1930s, #3121 stemware was etched Portia, Wildflower,
Rosepoint and Elaine, as well as being engraved Achilles. During this
period the stemware also became available with Elaine and Portia gold
encrusted (D/1014 & D/1001); with Wildflower and gold edge
(D/1045); and etched Rosepoint gold encrusted or with a gold edge
(D/1041 & D/1051). On rare occasions, you might be fortunate enough
to find the #3121 stemware etched Rosepoint and bearing the Rosepoint
specialty label, seen at right.
The only etching known on colored #3121 blanks is Wildflower and this probably dates to the late 1930s, as no mention of etchings on colored blanks is found in the 1940 catalog.
Etchings available on this line in 1940 (as shown in the 1940 Cambridge catalog) were Elaine, Portia, Wildflower and Rosepoint, all on crystal blanks. Along with being available plain, these etchings continued to be offered with gold decorations previously described.
The brandy and 2½ oz.-footed tumbler were dropped from the line during the 1940s. The line remained available with Rosepoint, Wildflower, Elaine and Portia until 1953, when Portia was discontinued. During these later years, for some unknown reason, there was no Portia etched claret produced.
The 1949 Cambridge catalog pictured this line with the Achilles cutting and it was available on all the then current items except the café parfait. The café parfait did continue to be available etched Rosepoint, Elaine, Portia and Wildflower as the 1940s began. Three gold decorations, Rosepoint gold encrusted or with a gold edge and Wildflower with a gold etch were also offered in 1949.
When the October 1953 price list was issued, the wine size had reverted to 2½ oz. Rosepoint, Elaine and Wildflower continued to be available on #3121 blanks, but without any gold decorations, as did the cutting Achilles.
During the years 1956-58, the 2½ oz footed tumbler reappeared as a low wine, even though the regular wine continued in the line as well. Elaine had been dropped from the Cambridge catalog but Rosepoint and Wildflower continued to be offered on #3121 stemware, as did the cutting Achilles. Production of gold decorated #3121 stemware did not resume with the plant reopening in 1955.
However, according to the 1956 price lists, #3121 stemware etched Elaine, engraved Kenmore and with the gold decorations, etched Rosepoint gold encrusted or with a gold edge, and Wildflower with a gold edge, was available that year by special order.
By the time the 1958 price list was issued, Achilles had been discontinued and hence was no longer available on #3121 stemware; and there was no Wildflower etched claret listed. Otherwise, the line was available with the Rosepoint and Wildflower etchings.
The Imperial Glass Company, after acquiring the rights to the Cambridge molds, etchings and other assets, did produce limited quantities of #3121stemware etched Rosepoint. Included in this production were the goblet, tall and low sherbets, ice tea, claret and 5 oz footed tumbler. It is difficult, if not impossible to identify the Imperial produced Rosepoint and the collector is urged to not concern themselves with attempting to do so. In relationship to the amount produced by Cambridge, the volume of #3121 stemware produced by Imperial was small and will constitute a very small and insignificant portion of the Rosepoint stemware found today.
The #3121 stemware line consists of the following items.
- 10 oz. Goblet
- 6 oz. Tall Sherbet
- 6 oz. Low Sherbet
- 5 oz. Parfait
- 4½ oz. Claret
- 4½ oz. Oyster Cocktail
- 3½ oz. Wine
- 3 oz. Cocktail
- 2½ oz. Wine
- 1 oz. Cordial
- 1 oz. Brandy
- 12 oz. Footed Ice Tea
- 10 oz. Footed Tumbler
- 5 oz. Footed Tumbler
- 2½ oz. Footed Tumbler
