Libbey Glass History
Libbey glass has been an industry leader since the 1880s. Starting in the northeastern United States and making its name known worldwide from Toledo, Ohio, this American product is now produced and sold all over the world.
The company was started in 1818 in East Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was acquired by William L. Libbey in 1878. This was the time that glass was cut and polished by hand, using blanks made in molds which had replaced earlier hand-blown blanks. Iron or steel wheels were used to cut the patterns, which required great skill and a good deal of time to creat molds for items such as water pitchers.
American products were competing with European imports, but with ingenuity and the high-quality sand of the New World, it gradually made a name for itself. In 1888 the Libbey family moved its glass works to Toledo, Ohio, to be close to the best sand and ample reserves of natural gas, which had replaced coal as the fuel to fire the furnaces.
In 1893 the world fair, called the World’s Columbian Exposition, was held in Chicago. Although there were exhibits from all the prominent producers in the world, Libbey’s patterns of Columbia and Isabella took the top honors. This name brand was ordered by industrial tycoons, the White House, England’s King Edward VII, and the presidents of many countries.
Today the company is represented in all the major markets of the world, selling kitchenware, tableware for both private and public establishments, and decorative items. It distributes its products through mass merchandisers, specialty shops, and wholesale supply houses on several continents. It is a public company, traded on the stock market, and is still growing.
If you are interested in either learning more about historic brands of glassware or about the business side of this international company, go online to the manufacturer’s own website. You will find its business profile, its mission statement and guarantees of quality, and career opportunities for those seeking employment with a dynamic world player. For information on this brand as a collectible, look for antique dealers’ postings and the pages of collector’s clubs and associations.
If you want vintage items – dating from the 1940s to the ’70s – or the truly antique examples from the days of hand crafting, the internet is a great resource. There are informational sites as well as commercial ones, and this brand name is well-represented on auction sites. There are photo galleries and videos of exhibits and shows that will let you see items that range from glorious to whimsical. Prices run the gamut from affordable to ‘Wow!’
From an exquisite punch bowl or vase with facets that catch every bit of the available light to a set of durable but pleasingly heavy water goblets for your family table, Libbey glass has things both new and old to fit every taste and need. Whether you want a collectible or a pretty item for everyday use, such as water pitchers, this name guarantees you will be happy with your own personal acquisition.













