All-American Sandwich glass reflects 19th-century change

George Way/Antiques By George Way/Antiques Staten Island Advance
on July 16, 2008 at 2:15 PM, updated July 17, 2008 at 8:10 AM
18th-century Sandwich glass, like this ice cream dish from a private collection, was more affordable and produced in greater quantities, meaning the average consumer now could afford items once considered a luxury.


While it's quite far removed from my period of collecting, I thought Sandwich glass would make an interesting topic for today's column.

This unique and lovely American-type glass was widely used in American households in the 19th century. During the early 1800s, a handful of American glass factories were producing inexpensive, pressed glass for everyday use. This "table glass," like the ice cream dish shown here, consisted mainly of items for dinner purposes and was unlike 18th-century glass, since the glass of that era was predominantly free-blown. It also was expensive and considered a luxury item reserved for the gentry and merchant class.


The Machine Age came into its own during the first decades of the 19th century, and glass was transformed. The greatest change in the process of its production soon was perfected in American factories, especially in Sandwich, Mass. Glass was being made at a quicker pace, was more affordable and produced in greater quantities. The average consumer now could afford items once considered a luxury.

Demand for this glass was greatest during the 1850s. Those seeking complete table settings were in luck. If they couldn't afford entire sets and had to purchase a single piece, they were guaranteed each piece would be a match, thanks to the precise nature of the pressing process.

An enormous number of patterns was available, but the most popular was the money box pattern. Some of these glass money boxes exhibited rooster finials. Quite a few of these pieces contained coins that were placed in their hollow stems as a way of dating each piece. The rooster was a favored ornament of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co. during the first quarter of the 19th century.

Certain items, such as goblets and compotes were formed in molds. Many of the earliest molds were made of wood, but iron and brass would prove to be more efficient. Molten glass was poured into the molds and allowed to set. Once cooled, the article would be removed from the mold and the rough edges polished off. Hand and machine combined to produce an elegant piece.

Both the mid-18th-century English sterling stuffing spoon and 1930s sterling English fork feature the Onslow pattern, which was popular during the years 1740-1760.

Among trademarks of the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co. were large pieces made in two molds. The pieces were joined with a small wafer of molten glass, which cooled off quickly.


Objects including candlesticks in dolphin shapes in shades of blue and canary pressed sticks from the 1840s are highly collectable in today's market. Patterns in a variety of shapes and forms included egg cups, bowls, decanters and creamers, etc. Cruets, covered egg cups, candlesticks and cordials are always in demand and often difficult to locate.

A visit to the fascinating Sandwich Glass Museum in Massachusetts gives you a better understanding of the entire process and lets you to see the wide range of items that were produced in America during the 19th century. These functional pieces for everyday use could be found in almost every family home in this country. The many beautiful colors, i.e., pink, green, purple, blue, etc., as well as the variety of items that were available were sure to make any table come to life.

If Sandwich glass interests you, read up on the subject before collecting early pieces and handle authentic pieces so you can identify the real deal when you are on the hunt.


While at the Westchester show, I noticed quite a few dealers specializing in sterling silver flatware, another prized collectible category, but one that could take the novice to the cleaners if he or she doesn't familiarize themselves with early silver.

Many people, even those who adore sterling for their table decorations often will spend too much for certain items. On the one hand, if you're buying a certain piece because you feel you cannot live without it, then go for it. On the other, if you're not sure you're getting your money's worth, think twice before handing over too much.

In Westchester, I spotted a fabulous stuffing spoon bearing hallmarks from the 1700s. The 18th-century piece was in excellent condition and was made around 1770-1776. Stuffing spoons were made specifically for removing stuffing from chickens, turkeys and ducks and then placed in the bowl to serve the hot stuffing at table.

The hallmarks on this spoon reveal that it is English and was made in London, the primary venue for silver and other household goods at the time. This is not to say fine silver wasn't made in America back then -- Jesse Kip and Paul Revere certainly were well-known silversmiths from New York and Boston during the 17th and 18th centuries.


The handle is a desirable style and often referred to as the "Onslow" pattern, which can be described as a scroll, narrow-stemmed, widening at the terminal, which was ribbed, and folding over downwards into a widening volute. This pattern was popular during the years 1740-1760 and was named to honor Arthur Onslow, speaker of the British House of Commons.

On the reverse side of the handle, one finds the family crest etched in the shape of a donkey resting on a crown. Evidently, such a piece could only have come from a family of great wealth. The number of family crests relating to early silver is in the thousands. Many are almost impossible to identify, since some were considered bogus, having been designed for middle class merchants in an attempt to demonstrate their newly obtained wealth.

Researching the marks on the stuffing spoon to identify the silversmith, I discovered the maker's initials were TD, which could be connected either to T. Daniel, circa 1774, or Thomas Doxsey, circa 1760, both active silversmiths working in London.

The Onslow pattern still is admired by silversmiths and collectors today. The triple-tined fork pictured here along with the stuffing spoon is an example of how popular, as the heavy fork was made by C.J. Vander Ltd. in England in 1939, just prior to the beginning of World War II, and is of sterling quality.

George Way's Antiques column runs on the first Thursday of the month in Home.