Corning ‘Space Material’ A
Success In The Kitchen

BOOK REVIEW

A Corning teapot in the Blue Cornflower pattern. Coe photo

The most recent book by authors Debbie and Randy Coe is Corning Pyroceram Cookware, one of the most popular collectibles in today’s market. The Corning ware was first introduced in 1958, and the popular Cornflower pattern, with its three blue flowers, is well known to every woman who has done any cooking at all in the last 50 years.

Pyroceram was a ceramic-glass material that had been developed to be used in the nose cones of missiles. Its adaptation for use in the kitchen produced a product that could be taken from the freezer and put directly into the oven without breakage. It could also be used on the stovetop, and was non-porous so it didn’t pick up flavors from foods. Finally, and always of importance to those cooking, it was easy to clean! It is no wonder that Corning’s new product was an immediate hit in the market.

The authors include an incident that happened in Chicago in 1967 that illustrates the durability of the product. A fire at a house wares show destroyed the building and its contents. However, when firemen searched through the rubble after the fire, they found the Corning cookware had survived.

The Blue Cornflower pattern, mentioned above, is the most well-known pattern, and it was produced over the longest period of time. Spice O’Life, Wildflower and Country Festival followed in popularity. However, there were many other patterns, also; the Coes list over 60 in this book, and there may be others.

By 1972, 36 different items were being made in the Pyroceram material. There were six covered saucepans, two covered skillets, a table saver, detachable handles, a sauce maker, a Dutch oven, a platter, two roasters, three percolators, three pans and three menu-ette covered saucepans. Corning also made some changes in design in 1972: flatter bottoms, thinner walls, larger tab handles and larger knobs on the lids.

Most of those buying the Corning cookware on the secondary market are buying it because it’s as usable today as it was when it was first made. In other words, they’re not buying it as a “collectible.” Older cooks are replacing pieces they’ve somehow managed to break. (I found a large casserole dish I’d used for 40 years did not survive a 4-foot drop on to our concrete sidewalk.) Younger buyers remember their mothers cooking with this ware, and how very useful it was.

Production of this type of Corning ware was discontinued in 1998, when the Corning company sold its Corning Consumer Products division to the corporation now operating as World Kitchen, Inc. The new cookware being sold under the Corning name is a stoneware, in the French White color.

Corning Pyroceram Cookware (ISBN: 978-0-7643-3139-8) is priced at $29.99; it includes a value guide.

The book may be ordered directly from the authors at Coe’s Mercantile, PO Box 173, Hillsboro, OR 97123 or from Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd., Atglen, PA 19310. It may also be ordered online at www.schifferbooks.com. (Shipping charges may apply.)

Donna Miller

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Colorful Slag Glass Documented In New Book

BOOK REVIEW

In most examples of slag glass, white opaque or milk glass is one of the two colors used. Amethyst, blue, ruby, and amber have been popular as the second color, although green, orange and others have also been used.

Slag glass was first produced in England in the 1870s, and by the 1880s, several American companies were also making it. In these early years, the preferred names for the swirled pieces were names such as Mosaic or Variegated. By the 1930s and 1940s, the name Marble Glass was in general use, although very little was being made at this time,

It was in the 1950s that marble, or slag, glass was reintroduced to the American market on a large scale by four glass companies: Westmore land, Imperial, L.G. Wright and Fenton, and these are the subject of this book.

Most companies produce slag glass from two separate pots of molten glass, by the addition of small amounts of one color to the other. The process is a lot more complicated than it sounds, because the two colors have to be kept separated enough that they don’t totally blend; furthermore, they have to have similar chemical characteristics, or they will break at some point in the manufacturing process.

There is a one-pot process that was developed by Bernard C. Boyd, who developed it while working for Degenhart Crystal Art Glass. He eventually purchased Degenhart, renamed it Boyd, and continued to use the one-pot process. It is still in use today at Boyd Glass.

The slag glass made by Imperial, Westmoreland and Fenton, and that sold by L.G. Wright, comprise most of this book, with over 900 pieces shown in just under 600 color photographs. A few pages give examples of glass made by Degenhart, Boyd, Guernsey, Kemple, Kanawha, L.E. Smith, Plum, Summit and Mosser glass companies.

Slag & Marble Glass, the Prominent Years, 1959-1985, by Taves & Jennings is priced at $29.95. It includes a price guide. Check with your local bookseller; contact Schiffer Publishing at (610) 593-1777; or see the online catalog: www.schifferbooks.com.

Donna Miller

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Newly Updated Price Guides Now Available

BOOK REVIEW

Updated editions of two of the popular glass books of the Depression era by Gene and Cathy Florence are now available from Collector Books.

Kitchen Glassware of the Depression Years is in its 7th edition. It has been 8 years since the previous, 6th edition, was released and this latest book is a compilation of over 5,000 items from earlier editions. The price ranges given allow for some wear and tear that is commonly found on kitchen items, since almost all of these items were in household use for many years. (This doesn’t mean, however, that cracks or chips are acceptable.)

The first section of the book is a listing of items by company name, followed by design. Companies include Anchor Hocking, Fry, Glasbake, Hazel-Atlas, Jeannette, McKee and Pyrex (a division of Corning); patterns are Dots, Dutch and Ships.

Part 2 groups items by color and Part 3 groups them by item name, from batter jugs to water bottles.

Kitchen Glassware of the Depression Years, 7th Edition (ISBN: 978-1-57432-608-6) is priced at $24.95, hard cover.

Elegant Glassware of the Depression Era is now in its 13th edition. As defined in this book, elegant glass refers to the hand worked and often acid etched glassware that was sold by better department and jewelry stores through the 1960s.

Values have been adjusted to reflect the fact that in today’s market, the values of most of this glassware have dropped over the last few years, and prices have been lowered accordingly to more accurately represent today’s market.

The listings in this book are alphabetical by pattern name, from Achilles to Yeoman. The text for each listing includes the manufacturer, the years of production, the colors in which the pattern was made and some general information about the pattern, in addition to listing of the pieces made with a value for each.

Elegant Glassware of the Depression Era, 13th Edition (ISBN: 978-1-57432-602-4) is also priced at $24.95, hard cover.

Donna Miller

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