Macbeth-Evans Glass Company Collection

Collection

Identifier: MS-0095

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

These collected materials about Macbeth-Evans Glass Company and its predecessor George A. Macbeth & Co. are of unclear origin and provenance. They are divided into four series.

Series 1: Correspondence, 1888-1971

Series 2: Mold Directory of Blueprints and Assorted Drawings and Blueprints, Circa 1911-1958

Series 3: Photographs, Postcards, and Ads, 1915-1939

Series 4: Miscellaneous Materials, 1899-1936

Dates

1888-1971

Creator

Macbeth-Evans Glass Company (Organization)
George A. Macbeth Co. (Organization)

Language of Materials

Materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for public research. Researchers must make an appointment to view this collection.

Conditions Governing Use

The Copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. The user agrees to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Corning Museum of Glass and the Rakow Research Library against all claims, demands, costs and expenses incurred by copyright infringement or any other legal or regulatory cause of action arising from the use of Library materials

Biographical / Historical

The Macbeth-Evans Glass Company was formed in 1899 by the merger of two Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania glass companies: Thomas Evans & Co. (1869-1899) and George A. Macbeth Co. (1872-1899). Thomas Evans & Co. produced lamp chimneys, while George A. Macbeth Co. manufactured lamp chimneys, reflectors, and lantern globes.

The Macbeth-Evans Glass Company was located in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, where George A. Macbeth had purchased land and opened a production facility in 1893. When the two companies merged in 1899, they also purchased American Lamp Chimney Co. in Toledo, Ohio and its license to produce lamp chimneys on the Owens glassblowing machine.

The company grew rapidly, especially the Charleroi plant, largely because George A. Macbeth invested many resources in advertising and research. When he died, his son, George D. Macbeth, became assistant secretary and later president of Macbeth-Evans Glass Company. By 1919 the company made not only lamp chimneys, but also globes, shades, and bowls for lighting, a number of railway and shipping lighting products, and lighthouse lenses with prisms. Other products included laboratory ware, tumblers, vacuum bottle glass, plates for dental chairs, glass for automatic milking machines, and automobile headlights.

Automatic glass pressing was introduced in the late 1920s, leading to the manufacture of tableware. Opalescent glasses and structural glass blocks began to be made in the 1930s. In 1936 Macbeth-Evans was purchased by Corning Glass Works and was renamed Corning Glass Works MacBeth-Evans Division, and later Corning Glass Works Charleroi Plant. In 1998 the plant was sold to World Kitchen as part of the company's divestiture of its Consumer Products division.

Bibliography:

One Hundred Years of Glass Making. Charleroi, Pa.[?]: Corning Glass Works [?], 1969.

Extent

9.0 Linear Feet (2 Hollinger boxes, 3 flat boxes, and an oversize folder)

Additional Description

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Some materials are flood damaged; legibility may be limited and appearance may be marred.

Mold Directory of Blueprints pages are housed in folders smaller than the pages. Use caution when handling Boxes 2 and 3 and folders contained therein.

The ledger book in Box 4 containing drawings and photographs of United States Lighthouse Lenses is fragile and has red rot. Use a book support to minimize damage to the binding.