Heisey glass
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Heisey purchased a tract of land east of Newark for his factory and workers' housing, and secured natural gas rights in the area.
Most early offerings consisted of a high quality crystal glass, although a few pieces were sold in color such as ivorina verde, a custard glass.
By 1915 pattern glass had gone out of fashion, and Heisey began selling a line of etchings and cuttings.
When Augustus Heisey died in 1922 his son E.Wilson Heisey took over the business. That year the company was offered some original wooden models from the famous Sandwich glass factory, which led to a series of patterns such as Old Sandwich and Ipswich.
E.Wilson Heisey, a trained chemist, pushed for a new line of Heisey glassware in colors. The colors, which carried exotic names such as Moongleam (light green), Flamingo (pink), and Sahara (the first true yellow ever done in glassware), were very successful and are still very popular with collectors. Rarer colors such as Tangerine and Alexandrite, a lavender which changes shade according to the light in which it is viewed, can bring a premium price in certain patterns.
E.Wilson Heisey later became active in Republican party politics, and Heisey glass produced some favors with Alf Landon's image for the national Republican convention.
During World War II the company stayed in business by selling its Crystolite and Lariat lines, and by making glass measuring tools to accurately measure the diameter of firearms. A series of animal figures designed by Royal Hickman was also very successful.
By the 1950s large table settings had gone out of fashion, and in 1958 Heisey went out of business, selling its molds and assets to Imperial glass. Imperial glass continued to make items from the molds for around six years. When Imperial itself went bankrupt in 1984 the molds were purchased by the Heisey Collectors of America, a national club. The club maintains a museum in downtown Newark, Ohio.
Heisey glass was always handmade and of the highest quality. The company was known for its beautiful etchings and cuttings. After 1900 Heisey glass was almost always marked with the Diamond H trademark, although on some pieces the trademark is not on the base and can be hard to find.
Standard references include Heisey Glass, and The Collector's Encyclopedia of Heisey Glass, by Neila and Tom Bredehoft (Schroeder publishing).
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Vicki
Young
PO Box 435
Randolph, OH 44265
330-325-7866