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The reference librarian at the Historical Society of
Western Pennsylvania searched their city directories for me and found that
"A.A." and "Adolphus A." often shared an address in the 1870s, but so did "Augustus A." and "A.A." in
the 1880s. "Augustus" and "Adolphus" were never in the same directory.
Although the Adams company was active in the 1870s, we can
identify only a few patterns from that decade. An undated Adams catalog is in
the collection of the Smithsonian Institution Library, and a microfiche copy
of that catalog is at the Corning Museum. The catalog has ten pages of tableware, three of lamps, and a six-page price
list. At the top of page 1, in faded ink, is the script notation, "Recd Sept 24. 1872". On page
13, above one lamp in the top row is printed "PATD JANY 10TH 1871". This is in the
pattern Lee named "Grape and Festoon", and the lamp to its right matches the drawing for
John Adams's patent of that date recently published by Catherine Thuro. On the basis of the patent date, and the handwritten notation, it seems
Teasonable to accept 1871-1872 as the date of the catalog- Unfortunately, the
microfiche is not of sufficient quality to make illustrations possible, so a
description will have to suffice here. The first two pages have only bar ware in
plain and fluted patterns except for an "Argus" tumbler, which has 4 rows of
thumbprints and is nearly identical to Bakewell's pattern of the same name, a
diamond patterned goblet and a Huber goblet like the New England Glass Company
pattern of that name. Page 3 has goblets and wines in a vari- ety of patterns,
including "Keystone", which seems to be Ruth Webb Lee's "Maiznet & Grape with
Stippled Leaf"; "Medallion", which appears to be identical with "Beaded Acorn";
"Chain", which is "Beaded Chain"; "Myrtle", w ic is Lee's "Grape & Festoon'; and
"N. York", which is the standard honeycomb pattern. These patterns were shown in
goblets, champagnes, wines and footed tumblers, although not all were available
in all sizes. Page 4 has eggs, salts, cruets, molasses cans and a toy tumbler
and mug. Page 5 has water pitchers in "Myrtle", "N. York", "Log Cabin" (a square
pattern with logs meeting at corners, but no windows) and "Plain'; and pages 6
and 7 have four- piece table sets in "Boston" (a fluted pattern), "Log Cabin",
"Myrtle", "Chain", "Plain" and "Keystone". Page 8 has a table set in "Almy",
another fluted pat- tern, and the rest of pages 8, 9 and 10 are filled with
oval and round bowls and compotes in the above patterns. No mention is made of
color, from which we can assume that all of the glass offered for sale was
colorless, usual at this time. The handles on most of the beer mugs and on the
"Log Cabin" pattern pieces were pressed, but the other pitchers and molasses
cans have applied handles. On page 12 and 13, most of the lamps shown are illustrated by Thuro
1, pp. 210-21, e-k and b.
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6Catherine Thuro, "Adams & Co.", The illuminator, Fall, 1988, p. 12.
7Crockery and Glass journal, Dec. 20,1875. |
The most puzzling of these
patterns is "Medallion", which looks like "Beaded Acorn". The latter pattern
(along with its look-alikes, "Beaded Grape Medallion" and "Beaded Mirror") has
always been thought a product of the Boston Silver Glass Company because the
patent date "May 11, 1869" is molded into some oval compotes in these patterns.
On that date, Alonzo Young, of the Boston firm, received a patent for a mold to
press oval glass bowls.
Perhaps the Boston firm licensed this process, or the
pattern, to Adams, or perhaps the grape pattern is the Boston one and the acorn
pattern is Adams's copy.
The only other identifiable Adams 1870s pattern is the
"Liberty Bell", which is clearly described as such in reports on the Centennial.
"Adams & Co., crystal glassware and lamps report the fall trade as having been
good but prices low....In table glassware a novelty is their 'No. 40,'
which though plain in pattern is very elegant in shape and finish and includes full
sets, bowls, etc. The butter dish of this pattern has an improvement in the
shape of a patent knife rest on the lid, which is a great convenience. Their
'Independence Centennial ware' is flint and opal glass....ornamented with the 'cracked bell' and suitable patriotic inscriptions. The bread-plates bear
around the edge the names of the thirteen original States, and the fifty-six
signers of the Declaration of Independence".7 Unfortunately, the "No. 40" is
not so easy to identify, but the butter dish with knife rest ought to make it
possible. It was patented April 20, 1875, by Adolphus A. Adams. In all probability, these patterns as well as the ones in the catalog were out of
production by the end of the decade, because the character of Adams & Company's
tableware was quite different in the 1880s.
On Jan. 1, 1880, the American
Pottery and Glassware Reporter described Adams & Company's New Year's card,
which included pieces from their new 'Opera' set. On Thursday, Jan. 8,1880, the
AP&GR has the following entry, "Adams & Co. Tenth Street, Southside, resumed
work on Monday, and are now going on, full-handed day and night. They have begun
to manufacture a half-gallon pitcher in their Opera set (Fig. 2), which is a
good shape, and bears two female figures, the 'Pearl of Savoy' and 'Juliet'."
On Feb. 12, the same journal said, "Adams & Co. Southside, continue to
be very busy...One of the neatest things yet produced is their new style
cheese plate, on the bottom of which are figures of the "Two Dromios"
and the high oval top, the "Lone Fisherman' (Fig. 1a). Equally nice
is the new pickle jar in their 'Opera' set which carries a picture...of
Annie Pixley. Both of these articles are master pieces of the mold-makers
handiwork. The face of Miss Pixley really has an expression that
is
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