COOL & COLLECTED
From vapor rub to Depression glass to jam jars, Hazel-Atlas’79-year history leaves a legacy of collectible glassware.
Spring is a great time to freshen up your décor.
When it comes to cottage charm and a welcome departure from the big-box status quo, vintage glassware provides a veritable treasure trove of options. Once the largest glassware company in the world, and one that actually grew during the Great Depression, Hazel-Atlas made glassware that offers a goldmine of options for unique, budget-friendly ways to infuse your home with charm.
A BRIEF HISTORY
Brothers Charles N. Brady and C.H. Tallman founded the Hazel Glass Company in 1885 in Wheeling, West Virginia. (It was renamed Hazel-Atlas in 1902, when it joined forces with other glass companies.) Their venture turned out to be a productive, fast-growing one that endured for decades.
Originally their only product was an opal/milk-glass insert to line the inside of mason jar lids. But they quickly expanded to produce glass bottles for a variety of products like Vaseline. The next year, they moved to a larger plant in Washington, Pennsylvania, and added lamp bases and other food product jars to their stable of products.
They incorporated groundbreaking technology to produce wide-mouth jars at dramatically increased efficiency. They kept on growing and diversifying their wares to include food products and cosmetics and eventually expanded to kitchen and dinnerware—ultimately allowing them to weather the Great Depression. At the height of their production, they had 14 plants in the US. In 1956, they were bought out but still produced under their name until 1964.
CLAIMS TO FAME
Their early product bottles became ubiquitous in their time, and many enjoy collecting them today for their shape and color, like the cobalt-blue bottles for Vicks VapoRub.
sheet music. Some of these fired-on designs were actually made as peanut butter jars to be reused as juice glasses.
TIPS FOR THE HUNT
Not all Hazel-Atlas items are labeled, but the maker’s mark is a good place to start to determine authenticity. It is a curved “H” with an “A” nested neatly underneath. It is often confused with Anchor Hocking, but you can easily tell them apart because Anchor Hocking’s mark clearly includes an anchor symbol. Keep in mind that before 1902 the company went by a different name, and not all their Depression plates are marked either. However, with a little research, you can verify that Hazel-Atlas made a specific pattern.
As with most collectibles, look for chips and cracks, since those will leave the piece vulnerable to more breakage, particularly for something thin like Depression glass. Browse online sites or your favorite flea or vintage markets to get a feel for going rates and what patterns and colors you like.