Cambridge Price Lists

The latest major feature added to our web site is 50 Original Cambridge Price Lists containing over 1900 pages. This was done in response to requests at this year’s annual convention of National Cambridge Collectors, Inc. The value in price lists is that they contain information on Cambridge Glass not normally available in Cambridge Glass catalogs. Some catalogs contain both images of Cambridge Glass production items and prices, mostly pharmaceutical catalogs. The price lists are great research tools when used in conjunction with original catalog reprints, our online trade advertising and photo albums. You will find a link to the list of the 50 price lists above and near the bottom of our home page at mvsg.org. This list contains active links to each of the price lists along with a general description of the price list. ENJOY!

Major New Feature started on our main web site

 We are pleased to announce the first phase of a major new feature for our main web site. Have you ever wished that you had access to the glass trade advertising and articles involving the Cambridge Glass Company used by Crystal Ball article writers for the past 40 years? Only those club members involved in the original research in the 1970s and 1980s and those with time and easy access to the research room at the museum have had access to this information.

Now everyone will have access through our web site. Phase 1 is now online covering the first 22 years of Cambridge history from 1901 to 1922.  It can be accessed from our HOME page at the bottom of the image table or directly at TRADEAD. These articles and advertisements include actual Cambridge advertisements although Cambridge didn’t publish as many ads in the early years as in later years. These advertisements range from notice of the Cambridge exhibit location during the annual Pittsburgh glass show to hints of new items to be introduced to ads showing examples of new items being produced. Most of the information is in articles written by publication staff writers containing the latest news about Cambridge. The information in these articles varies from the writer’s description of new items shown by Cambridge at the Pittsburgh show and in Cambridge’s permanent showrooms to tidbits about company personnel travels, illnesses, funerals and reassignments. There is a wide variety of information in these tidbits. Much of the information in these short articles may not be of much interest to many collectors but, in total, these articles describe many of the production issues faced by Cambridge over the years including the impact of foreign competition, two world wars and the great depression along with lesser issues like plant fires and breaking melting pots.

A separate web page is available for each journal for each year. The publication journals included are:

Glass and Pottery World – 1901-1909 (publication discontinued in 1909)

Pottery, Glass and Brass Salesman – 1910-1942 (1923-1942 not researched)

Crockery and Glass Journal – 1875-1961 (1906-1958 only researched)

China, Glass and Lamps – 1890 to Date (1907-1958 only researched)

Not every one of the weekly issues of these publications was available to research; sometimes even whole semi-annual volumes were missing.

Everyone is encouraged to read through this information. There are hidden gems about new  decorations not currently known or documented. There is even a new color name not yet identified or included in current lists of known Cambridge colors. The most important value of this information is the timing of release or introduction of new items by Cambridge that cannot be deduced from catalog reprints and other resources.

This initial offering in phase 1 covering 1901-1922 is only the start. As time permits, additional years will be added and announced in this blog. Only China, Glass and Lamps and Crockery and Glass Journal items will be included in future releases.