Crown Crystal Glass History & Gallery

 

 

 

 

 

I had been buying bits of old ‘pressed glass’ and ‘depression glass’ for years, but not realising that the majority of it was made in Australia, and by essentially the same company, and for nearly 50 years.

The Crown Crystal Glass Company operated from 1915 under several different names and after 1963 became part of Crown Corning Ltd. They had factories in Sydney and in New Zealand.

From 1914 is was known as Australian Crystal Glass Company Ltd, after 1922 it also traded as Crystal Glass Co, then amalgamated with Australian Glass Manufacturing Co Ltd, then in 1963 became a division of Australian Consolidated Industries and later joined with American firm Crown Corning Ltd.

By 1932 the trademark of the company resembled a map of Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For a short history on the company go to http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=168513 (MAAS) . If you search ‘Crown Crystal’ on the MAAS site you will see many pages of pictures https://collection.maas.museum/

For a longer history on the company go to http://www.juicercollector.com/Juicers/Crown_Crystal_History.htm .

The company produced an enormous range of glassware. They produced bottles, commercial glass, light fttings, hand cut crystal, pressed/moulded glass and carnival glass. Most of what I have found is pressed or moulded glass and during the 1900s most Australian homes had several pieces.

The “Australian Glass 1900-1950 Valuation Guide”, Ken Arnold, 1991, Crown Castleton Publishers Australia, provides 64 pages of black and white pictures with serial numbers and price guides for pressed and moulded glass from the crown Crystal Glass Company.  This book has been one source for the serial numbers on the photos below.

Their 1934 catalogue at http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/2694082 shows a large range of ‘Hand Made and Hand Cut Crystal’, including:

• ‘Grimwade’ including over 130 different vases, dozens of bowls, compotes, jugs, tumblers, stemware, decanters, trays, powder bowls, perfume bottles, pin trays, candlesticks, cream jugs, sugar bowls, jewel boxes, brushes, combs, mirrors, clocks, table lamps and baskets.
• ‘Wyndam’ including vases, bowls, compotes, jugs, tumblers, stemware, decanters, trays, powder bowls, perfume bottles, pin trays, candlesticks, cream jugs, sugar bowls, jewel boxes, brushes, combs, mirrors, table lamps and baskets.

Crown Crystal Glass Co easily produced more than 1,000 homeware items, but Australia still imported glass from USA (Hazel Atlas) and Europe during the same time. Some lovely amber art deco styled items that I had thought were Crown Crystal turned out to be Czech glass by Stolzle.

Below are photos of some of the pieces of Crown Crystal glass that I have have owned (some briefly). I will add descriptions as I can further identify the pieces.

If you can’t find your item here, maybe you can find it in their 1932 Catalogue at https://archive.org/details/Crown10946/mode/2upv

OR if you are looking for Carnival Glass try https://www.carnivalglassworldwide.com/crown-crystal.html

 

 

 

Happy bargain hunting and collecting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy bargain hunting and collecting

 

 

 

 

Happy bargain hunting and collecting