Crown Crystal Glass History & Gallery (update Jul 2024)
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. There are lots of pictures of the pieces I have had below.
History
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.
Trademark ‘Australia’
Crown Crystal Co. Bowl
For a short history on the company go to http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/collection/database/?irn=168513 (MAAS) . The Power House Museum has a collection of over 500 items from Crown Crystal and Crown Corning. 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 .
I have some of my collection for sale at the moment. To see them go to For Sale Gallery.
The company produced an enormous range of glassware. They produced bottles, commercial glass, light fittings, 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. From 1950-1987 they also manufactured in New Zealand.
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 102 page 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.
Their 110 page 1932 Catalogue at https://archive.org/details/Crown10946/mode/2upv includes a large range of moulded glass kitchen, dining and household items.
Crown Crystal Glass Co easily produced more than 1,000 homeware items, but Australia still imported glass from USA (Hazel Atlas & Libby) and Europe during the same time. Lots of glass items in Australian kitchens came from USA, and some lovely amber art deco styled items that I had thought were Crown Crystal turned out to be Czech glass by Stolzle.
OR if you are looking for Carnival Glass try https://www.carnivalglassworldwide.com/crown-crystal.html
OR find some later glassware in their small 1968 Mother’s Day Catalogue https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/621912. Add No. 8872 tray picture.
OR find more recent glassware in their small 1970 Catalogue https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/621920.
OR find more recent drinkware in their small 1971 Catalogue https://collection.powerhouse.com.au/object/621921.
The following Wikipedia page has a photo of Crown Crystal glass blowers making light fittings around 1950 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Glassblowers_at_work,_Crown_Crystal,_1950,_by_Crown_Crystal_Studio_(4442231204).jpg.
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Lighting
Their 80 page 1928 Lighting Ware Catalogue https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52790185/view?partId=nla.obj-93481084#page/n2/mode/1up is full of gorgeous metal & glass vintage and Art Deco light fixtures, lamps and occasional furniture. There is another 100 page Catalogue with an even larger range but I am not sure of the date https://archive.org/details/Crown55553/page/n1/mode/2up.
Medium Fluted Light Fitting No. 10410
Crystal Base Unit No. 16107
Imitation Lantern Unit No. 16908
Fixed Crystal ?
White Stepped No. 18405?
Art Deco Light Fitting
Small Stepped No. 19010?
Gallery
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.
Insert photos of Sandwich Tray No. 297.
Australian Glass 1900-1950
Boat Shaped Bowl No.5415 23cm
Salad Bowl No.1522 21cm
Salad Bowl No.1522 21cm – top view
Art Deco small 6 footed bowl – top view ?
Butter Dish No.6740 Lid
Graduated Measure – 2pt No.899
Graduated Measure – 2pt No.899
Vase No.8280 20cm
Refrigerator Box – Rectangular
Cake Salver (Stand) No. 6175 23cm
Vase No.187 Pot Metal
Vase No.187 Pot Metal – top view
Cream Jug No.6560 Brick Pattern
Open Sugar No.6532 Brick Pattern
Compote No.6570 18cm Brick Pattern
Compote No.6570 18cm – top view
Cheese Dish Base No.6545 Brick Pattern
Butter Plate No.4B
Candlesticks No.6389
‘Waverly’ pattern Creamer 8cm
‘Crosscut’ pattern Creamer 7cm
Sauce Jug No.5891 Assorted Patterns
Rose Bowl No.1886
Rose Bowl No.1886 – top view
Jug No.661 2pt. 15cm – for sale
Cake Salver Low ?
Medium Diamond & Fan Bowl ?
Medium Diamond No. – top view
Large Diamond Bowl ?
Diamond Cream Pot Metal No.160
Small Diamond Sugar ?
Art Deco Bowl ?
Vase No.8684 15cm
Small Vase ?
Small Bud Vase ?
Small Diamond Vase ?
Vase No.6584 15cm Brick Pattern
Small Vase ?
Amber Cake Salver Low ?
Medium Bowl Amber ?
No.180 Lemon Squeezer – top view
Medium Milk Jug ?
Water Jug- top view ?
Water Jug & Glass ?
Happy bargain hunting and collecting
Happy bargain hunting and collecting
Hi Cheryl, I have two vintage kerosene glass lamps, one of which is a gorgeous blue made by Crown Crystal glass company Sydney in 1932 and listed in their catalogue as,”star pattern mammoth lamp” and was wondering if you are able to provide a rough estimate please?
Hello Anne. I am sorry, but I do not know enough about Crown Crystal to do valuations.
Your lamp is listed on p48 of Ken Arnold’s “Australian Glass 1900-950 Valuation Guide” published in 1991 by Crown Castleton Publishers, with a valuation of $60-$100.
regard Cheryl
Hi Cheryl, I accidentally stumbled about your homepage when trying to gain some more information from the internet about the reasons why the ACI Crown Crystal Glass Company ceased production in their Sydney based Factory in 866 Bourke St. Waterloo in the late seventies. What puzzles me most is the fact that there is no comprehensive history available anywhere that’s telling us a bit more about their whole range of products designed and manufactured there and the persons involved. They not only manufactured decanters, glass plates & bowls etc. that may appear as being heavy & brute looking to the modern eye: Look up for instance their absolutely timeless ‘Regis’ range of Drinking Glasses designed by Edward (Ted) Kayser in the late sixtees that was rewarded the ‘Good Design Award’ by the IDCA (Industrial Design Council of Australia) You still may find a few remains on ‘Etsy’! May be you also can find some of the fantastic Pottery-Items designed in the early seventies by Sonia Ankatell resembling a fantastic mix of modern & aboriginal styles and colors. Or the lighting and lamp fixtures that were designed at the same design department, just to name Hugh McKenzie as Engineer among others…. Ah, and yes, I know what I’m talking about, as I’ve been working together with those fantastic people mentioned above also in my capacity as Industrial Designer from 1969 – 1972. Anyway you’ve done a great job, best regards Peter
Hello Peter. Thank you for your post. I am regularly frustrated when I try to find out the history of one of our Australian Manufacturers/Makers. It then becomes a challenge for me to find out what I can and share it on my website. Thank you for the extra info you have provided in this post. I recently purchased an Art Deco light fitting and in trying to find out about it, discovered that it was made by Crown Crystal too. I found links to their lighting catalogues that I have not added to my article yet. I do intend to keep updating this article as it gets about 40 visitors per month. regards Cheryl
this site may help
https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-52790185/view?partId=nla.obj-93503466#
Hi Cheryl,
Just wanted to say thank you for your article on Crown Crystal Glass Company. It gave me a huge start into researching some specific pieces made by Crown and reaped fast results. I’m not sure how long it would’ve taken me to find the Powerhouse Museum archives otherwise as I’m in the U.S. and had never heard of them before.
Thank you so much!
Tina
You are very welcome. Cheryl
Hi Cheryl,
I have in my possession a lovely little finger lamp from the 1920’s (1929 according to my Ken Arnold catalogue) It is the B4 Oval pattern Square lamp, but a shorter 6 inch version of the usual 9.5 inch table lamp and has a finger handle. I have 3 or 4 of the taller version, but I had never seen a shortened version as a finger lamp until I found this one in an “op” shop of all places. I have read all I could find online and in catalogues about Sydney Crown Crystal Glassware, but there is precious little out there. Ken Arnold, to his credit, has researched the company extensively, and would be interested in knowing more about it if possible about this particular lamp. Regards, Kelvin.
Hello Kelvin. I am always happy to share all I know. Sadly, I don’t really know anything about the lamps. I was collecting some light fittings for myself and only then, thought they may be Crown Crystal. I should not have been surprised to find that they made a wide range of light fittings. I have included links to the catalogues that I have found online, in my article. Good luck. Cheryl