| Company type | Private company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Glassware |
| Founded | 1894 |
| Founder | Frank G. Wallace, Hugh W. McAfee |
| Defunct | 1964 |
| Headquarters | |
Key people | Nicholas Kopp Jr. |
| Products |
|
Number of employees | 250 (December 1893) |
The Fostoria Shade and Lamp Company was the largest manufacturer of glass lamps in the United States during the early 1890s. It began operations in Fostoria, Ohio, on May 17, 1890. The plant was run by Nicholas Kopp Jr., a former chemist at Hobbs, Brockunier and Company in West Virginia. Kopp achieved fame for his many glass designs and formulas for various colors of glass, and he is the discoverer of the American formula for selenium-based ruby glass. The company's products were very popular, and it was able to make significant profits early in its existence. In addition to lamps and shades for home lighting, the company also made novelties such as salt shakers.
In 1893 the company faced difficulties with its fuel supply for its glassmaking furnaces. In addition, the nationwide depression known as the Panic of 1893 began in January, and company president and politician Charles Foster filed for personal bankruptcy. The company merged with the Pittsburgh-based company Wallace & McAfee later in 1893, and the combined company was called Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company. Operations continued at the Fostoria glass works after it was officially taken over by the new company on January 1, 1894. Difficulty with the natural gas supply caused Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company to construct a new plant near Pittsburgh. The Fostoria plant was mostly shut down by December 1895, and the new Pennsylvania glass works began operations on March 16, 1896. Consolidated Lamp and Glass operated until 1964.
Background
editBeginning
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The Fostoria Shade and Lamp glass works had 250 employees in December 1893. Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company officially took possession of the Fostoria glass works on January 1, 1894. Production would continue in Fostoria, while warehouses would be in Pittsburgh.[1] According to a notice in a Pittsburgh newspaper, Wallace & McAfee Company, Limited, was not officially dissolved until June 25, 1894.[2]
The new company made few management changes at its Fostoria glass works when it started in January 1894. Charles Foster resigned as president, and James Graham (the former secretary) became secretary of the parent company and general manager of the Fostoria works. Nicholas Kopp remained plant superintendent.[3] Improvements and expansions were made at the Fostoria plant, and the facility continued to produce products in numerous colors. The company was said to be the only firm casing glass with a layer of crystal. It was operating day and night.[4][Note 1] During 1894, Nicholas Kopp discovered a formula for making ruby (deep red) glass using selenium instead of gold.[6] The new formula replaced the older formula that used gold, and the growing automobile industry increased demand for ruby glass.[6] At least one source considers this one of the notable developments in the American glass industry.[7]
Fuel problems
editGraham and Kopp had already been having problems receiving enough natural gas to power the factory's furnaces. The plant had to shut down for two weeks at the end of March and beginning of April because of the fuel problem.[8] In June, the Fostoria plant was described as receiving large orders and working day and night.[9][Note 2] Frank Wallace, president of Consolidated Lamps and Glass, visited the Fostoria facility during the summer break. He decided to run the factory using oil instead of natural gas. The oil system was installed immediately and a one-year contract was signed with Standard Oil Company. Fostoria's natural gas, when available, would be used only for the lehrs.[10] Among advertisements made in the fall was one for the Santa Claus Night Lamp—now a product of the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company.[11][Note 3]
In May 1895 Graham informed the local natural gas board that the company's contract with Standard Oil would expire in September, and the oil company would not renew it. He warned that if the company could not secure gas or oil for its furnaces, it would be forced to move to a location near a coal supply. For a short time, the threat had positive results and more gas became available.[10] A new source of oil also became available. In late May it was announced that the plant's fuel supply problem was solved by a new contract with Sun Oil Company.[12] In June the glass works was said to be operating three shifts and producing approximately 150 different styles and decorations. The company claimed it was making more lamps than all of the other glass works in the United States combined.[5][Note 4]
Pennsylvania
editMove to Coraopolis
edit
During the summer, gas became scarce again and the company switched to oil.[13] An October 8, 1895, newspaper article announced that the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company would move its glass works from Fostoria to Coraopolis, Pennsylvania. The company was offered seven acres (2.8 ha) of free land, and a bonus, to build their factory there. The location is close to Pittsburgh, and the new factory was expected to employ about 300 workers.[14] Later in the month it was announced that construction of the glass Factory would start in a few weeks, and the plant would cover five acres (2.0 ha). The factory was expected to be operating by January 1. The new plant would have a capacity of four tanks and three furnaces, which was the equivalent of 46 pots.[15] Tank furnaces were essentially large brick pot furnaces with multiple workstations.[16] About 400 workers were expected to be employed.[15]
The Fostoria plant was shut down near the end of December, causing over 200 men to lose their jobs.[17] Equipment was moved to the new Coraopolis facility, and about 40 Fostoria workers moved to Corapolis to work at the new plant.[18] The new Coraopolis plant made a partial start in March 1896, and a full force started on the following week.[19] An advertisement by the company made it appear that the move from Fostoria to Corapolis was to expand capacity to meet growing demand—and did not mention Fostoria's fuel problems.[20] Nicholas Kopp eventually left the company and started the Kopp Lamp and Glass Company in 1900, with operations starting in 1901.[21] The Corapolis works of Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company operated until 1964.[22]
Test
editA publication released in 1998 valued a rare pair of these rose shakers, with a holder, at $710 to $730 (equivalent to $1,346 in 2023).[i][23]
Notes
editFootnotes
edit- ^ Murray cites a February 28, 1894, article titled "New Home of the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company in China, Glass & Lamps as the source for his information on the early 1894 operations.[5]
- ^ Murray cites a June 13, 1894, article from China, Glass & Lamps as the source for his information on the June 1894 operations in Fostoria.[5]
- ^ Murray shows the Santa Claus lamp advertisement on page 152 of his book. The advertisement is said to come from the September 25, 1894 edition of China, Glass & Lamps.[11]
- ^ Murray cites a June 19, 1895, article from China, Glass & Lamps as the source for his information on the June 1895 operations in Fostoria.[5]
Citations
edit- ^ "Fostoria Lamp Factory Sold". Wooster Daily Republican. December 15, 1893. p. 1.
...which is already employing 250 people.
; Paquette 2002, p. 204; Murray 1992, pp. 144–145 - ^ "Notice (middle of second column from right)". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. June 30, 1894. p. 3.
Wallace & McAfee Company, Limited...been dissolved....
- ^ Paquette 2002, pp. 218–219
- ^ Murray 1992, pp. 145, 148–149
- ^ a b c d Murray 1992, p. 159
- ^ a b Shively 1924, p. 371
- ^ Tillotson 1920, p. 354
- ^ Paquette 2002, p. 219
- ^ Murray 1992, pp. 150–151
- ^ a b Paquette 2002, p. 220
- ^ a b Murray 1992, pp. 152–153
- ^ "Untitled (2nd column from left)". Telegraph-Forum (Bucyrus, Ohio). May 31, 1895. p. 5.
The company was refused a renewal of their Fuel contract with the Standard people, but the Sun Oil Company has come to the rescue....
- ^ Paquette 2002, p. 221
- ^ "Coraopolis Gets a Glass Plant". Pittsburgh Press. October 8, 1895. p. 1.
The Consolidated Lamp & Glass company, of Fostoria, O., will move its big plant....
- ^ a b "Untitled (left column 2/3 down)". Pittsburgh Press. October 20, 1895. p. 2.
Work will start in a few weeks....
- ^ United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce 1917, p. 61
- ^ "Untitled (left column, one third down)". Lima Clipper. December 27, 1895. p. 2.
The Consolidated Lamp and Glass Co., has shut down their plant....
- ^ Paquette 2002, p. 223
- ^ "Untitled (5th column from left, near center)". Pittsburgh Press. March 28, 1896. p. 6.
The new glass plant...has made a partial start.
- ^ Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company 1896, p. 36
- ^ Murray 1992, p. 160; "Untitled (left column 2/3 down)". Pittsburgh Post. December 20, 1900. p. 10.
The Kopp Lamp and Glass Company, a new concern, is the buyer of the Autocar Company's plant....
; "Big Lamp Works For Swissvale". Pittsburgh Post. March 17, 1901. p. 11.The company expect[s] to have the plant in operation early in May.
- ^ Paquette 2002, p. 224
- ^ Lechner & Lechner 1998, p. 158
Inflation
edit- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
References
edit- Baker, Gary E. (June 1986). The Flint Glass Industry in Wheeling, West Virginia: 1829–1865 (MA). University of Delaware. Archived from the original on 2023-07-12. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
- Bredehoft, Neila M.; Bredehoft, Thomas H. (1997). Hobbs, Brockunier and Co., Glass: Identification and Value Guide. Paducah, KY: Collector Books. ISBN 978-0-89145-780-0. OCLC 37340501.
- Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company (April 1896). "As Others See Us (advertisement)". Glass and Pottery World. IV (4). Chicago, Illinois: American Glass and Pottery World Company: 36. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- Geological Survey of Ohio (1890). Annual Report of the Geological Survey of Ohio. Columbus, Ohio: Westbote Co., State Printers. OCLC 13585464. Archived from the original on August 3, 2023. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
- Lechner, Mildred; Lechner, Ralph (1998). The World of Salt Shakers: Antique & Art Glass Value Guide Volume III. Paducah, Kentucky: Collector Books. ISBN 978-1-57432-065-7. OCLC 39502285.
- McKelvey, Alexander T. (1903). Centennial History of Belmont county, Ohio and Representative Citizens. Chicago: Biographical Publishing Company. OCLC 318390043.
Centennial history of belmont county.
- Murray, Melvin L. (1992). Fostoria, Ohio Glass II. Fostoria, OH: M. L. Murray. OCLC 27036061.
- Newton, J. H.; Nichols, G. G.; Sprankle, A. G. (1879). History of the Pan-handle: Being Historical Collections of the Counties of Ohio, Brooke, Marshall and Hancock, West Virginia. Wheeling, West Virginia: J.A. Caldwell. ISBN 978-1-55613-413-5. OCLC 12537018. Archived from the original on 2023-07-25. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
- Paquette, Jack K. (2002). Blowpipes, Northwest Ohio Glassmaking in the Gas Boom of the 1880s. Xlibris Corp. ISBN 1-4010-4790-4. OCLC 50932436.
- Shively, R.R. (September 1924). "Principles of Glass Making – Use of Selenium in Glass". The Ceramist. 4 (6). Newark, New Jersey: Ceramics Publishing Company: 371–374. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- Shotwell, David J. (2002). Glass A to Z. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. ISBN 978-0-87349-385-7. OCLC 440702171.
- Skrabec, Quentin R. (2007). Michael Owens and the Glass Industry. Gretna, Louisiana: Pelican Publishing. OCLC 137341537.
- Tillotson, E. Ward (December 1920). "Modern Glass-Making – Putting the Glass Industry on a Scientific Basis". Scientific American Monthly. II (4). New York City: Scientific American Publishing Company: 351–354. Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved August 25, 2023.
- United States Census Office (1895). Report on manufacturing industries in the United States at the eleventh census: 1890. Washington: Government Printing Office. OCLC 10470409.
- United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce (1917). The Glass Industry. Report on the Cost of Production of Glass in the United States. Washington: Government Printing Office. OCLC 5705310.
- Weeks, Joseph D.; United States Census Office (1884). Report on the Manufacture of Glass. Washington, District of Columbia: U.S. Government Printing Office. OCLC 2123984. Archived from the original on July 16, 2023. Retrieved June 26, 2023.
- Weiser, Paulette J.; Findlay-Hancock County Chamber of Commerce (Ohio) (2007). Historic Hancock County: An Illustrated History. San Antonio, Texas: Historical Publishing Network. OCLC 1391569311.
- Woolf, Arthur G. (April 1987). "The Residential Adoption of Electricity in Early Twentieth-Century America". The Energy Journal. 8 (2). Woodmere, Ohio: International Association for Energy Economics: 19–30. doi:10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol8-No2-2. JSTOR 41322257. S2CID 154792898. Archived from the original on August 21, 2023. Retrieved August 21, 2023.
External links
edit
- Fostoria Shade and Lamp Company page - Fostoria Ohio Glass Association
- Fostoria Shade and Lamp various patterns – Early American Pattern Glass Society