A banquet presentation at the 26th annual meeting of the Phoenix & Consolidated Glass Collectors' Club by Tom Jiamachello. It covers the 19th century art glass produced by Phoenix Glass Company of Monaca, PA by Joseph Webb from 1883-1888.

1. The Phoenix Glass Company
“Celebrated Webb Glass””(1883-1888)
created for the PCGCC 2018 convention
July 28 2018

2. The Phoenix Webb Art Glass Rainbow!

3. The Phoenix Glass Company
An Overview
3

4. The Early Years (1883-1888)
An 1887 letterhead described Phoenix Glass Company as “Manufacturers of
Flint, Colored andVenetian Glass Ware, in Table, Gas and Kerosene Goods”
and
“Sole manufacturers in the United States of the “CELEBRATED WEBB
GLASS.” That letterhead also listed sales offices in NewYork (2), Boston,
Baltimore, Chicago and San Francisco.” Another ad lists a sales office in
London England as well.
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5. “Give the customer what they want!”
From the Civil War up to 1890 there was a 40% import tariff on imported glass.
From 1890 to 1894, that tariff increased to 60%! These tariffs “essentially prevented
the import of high quality, colored glass from England and Europe.
Sensing a market opening in 1883 when Joseph Webb joined the company, they
produced a vast quantity of glass, rapidly responding to even the slightest change in
consumer demand. In 1888, they shifted their focus to cut glass.
The manufacture of colored, decorative glass stopped in 1893, a year before Joseph
Webb left the company in 1894.The peak period for Phoenix colored glass you will
see in this presentation was between 1883-1888, five years of invention and dazzling
beauty.
In 1894, the tariff was reduced to 35%, most likely influencing Phoenix’s decision to
end the manufacture of cut glass.
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6. Starting in 1880 in a town then called Phillipsburg later changed to present-day Monaca, the
Phoenix Glass Company was in business until 1980.
For this presentation it is the dates 1883-1888 which is of interest to us. With the year 1883
came Joseph Webb, Jr. to Phoenix. He had emigrated the the States in 1881 from Stourbridge,
England. He worked there until 1893 as their “metal maker” (glass formulator and plant
superintendent). The market for colored glass in America was exploding. Under his
direction and using his family’s glass secret formulae, he created a dazzling variety of colors
and forms for Phoenix. This glass was advertised as “Webb Art Glass” in period trade
journals. Webb left in 1894. In 1890, the Phoenix discontinued the production of this glass
you will see and shifted their focus to cut glass.
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10. 10
Did Anna find
this one?

11. 11

13. 13

27. Which popularVictorian form did Phoenix produce?
Pitcher Celery Cruet Toothpick
Holder
Salt & Pepper
Shakers
syrup
Muffineer /
Sugar Shaker
Syrup Spooner Perfume Vase

28. How to recognize Phoenix Webb Art Glass
Shape? Mold? Color effect? Surface decoration?

29. 29

30. Let’s concentrate on the base first
First and foremost, Phoenix had their own mold shop on site.
The way they constructed their molds is the first best clue that the piece of
glass you are examining was made by Phoenix or by another one of the
many makers ofVictorian colored art glass, both here in the States, in
England or in Bohemia.
There are several differences between the way Phoenix made their molds
and the molds of others.

31. What do the following bases have in common?

32. Here are the items whose bases we just saw
syrup
syrup

33. Which materials do we need to use?

34. Let’s now design this piece of glass!
Which design elements do we consider?

35. Shape? Mold? Color effect? Surface decoration?

36. Which popularVictorian form do we want to produce?
Pitcher Celery Cruet Toothpick
Holder
Salt & Pepper
Shakers
syrup
Muffineer /
Sugar Shaker
Syrup Spooner Perfume Vase

37. Which optic mold do we want to use?
Pitcher Celery Cruet Toothpick
Holder
Salt & Pepper
Shakers
syrup
Muffineer /
Sugar Shaker
Syrup Spooner Perfume Vase
Diamond Spot Honeycomb Windows Zig-Zag
Panel Ribbed Panel Moire Drape Peacock

38. Which colors do we want to use?
Ruby Blue Orange Yellow Green
Canary Amber Rainbow Maroon Apricot

39. Which color effect do we want to use?
Die-Away Spatter

40. Which color effect do we want to use?
Mica inclusion Spatter & Mica Cased Opal Sensitive

41. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Die-away over opal - decorated

42. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Die-away over opal - decorated

43. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Die-away over opal - decorated

44. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Die-away over opal - decorated

45. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Die-away over opal - undecorated

46. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Die-away over opal - undecorated

47. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Spatter

48. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Spatter

49. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Mica Inclusion & Cased

50. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Mica Inclusion & Cased

51. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Opal sensitive

52. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Opal sensitive

53. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Cameo Impasto

54. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Cameo Impasto

55. Now let’s look at those specific color effects: Cameo Impasto

56. Now let’s look at some of these specificVictorian forms
Pitcher Celery Cruet Toothpick
Holder
Salt & Pepper
Shakers
syrup
Muffineer /
Sugar Shaker
Syrup Spooner Perfume Vase

57. Pitchers: A Closer look
Phoenix used 6 different basic pitcher mold shapes:
1 Duckbill spout
2 Ball shape: Triangular & Round necks
3 Pitchers with shoulders
4 Square shape
5 Lobed pitchers
6 Tankard
Phoenix used many different pitcher top rim shapes
1 Triangular crimp top
2 Square shape
2 Hexagonal crimp top
3 Octagonal crimp top
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58. 58
Phoenix Pitchers - Duckbill Spout

59. 59
Phoenix Pitchers - Duckbill Spout

60. 60
Phoenix Pitchers - Duckbill Spout

61. 61
Phoenix Pitchers - Ball shape: Triangular & Round necks

62. 62
Phoenix Pitchers
Ball shape: Pitchers with Shoulders & Pitchers with Square Top

63. 63
Phoenix Pitchers - Lobed Body

64. 64
Phoenix Pitchers - Lobed Body

65. 65
Phoenix Pitchers - Tankard

66. 66
Phoenix Pitchers - Tankard

67. 67
Phoenix Celery Vases
DSC_4968

68. 68
Phoenix Salt Shakers

69. 69
Phoenix Toothpick Holders
DSC_4968

70. 70
MorePhoenix Toothpick Holders
DSC_4968

71. 71
Phoenix Tumblers

72. 72
Phoenix Tumblers

73. 73
DSC_4968
The “Cut Velvet” Line (1883-1887)

74. 74
The “Cut Velvet” Line (1883-1887)

75. 75
The “Cut Velvet” Line (1883-1887)

76. 76
The “Cut Velvet” Line (1883-1887)

77. Photo credits:
Carrie Knox Adamczyk
Clark Adams
Ron Baker
Scott Beale
Bowen
Carole Bruce
William Burke
Chris Cope
Jo Durrance
Alicia Farmer
Herron
Tom Jiamachello
Robert Nathan Korn
Dave Kingsley
Julian Rogers & Jim Beverage
Lynne Ryan / Richard Ryan
Jim Thielen
Carol Trego
and the wide spaces of the Internet.

78. I hope you enjoyed
the presentation.
Happy collecting!

79. The Phoenix Glass Company
“Celebrated Webb Glass””(1883-1888)
created for the PCGCC 2018 convention
July 28 2018

80. The Art Deco years (1933-1939)
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81. The “Reuben Line” (1933-1936)

82. Who designed and produced the “Reuben-Line”?
• When Reuben Haley (1872-1933) died on September 29 1933
in Beaver, PA, the genesis of Phoenix Glass Company’s
Reuben-Line was born.
• Reuben Haley was associated with Consolidated Glass from
1926-1933. To honor his well-documented contributions to
the glass industry, his son Kenneth Haley (1905-1987) created
this line which combines Consolidated molds and Phoenix
molds but was produced by Phoenix. Kenneth worked for
Phoenix from 1928 to 1934.

83. The “Sculptured Artware Line”
•Here are the names of the four lines and their descriptions:
•1. 300 Series: “ SCULPTURED CAMEO consists of a white opaline translucent body, on which have been
fused soft pastel ceramic colors. The decorations stand out in white against a colored background.” Produced in
Tan, Taupe, Wine, Green, Cadet Blue.
•2 200 Series - “SCULPTURED CRYSTAL is basically a crystal glass frosted with hues of ceramics colors
fused on the background with the raised detail in soft relief, enhancing the sculptured effect.” Produced in Cadet
Blue, White, Orchid.
•3. 400 Series - “SCULPTURED PEARL LUSTRE combines a frosted milk-white background with mother-of-
pearl lustre on the raised detail.” Produced in Tan, Taupe, Wine, Green, Cadet Blue
•4. 600 Series - “SCULPTURED BRILLIANTE utilizes the brilliance of fine crystal glass for the design on an
etched background, thus high-lighting the beauty of the decoration.”
• It is my contention that the Series 200 “Sculptured Crystal” line is the renamed “Reuben-Line”.

84. The “Sculptured Artware Line” (1933-1940)

85. The “Reverse Decorated Line” (1932-1936)

86. The “Pebble Line” (circa 1930s)

87. The “Chipped Ice Line” (circa 1936)