FRY GLASS
By Bob Mueller

The H.C. Fry Company of Rochester , Pennsylvania was in business from 1901-1933, largely overlapping the time Frederick Carder ran the Steuben Glass Works. Not surprisingly Fry would produce many popular types of glass that had similarities to Steuben.

In 1922 Fry Glass would develop their Fry Foval line. Bowls, candlesticks, perfumes, atomizers would be just a few of this very popular line..

Candlesticks made at that time would later be copied or “knocked off”, but without the Sterling silver or Delft Blue that was on the real Fry candlesticks. Fry Foval Style also featured perfumes and atomizers. It is not uncommon to see them at antique shows mislabeled as Steuben Glass.

In 1932 Fry Glass created another style of glass that would become very valuable because of its scarcity created by its short run due to the depression. The “Stardust” line was brought out in 1932 at the Exhibit of Glass and Pottery Manufacturers. The vase in this line is of cobalt blue with mica flecks, is done the way Mr. Carder did his mica flecks.

When you look at some of the photos in the following link to Fry articles you will see examples of Fry that look like and are hard to distinguish from Mr. Carder’s Steuben. I saw a three piece azure blue Fry set about one month ago in Minneapolis being sold as Steuben Glass. .

http://www.kddk.com/alans/Fry.pdf

As collectors we all need to be very cautious when we come across styles like these. Both Fry and Steuben made items with bubbles, applied reeding, similar colors, shapes and diamond-optics.

If you are a Steuben collector or a Fry collector education is the watchword, to avoid having a bad taste in our mouth because we made a mistake.

Bob Mueller
Osseo , Minnesota
August 3, 2009