By early 1932, Steuben was losing money rapidly and its directors were about to throw in the towel. As a last-ditch effort to attract devotees of modernism, world-famous Teague was engaged as an outside designer under a year’s contract. Despite his stellar reputation, Teague was not universally appreciated at Steuben. Frederick Schoeder– blowing room supervisor at the time– later noted, “We had a fling with one of the industrial designers (Teague) doing work for us prior to 1933 and the experience was a flat failure. I was not so sure we really knew what we were doing.” ( p.84, “Steuben Glass, An American Tradition in Crystal”, Madigan, 2003 edition).
When young Arthur Houghton was given Steuben’s reins in 1933, he was aware of the Teague contract but did not renew it, recalling many years later that “Teague was a salesman plus–he was very smooth, very charming, superbly and quietly dressed, and it was months and months before I realized he couldn’t design a goddam thing.” (p.368, “Steuben Glass”, Madigan, 2003 edition. Taken from author’s taped 1981 interview with Houghton at his Wye Plantation home.)
MJ Madigan, Hastings on Hudson, NY

Example of Teague’s Design