Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Records, 1828-2002

Arrangement

Repository
Heinz History Center
Title
Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Records
Creator
Bryce Brothers Company (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.)
Creator
Lenox Incorporated (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.)
Collection Number
MSS 800
Extent
59 linear feet (95 boxes)
Date
1828-2002
Abstract
James S. Bryce established his own glassmaking operations with his brothers John and Robert Bryce as well as Frederick and James McKee in 1850. Founded as Bryce, McKee & Company, this glass house manufactured hand-blown and pressed lead crystal ware. Bryce would partner with Joseph Richards, William T. Hartley, William Walker, and H. Walker before partnering with family members and renaming the business Bryce Brothers Company in 1882. In 1896, Bryce Brothers Company constructed a new glass factory in Mt. Pleasant, Pa. Bryce Brothers Company was acquired by Lenox Incorporated, which produced fine china and porcelain tableware, in 1965. The Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Glass Records contain Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox, Inc. company histories, administrative records, product design sketches, design drawings, production specifications, product catalogs, advertisements, legal and property records, photographs, VHS tapes, film reels, vinyl records, scrapbooks, and news clippings.
Language
The material in this collection is in English and Spanish.
Author
The guide to this collection was written by Alex Toner. Finding aid edited and detailed processing completed by Sierra Green.
Sponsor
This collection has been made accessible as part of NHPRC-funded Basic Processing and Documenting Democracy grants
Publisher
Heinz History Center
Address
1212 Smallman St.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222
library@heinzhistorycenter.org
URL: https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org

History

Bryce Brothers Company

Born in 1812 to James and Agnes Ferguson Bryce, James S. Bryce emigrated with his family from Scotland to the United States when he was five years old. After living in Philadelphia for approximately two years, the Bryce family moved to Pittsburgh, Pa. in 1819. By 1821, James Bryce Sr. was employed by Bakewell, Paige & Bakewell, a Pittsburgh glass firm and one of the country's first flint glass manufacturers. After working alongside his father at the firm for approximately five years, James Bryce was indentured to Bakewell, Page & Bakewell at the age of 15 in 1827. James S. Bryce married Elizabeth Haugh in 1835. After completing his indenture of six years, Bryce continued to labor for Bakewell, Page & Bakewell as a journeyman. While an economic downturn led him to join the grocery business in the late 1830s, Bryce returned to the glass industry in 1845 as a glass blower for Mulvaney & Ledlie.

James Bryce formed Bryce, McKee & Company in 1850 with his brothers Robert and John Bryce, and the McKee brothers Frederick and James. Other original shareholders included Thomas Adams, John A. H. Carson, Samuel Charters, Joseph Doyle, John Floyd, Richard Floyd, William F. Hartley, Edward Hazelton, Matthew Lieler, James Reddick, and Peter M. Reid. Their glassmaking business, which operated from a facility in Birmingham (now known as the South Side neighborhood of Pittsburgh) at 21st and Wharton Streets, initially consisted of one nine-pot furnace and manufactured flint glass tableware and lamps.

The firm changed its name to Bryce, Richards and Company in 1854 with the withdrawal of the McKee brothers and the inclusion of new partners Joseph Richards and William T. Hartley. The company produced pressed and cut tableware. Similarly in 1865, William and H. Walker joined as new business partners while Richards and Hartley withdrew. The firm changed its name to Bryce, Walker & Company in order to reflect the new investment partners. In the late 1870s, Bryce, Walker, & Co. operated two furnaces with 22 pots and employed approximately 100 workmen and boys. In 1879, John Bryce broke away from Bryce, Walker & Co., eventually forming the Bryce, Higbee Co. In 1880, Bryce, Walker & Co. manufactured glass disks for a telescope at the request of John Brashear.

In 1882, the Walkers sold their interest in the glass company, at which point the business was renamed to Bryce Brothers Company. The company was comprised of the partnership between the following members of the Bryce family: James Bryce, Andrew H. Bryce, James McDonald Bryce, S. Allan Bryce, Frank G. Bryce, Marion G. Bryce, Robert D. Bryce, David K. Bryce, and Edwin W. Bryce. Throughout the 1880s, Bryce Brothers produced tableware, lamps, as well as flint and crystal glassware. In the mid-1880s, Bryce Brothers began producing colored tableware. According to the Crockery and Glass Journal in 1888, the Bryce Brothers Company products "have ever been popular, their designs combining the element of beauty with that of practical usefulness and convenience."

Beginning in 1884, Andrew Bryce became a member of a committee formed by Western Flint and Lime Glass Protective Association of American Flint and Lime Glass Manufacturers to explore the possibility of creating a trust. In July 1891, Bryce Brothers elected to join 14 other glass companies that merged to form the U. S. Glass Company. With Andrew Bryce serving as U. S. Glass Co. secretary, the Bryce Brothers Company became known as Factory B.

After withdrawing from the U. S. Glass Co. trust in 1893, Andrew and J. MacDonald Bryce purchased the former Smith-Brudewold Glass Company building in Hammondville, Pa. That same year, James S. Bryce died and was succeeded as president by his son, James S. MacDonald Bryce. James's brothers, Andrew and Allan, were also active in plant operations. The popularity of the firm's lead glass and crystal ware together with the rising costs of city property and taxes spurred the Bryce brothers to construct and open a new plant in Mt. Pleasant, Pa., in 1896. The new plant, which opened in October 1896 and staffed non-union workmen, cost $35,000 and was supported by a $20,000 bond presented by the town of Mt. Pleasant to the Bryce Brothers Company. At its peak, this plant contained three furnaces with 28 operating pots. Incorporated officially as Bryce Brothers Company in 1897, the firm employed 250 people and produced pressed crystal stemware, giftware, candlesticks, pitchers, sugar bowls, creamers, and teapots, as well as table and barware. In addition to having sales representatives in Boston and Philadelphia, Bryce Brothers opened a sales office New York City that was managed by J. D. Dithridge in 1899. At the time of his death in 1909, Andrew H. Bryce had been president of Bryce Brothers for at least 10 years. Following Andrew's death in 1909, J. McD. Bryce became president of Bryce Brothers, with Gerard S. Bryce serving as secretary and Frank G. Bryce serving as treasurer.

By the turn of the 20th century, Bryce Brothers had become one of the largest producers of flint glass in the United States. The Bryce Brothers Company adhered to its established reputation of producing custom-made, quality products, which were used internationally in restaurants, private clubs, hotels, and by the Federal government. Many of these orders were further customized with acid-etched with client crests and insignia. In 1936, the company had established sales offices in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco in addition to having four travelling representatives. Additionally, the company was often recognized for their craftsmanship. A brandy inhaler made by Bryce Brothers in 1959 was selected by the Museum of Modern Art for its permanent collection of 20th Century Design, a mark of Bryce Brothers' recognition within the glass making industry. The company created several well-known designs and patterns, including Roman Rosette, Grape Band, Curled Leaf, Jacob's Ladder, Ribbon Candy and Ribbed Palm, as well as Diamond Sunburst, Thistle and Strawberry. The Bryce Brothers Company was contracted in 1963 by the United States State Department to supply U.S. embassies worldwide with crystal ware.

From 1921 to 1951, numerous members of the Bryce family served the company as president, including Frank G. Bryce, S. A. Bryce, Gerard Bryce, and K. R. Bryce. C.C. Kohl served as the company's president in 1952 before Robert S. Holt took over in 1955. Holt would serve the Bryce Brothers Company in this role until at least 1964.

In 1965, Bryce Brothers Glass Co. was acquired by Lenox Incorporated, ending 115 years of glassmaking under the Bryce name.

Lenox Incorporated

Walter Scott Lenox was born in Trenton, New Jersey in 1859. An admirer of pottery and porcelain from an early age, he entered into a partnership with Jonathan Coxon Sr. to form the Ceramic Art Company in 1889. The company operated as an art studio, specializing in ivory china, and later, custom-designed dinnerware. Lenox was stricken with paralysis and blindness in 1895, yet still steered the direction of the company. In 1906 he reorganized the firm as Lenox Incorporated (based in Trenton) which manufactured fine china tableware, giftware, and pottery products.

In the early 20th century china was often stamped with an English insignia in order to better compete with imported products. Lenox refused to mark his products as such, and as result the Lenox brand gradually earned name recognition. By the time Walter S. Lenox died in 1920, Lenox, Inc. had become a global competitor in both ornamental pieces and fine table and dinnerware. Lenox became the first American china to be used at the White House in 1918, when President Wilson commissioned a 1700-piece set of dinnerware. Subsequently, Lenox china has been used in the White House for 80 continuous years. In 1928, 34 Lenox pieces were chosen for inclusion in the collection of the National Museum of Ceramics in France – still the only American porcelain to receive the honor.

Lenox announced its intention to acquire the Bryce Brothers Company in May of 1965. Bryce Brothers Co. stockholders ratified the acquisition on June 23, 1965. This purchase made Lenox the first American company to produce both fine china dinnerware and crystal stemware. At the time of the Lenox acquisition, Bryce Brothers Company had cultivated major product lines in fine crystal stemware, casual glassware, barware, and custom glassware. The year 1966 marked the first introduction of crystal stemware under the Lenox name, making the company the first to produce both china and crystal in the United States. A new facility was constructed in Mt. Pleasant in 1970, which at the time was the first glass factory built in the United States devoted to hand-blown lead crystal since 1905. At its opening, the new $3.5-million Lenox crystal plant contained 28 furnaces with 28 operating pots. It employed 325 people.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, the sale of Lenox, Inc. crystal was adversely affected by the following factors: rising natural gas prices and the rise of competition from imported handmade as well as foreign and domestic machine made crystal. To combat these challenges, Lenox installed an all-electric continuous glass melting furnace to economize product production in 1979. Additionally, Lenox introduced the Gallery line in 1977, which netted the company $1.3 million in sales during its debut year. The Gallery line, which was a lead crystal giftware line, marked the first successful major product introduction since the 1965 acquisition. Over the next two years, Lenox prepared to introduce deep cut barware, stemware, and giftware. The company planned to produce the deep cut glassware by acting on the guidance of European hand cutters. The introduction of deep cut glassware took place in July 1980 with the presentation of Galaxy deep cut barware. Deep cut stemware was introduced by Lenox in January 1982.

However, the formal crystal and glassware industry declined during the latter-half of the 20th century, due in part to a decline in use of formal glass and dishware by American families and enterprises. The Brown-Foreman Corporation, who acquired ownership of Lenox Incorporated in the late 20th century, closed the Mt. Pleasant factory in 2002.

Scope and Content Notes

The Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Glass Records contain Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox, Inc. company histories, administrative records, product design sketches, design drawings, production specifications, product catalogs, advertisements, legal and property records, photographs, VHS tapes, film reels, vinyl records, scrapbooks, and news clippings. This collection consists of records that document the early history of the Bryce Brothers Co. through the acquisition of the company by Lenox, Inc. In addition, this collection also includes records documenting the design and manufacturing of crystal products at the Mt. Pleasant Plant by Lenox, Inc. from 1965 to the plant closing in 2002. Worthy of note are those records pertaining to the early manufacturing of Bryce Brothers Co. glass, including batch books, pantograph etch books, and band books. Also among the strengths of this collection are the numerous concept sketches, concept and design drawings, CAD drawings, and mockups that document the product design and development process for Lenox, Inc. glassware. The promotion and sale of glassware and china are documented through product catalogs, brochures, advertisements, sales guidelines, and dealer direct mailings.

The Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Glass Records are housed in 95 boxes and have been arranged into five series and several subseries: I. Bryce Brothers Co. Records, II. Lenox, Inc. Records, III. Photographs, Color Slides, and Negatives, IV. Audiovisual Material, and V. Oversized Material.

Series I: Bryce Brothers Co. Records (1828-1980)

This series consists of records that document the business activities of the Bryce Brothers Company prior to when Lenox, Inc. acquired the company in 1965. The records in this series are arranged into three subseries: Administrative, Product Design and Production, and Public Relations and Marketing.

Subseries 1: Administrative (1828-1965)

This subseries is primarily comprised of records that document the administrative activities of the Bryce Brothers Co. The documents in this subseries are arranged in chronological order to reflect the evolution of the company's business over time. Of particular note are the compiled historical research files and company histories, which chronicle the history of the Bryce Brothers Company from its origins to its purchase by Lenox, Inc. Most of the research files in this subseries were compiled by Lenox Historian Ellen Denker and consist of research notes and reproductions of primary source material. In addition, the historical research files also include published descriptions of the glassmaking process in the Bryce Brothers' Mt. Pleasant plant.

This subseries also includes correspondence chiefly pertaining to the business activities of the Bryce Brothers Company. Worthy of note are correspondence from the Flint Glassworkers Association as well as the United States Glass Co. pertaining to labor disputes, strikes and manufacturer/employee relations. Also of interest are correspondence between Marion Bryce, J. McDonald Bryce, Frank Bryce, and James Bryce regarding business as well as interpersonal matters. Additional topics addressed in the correspondence include financial business and property acquisition.

Subseries 2: Product Design and Production (1883-1980)

This subseries consists of records chiefly pertaining to the design and production of Bryce Brothers Co. glassware. The early manufacturing of glass is documented through batch books (1883-1921) while pantograph etch and band books (1923-1940) include band design sketches and production specifications. Heighth and mold lists (1937-1949) consist of detailed specifications for individual products. In addition, this subseries also includes a volume entitled "Engraving and decorating for etched starts" that contains notes and formulae for polishing acid, white acid, Erie acid, frosting acid, and transfer wax. Also contained in this subseries are two Moves and Wages Book (one of which belonged to G. S. Bryce) which includes information on various production specifications as they relate to employee positions and compensation.

Worthy of note are the pantograph etch books, which include sketches of the crests/logos of the company's clients. Customers include, but are not limited to the United States State Department, the Top of the Needle Restaurant, Curtiss Wright, the Hotel San Diego, Wesley Memorial Hospital, and numerous hotels and country clubs.

Subseries 3: Product Catalogs and Marketing (1952-1965)

This subseries contains product catalogs (1952-1965), product brochures, and product price lists (1955-1965) pertaining to the marketing and sale of Bryce Brothers Co. glassware to commercial clients. Design and pattern illustrations are featured individually as well as by glassware type.

Series II: Lenox, Inc. Records (1933-2002)

This series consists of records that document the business activities of Lenox, Inc. as they relate to the management, design, production, and marketing of the company's glassware. The records in this series are arranged into three subseries: Administrative, Product Design and Production, and Public Relations and Marketing.

Subseries 1: Administrative (1964-2002)

This subseries is primarily comprised of historical files and publications, records from the Lenox, Inc. Archives, correspondence, reports and policies, newsletters, news clippings, awards, commemorative materials, and other assorted administrative records. The records in this subseries relate to the management of Lenox, Inc. crystal operations, beginning with the acquisition and management of the Bryce Brothers Co. The historical files in this subseries consist of compiled corporate research and publications that integrate the history of the Bryce Brothers Co. with the evolving production processes of Lenox, Inc. crystal ware.

Those records originating from the Lenox, Inc. archives contain the working files of Lenox Historian Ellen Denker. Denker's correspondence and notes include some ongoing research, but chiefly pertain to the management of Bryce Brothers Co. and Lenox, Inc. internal collection of glassware and its eventual transfer to the Heinz History Center. In addition, these files also include correspondence with James Bryce's great-granddaughter, Dorothy Bryce Howells.

Lenox, Inc. correspondence within this subseries consists of the outgoing and select incoming correspondence of John M. Tassie, president of Lenox, Inc. that pertain to the acquisition of Bryce Brothers Co. as well as the early management of Lenox, Inc. crystal manufacturing. Also included various reports and assessments of the Bryce Brothers Co. gathered by Lenox, Inc. in advance of the acquisition.

Administrative records include planning documents, a proposal, and promotional information relating to the construction and opening of a new crystal plant in Mt. Pleasant. In addition, the administrative records also contain a Welcome to Lenox orientation booklet designed for former Bryce Brothers Co. employees. This subseries also includes assorted publications distributed internally, including the Lenox Artisan (1968-1986), the Lenox Crystal Gazer (1960s-1990s), the Lenox Newsflash (2000) and Total Quality Lenox (2002). Also worthy of note are the Presidential Inauguration programs and invitations that commemorate the presentation of Lenox, Inc. crystal gifts to Presidents Clinton and Bush.

Subseries 2: Product Design and Development (1949-2002)

This subseries is comprised of administrative records, new product introductions, design drawings, cutting drawings, production specifications, quality control records, standard operating procedures, and designer files. The records in this subseries document the process of design, development, production, and assessment of crystal products produced by Lenox, Inc. Worthy of note are the new product introductions (1976-2000), which contain descriptions and sketches of crystal products introduced annually by Lenox, Inc. In addition, this subseries also includes numerous design drawings, cutting drawings, and production specifications that feature many design patterns for crystal ware produced by Lenox, Inc.

Design drawings, cutting drawings, production specifications, and product quality specifications are arranged by design/pattern name while commercial product specifications are organized by order number. Product design drawings contained in this subseries are further arranged into the following categories: barware, candlesticks, Christmas, giftware, deep-cut giftware, and general. The cutting drawings in this subseries consist of cutting specifications for the pattern etches. Worthy of note amongst the production specifications is a proposal for crystal ware completed by Lenox, Inc. in order to supply the United States State Department (1996-1999).

This subseries also contains the working files of designers employed by Lenox, Inc. Designers documented include Chet Molzen (Crystal Design Manager), Anna Hursky (Designer), William Hoffer (Crystal Designer), and Marcel Juillerat (Director of Surface Design). Maintained in their original order, the designers' working files consist of correspondence, internal memos, meeting notes, concept sketches and design drawings, pantograph etches, and market research surveys.

See Series V, Subseries 2 for additional concept sketches and drawings, design sketches, design drawings, CAD drawings, designer files, mockups, border designs, and assorted design inspiration.

Subseries 3: PR and Marketing (1933-2001)

This subseries is comprised of administrative records (1933-1999), market research (1977-1980s), product catalogs (1965-1996), dealer promotional materials (1962-1998), advertisements (1950-2000), and assorted promotional materials (1933-1988) pertaining to the marketing and sale of Lenox, Inc. crystal to the general public. See Series V, Subseries 2 for additional PR and marketing records such as advertisements and dealer direct mailings.

Series III: Photographs, Color Slides, and Negatives (c1919-2000s

This series consists of photographs, photographic slides, and photographic negatives featuring both Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox, Inc. products, product development, crystal displays, facilities, production, and employees.

Subseries 1: Bryce Brothers Co. (c1950s-c1960s)

This subseries contains photographs of unidentified and identified products, crystal displays, and facilities that relate to Bryce Brothers Co. glassware. Worthy of note are those images of crystal displays set up to market Bryce Brothers Co. glassware to commercial clients

Subseries 2: Lenox, Inc. (1919-c2000s)

This subseries contains photographs of unidentified and identified products, product development, employees, production, and facilities that relate to Lenox, Inc. crystal ware.

Series IV: Audiovisual Material (1965-1996)

This series consists of LPs, reel to reel films, and VHS tapes pertaining to Lenox, Inc. crystal and china products and manufacturing. The LPs in this series contain audio recordings of guidelines, best practices, and sales strategies for those selling Lenox, Inc. china and crystal. The reel to reel films are Of Earth and Fire, a color film released in 1968 that documents the china production process at Lenox, Inc. The VHS tapes in this series include footage on the china and crystal making process, a Brown-Forman anniversary video, a Lenox Crystal Plant celebration, crystal statement pieces, and TQL Day. The VHS tapes in this series belonged to former Human Resources/Safety Manager, Ron Fullman.

Series V. Oversized Material (1854-2000)

This series consists of oversized business records, property records, concept sketches, design drawings, CAD drawings, mockups, mockups, product catalogs, scrapbooks, photographs, advertisements, and advertisements pertaining to Bryce Brothers Co. and Lenox, Inc. crystal and china products. This series is divided into two subseries: Bryce Brothers Co. and Lenox, Inc.

Subseries 1. Bryce Brothers Co. (1854-1965)

This subseries is comprised of oversized business and property records, scrapbooks, catalogs, and photographs documenting the Bryce Brothers Co. Business and property records consist of deeds, an insurance map, partnership agreement and dissolution records, and assorted financial records that date to the early history of Bryce Brothers Co.

Worthy of note are the Bryce Brothers Co. catalogs, which include trade, pantograph Room, and Etching Room copies of the 1916 catalog as well as the 1934 and 1936 supplements.

Also of particular note is the Bryce Bros. scrapbook housed in Box 5, which contains photographs of trade shows displays (1959-1964), the Mt. Pleasant Plant office entrance (1963) and show room (1956), and an aerial shot of the Mt. Pleasant Plant. In addition, this scrapbook also contains product brochures (1950s), advertisements (1950-1965), and news clippings. The news clippings in this scrapbook include feature articles on the employee picnics and on the Bryce Bros. service for the United States State Department (1964). Also included in this subseries are oversized photographs of Hot Metal and Cold Metal Workers (1922).

Subseries 2. Lenox, Inc. (1905-2000)

This subseries is primarily comprised of product design and development records, advertisements, scrapbooks, news clippings, and photographs pertaining to the design and promotion of Lenox, Inc. china and crystal products. Worthy of note are the numerous concept sketches, design sketches, design drawings, designer files, and mockups that document the Lenox, Inc. design process of both china and crystal products.

Sub-subseries I. Product Development and Production (1905-2000)

Included in this sub-subseries are concept sketches and drawings, design sketches, design drawings, CAD drawings, designer files, mockups, border designs, and assorted design inspiration that reflect the process of product design and development at Lenox, Inc. The records in this sub-subseries have been arranged to reflect the product development process from informal concept sketches and drawings to finalized product design drawings and mockups. In addition to documenting the design process of Lenox employees, the records in this sub-subseries also reflects collaboration with outside vendors and designers. Additionally, select design drawings originate from other manufacturers acquired by the Brown-Furman Corporation, including Gorham Manufacturing Company.

The concept drawings in this sub-subseries seemed to have been used in the product design and development process in order to conduct preliminary assessment and testing. These drawings exemplify the shape and design of the crystal products. The concept drawings have been arranged according to product type.

This sub-subseries also contains the working files of designers employed by Lenox, Inc. Designers documented include New Products Coordinator Barry Mardorma, Machinist and Glass Mold Maker Robert Fleszar, and Marcel Juillerat, Director of Surface Design. Fleszar worked as a supervisor at the Mt. Pleasant plant mold shop. Maintained in their original order, designer files chiefly consist of design drawings and memos, CAD drawings, design sketches, and mockups. Of particular note are the designer files of Fleszar, which include numerous CAD drawings depicting production specifications for various crystal product molds.

The mockups in this sub-subseries depict both crystal and china products produced by Lenox, Inc. and are arranged by product type and then in alphabetical order according to design name.

Sub-subseries II. PR and Marketing (1955-1997)

This sub-subseries is comprised of newspaper clippings, advertisements, dealer promotional materials, scrapbooks, and photographs pertaining to the marketing and sale of Lenox, Inc. crystal and china to the general public.

Arrangement

The Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Glass Records is arranged into five series and several subseries:

  1. Series I. Bryce Brothers Co. Records (1828-1980)
  2. Subseries 1. Administrative (1828-1965)
  3. Subseries 2. Product Design and Production (1883-1980)
  4. Subseries 3. Product Catalogs and Marketing (1952-1965)
  5. Series II. Lenox, Inc. Records (1933-2002)
  6. Subseries 1. Administrative (1964-2002)
  7. Subseries 2: Products (1949-2002)
  8. Subseries 3. PR and Marketing (1933-2001)
  9. Series III. Photographs, Color Slides, and Negatives (c1919-2000s)
  10. Subseries 1. Bryce Brothers Co. (c1950s-c1960s)
  11. Subseries 2. Lenox, Inc. (1919-c2000s)
  12. Series IV. Audiovisual Material (1965-1996)
  13. Series V. Oversized Material (1854-2000)
  14. Subseries 1. Bryce Brothers Co. (1854-1965)
  15. Subseries 2. Lenox, Inc. (1905-2000)
  16. Sub-subseries I. Product Development and Production (1905-2000)
  17. Sub-subseries II. PR and Marketing (1955-1997)

Conditions Governing Access

None.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift from Lenox Incorporated, and transferred from the Lenox Corporate Archives Collection in 2006.

Archives accession # 2006.0020

Preferred Citation

Bryce Brothers Company and Lenox Incorporated Glass Records, 1828-2002, MSS 0800, Thomas & Katherine Detre Library & Archives, Senator John Heinz History Center.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Alex Toner on 06/01/12. Finding aid revised and detailed processing completed by Sierra Green on 03/02/116,

Conditions Governing Use

Property rights reside with the Senator John Heinz History Center. Literary rights are retained by the creators of the records and their heirs. For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the Library and Archives of the Senator John Heinz History Center.

Related Materials

Advertisements for McKee and Bryce Brothers Company Glass, 1998.0010, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Bryce Brothers Company Papers, 1912-1985, 1998.0159, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Bryce, Higbee & Company photograph and article, 2015.0140, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Catalog, stock certificate and handwritten journal from the Bryce Brothers Company (photocopies), 1834-1965, 1999.0009, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Catalog Number 950. Mount Pleasant: Bryce Brothers Company, ND.

Catalog Number 964. Mount Pleasant: Bryce Brothers Company, ND.

Catalog pages featuring Bryce and McKee Glass, c1950-1960, 2002.0205, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Catalog pages featuring Bryce and McKee Glass, c1950-1960, 2003.0163, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Gorham Company Records, John Hay Library, Brown University.

Higby, Lola. Bryce, Higbee, and J. B. Higbee Glass. Marietta: Glass Press, c1998.

Lenox, Incorporated Records, MC 1390, Special Collections and University Archives, Rutgers University.

McKee and Bryce Glass advertisement, 2008.0139, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

McKee and Bryce Glass, ticket to glass show, 1994.0118, Detre Library & Archives, Heinz History Center.

Separated Materials

To the Museum Division:

The museum maintains a collection of china and glassware manufactured by Bryce Brothers Co. and Lenox, Inc.

Museum Accession #2006.44

Bibliography

  • Innes, Lowell. Pittsburgh Glass 1797-1891: A History and Guide for Collectors. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1976.
  • Madarasz, Anne.Glass: Shattering Notions. Pittsburgh: Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania, 1998.

Subjects

    Corporate Names

    • Bryce Brothers Company (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.)
    • Lenox Incorporated (Mt. Pleasant, Pa.)

    Personal Names

    • Bryce, James S., 1812-1893.

    Geographic Names

    • Mount Pleasant (Westmoreland County, Pa. : Township)

    Other Subjects

    • Glass manufacture -- Pennsylvania
    • Glass blowing and working -- Pennsylvania
    • Glass factories -- Pennsylvania
    • Glass etching -- Pennsylvania
    • Glassware -- Pennsylvania
    • Pressed glass -- Pennsylvania
    • Tableware.

Container List