Imperial (Bellaire, Ohio)

Founded in 1901 by Captain Edward Muhleman, Imperial preceded their Carnival output with intaglio, pressed moulded, crystal glassware that was known as “near-cut” as it imitated cut glass. Their first Carnival lines in c.1910 used several of these geometric “near-cut” patterns that were already in production, as well as others in more naturalistic designs, featuring flowers or fruits.

Imperial produced their Carnival lines through to the late 1920s; their Ripple vase being offered from 1910 through to 1929. Helios (a metallic silver/gold light green colour unique to Imperial), purple, amber and smoke were in their repertoire, alongside vibrant marigold, scarce vaseline, rare red and more.

This magnificent coloured ad features Imperial’s Fashion punch set in marigold. It is from a Lee Manufacturing catalogue supplement (date c. 1912-1915) and it was offered as a free premium to agents selling $10 worth of Lee’s goods.

The text accompanying the ad is interesting as it indicates the multi-use that was intended for much Carnival (a great selling point):

"The great size of this magnificent punch set will astonish you. It consists of an extra big deep bowl with fancy scalloped edges mounted on a large massive stand with fancy scalloped base and six handled cups to match…. Bowl can be used, without stand, as a fruit or salad dish. Stand can be turned upside down and used as a flower vase or preserve dish. Handled cups can be used for serving custard, ice cream, etc. As a punch set it is truly gorgeous."

Imperial’s Carnival Glass was heavily marketed outside the USA as well as within the States. “Looks well, sells well, wears well” - a great selling line used by Markt & Co of London, the official UK agent for Imperial’s Carnival Glass. The date was March, 1911 and the source of the ad is the British Pottery Gazette. The ad (which appeared below an illustration of an Imperial Grape water pitcher) offered “an entirely new line, giving good profits to all dealers. Distinctive, attractive and artistic in every way.”  

Markt were selling Imperial’s Carnival lines in the UK within a year of them appearing on the US market. They reported that “the new barrels of assorted 6 penny lines are proving a great success”. The price quoted is interesting: six (old) pence for a vase or a bowl. That equates to around £2 (pounds) sterling or $3 US today. It wasn’t exceptionally cheap. At exactly the same time (1911) Butler Brothers had an ad for Imperial’s Carnival that showed the same items: Ripple vases and Imperial Grape bowls. The price quoted was 79 cents for a dozen pieces, approx. 7 cents each, a little cheaper than the UK price at the time, the difference was surely accounted for by the cost of shipping barrels of glass across the Atlantic Ocean! 

Imperial survived through various changes of ownership, which encompassed the re-issue of their Carnival Glass in the late 1960s into the 70s and beyond (see “A Century of Carnival Glass” for details and illustrations). They finally closed their doors in 1984. 

Visit the Imperial picture gallery