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STRUCTURE | |||
Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. (Australia), as a result of amalgamations and merging, plus a national profile, had several factories, offices and agents. Some of these, of course, changed during their many trading years. | |||
Head Office and Showrooms: | 1930s | Dowling St., Waterloo, Sydney, NSW | |
1950s | 52 - 58 William St Sydney | ||
Factories: | New South Wales | Bourke St., Waterloo and Wyndham St., Alexandria | |
Victoria | |||
South Australia | |||
Western Australia | |||
New Zealand | Shands Rd, Hornby, Christchurch, Est. 1950. | ||
Interstate Offices: | |||
Victoria | Agents: Australian Glass Manufacturers. Co. Ltd., 428-434 Spencer Street, Melbourne. | ||
South Australia | Agents: Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd., Worando Buildings, Grenfell St., Adelaide. | ||
Queensland | Agent: Mr. R. J. Norris, Campbell's Building, Creek St., Brisbane. | ||
West Australia | Agents: Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd., Munster House, Murray Street, Perth | ||
New Zealand |
COLLECTING CROWN CRYSTAL GLASS Co. Ltd (AUSTRALIA) |
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It is of interest that glass items produced by Crown Crystal Glass are referred to as depression glass. Although, I will add here, that there are a significant number of online sellers that refer to all second hand glass as depression glass. It is the ignorance and greed of these sellers that confuses the market. That said, it is interesting to see online listings that do not mention the 'depression' period and yet they show up in searches for depression glass, and hence, in many cases it is the selling website rather than the seller that is spreading this misunderstanding. Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. (Australia) definitely produced and sold 'depression glass' which is listed in their 1929 catalogue. However, many of these items were produced and sold right upto the changes in the company in the mid 1960s saw them move into different areas. A glass juicer produced in 1965 is not depression glass. It is, however, definitely pressed glass, a process that basically remained the same throughout the production period. Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. (Australia) produced a range of products including, but not limited to; * Pressed glass household items. This included clear glass, coloured class, carnival (or iridescent) glass, etc. In later years it also included glazed (fired on) coloured glass. * Grimade "Hand Made and Hand Cut Crystal" * Wyhdham "Hand Made and Hand Cut Crystal" * Lighting, including oil lamps, light shades, etc. Of interest is that I was told that Crown Crystal also outsourced the manufacture of hand made light shades to a Newcastle (Australia) company. * Industrial items such as electrical insulators, science laboratory items, etc. * They still continue as Crown Commercial Pty Ltd producing commercial glass ware. |
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Another area of interest is uranium glass. Uranium glass which uses uranium oxide to derive the unique green colour is also referred to vaseline glass (as well as many other terms that are misused). In Australia the use of uranium dioxide, which was always expensive, ceased in 1945(?) due to the war effort. When glass containing uranium dioxide is exposed to UV light the glass turns a bright florescent green. However, Crown Crystal Glass experimented with other additives such as manganese to create the required green colour. While they both glow under UV light when manganese is added the glow is a lime green colour that is much fainter. |
Listed in a 1950s Crown Glassware No. 59 catalogue listing "Products of Crown Crystal Glass Pty. Ltd." and most likely made by Crown Crystal Glass New Zealand as this is where the colour varieties are found, including, white milk glass and red, green, yellow, etc. glazed (or fired on colours). While the clear glass version can be found in Australia I have never seen a coloured version listed or being sold outside of New Zealand. |
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Modified image (Wanted) |
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I have a downloaded copy of the "Crown Crystal Glassware" (August 1932) catalogue which lists "No. 898.-1 pint Graduated Measure" (a jug) on a page with the footnote "MANUFACTURED BY CROWN CRYSTAL GLASS CO. LTD." The problem for me is that it is identical to jugs produced by USA glass maker Hazel Atlas Glass Co. and similar to Anchor Hocking Glass Co. By identical I mean, not just the shape, foot and handle, even the measurements in the illustration in the catalogue are US measurements, that is, 1 pint = 16 ounces rather than the Australian 1 pint = 20 ounces. The jug shape, with measurements, was patented in the USA in 1928 by V. V. Loomis, although to be accurate the patent I sighted included an inner ledge for seating a juicer insert. I am aware of other glassware that was manufactured by Crown Crystal Glass that is the same as glass produced in the USA. Perhaps it was a licenced use of the shapes. Hopefully I will see examples that were sold in Australia and compare them with those in the collection that came from the USA. If found it would be expected that the measurements should be the Australian measurements if they were actually made in Australia and not just imported. |
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I have decided to catalogue all the Crown Crystal Glass items that I have accumulated over the years. I will include catalogue numbers and/or decriptions where possible using the 1932/34 catalogue and the early 1950s catalogue. Click on the image below to go to that page. | |||||
AGEE PYREX to CROWN CORNING |
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From 1932 Crown Crystal has been making Pyrex in Australia labelled Agee Pyrex. Hence is is listed in their catalogues from that period. This catalogue can be viewed and/or downloaded from Internet Achive using https://archive.org/details/Crown10946 | |||||
This is a range of Agee Pyrex listed in the 1938 Queensland Pastoral Supplies P/L catalogue. It is worth noting that the listing numbers match the Crown Crystal Glass catalogue numbers. | |||||
This is a range of Agee Pyrex listed in the 1939 D&W Chandler Ltd. catalogue. They used their own item numbers making it more difficult to match with Crown Crystal Glass catalogue. | |||||
This full page advertisement from titled "Gifts by Crown", Womans Day, December 19, 1966 included a range of Crown Pyrex along with other current glass items. | |||||
I have sighted a sticker on an Agee Pyrex bowl "MADE BY CROWN CRYSTAL GLASS IN CHRISTCHURCH N.Z USING AUSTRALIAN MOULDS BRANDED "MADE IN AUSTRALIA". I assume the sticker was added so that buyers in New Zealand would know they were buying a local product. | |||||
Links to other pages with research on Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. | |
Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. (Australia) | |
Comparing Crown Crystal Glass Co. Ltd. (Australia) Juicers | |
Crown Crystal Lemon Juicers | |
Crown Crystal Lemon Juicers Mould Numbers | |
Crown Crystal Advertising | |
How To Pick The Australian Versions | |
Crown Crystal Glass - Other household glassware |