Etching Identification and Information Page

We are trying to provide a good photograph of commonly found etched patterns, made by Fostoria, Cambridge, Tiffin, New Martinsville, Heisey, Duncan and Miller, etc. We believe that it is useful to have a catalog of these patterns available to the on-line community. This page is a work in progress, as we will be continually adding to it as we find or create good pattern shots. You can use the table of contents (below) to jump to a specific section. Enjoy!

Fostoria "June"

This first pattern is Fostoria's "June". This was, and is, one of Fostoria's most popular patterns. It is sometimes confused with a later Fostoria pattern known as "Romance", as both patterns consist of a large bow, surrounded by flowers. To see a side-by-side comparison of "June" and "Romance", go to our pattern comparison page. The years of general production of pieces of Fostoria's "June" were:

Topaz (yellow): 1929-1938
Gold Tint (yellow): 1938-1944
Rose (pink): 1928-1944
Azure (blue): 1928-1944
Crystal: 1928-1952

Notice that the yellow color underwent a name change in 1938. All indications are that the formula was the same and only the name of the color changed in Fostoria literature. Note also that there was a Fostoria "Replacement Service" for stemware in "June" which was offered once a year, in the winter, from the time the pattern was discontinued up to about 1960. One final note: although crystal "June" was produced over a long period of time, it was apparently not a big seller, as it is relatively scarce today. The most popular colors are pink and blue. Not surprising, the most expensive colors are also pink and blue, followed by crystal, and then by yellow. Yellow "June" is one of the better bargains in Elegant glassware.

All stemware for the "June" pattern was produced on a single Fostoria blank, Number 5098 (some authors use 5298). That blank is illustrated in the picture further along on this page comparing Fostoria's goblet, claret and wine sizes. The stemware in the illustration is the "June" pattern in crystal.

Fostoria "Versailles"

This next pattern is Fostoria's "Versailles". This was, and is, one of Fostoria's most popular patterns. It was manufactured during the same time period as the "June" pattern, and was also made in four colors, three of which were the same as "June". The years of general production of pieces of Fostoria's "Versailles" were:

Topaz (yellow): 1929-1938
Gold Tint (yellow): 1938-1944
Rose (pink): 1928-1944
Azure (blue): 1928-1944
Green: 1928-1944

Notice that the yellow color underwent a name change in 1938, for this pattern, too. Note also that there was a Fostoria "Replacement Service" for stemware in "Versailles" which was offered once a year, in the winter, from the time the pattern was discontinued up to about 1960. The most popular colors are pink and blue, and, this should come as no surprise, the most expensive colors, as in Fostoria's "June", are pink and blue, but for "Versailles" we also add green, and then yellow. Yellow "Versailles" may be the best bargain in Elegant glassware. "Versailles" was not made in crystal. It appears that there was not a lot of "Versailles" produced in green, either, as that color tends to be fairly scarce in today's market.

Stemware for the "Versailles" pattern was produced on two different Fostoria blanks, Number 5098 and 5099. Only the yellow color was produced on the 5099 blank, while the other three colors of "Versailles" were made on the 5098 blank, the same one used for "June".

Fostoria "Kashmir"

Here we have Fostoria's "Kashmir" etching. This very attractive pattern was manufactured during the same time period (though not for as long) as "June" and "Versailles", but did not match the popularity of those patterns. The years of general production of pieces of Fostoria's "Kashmir" were:

Topaz (yellow): 1931-1934
Azure (blue): 1931-1934
Green : 1931-1934

The most popular color in this pattern for collectors is yellow, simply because there is a lot more of it around. Actually, the blue pieces tend to be pricier than their counterpart in yellow, but that is due to scarcity and collector demand. Green pieces are few and far between in "Kashmir", and pricing is all over the place with green, because of its scarcity. Actually, "Kashmir" is not seen as often as some of Fostoria's other etched patterns, probably because it was not produced for as long a period of time.

Stemware for the "Kashmir" pattern was produced on both Fostoria blank number 4120 and blank number 5099. Some of the pieces on the 5099 blank are illustrated in this link, but we do not yet have a photograph of "Kashmir" on the 4120 blank.

Fostoria"Trojan"

This next pattern is Fostoria's "Trojan". The pattern was manufactured during the same time period as the "June" and "Versailles" patterns, but did not match the popularity of "June" or "Versailles". The years of general production of pieces of Fostoria's "Trojan" were:

Topaz (yellow): 1929-1938
Gold Tint (yellow): 1938-1944
Rose (pink): 1928-1935

Notice that the yellow color underwent a name change in 1938, for this pattern, too. Note also that there was a Fostoria "Replacement Service" for stemware in "Trojan" which was offered once a year, in the winter, from the time the pattern was discontinued up to about 1960. The most popular color in this pattern for collectors is yellow, simply because there is a lot more of it around. Actually, the pink pieces tend to be quite a bit higher than their counterpart in yellow, but that is due to scarcity (fewer years of production) and collector demand.

Stemware for the "Trojan" pattern was produced only on Fostoria blank Number 5099, in both colors. To see the general shape of these stems follow this link to see the "Kashmir" stems pictured on the same 5099 blank.

Fostoria "Chintz"

This is Fostoria's "Chintz" pattern. It is an all over pattern, consisting of vines and small roses. The pattern is often confused with a number of other patterns made by different companies. Click on the photograph of the tray or of the goblet and you'll see an enlarged set of photographs that enable you to see the whole pattern. The shape of the goblet, on Fostoria's #6016 stemware blank, is enough to distinguish it from any of the other patterns that "Chintz" is often confused with.

"Chintz" was manufactured from 1940 to 1970. Not all pieces were made for the full thirty years. In fact, some were made for only a very short time, making them fairly pricey. Dinnerware was done on Fostoria's "Baroque" blank, and unfortunately, the "Chintz" dinner plate measures only 9 1/2" in diameter - a bit small for today's table. Nevertheless, this is one of Fostoria's most beautiful patterns, and the goblet design is a work of art.

New Martinsville patterns - Identification

These three patterns by New Martinsville are commonly found, but until recently, there were no books which showed the patterns and identified them by name and manufacturer.

New Martinsville "Prelude"
New Martinsville "Meadow Wreath"
New Martinsville "Florentine"

The thumbnails are somewhat difficult to see, so click on each to see a larger image of the pieces illustrated. All three patterns were introduced in the 1930's, in crystal only, and they were continued into the 1950's, after New Martinsville Glass Company changed their name to Viking Glass Company. You can find a good listing of pieces in "Prelude" in Gene Florence's book "Collectible Glassware of the 40's, 50's and 60's", Fifth edition.

Comparison of Fostoria glassware sizes

Fostoria #5098 Goblet, Claret and Wine

This first picture is intended to show you the difference between the goblet, claret and wine in Fostoria stemware.

When the glass was manufactured, Prohibition was in effect. The tallest "goblet" that was sold by Fostoria was referred to as a "water goblet", because, of course, one wouldn't put wine in it during Prohibition. This goblet has a 10 ounce capacity, and in today's world it is principally used to serve wine.

The smallest stem, on the right, was the "wine", and it was only intended for use for "sacramental wine". Yeah, right. But for quite a while, this was the only size "wine" that was sold. The capacity is a very tiny 3 ounces. Today, the "wine" would likely be used to serve dessert wine.

In the middle, you'll see the "claret". This size was probably made for distribution on the west coast, since today that's where most of them are found for some reason. The capacity is a more respectable 4 ounces. It was intended for use (after Prohibition was repealed) to hold a "claret" or blended French red wine. Today, it has a similar use, although due to its scarcity (and resulting high price), most people don't bother to add this size to their collection. Clarets, in most Fostoria etched patterns, tend to run over $100 each. A lot to pay for a four ounce wine...

The picture illustrates Fostoria's "June" pattern and stemware line #5098. The relative sizes are similar in other Fostoria stemware lines, although the shapes of the pieces will vary. For example, here are the same three stems in Fostoria's "Meadow Rose" pattern. And here is a photograph of pieces of Fostoria's #5099 stemware line in Fostoria's topaz "Kashmir" etching. The stems in the "Kashmir" picture are, left to right, tall sherbet, iced tea, oyster cocktail, low sherbet, goblet, cocktail.

The 5098 and 5099 are the two principal stemware lines used for most of Fostoria's colored etched patterns. There are some other stems which were used, but for less popular (and harder to find) patterns. And not all stemware lines had both the claret and wine sizes.

Fostoria #5098 High Sherbet, Cocktail and Claret

Sometimes folks get a bit confused with the three stems illustrated in this photograph. When you see a picture of the pieces set side-by-side, you should be easily able to distinguish the "claret" from the other two pieces, since the "claret" looks a whole lot like a miniature version of the "goblet", while the other two pieces have a completely different bowl shape.

Notice that the "high sherbet" and "cocktail" have a flattened bowl. They are shaped very much alike, but the "cocktail" is simply a smaller size. The "high sherbet" is also called a "saucer champagne" or just "champagne" by some collectors, but the original Fostoria name was "high sherbet".

We've seen folks identify the "high sherbet" on eBay as a "claret", so this photograph was created partly for the purpose of illustrating the difference. Both the "high sherbet" and the "claret" are 6" in height, but the bowl shape and capacity ("claret" - 4oz, "high sherbet - 6oz) differentiate the two pieces. This photograph illustrates the "June" pattern in crystal, but the size comparison applies to all Fostoria stems. Refer to the pages immediately following the "Fairfax" pattern in Gene Florence's "Elegant Glassware of the Depression Era" (any edition), as he carefully illustrates all of the different stemware sizes in Fostoria's stemware lines.

Fostoria #5098 footed water andparfait

This picture illustrates the difference between the "footed water" and the "parfait" in Fostoria's stemware lines. These two pieces have the same 5 1/4" height, but differ in capacity. The water has a 9oz capacity, while the parfait is thinner and has only a 6oz capacity.

The major difference between the two sizes is PRICE!!

The footed water is almost always priced at less than HALF the price of the parfait. The parfait is definitely scarce (I use that term as opposed to rare, which is an overused term, in my opinion).

The best method to be sure which size you have is to fill the piece to the top with water, then dump the water into a measuring cup and read the results. If there is 9 ounces of water, you have a footed water. If there is 6 ounces, then you have a parfait. You can also measure across the top of the piece -- the parfait is about 2 1/2" in diameter, the water is about 3" in diameter.

Fostoria #5099 footed tumblers

This picture shows you five pieces of Fostoria's #5099 stemware, in this case, the footed tumblers. The characteristic "deco" stem of the #5099 line is not as apparent on the footed tumblers. The largest tumbler, the iced tea, is shown in the "Kashmir" etch, while the other pieces are all the plain "topaz" colored stemware of the #5099 stemware line. The footed tumblers are of similar relative size in Fostoria's #5098 stemware line, but the shape of the bowl is different, and you can see that by the illustrations of other pieces in the #5098 line shown elsewhere on this page. Note also that the "parfait" has a short (approximately 1 inch) stem with the three "cascades" typical of the goblets in the #5099 line, while on the #5098 line, the "parfait" looks like all of the other footed tumblers.

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Elegant Depression Era Glassware

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