The Federal Glass company was established in Ohio, United States, by George and Robert Beatty. It produced a unique type of Glass in mass use in the United States in the mid-20th century. The company began operation in 1900 and ceased production in 1979. The Federal Glass is always called Depression glass, but the two are not the same. Federal Glass Company was among the companies tagged with depression glassware. Depression glass was a specific type of glass pattern production company (including the federal company glass). Depression glass is glassware made in the period 1929–1939, often clear or colored translucent machine-made glassware at low cost, in the United States and Canada around the time of the Great Depression. Most of these companies ceased operation due to the Economic depression in the USA in the mid of 20th century. Hence, the named depression glass.
Around the 1920s, Federal Company was considered a giant and most popular distributor of Depression glass. Depression glass is specially patterned Glass considered molded with high-quality material that has a beautiful design and is sold cheaply. The company produced tableware, including tumblers, plates, bowls, toothpicks, jars, mugs, etc. It also made many ‘institutional’ glassware for hotels, restaurants, and bars.
The company’s hallmark is widely known. Its official mark is an F inscribed in a shield and usually located at the bottom of many of its glassware. The company sold millions of glass pieces within its years of operation and set up more operating plants in cities like West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.
The company started with only tumblers, and by 1906 it was listed as a manufacturer of bottles and jars. By 1914, the company had added more fashionable design glassware patterns to its catalog. It was only flinted Glass at this time, no colored glass. The company, at this time, sources most of its molds from other manufacturers and imitates their patterns, the US Glass company especially.
By the 1920s, the company had improved and was way above most of its competitors, it embarked on making complete sets of tableware, and its patterns were typical Depression glass at this time. Among its production at the time are; Colonial fluted, Raindrops, Patrician, parrot, Georgian, Mayfair, and Diana.
By the 1940s, the company was massively in production, became a priority for almost every household in the United States, and even had international recognition. It continued making pressed Glass like the Pattern Avenue, Heritage, Star, and even the heat-proof sets decorated with gold.
Unfortunately, despite its prolific production, the company started having internal issues years later and eventually went bankrupt. It officially closed in 1979 and sold most of its mold to Indiana Glass Company.