The Imperial Glass Company was established in 1901. In 1904, Imperial moved into a new facility on the river in Bellaire, Ohio, where they remained in business until 1984. In the early years, Imperial was one of the major producers of "Carnival glass," along with Northwoood, Millersburg, Fenton and Dugan (Diamond). Imperial produced many different types of products, including glass animals, opalescent glass, milk glass, black glass, slag glass, and tableware. The two best selling and longest produced dinnerware patterns were "Candlewick" and "Cape Cod." Other patterns of note included "Crocheted Crystal" and "Laced Edge" (sometimes called "Katy Blue)."
Imperial began producing reproduction Carnival glass in the 1960s. They also acquired other glass companies including A. H. Heisey in 1958 and Cambridge Glass Company in 1960. Using the old molds, Imperial continued to produce Heisey and Cambridge designs marketed as Heisey or Cambridge "by Imperial." Lenox bought the company in 1973, and business continued to decline, due to foreign competition and changing tastes of buyers, and Lenox finally shut down the factory in 1983 and liquidated assets in 1984.
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