National Depression Glass Association
Preserving America's Glass Manufacturing Heritage
Libbey Glass Company Advertisements
Libbey Glass began as the New England Glass Company in 1918 in South Boston (Suffolk). For nearly 100 years, the company, and its successor, Libbey Glass, was a major producer of fine cut glass. In 1888, Edward Libbey, son of the original owner, closed the New England plant and moved the Company to Toledo, OH.
In 1903, employee, Michael Owens, developed a technique for making glass bottles, tumblers and chimneys for lamps by machine, instead of by hand. The invention cut labor costs and increased production considerably. Today, the successor to Owens' original machine can produce a million bottles a day.
With the increased popularity of the automobile, and using Michael Owen's invention, the Libbey Glass Company began to produce windshields. You may have heard the name Libbey-Owens-Ford, which until 1993 was the corporate owner of Libbey Glass Company. Now you know where the "Owens" part came from.
The company remains in operation today, as a stand-alone entity. In 2004, Libbey was the United States' largest manufacturer of glass dinnerware, with plants in Louisiana, California, and Ohio, as well as in the Netherlands, Mexico, China, and Portugal.
Click on any of the thumbnail photos to see a larger image.
| Thumbnail | Description of Advertisement |
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Libbey Cut Glass, 1905 |
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Libbey Cut Glass, 1907 |
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Libbey Cut Glass, 1908 |
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Libbey Modern American Glassware, 1941 |
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Libbey Modern American Glassware, 1941 |
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Libbey Hostess Set, Horseless Carriage, 1950 |
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Libbey Hostess Set, Circus, 1952 |
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Libbey Hostess Set, Basketweave, 1952 |
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Libbey New Dimensions, 1956 (Libbey division of Owens-Illinois) |
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Libbey tumblers, 1963 |
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Libbey decorated tumblers, 1970 |