Most collectors learn to identify Depression glass by pattern long before they learn to identify it by maker, and that’s a reasonable place to start. But once you’re past the basics, knowing which company actually pressed a piece changes how you shop, how you price, and how you spot a mismatched “marriage” of pieces sold as an original set. Depression-era glass houses rarely marked their wares consistently, so maker identification usually comes down to knowing each company’s signature molds, colors, and quirks rather than reading a stamp on the base.
Hazel-Atlas Glass Company
Hazel-Atlas formed in 1902 from a merger of the Hazel Glass Company and the Atlas Glass Company, and by the 1930s it was one of the largest pressed-glass producers in the country. The company is best known among Depression glass collectors for Cameo (“Ballerina”), Florentine, and Royal Lace, and for a distinctive “HA” mark — an H sitting inside an A — that does occasionally show up on the base of pieces, mostly kitchenware rather than dinnerware. Hazel-Atlas glass tends to run heavier than some competitors’ lines, and the company leaned into strong cobalt blue and forest green production that collectors still chase today.
Jeannette Glass Company
Jeannette Glass, based in Jeannette, Pennsylvania, produced some of the most recognizable patterns in the category, including Cherry Blossom, Iris and Herringbone, Adam, and Windsor. Jeannette rarely marked its glass at all, which is part of why Cherry Blossom in particular has such a well-documented reproduction problem — see our guide to Depression glass reproductions and fakes for how to tell 1930s originals from later re-issues. Jeannette favored ultramarine, pink, and Delphite (an opaque pale blue) more heavily than most of its competitors, and Delphite pieces in particular carry a premium today because so little of it survives intact.
Federal Glass Company
Federal Glass operated out of Columbus, Ohio, and produced Madrid, Sharon, Patrician, and Georgian, among others. Federal is one of the few Depression-era makers that regularly marked its glass — look for a small “F” inside a shield near the base. That mark makes Federal pieces easier to authenticate than most, though it also means unmarked reproductions of Federal patterns are easier to catch simply because the mark is missing or wrong.
Anchor Hocking Glass Corporation
Anchor Hocking, formed in 1937 from the merger of the Hocking Glass Company and the Anchor Cap Corporation, produced Mayfair (“Open Rose”), Princess, and Old Colony in huge volume. The company survived the Depression in better shape than many competitors and went on to become one of the dominant American glass manufacturers of the 20th century — the same company that later produced Fire-King, which we cover in our Fire-King jadeite guide. Hocking-era Mayfair in Depression-era pink and blue remains one of the most collected patterns in the category, partly because Anchor Hocking’s molds were sharp and consistent enough that pattern detail reads clearly even on worn pieces.
Indiana Glass Company and U.S. Glass Company
Indiana Glass, based in Dunkirk, Indiana, made Pineapple & Floral, Horseshoe, and the long-running Sandwich pattern, which the company continued producing well past the Depression era — a detail that trips up new collectors who assume every piece of Sandwide-pattern glass is 1930s vintage. U.S. Glass Company, actually a combine of nineteen smaller glass houses that merged in 1891, produced Floral and Diamond Band and Strawberry, among other patterns, under a shared corporate umbrella even though individual factories retained some independence in design.
MacBeth-Evans Glass Company
MacBeth-Evans, based in Pittsburgh with production also in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, produced American Sweetheart and Petalware, among others, and is closely associated with the pale pink “American Sweetheart” color that became one of the defining looks of Depression-era pink glass. The company had roots in lamp chimney and industrial glass production before shifting toward the mass-market pressed tableware that made it a household name during the 1930s, and its glass is generally thinner and lighter than Hazel-Atlas’s more robust output, which is a useful tactile clue when the two companies’ pink glassware ends up side by side.
Imperial Glass Company
Imperial Glass, founded in Bellaire, Ohio, in 1901, straddled several categories at once — it produced genuine Depression-era pressed glass patterns like Diamond Quilted and Cape Cod, but it’s also well known among carnival glass collectors, since Imperial was one of the major carnival glass producers alongside Fenton and Northwood (a connection worth keeping in mind if you’re cross-referencing our carnival glass makers guide). Imperial marked some later production with an “IG” superimposed monogram, though earlier Depression-era pieces are frequently unmarked, same as much of the category.
Manufacturer Quick Reference
| Manufacturer | Years Active | Signature Patterns | Known Mark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hazel-Atlas Glass Co. | 1902-1956 | Cameo, Florentine, Royal Lace | “HA” (H inside A), inconsistent |
| Jeannette Glass Co. | 1900-1983 | Cherry Blossom, Iris, Adam, Windsor | Usually unmarked |
| Federal Glass Co. | 1900-1979 | Madrid, Sharon, Patrician, Georgian | “F” in a shield |
| Anchor Hocking Glass Corp. | 1937-present | Mayfair, Princess, Old Colony | Anchor over “H” (later production) |
| Indiana Glass Co. | 1907-2002 | Pineapple & Floral, Sandwich, Horseshoe | Usually unmarked |
| U.S. Glass Co. | 1891-1963 | Floral and Diamond Band, Strawberry | Varies by factory |
| MacBeth-Evans Glass Co. | 1899-1937 | American Sweetheart, Petalware | Usually unmarked |
| Imperial Glass Co. | 1901-1984 | Diamond Quilted, Cape Cod | “IG” monogram (later production) |
Why the Maker Matters When You’re Buying
Two pieces can look nearly identical at a glance and still come from different companies, different years, and carry very different values — which is exactly the kind of mismatch that turns into an accidental “married” set. Before you buy a serving piece to complete a set, check it against the maker-specific details in our Depression glass identification guide and our patterns guide, and weigh the mold sharpness and color against what you already know about that manufacturer’s typical output. It’s a slower way to shop than trusting a listing title, but it’s the difference between a set that reads as original and one that reads as assembled.
Tip: when two pieces in a “set” have noticeably different glass weight or slightly different color saturation, check the maker before assuming it’s the same production run — different companies made very similar patterns in the same era.
For deeper manufacturer histories, primary-source photographs, and factory records, the Corning Museum of Glass maintains one of the most extensive public archives of American glass manufacturing history, including several Depression-era producers covered here.
