H.C. FRY - Drinking service (9) - Crystal

Set of 9 water goblets, height 14.3 cm × diameter 9 cm, in light mouth-blown crystal, acid-etched. The glass features a bowl slightly flared upward, decorated at the top by an acid-etched band depicting floral motifs (roses with stems and thorns) and festooned geometric elements. Just below the floral band, slender parallel vertical incised lines extend down to the base of the bowl. The stem is slender and smooth, connected to a flat circular base. Typical Art Deco / Twentieth Century style (mid-20th century, roughly the 1930s). It bore a paper label later removed by various production washes: H.C. Fry Glass Company. This crystalware was one of the most famous and innovative glass and crystal manufacturers in the United States. Founded in 1901 by Henry Clay Fry in Rochester, Pennsylvania, the company marked a golden era in American glassmaking before closing its doors in 1933 due to the Great Depression. Today Fry-signed pieces are considered true collector’s treasures. Fry recruited European glassmasters (including many Swedes, Germans, and Italians) and produced iconic pieces, such as a monumental crystal replica of the Liberty Bell in 1905. The Decline and Closure (1925–1933): Despite notable innovations and a peak of over a thousand employees, the company faced financial difficulties, worsened by patent disputes (notably with Pyrex manufacturers). After the founder’s death in 1929 and the worsening economic crisis, the glassworks permanently ceased production in 1933.