Bryce Brothers
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GLASS<br />
BRYCE<br />
BROTHERS<br />
ANIMAL<br />
COVERED <br />
DISHES*<br />
IDENTIFICATION GUIDE<br />
*CHICKENS NOT INCLUDED<br />
<br />
JENNIFER PATTON
ABOUT ME<br />
Hi! My name is Jen and this is a little bit about myself. First, I must say this project was a lot of fun.<br />
Like a book from my gradeschool years lol. I don’t know if children today still do book reports, but when<br />
I was in school, they were required and boy did I dread reading the assigned books then having to<br />
summarize them! I loved reading books that interested me and hopefully this will interest you. I created<br />
it for anyone that needs help with identification. For the novice glass collectors that buy animal covered<br />
dishes because they fall in love with the way they look or the type of animals they are, or simply for<br />
their colors. For the avid collectors who enjoy buying a few of each animal regardless of the maker. For<br />
the veteran collectors who may have hundreds of glass dishes who never cease to amaze me with their<br />
beautiful collections. For the people that have inherited or purchased someone’s entire collection or<br />
part of a collection and need help to identify things. For the people like me that are meticulous about<br />
every detail needing to label things and just absolutely need to know the whats, whens, whos, hows and<br />
whys of the animal dishes they own. For me, what started with one Asian yellow stained glass bunny on<br />
a nest, has flourished into a full blown collection of hundreds of mixed and matched animal covered<br />
“candy” dishes of all glass types and colors. No particular glass maker, just everything I can’t live<br />
without. LOL. Anyone that knows me would tell you that I stop at nothing, studying book after book<br />
searching for answers about my own glass animals until I find them. I have never been satisfied with a<br />
mystery….unless it involves me watching Columbo, my lifelong favorite television program! I am a<br />
mystery solver... a true detective. I get this from my Mother, Cindy -Sultana- Wheatley. I need to get to<br />
the bottom of a piece of unidentified glass. It drives me bananas not to know everything I can about<br />
each piece that I own. Next, I will tell you that the monetary value of my glassware means nothing to<br />
me. I collect it because I love it. However, unique and rare is always a find! Sure, like every collector, I<br />
love a bargain and have had to pass up many pieces that I could not afford. Ooooh the ones that got<br />
away. They haunt me. I can assure you that when I get a new addition to my collection, it has found its<br />
forever home. Someone before me and usually possibly before them owned these animal covered<br />
dishes making a kind of history that I can only imagine in my mind, its importance to each person. There<br />
is a reason behind every single glassware in every single dwelling. Glass symbolizes many things. It is<br />
proudly displayed. It is important to the person who owns it. I enjoy seeing the happiness glassware<br />
brings to people, especially these animal covered dishes. Who doesn’t love animals? I also enjoy seeing<br />
my collection knowing these pieces of history live on and hope that when I am long gone, they will be in<br />
other homes. My glass brings me peace; most peaceful in the evenings when the cabinet lights are on<br />
and the glass does its natural thing; what it was intended to do since the day it was made...look pretty! <br />
To me, it is reminiscent of having a year round Christmas Tree. Glass is AMAZING! I am a country girl<br />
through and through. I love all things nature. I am an avid bird watcher and an all around animal lover. I<br />
live in the beautiful state of Kentucky with my husband and our two dogs, Monkey and Johnnie, who by<br />
the way, is named after my all time favorite singer, Johnny Cash.
Glass Animal Covered Dishes © Jennifer Patton<br />
glass animal covered dishes<br />
by Jennifer Patton:<br />
BRYCE BROTHERS<br />
copyright © 2022 by Jennifer Patton<br />
All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced without<br />
written permission from the copyright holders.<br />
No parts of this work may be reproduced for financial gain by anyone<br />
other than the copyright holders.
© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton<br />
Page 1<br />
<strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong><br />
The formation of <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> was complex. It began as <strong>Bryce</strong>, McKee and<br />
Company in 1850 which was made up of James, Robert and John <strong>Bryce</strong><br />
along with James and Frederick McKee. The McKee brothers left in 1854 to<br />
establish F&J Mckee which would later become McKee Glass Company.<br />
1865: The Walkers joined <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> and the name was changed to<br />
<strong>Bryce</strong>, Walker & Company.<br />
1879: John <strong>Bryce</strong> left to begin his own glass company: <strong>Bryce</strong>, Higbee and<br />
Company (1879-1907).<br />
1885: <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> Company was formed when they built a factory in<br />
the small town of Hammondville, PA near Westmoreland County.<br />
In the mid to late 1880's, <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> produced Fly Pickle Dish and<br />
"Doghouse" toothpick holder in Amber, Crystal, Blue, Amethyst and<br />
Canary. I am not covering the Doghouse. You can view it here:<br />
https://www.eapgs.org/patterns/full-images.php?idx=48778&pat=2964<br />
1891: Merged with U.S. Glass combine. It was known as Factory 'B' while<br />
part of the U.S. Glass Company combine in Pittsburgh, PA.<br />
1893: Andrew and James McDonald renew operations of <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong>.<br />
1893: Partners Andrew and James McDonald <strong>Bryce</strong> purchased the<br />
bankrupted Smith-Brudewold Glass Company (1892-1893) factory and<br />
its contents for around 52K. This was also in Hammondville, Pa.<br />
1896: The <strong>Bryce</strong> brothers relocated to property they had purchased in<br />
Mount Pleasant, PA. Mount Pleasant is a small borough (only 640 acres)<br />
in Westmoreland County, PA.<br />
1897: <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> transferred the deed to <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> Company.<br />
Between 1898-1952, many sons and grandsons of James <strong>Bryce</strong> carried<br />
on <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong>, the oldest manufacturer of fine hand blown, and<br />
hand cut leaded crystal in the U.S.<br />
They remained in business until purchased in 1965 by<br />
Lenox Incorporated Glass.<br />
Visit the Mount Pleasant Glass Museum at:<br />
402 East Main Street,<br />
Mount Pleasant, PA 15666
© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton<br />
Page 2<br />
bRYCE <strong>Brothers</strong> FLY<br />
<strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong> Fly Pickle Dish was produced in the mid to late 1880's. It was<br />
offered in Crystal, Amber, Blue, Amethyst and Canary.<br />
8 1/4" long x 6 1/4" wide x 1 1/2" high. No known reproductions.<br />
Blue Fly photos courtesy of Paula Husky<br />
Photo of all colors is courtesy of<br />
Dave Peterson<br />
You can view more at: https://www.eapgs.org/patterns/full-images.php?idx=9334&pat=571
© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton<br />
Page 3<br />
BRYCE BROTHERS<br />
BIBLIOGRAPHY: <strong>Bryce</strong> <strong>Brothers</strong>:<br />
Interview with Paul Kirk Jr., Author of Homestead Glass Works: <strong>Bryce</strong>,<br />
Higbee & Company, 1879-1907-FLY COLORS<br />
Online: Glass Mug Collecting: <strong>Bryce</strong> Beaded Handle Set | That Which We<br />
Have Heard & Known (thefunstons.com)<br />
Online: https://www.eapgs.org-DOGHOUSE<br />
Article: Glass Mug Collecting: <strong>Bryce</strong> Beaded Handle Set by Eric Funston<br />
January 29, 2012-HISTORY BY ERIC/HISTORY BY CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF<br />
PITTSBURGH VIA ERIC<br />
Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<strong>Bryce</strong>_Brother<br />
Thank you for your permissions!<br />
Paul Kirk Jr.<br />
ALL photo contributors