Hamilton

By Leon Harris

Hamilton, a flint pattern of the late 1860s, imitates cut Waterford and also resembles cut glass from the Pittsburgh area. The pattern consists of a band of diamonds, which is, in turn, divided by diamonds. Rays extend above and below the diamond band. Slight variations within some forms of the pattern exist. Spooners can be found with the usual scalloped rim, or with a plain rim. Also, the groove below the diamonds is larger on the spooners with scalloped rims, and the rays at the top differ although this may be due to lack of stretching. The bowls of goblets also differ in shape. Some compotes have a late Bellflower base According to Ruth Webb Lee, fragments of Hamilton were dug up at Sandwich (1). Bill Jenks and Jerry Luna attribute the pattern to the Cape Cod Glass Company(2). No reproductions have been reported. Hamilton is found primarily in clear although Lee reports fragments of the pattern in deep blue found at Sandwich (3). This author has two flint sauce dishes in previously undocumented milk white.
The covered sweetmeat appears to have been made from the butter mold. Various sources list a celery, castor bottles, and a syrup, and once this author once saw an advertisement listing a cake stand for sale. This author found his inspiration to collect Hamilton from the full-plate illustration in Ruth Webb Lee's book (4) and his love for pattern glass from the several pieces received from my grandmother. These items had fascinated me in her corner cupboard from the earliest time I can remember.
I started collecting glass thirty-five years ago.

List of Known Pieces Bases are approximately 3/4 rayed; measurements are to the nearest 1/4 inch.

Bar bottle with bar lip, 10" h, base 4" d
Butter dish, covered, scalloped rim, rayed base, 5" h, 6"d
Champagne, 5"h, 21/2"d
Compote, HS, open, scalloped rim, deep bowl
a. 8" h, 8" d Hamilton base, 4 3/4" d
b. 8" 1/2" 8"d, Bellflower base, 43/4" d
Compote, HS, Shallow bowl
5" h, 7"d, plain stem with rayed, inverted thumbprint base 4 1/4"d
51/2" h, 8" d, rayed stem with rayed, inverted thumbprint base 4" d

Creamer
a. Applied handle, rayed spout, 5 3/4" h, 3 1/4" d base
b. Molded handle, 5 3/4" h, 3"d base

Egg cup 5" h, 21/2" d
Goblet
a. 6" h, 3 1/4"d
b. 6" h, 3 1/2"d
Master Salt, footed, scalloped rim, 2 3/4" h, 1 3/4" d
Sauce, rayed base, scalloped rim, 4" d
a. clear
b. milk white
Spooner

a. straight, 5 1/2" h, 3"d

b. flared, 5 1/2" h, 31/2"d

Sugar bowl, covered, 5 1/2" without cover, 8 1/2" h with cover, 4"d
Sweetmeat, covered
a. HS, stem rayed with concentric rings on base, 4" h without cover, 7
b. LS, footed base, stem rayed with rings on base, 31/4" h without cover, 61/2" h with cover, 6" d
Tumbler
a. Bar, 3'/2" h, 31/4"d
b. Whiskey, 3" h, 23/4"d
c. Handled whiskey, "h, 23/4" d
Water Pitcher, applied handle, 8" h, base 4" d
Wine, 4"h, 2"d

Additionally, the McKearins document a rare hat, and the plain rim spooner in photographs. (5)

References
(1) Ruth Webb Lee, Early American Pressed Glass. Enlarged and Revised Thirty-sixth Edition. Wellesly Hills, Massachusetts: Lee Publications, 1960, pp. 173175.
(2) Bill Jenks and Jerry Luna, Early American Pattern Glass, 1850-1910, Radnor, Pennsylvania: Wallace-Homestead Book Company, 1990, pp.257-258
(3) Lee,p173.
(4) Lee, plate 56, p. 175.
(5) George S. and Helen McKearin, American Glass. New York: Bonanza Books, 1989, p. 405.