Jacob's Ladder

By John and Alice Ahlfeld

Collections have strange ways of beginning. When we were first becoming interested in pattern glass, we recognized a Jacob 's Ladder relish dish being used at a family gathering. When mother was told of its status as an antique, it was relegated to the china cupboard, and we were told that, as collectors, we would receive it as part of our inheritance. That relish dish is now part of our extensive Jacob 's Ladder collection.

Jacob 's Ladder is a very popular pattern. As collectors, we've been seeking it for about 25 years; as dealers, we've probably sold more pieces in it than in any other pattern. Many forms are readily available, and a useable set can be collected with a bit of diligence. However, there are also elusive pieces, and one never knows what will turn up in color, so the hunt can be a lifetime challenge.

The pattern glass literature includes a consensus on some of the pattern's history. In addition to Jacob's Ladder, it has been called Imperial and Maltese. It was designed by John Bryce and patented as Imperial on June 13, 1876. It appeared in U.S. Glass Company catalogues as late as 1907, so it was obviously popular over a relatively long period of time.

We have colorless pieces in the forms listed below. We'd like to know about others. Dimensions are given where there is more than one size or to further define the form. All dimensions are to the nearest 1/8", though there will be minor variations among pieces which most collectors would consider to be the same size. Also, pieces such as cakestands and compotes are often tilted and therefore slightly higher on one side than the other. Dimensions are measured to the greatest extremities, i.e. they include handles and scallops on the rims. "d" indicates diameter; "h" indicates height. Lids have Maltese Cross finials, and stoppers are in the form of a Maltese Cross.

Bottle footed, w/stopper
Bowl Oval, 55/8" x 73/4"
Oval, 63/4" X 9%1)
Oval, 6" x 83/4"
Oval, 73/8"x 103/4"
Butter
Cakestand
10 7/8"d, 53/4"h
9 1/2"d, 47/8"h
Castor Bottle w/stopper
Castor Jar w/ metal cap
Castor Shaker w/metal cap
Celery
Compote, covered
6 3/4"d base, 6 5/8"h, 10"h w/lid
7 1/2"d base, 5 3/8"h, 9 3/8"h w/lid
7 1/2"d base, 7 1/2"h, 113/s"h w/lid
8 5/8"d base, 5 3/4"h, 10 1/4"1h w/lid
8 5/8"d base, 8 3/8"h, 12 3/4"h w/lid
9 1/2"d base, 9"h, 13 7/8"h w/lid
Compote, open
10 5/8"d, 8 1/9"h
7 3/8"d, 6"h
8 1/8"d, 7"h
8"d, 4 5/8"h
9 1/4"d, 7 3/8"h
9 7/8"d, 5"h
Compote, open, Dolphin Standard
Creamer
Cruet
Footed, applied handle, w/stopper
Goblet
Honey Dish
3 3/4"d
Marmalade Jar w/glass cover
Master Salt
Mug, w/applied handle
Pickle Dish
Pitcher, water, w/applied handle
Plate
6 3/8"d
Sauce, flat
4 1/2"d
5 3/4"d
Sauce, footed
4 1/2"d
Spooner
Sugar,covered
Sweetmeat Dish, covered, pedestal
Syrup,
Applied handle, extended pouring lip on cap
Applied handle, pointed finial, pouring lip inside cap
Molded handle, knight's head finial, pouring lip inside cap
Tumbler
Wine

One of the challenges in Jacob's Ladder is to find colored pieces, or to even know what colored pieces exist or were ever made. It does not seem that all pieces were made in color, or that a set could be collected in any one color. We have the following:

Blue - Celery, flat sauce, pickle dish, plate
Amber - Celery, flat sauce, pickle dish, plate
Vaseline - Celery, flat sauce
Amethyst- plate
Pale Ice Blue (discoloration or intended color)flat sauce

We also have a pale green honey dish in which the design is crude and the glass is filled with small bubbles. Is this old, or a later imitation? Finally, one of the books of Bill Heacock pictures a blue cruet. What else is out there in colored Jacob 's Ladder?

We also have two flint glass bowls which are a variation of Jacob's Ladder. They are similar to the standard pattern, except that the columns of diamonds are five diamonds wide instead of the usual three, the scallops on the rims are vertical, and the glass has the usual heavy weight and beautiful ring of flint. One bowl is 9"d and 2 1/8"h, the other is the same size but has a glass peg on the bottom to fit into a metal basket.

There is a pattern known as Late Jacob's Ladder. We consider this to be a separate pattern. It is a much coarser pattern. The diamonds do not have the cross hatching of Jacob 's Ladder, but instead protrude in a point. Does anyone have an extensive collection of Late Jacob 's Ladder?

We expect to write a Jacob 's Ladder pattern profile which will have more detail than this article. To make it as thorough as possible, we'd like to hear from any of you who have more information. If you know of other forms or other sizes or of other colored pieces, let us know, preferably with documentation (i.e. photographs) which we can include in the repository of pattern profiles. Also, if you have information on Jacob's Ladder in trade catalogues or literature other than the standard pattern glass references, we'd like to receive photocopies.

Please send any correspondence on Jacob's Ladder to John and Alice Ahlfeld, 2634 Royal Road, Lancaster, PA 17603. Thank you!