MacBeth Evans Dogwood Pink Depression Glass Sherbet
Doesn’t this look like one of the beautiful brocade etched elegant glass patterns? It is Dogwood depression glass from MacBeth Evans Glass. Depression glass was mass produced during the late 1920s through the 1930s and was inexpensive, sometimes even given away as premiums. People could go to the movies – and spend a nickel for a whole afternoon’s entertainment with two features, cartoons and a newsreel – and get a piece of glass dinnerware as a freebie. Or they could buy a big box of oatmeal and get a piece.
Companies could make the glass so cheaply because the molds were etched, not the individual pieces. That meant the molds were costly but could be used over and over to produce thousands of pieces. (During World War II many molds were melted down for the metal.)
Dogwood was made mainly in pink and in green, with small amounts of yellow, clear and monax white. You can see that it is a pretty pattern and it feels as interesting as it looks. Most of the dogwood pieces are fairly thin glass. The rim on this sherbet is slightly scalloped, which adds just an extra bit of style.