Doesn’t this look like New Years fireworks? It’s Lido by Fostoria, one of my favorite etches. I can’t ever decide which is my very favorite – because I like so many – but Lido is always near the top of my heart.
Lido is such a happy pattern; I smile every time I see it.
Fostoria Lido Etched Crystal Sherbet – Vintage Stemware
Fostoria made Lido etched crystal at the tail end of the depression, through the mid 1950s, a time of great change. America and the rest of the world were slowly coming out of the depression at the end of the 1930s. The 1940s saw us in World War II, then the post war optimism and growth.
The 1930s and early 1940s were difficult for makers of high-end, discretionary goods like Fostoria. Fostoria was never viewed as quite in the top tier of glass makers, yet they were far too expensive for the average Joe to afford. Like many companies in that situation, Fostoria turned to the gift market, appealing to new brides and the upper middle market. Fostoria was one of the top marketing companies in the glass and china markets, with on-trend products and targeted advertising. The tactic worked, allowing Fostoria to thrive through the 1950s (when competitors Heisey and Tiffin went under) and into the mid-1980s.
As a result, we have far more patterns of Fostoria stemware to enjoy than almost any other American glass company. Yet Lido keeps its special appeal.