PYREX

We’ve bought, sold and seen Pyrex more times than we could count, but we had never stopped to find out how it all started. We finally did, and there was so much we didn’t know that we had to share it with you.

It’s always GOOD TO KNOW more about the vintage we love.

From railroad lanterns to the kitchen

Pyrex goes all the way back to the early 1900s, when Corning was developing heat-resistant glass for railroad signal lanterns. The glass needed to withstand drastic temperature changes without breaking, and eventually that same technology found its way into the kitchen.

A Corning physicist named Jesse Littleton brought home a sawed-off glass battery jar for his wife, Bessie, to try for baking. She baked a sponge cake in it, it worked, and that experiment helped lead to Pyrex cookware hitting the market in 1915.

Then came the colorful bowls

The Pyrex in those early kitchens looked nothing like the colorful pieces we hunt for today. It was clear heat-resistant glass. The big change came in 1945, when Pyrex introduced its first colored opalware mixing bowl set with four nesting bowls in yellow, green, red and blue. The entire set sold for $2.50!

The patterns followed in the 1950s. Pink Daisy and Snowflake arrived in 1956, followed by Butterprint and Gooseberry in 1957. Some patterns were made for years while others were produced for much shorter periods, including special promotional pieces.

Made to work hard

Pyrex was designed to work hard in the kitchen, too. Cinderella bowls, introduced in 1957, have those wider sides for a reason. One could be used as a handle while the other worked as a pouring spout. Even some of the clear casserole lids were designed to do more than cover the dish. Turn them upside down and they could be used as a trivet or serving piece.

More Pyrex collections and vintage inspiration

Colorful collections to love

When you’re sourcing, flip it over

Vintage American Pyrex is often marked PYREX in all capital letters, while newer pieces may use the lowercase pyrex logo. Capitalization alone doesn’t determine the age, though, so look at the entire mark, model number, size and shape together.

More than 100 years later, we’re still using, collecting and hunting for Pyrex, and now we know its story started long before all those colorful bowls we recognize today.

Show us your Pyrex!

We want to see everyone’s Pyrex! Show us what you have in the comments on our original Facebook post because now we’re going to find our next set! 😂

💜💚 If this was GOOD TO KNOW, like the Facebook post and we’ll keep sharing more!

Photos shown are not our own and are shared for educational purposes.

Explore the history: Jesse and Bessie Littleton, the original Primary Colors bowls, and Pyrex in the 1950s.