"Mary Gregory", allegedly the artist who created all of these pieces, was supposed to have been a glass decorator working for the Boston & Sandwich Company; a spinster, she apparently expressed her idealized love of children and Victorian life on thousands of pieces of decorative glass.
Recent research into the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company, by industry experts Joan Kaiser and Raymond Barlow, finds little of this popular legend is actually true. The Boston and Sandwich Glass Company had gone out of business five years before the first "Mary Gregory" glass appeared on the market. Although a Mary Gregory had once been employed there, she did not use children in her decorations, but rather specialized in landscapes and winter scenes.
Nonetheless, the glassware immediately became popular both in the United States and in Europe, where it appeared at roughly the same time from a number of manufacturers. Its charm and quaint depictions of idyllic children drew a warm response from sentimental Victorians. The better quality glassware competed favorably with other types of 19th and early 20th century glass, such as mercury glass, Tiffany, Loetz, Bohemian and Moser glassware.
Today, perfect pieces of Mary Gregory glass can be found at a variety of sources, but you will no doubt pay a premium for the best condition. In addition, modern reproductions are being made by the Fenton Glass Company, so extra care must be taken to be sure you are buying authentic, vintage Mary Gregory. Recent offerings on the web indicated that old Mary Gregory pieces ranged from $295 for a lime-green vase to $800 for an especially lovely lusterware lemonade set. A comparable Fenton reproduction will run about $125.
One distinguishing hallmark of the original Mary Gregory glass is that it was mold-blown and will have a pontil mark on the bottom. Newer pieces may be pressed glass or machine-blown. In fact, the older pieces may seem to be of poorer quality glass. The older pieces will have the enamel work painted in several delicate layers with greater intricacy of detail than the newer pieces. Some European manufacturers added a touch of color to the faces, but not all did. Vases often were made as pairs, commonly used on mantels and consoles, so if you find one, look for its mate.
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