Glass Encyclopedia
Glass Encyclopedia above:Verlys birds glass vase c. 1938
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Verlys Glass: A short explanation The Societe Holophane Francais was set up as a subsidiary of the Holophane Company, USA in a glassworks near Rouen in northern France in 1920, making headlights for vehicles. By 1925 they had expanded into making art glass vases and bowls and established a department for these products, which they named Verlys. Initially they made blown vessels with several layers of glass, smooth on the outside with internal decoration. From 1933 onwards they focussed on high quality press-moulded glass. They produced clear, frosted, opalescent, and coloured items with designs typical of Lalique-style glass of the 1930's, - plants, flowers, birds, fish, and abstract geometrical patterns. Each year they produced a catalog with new designs. Their production normally has a moulded signature "Verlys France" or "Verlys Made in France". In 1935 they established "Verlys of America" with a glassworks in Newark, Ohio. Moulds were supplied from France for the Ohio works, and the same items were made in France and in the USA, although not all the French designs were shared with the American works. Production in both France and the USA declined during the war, as the company focussed increasingly on industrial products. The Verlys range was progressively abandoned in both countries from 1940 until it ceased altogether around 1951-52. In 1955 some of the Verlys molds were leased to the Heisey glassworks, who produced a limited range of Verlys designs until 1957, and then returned the molds. These pieces were not signed. In 1966 the surviving Verlys molds were sold to Fenton Art Glass Company, who produced some items in distinctly different colours to Verlys, and did not use the Verlys name. |
