Verlys (France, USA), glass

Verlys, a French glassmaking company, was established in 1920 as a subsidiary of the Holophane Company of America. Initially focused on manufacturing vehicle headlights, the company expanded its operations in 1925 to include the production of art glass vases and bowls. They named this department Verlys, derived from a combination of the French word "verre" (meaning "glass") and the town of "Andelys," where their French factory was located.

In its early years, Verlys primarily crafted blown vessels with multiple layers of glass, featuring smooth exteriors and internal decorations. However, from 1933, they shifted their focus to producing high-quality press-moulded glass. Their range consisted of clear, frosted, opalescent, and coloured items, featuring designs typical of Lalique-style glass from the 1930s. These designs included plants, flowers, birds, fish, and abstract geometric patterns. Each year, Verlys released a catalogue showcasing new designs. Their glassware usually bore a moulded signature of more... "Verlys France" or "Verlys Made in France."

In 1935, Verlys established "Verlys of America" and opened a glassworks in Newark, Ohio. Molds were supplied from France to the Ohio facility, allowing for the production of similar items in both countries. However, not all French designs were replicated in the American works. Additionally, Verlys leased some of their moulds to other glass companies such as Heisey and Fenton, who produced limited runs of Verlys-inspired glassware. During the war, production declined in both France and the USA as Verlys increasingly focused on industrial products.

The Verlys range gradually diminished in both countries starting from 1940 and ultimately ceased production in the USA in 1951-52 and in France in the early 1960s. In 1955, Heisey glassworks leased some of the remaining Verlys molds, producing a limited range of Verlys designs until 1957 before returning the moulds. These pieces were not signed. In 1966, Fenton Art Glass Company acquired the surviving Verlys moulds but produced items in distinctly different colours and did not use the Verlys name. less...