Diane

by Mark A. Nye
Issue No. 123 - July 1983

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following article is the fifth in a series of articles by Mark Nye dealing with the "Cambridge Girls", i.e. those etchings bearing girls' names.

"WE PRESENT FOR OCTOBER: This has never been shown before. An exquisite glass line of domestic manufacture made in full stemware, flatware and dinnerware. The new shape has a fancy pressed stem on which patent is applied for. The decoration shows a floral relief grouped around a medallion. The line is made in crystal and a range of colors"

The preceding, quoted from an advertisement in the October 1931 issue of China, Glass & Lamps, was the caption to a picture of Diane on a No. 3122 goblet and is how the Cambridge Glass Company introduced the etching Diane and the No. 3122 line of stemware.

Diane Etching detail The verbiage is a very good example of how a single reference can be misleading and ambiguous. We now know the No. 3122 line was restricted to stemware and footed tumblers and yet the ad could be interpreted to mean the No. 3122 line included flatware and dinnerware. Does the sentence regarding color availability refer to the stemware or the etching? Without additional information from other sources, a researcher could not tell. As it turns out, both the stemware and the etching were produced in a range of colors, but I am getting ahead of myself and off the main topic of this article.

During the early years, Diane, or plate etching No. 752, was issued by Cambridge on colored blanks using many of the popular Cambridge colors of the era: Willow Blue, Amber, Peach-Blo, Gold Krystol, Forest Green and Heatherbloom. This was, of course, in addition to its use on Crystal ware. Special treatments included gold encrustation on Crystal, Crown Tuscan and to a very limited extent, on Carmen blanks. From 1940 on, Diane was only available on Crystal, plain or gold encrusted and gold encrusted on Crown Tuscan. By the late 1940s and continuing on to the end in 1954, production of Diane was limited to Crystal pieces. Very little Diane in color is found today while Crystal etched Diane is readily available.

During the almost quarter century it was a part of the Cambridge line, Diane was used on at least four complete stemware lines, Nos. 3122, 1055, 3106 and Stradivari. Only the No. 3122 line was used during the entire time, first appearing in the previously cited ad and last listed on the October 1953 price list. Stradivari with the Diane etching is listed on the January 1, 1940 Price List and the Nos. 1055 and 3106 stemware line etched Diane are shown in the 1931 and 1934 sections of the 1930-34 Cambridge Catalog as reprinted by the National Cambridge Collectors, Inc. Also shown in the 1931 section are the No. 3135 footed tumblers etched Diane, as are 6 sham bottom No. 1066 tumblers, all under the page heading "1066 Stemware Plate Etched '752' Diane".

In addition to the 4 complete lines, Diane etched pieces are known from three other stemware lines; cocktails from the No. 3104 line; 6 oz. hollow stem saucer shaped champagnes from the No. 7801 line; and No. 7966 sherries and cordials. The No. 3104 cocktails were found with the No. 1408 60 oz. cocktail mixer or martini pitcher and are in crystal as are the No. 7801 champagnes.

The No. 7966 sherry was available in 1940 as a single item or together with the No. 1321 28 oz. decanter as a 7 piece set. This same set was also offered in the 1953 catalog. The No. 7966 cordial was paired with the No. 1320 14 oz. footed decanter to form a 7 piece cordial set in 1940 but does not appear on the 1953 price list.

Besides the stemware lines and their associated tumblers, assorted other tumblers were etched Diane. From the 3400 line, there is the 3400-41 3 piece frappe set, consisting of a bowl and 1 each of 4 oz. and 5 oz. cocktail tumblers; however, only the bowl is etched, the tumblers being plain. From the same line also come the following tumblers, all etched Diane: 3400-100, 13 oz.; 3400-115, 13 oz.; 3400-38 12 oz.; 3400-38 5 oz.; 3400-92 2½ oz.; 3400-1341 1 oz. cordial tumbler and the 3400-1344 1 oz. cordial tumbler. Three other blown tumbler lines, Nos. 498 (five sizes), 497 (3 sizes) and 321 (3 sizes) were listed in 1940 as being available with the Diane etching. Since readers may not be familiar with the latter tumblers, the shapes are shown on page 33-B-10 of the NCC, Inc. reprint of the 1930-34 Cambridge catalog. Lastly from the 1940 catalog, the Nos. 7801 and 3000 5 oz. footed tumblers were also etched Diane. The Corinth or No. 3900 line contributed 2 additional Diane etched tumblers during the later production years, the 3900-115 13 oz. and the 3900-117 5 oz. tumblers.

Pitchers to be found etched Diane number at least 10. That is right Diane collectors, you are looking for 10 pitchers to complete your sets. From the 1940 Price List come listings for: 3400-100 76 oz. jug with ice lip; 3400-38 80 oz ball shape jug; 3400-141 80 oz. jug; 3400-152, 76 oz. jug (Doulton style); and the No. 103 2 piece nite set, composed of a pitcher and tumbler. The 3400-141 jug, although not listed as such on the 1940 price list, is called a Doulton pitcher by today's collectors. For readers unfamiliar with the two styles of Doulton jugs, the 3400-141 is shown on page 33-B-11 and the 3400-152 on page 34-11 of the NCC reprinted 1930-34 catalog.

With the advent of the Corinth line, five more pitchers joined the Diane family. These are the Nos. 3900-114 Martini jug; 3900-115 76 oz. jug; 3900-116 80 oz. ball jug; 3900-117, 20 oz. jug; and the 3900-118, 32 oz. jug.

Not to be overlooked are Diane etched decanters, cordial bottles and cocktail shakers. The former include Nos. 3400-92 32 oz, decanter; 3400-113, 35 oz. handled decanter; 3400-119, 12 oz. cordial bottle or decanter, all from the ball shaped line. Other Diane decanters are the No. 1321 28 oz. footed decanter; No. 1320, 14 oz. footed decanter; No. 1372 28 oz. decanter with cut stopper polished in; and the No. 1380 26 oz. square decanter. In the grouping of Diane etched cocktail shakers and mixers are found 6 items: No. 1395 cocktail mixers with top spoon; Pristine No. 99 cocktail shaker with chrome top; Pristine No. 101 cocktail shaker with glass top; Nos. 98 and 99 cocktail shakers with chrome tops; and the previously mentioned No. 1408 60 oz. Martini pitcher or cocktail shaker.

The original Diane etched dinnerware utilized No. 3400 line blanks. The place setting pieces offered in 1940 were: 6" bread and butter. 8½" salad plate, 9½" dinner plate, 10½" service plate - all from the round shape; 7½" square salad, 3400-176; cup and saucer; A.D. cup and saucer, 3½" cranberry, 5¼" fruit saucer and a 6" cereal, all from the round shape group. Complimenting these items were: fingerbowls form the stemware lines; Pristine No. 18 2 piece cocktail icer; No. 3600 2 pc. cocktail icer; No. 696-300 3½ oz. 2 piece canapé set; No. 477 corn dish; No. 1534 5" blown nappy or fruit; Martha No. 186 2 piece salad or fruit icer; No. 555 7½" salad plate; and the No. 381 8½" rim soup.

By 1949 Diane etched dinnerware was using Corinth or No. 3900 blanks and the number of available pieces was smaller. The 1949 catalog pictured the 6½" bread and butter, 8" salad, 10½" dinner, cup and saucer and an individual creamer and sugar. Rounding out the place setting pieces were the No. 968 2 piece cocktail icer, No. 3500-15 individual sugar and creamer and the No. 477 corn dish, now called a pickle. The 1953 Price List also offered the 3400-54 cup and saucer.

Returning to the 1940 era, we find Diane listed as being on many other No. 3400 blanks, in addition to the place setting items. A wide assortment of serving, condiment and decorative items were being offered at that time. Included are 5 styles of salt and pepper shakers and 3400-52 butter and cover, 4 styles of oil bottles, 6 candlesticks or candelabra, assorted bowls, plates, bonbons and relishes too numerous to list here.

Gadroon or No. 3500 and Tally-Ho or No.1402 blanks also played an important role in the Diane story. The January 1, 1940 Price List had 34 listings for Diane etched Gadroon and 19 for Tally-Ho. The Tally-Ho offering was limited to 4 large plates, Nos. 1402-28, 29, 101 and 102; salad dressing sets made up from the Nos. 1402-133,137, 95 and 96 twin salad dressing bowls, ladles, small underplates and the Nos. 1402-101 and 1402-102 large plates; and 2 three compartment bowls. Relishes, nappies, comports, and ashtrays made up the bulk of the January 1940 Diane etched Gadroon pieces. Additional Gadroon items included the blown candy box and cover as well as two other covered candy boxes, Nos. 3500-57 and 3500-78.

While on the subject of candies, there are at least 6 other Diane etched candy boxes with covers. These are the: 3400-9 7" candy box and cover; 3121-4 blown candy and cover (low); 3121-3 blown candy and cover (tall); 1066 blown candy and cover (low); and the 3900-138 and 3900-165 candy boxes with lids.

Another item that cannot be ignored is vases, at least 23, as a matter of fact, are to be found etched Diane. These vases range in size from the No. 6004 5" footed vase to the No. 1336 18" vase. Excluding the gold encrusted crystal and Crown Tuscan pieces, the latter vase was the most expensive single piece of Diane offered in January 1940, listing at $12.50 each. On the same price list, Diane stemware was priced at $1.13 a stem and ball jugs at $3.75 each.

As Decoration D-1012, gold encrusted Diane, there were 161 crystal listings on the January 1, 1940 price list. Included were the complete No. 3122 stemware line; many of the 3400 line pieces except that the dinner and service plate, cream soup, cranberry, fruit saucer and cereal were not included; 22 of the 23 vases with only the 18" No. 1336 Diane Urn being omitted, much of the Gadroon described earlier and all the Tally-Ho previously mentioned.

Various Crown Tuscan pieces are also to be found with D-1012. 8 such items are pictured in the 1930-34 catalog reprint and include 3 vases, a console bowl, the 3400-67 12" 3 compartment relish, No. 1066 cigarette holder, No. 1311 4" footed ashtray and the No. 615 cigarette box and cover. No doubt many of the other Crown Tuscan pieces shown were also available with gold encrusted Diane. The January 1940 price list contained a listing of 22 items in Crown Tuscan available with gold decoration, including Diane. Of the 22, fifteen were vases and 1 was the No. 3500-42 covered urn (photo at right). Making up the remaining 6 items was a console bowl, 3 candlesticks, a 3 part relish and the No. 3500-57 8" 3 part candy box and cover.

Regular production of Diane ceased with the initial plant closing in 1954. Catalogs and price lists from the reopen period do not list Diane as being an open stock etching. However, the 1956 price list does state that Diane was available on No. 3122 stemware thru the Inactive Listing Service. This replacement service was limited to stemware, plain, etched or engraved and promised not more than a 6 month delay in receiving ordered pieces. Thus the Diane story closes as it opened, with the 3122 stemware, for the last price list, issued in 1959 omits any reference to the matching service or to Diane.

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