The Imperial Glass 12 ounce Soda with handle

Not a very glamorous title is it? It might no be glamorous, but it IS exciting here at Emporium. There is a line of glassware called "Fountainware" and it was made for bars and diners, the fountain part of name referring the soda fountain machines that would serve up your phosphates, fizzes, and floats in a heavy, sturdy glass.

Imperial has helped us determine that intended use of this item by it's very direct name: 12 ounce soda with handle. Up until the 1970's when all the rules started going out the window, we had a dish, utensil, and glass for every situation. And if you were entertaining, you had better have the proper set up or else!

For example, a parfait glass, a malted glass and a soda glass were all different things, although they are close in shape and design.

We are going to focus on this soda glass, though. When we look at the mould itself we can see that this has a smooth exterior. You are looking INTO the open mould. The shape is curving away from you even thought your eye tricks you into thinking that you are looking at a round object. This is a simple two part mould. notice the half inch wide groove that follows the exterior of the mould. The opposite side of the mould has a matching half inch ridge that fits into that groove perfectly to help make a tight seal and smaller seam. When the mould is shut and locked, it is tight as a drum.

Now let's move onto the interior of the piece. I found an example of a plain exterior tumbler that had a rib optic interior. The piece in the left of the photograph is the plunger that goes down inside the mould create the optic effect. You can clearly see the ribs that are part of the mould.

Once the piece is made, it gets fire polished and is then placed in the lehr to control the cool down of the glass and remove internal stresses from the moulding and cooling process.

This piece is now on order at Mosser Glass and the first color that it will be made in is Jade! As more information becomes available it will be posted here first.