Wistar Glass

Wistar glass is considered by some as America's earliest collectable glass. Caspar Wistar is thought to have been born in the Netherlands in 1696 and immigrated to Pennsylvania in 1717, becoming a Quaker. He married Catherine Jensen in 1726, she was from a old and noted Dutch family. A button maker, he brought four glass blowers from the Netherlands in 1739. Indentured men, part of the agreement was that they teach Wistar, and son Richard (and no others), the art of glassmaking. The glass factory was started in 1740 on Alloway Creek, Salem County, N.J. and operated to 1780. It produced glass in the Dutch tradition such as bicolor swirls, lily pad decoration and pearl drawing.. Production included: bottles chemical glass ware electric globes tubes mustard jars window glass