Bryce Brothers

GLASS
BRYCE
BROTHERS
ANIMAL
COVERED
DISHES*
IDENTIFICATION GUIDE
*CHICKENS NOT INCLUDED
JENNIFER PATTON

ABOUT ME
Hi! My name is Jen and this is a little bit about myself. First, I must say this project was a lot of fun.
Like a book from my gradeschool years lol. I don’t know if children today still do book reports, but when
I was in school, they were required and boy did I dread reading the assigned books then having to
summarize them! I loved reading books that interested me and hopefully this will interest you. I created
it for anyone that needs help with identification. For the novice glass collectors that buy animal covered
dishes because they fall in love with the way they look or the type of animals they are, or simply for
their colors. For the avid collectors who enjoy buying a few of each animal regardless of the maker. For
the veteran collectors who may have hundreds of glass dishes who never cease to amaze me with their
beautiful collections. For the people that have inherited or purchased someone’s entire collection or
part of a collection and need help to identify things. For the people like me that are meticulous about
every detail needing to label things and just absolutely need to know the whats, whens, whos, hows and
whys of the animal dishes they own. For me, what started with one Asian yellow stained glass bunny on
a nest, has flourished into a full blown collection of hundreds of mixed and matched animal covered
“candy” dishes of all glass types and colors. No particular glass maker, just everything I can’t live
without. LOL. Anyone that knows me would tell you that I stop at nothing, studying book after book
searching for answers about my own glass animals until I find them. I have never been satisfied with a
mystery….unless it involves me watching Columbo, my lifelong favorite television program! I am a
mystery solver... a true detective. I get this from my Mother, Cindy -Sultana- Wheatley. I need to get to
the bottom of a piece of unidentified glass. It drives me bananas not to know everything I can about
each piece that I own. Next, I will tell you that the monetary value of my glassware means nothing to
me. I collect it because I love it. However, unique and rare is always a find! Sure, like every collector, I
love a bargain and have had to pass up many pieces that I could not afford. Ooooh the ones that got
away. They haunt me. I can assure you that when I get a new addition to my collection, it has found its
forever home. Someone before me and usually possibly before them owned these animal covered
dishes making a kind of history that I can only imagine in my mind, its importance to each person. There
is a reason behind every single glassware in every single dwelling. Glass symbolizes many things. It is
proudly displayed. It is important to the person who owns it. I enjoy seeing the happiness glassware
brings to people, especially these animal covered dishes. Who doesn’t love animals? I also enjoy seeing
my collection knowing these pieces of history live on and hope that when I am long gone, they will be in
other homes. My glass brings me peace; most peaceful in the evenings when the cabinet lights are on
and the glass does its natural thing; what it was intended to do since the day it was made...look pretty!
To me, it is reminiscent of having a year round Christmas Tree. Glass is AMAZING! I am a country girl
through and through. I love all things nature. I am an avid bird watcher and an all around animal lover. I
live in the beautiful state of Kentucky with my husband and our two dogs, Monkey and Johnnie, who by
the way, is named after my all time favorite singer, Johnny Cash.

Glass Animal Covered Dishes © Jennifer Patton
glass animal covered dishes
by Jennifer Patton:
BRYCE BROTHERS
copyright © 2022 by Jennifer Patton
All rights reserved. No parts of this work may be reproduced without
written permission from the copyright holders.
No parts of this work may be reproduced for financial gain by anyone
other than the copyright holders.

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
Page 1
Bryce Brothers
The formation of Bryce Brothers was complex. It began as Bryce, McKee and
Company in 1850 which was made up of James, Robert and John Bryce
along with James and Frederick McKee. The McKee brothers left in 1854 to
establish F&J Mckee which would later become McKee Glass Company.
1865: The Walkers joined Bryce Brothers and the name was changed to
Bryce, Walker & Company.
1879: John Bryce left to begin his own glass company: Bryce, Higbee and
Company (1879-1907).
1885: Bryce Brothers Company was formed when they built a factory in
the small town of Hammondville, PA near Westmoreland County.
In the mid to late 1880's, Bryce Brothers produced Fly Pickle Dish and
"Doghouse" toothpick holder in Amber, Crystal, Blue, Amethyst and
Canary. I am not covering the Doghouse. You can view it here:
https://www.eapgs.org/patterns/full-images.php?idx=48778&pat=2964
1891: Merged with U.S. Glass combine. It was known as Factory 'B' while
part of the U.S. Glass Company combine in Pittsburgh, PA.
1893: Andrew and James McDonald renew operations of Bryce Brothers.
1893: Partners Andrew and James McDonald Bryce purchased the
bankrupted Smith-Brudewold Glass Company (1892-1893) factory and
its contents for around 52K. This was also in Hammondville, Pa.
1896: The Bryce brothers relocated to property they had purchased in
Mount Pleasant, PA. Mount Pleasant is a small borough (only 640 acres)
in Westmoreland County, PA.
1897: Bryce Brothers transferred the deed to Bryce Brothers Company.
Between 1898-1952, many sons and grandsons of James Bryce carried
on Bryce Brothers, the oldest manufacturer of fine hand blown, and
hand cut leaded crystal in the U.S.
They remained in business until purchased in 1965 by
Lenox Incorporated Glass.
Visit the Mount Pleasant Glass Museum at:
402 East Main Street,
Mount Pleasant, PA 15666

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
Page 2
bRYCE Brothers FLY
Bryce Brothers Fly Pickle Dish was produced in the mid to late 1880's. It was
offered in Crystal, Amber, Blue, Amethyst and Canary.
8 1/4" long x 6 1/4" wide x 1 1/2" high. No known reproductions.
Blue Fly photos courtesy of Paula Husky
Photo of all colors is courtesy of
Dave Peterson
You can view more at: https://www.eapgs.org/patterns/full-images.php?idx=9334&pat=571

© Glass Animal Covered Dishes by Jennifer Patton
Page 3
BRYCE BROTHERS
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bryce Brothers:
Interview with Paul Kirk Jr., Author of Homestead Glass Works: Bryce,
Higbee & Company, 1879-1907-FLY COLORS
Online: Glass Mug Collecting: Bryce Beaded Handle Set | That Which We
Have Heard & Known (thefunstons.com)
Online: https://www.eapgs.org-DOGHOUSE
Article: Glass Mug Collecting: Bryce Beaded Handle Set by Eric Funston
January 29, 2012-HISTORY BY ERIC/HISTORY BY CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF
PITTSBURGH VIA ERIC
Online: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryce_Brother
Thank you for your permissions!
Paul Kirk Jr.
ALL photo contributors