Moon & Star Pattern Glass

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This guide for eBay buyers has been written to help them learn a little bit more about this popular and highly collectable pattern. It will discuss some breif history of the pattern. Where it all started and where it is at today. Makers of this pattern are many and encompass a great deal of information. This guide will focus primarily on L.G. Wright and L.E. Smith. Two of the more famous and often confused manufactures as well as the most collected pieces.

History: Where & When it all began!

There have been many makers of this pattern! Companies included:

Adams & Co. Circa 1880's | U.S. Glass circa 1890's | L.G. Wright circa 1930's - 1960's | Fenton Glass Co. for L.G. Wright | L.E. Smith Glass Co. 1940's - 2004 | Minatures by L.E. Smith for Levay Distributing Co. 1970's |  Imperial Glass Co. for L.E. Smith 1960's | Weishar Enterprises or Island Mold - current maker | Kemple Glass Co..credited with Moon & Star Pattern Variations | Cresent Glass Co. for L.E. Smith  

Background

As I stated above this guide will stay in the late 1930's to current age of the Moon & Star pattern so let us start with the older of the two companies since the history of them both crosses paths with each other.

 L.G.Wright.

Did you know? The L.G. Wright glass company never pressed any of their own glass items. They always sent them out to other companies to be manufactured. Companies like L.E. Smith, Imperial, Fenton and more did the actual work while L.G. Wright "got the credit".

L.G. Wright was famous for producing glass patterns that other companies had already manufactured like Adams Glass Co's. Palace pattern which was re-named Moon & Star. Either by using and older exisiting mold or by creating a new mold of their own to reproduce a piece.

They first produced the Moon & Star pattern in the late 1930's.

 Sy Wright of the L.G. Wright glass company began to produce pieces from the molds made for them by the famous J.D. Weishar (remember that name). Most items were issued in Crystal as clear glass is often refered to. Highly polished pieces that sold very well. Goblets, desert bowls, egg cups, night lamps and other pieces were produce from the late 1930's to the early 1940's.

Ok! I hope that the above may have given some clarity to the confusion about this patterns origons!  

L.E. Smith 1940-2004

Well someone is bound to disagree with me on the actuall starting date that L.E. Smith began to make the Moon & Star pattern. It was in the 1940's! Although they didn't hold the lease on the molds at that time. They did press the glass for L.G. Wright. So that is what I start it in. That year rather than the better know 1960's date when the the L.E. Smith pieces started to bear their mark. I did mention above that these companies paths do cross.

In the 1960's Joseph Weishar (there is that name again) began to make Moon & Star molds for the L.E. Smith Glass company. They also made other patterned molds for them as far back as the 1930's. Did you know? The L.E. Smith glass company never owned any of the Moon & Star molds. They only leased them from the Weishars to press Moon & Star pieces. Most pieces from L.E. Smith are marked with the letter S on them. Although I personally know of many pieces that are not marked but were indeed made my L.E. Smith.  The similarities between L.E Smith pieces and L.G. Wright pieces is staggering to say the least. Often collectors would not know whom made which piece without a measuring tape since some of the differences between the two companies items are a mere 1/16th of an inch! So it is important to know the size of the piece which each of the two companies made so it will help to determine which of the two made the piece. Blown molded pieces..Ahh! Here is where it gets trickey talking about L.E. Smith items. Did you know? L.E. Smith never made blown molded Moon & Star pieces. Items such as Oil lamps were contracted out to companies like Imperial which produce only the amberina colored pieces for L.E. Smith and the Cresent Glass Company of Wellsburg W.V. for other colors. Oil lamps especially are items that would fall into this category of "jobbed out" pieces. So who do we give the credit to for producing these highly sought after pieces? L.E. Smith? Imperial? Cresent Glass Co? or how about the mold mold maker Weishar? (there is that name again). I feel that it was a collaborative effort through business contacts. That we must lend credit to all involved. Not to just one company or one individual.

The L.E Smith glass company, sadly,  closed it doors producing its last pieces of the Moon & Star pattern in the later part of the 2004 calender year. The company has since been purchased and is now called Port August Glass but is no longer producing the Moon & Star pattern. The molds and the leases reverted back to the Weishars at the Island Mold Company.

FYI! Did you know? the Weishars of the Island Mold Co. now have all the Moon & Star Molds, they own them. Only one company other than the Weishars own a Moon & Star Mold. That company is the Fenton Glass Co. which owns the Moon & Star Decantor Mold and Stopper mold for it. It would be nice if they re-issued a few of them for collectors!  

Weishar

The Weishars legacy into the Moon & Star pattern began in the 1930's when J.D. Weishar began to make molds for Sy Wright of the L.G. Wright Glass Co. He made many molds for them over several years. In 1962, the Weishars began making molds for the L.E. Smith Glass Company. Now that the L.E. Smith Glass Co. has closed their doors. The Weishars now have all the molds in their possesion except the aforementioned Decantor & Stopper molds.

Today, the Island Mold Company of Wheeling West Virginia is still producing Moon & Star items that bear the Joseph Weishar signature. The original molds have been slightley altered to include the Weishar name. These pieces are clearly marked and are just as collectable as Smith & Wright items. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this brief historical documentation of one of the most highly sought after patterns in America's glass making history. Pieces of the Moon & Star pattern are still found on eBay, Auctions, and yes even yard sales. As the patterns popularity continues to continue, we have seen sharp increases in the value of these items. My advice to you is to start collecting them now while they are relatively still within the average persons budget to do so.