Bakewell, Pears & Company
In 1807, Benjamin Bakewell and Edward Ensell built their glass factory in Pittsburgh, PA at the foot of Ross st. on the Monongahela River and went through many name changes up to 1831 when the change was to Bakewell, Pears & Company. John and Thomas Bakewell had a patent on a glass blowing machine in 1834 and claimed to be the first factory in America to produce pressed glassware mechanically. In 1829, Bakewell made and entire table service for President Jackson. And earlier, in 1817, a complete set of wine glasses, tumblers and decanters was ordered by President Monroe. Bakewell claimed the distiction of being the first manufacturere of glass to providde the White House with glassware.
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Although he is considered the "father of the flint-glass business," Benjamin Bakewell (1767-1844) wasn't an artisan, but a businessman. In 1808, along with the help of a few investors, Bakewell came to Pittsburgh from New York to purchase a foundering glassworks opened a year earlier by Edward Ensell (circa 1763-1828) and George Robinson (circa 1762-1818). By the 1820s, it was recognized as one of the nation's premier glass establishments; it continued operations until 1882.
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In the history of Nineteenth Century American decorative arts, Benjamin Bakewell stands out as an exemplar of innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial initiative. His enterprise, founded in 1808, had a vital role in establishing Pittsburgh as a major center of glassmaking in the Nineteenth Century.
During its 74-year history – rivaled in length only by the New England Glass Company and the Boston and Sandwich Glass Company – the Bakewell factory set new standards for highly decorated luxury glassware, as well as for more ordinary tableware.
English-born entrepreneur Bakewell was a man of wide-ranging intellect who found creative expression and financial success in the manufacture of glass. In partnership with several others, Bakewell purchased a foundering glassworks in Pittsburgh in 1808. By the 1820s, it was recognized as one of the nation’s premier glass establishments and continued operations until 1882.
According to Palmer, “It was the longest-lasting flint glassworks in continuous operation in the United States up to that time, due in part to the various partnerships Benjamin Bakewell at one time or another had established with various people. Benjamin Page’s business acumen; Thomas Bakewell’s scientific knowledge; John Palmer Bakewell’s mechanical bent; Benjamin Bakewell Jr’s innovations; Benjamin Bakewell Campbell’s steady hand; and the skill of countless others contributed to the stellar reputation of the glassworks.”
The Pears family was also an integral part of the Bakewell enterprise. Although a partnership eluded Thomas Pears (1785-1832), his son John eventually graduated from employee to partner with Bakewell and helped guide the firm through periods of critical change in the glass industry. John Pear’s sons, together with the grandsons of Bakewell, oversaw the growth and eventually the final years of the company known as Bakewell, Pears & Co.
Over the course of its 74-year existence, the Bakewell factory produced objects that reflected the highest quality of craftsmanship and decoration achieved in Nineteenth Century American glass. “Artistry and Innovation in Pittsburgh Glass” not only represents many of the most thoroughly documented examples of Bakewell glass, but also places them within the context of the times.
