The Pyrex Collector Blog

The 058 4qt. oblong casserole with walnut serving tray. The largest of four sizes made. Other rare, non-regular production examples include scroll on sage green, white snowflake on turquoise, white "compass" on turquoise and Early American on an unusual divided version of the smallest 033 1-1/2 quart.

A great many Pyrex promotional pieces were given no official names. Often, only generic names like "Deluxe Hostess Casserole" were seen in catalogs and advertisements.

Decades later, collectors began using descriptive nicknames because the generic names were, well, too generic. Many times, the same piece was seen called by several different names. Collector resources, however, would attempt to keep things from getting too confusing by adding an asterisk whenever mentioning an unofficial name.

It's quite remarkable, then, that a name long considered by most to be unofficial turns out to actually be official.

Many avid collectors are aware that there are two oval casseroles from the mid-1960s referred to as "Golden Bouquet". They differ in size, color, and decoration. One came equipped with a cradle, the other a candle warmer. Of the two, only the 2-1/2 quart oval casserole in gold on ivory from 1967 was known to officially be "Golden Bouquet".

Found in a seemingly random encounter on the web, the photo above completes the story. We can see the decoration on the box matches that of the dish. The end flap of the carton reads "Casserole With Cradle, 1-1/2 Qt. Golden Bouquet". From these two observations, we know the box cannot be from the other "Golden Bouquet". Although only the first two digits of the catalog number are legible, we may assume that, since the release year is known to have been 1965, it must likely be "5565".

Sandalwood was a short-lived pattern, 1961-1963. Only a Cinderella 440 bowl set, a Cinderella 470 casserole set, and-- both quite rare-- a refrigerator set and a covered butter dish were made. This 471 and 472 are in remarkable condition for being over 56 years old.

Colonial Mist (1983-1986) Cinderella Round Casserole 480 set. This pattern is unusual in that its white base color dishes are painted white before applying the blue decoration. With the exception of gold leaf decorated pieces, Pyrex white base colors are usually achieved by simply leaving the opalware unpainted.

Another completed Cinderella stack. Finally found the 473 for the right price/condition.The 475 was a steal at $5 quite some time ago.

An earlier photo examined differences observed in the molds for 500 series Pyrex multicolor refrigerator dishes. The apparently older versions were slightly taller, with beveled top rims. This difference is also seen in clear versions of the 501s (and presumably the 502s as well) marketed in the very late 1940s to early 1950s. Since the clear 501s and 502s were absent from the 1953 Pyrex catalog, we might safely assume the change occurred before that time.

New for 1957, Snowflake came in three variations: turquoise on white (opal), white on turquoise, and white on charcoal. Because Pyrex black is always a satin/matte finish, it is referred to as charcoal. Of the three, white snowflake on charcoal had the shortest lifespan, dropped after the 1960 catalog. Perhaps because, like Terra that came after it, it seems to glaringly show evidence of everything with which it comes into even casual contact. You don't know how hard it is to find this snowflake version in perfect condition. Or maybe you do. But this one is.

Two little Pyrex beakers about 3-1/4" tall by 2" in diameter, each decorated with a pattern in production at the time of its release, albeit in a non-standard color. The left was available as the "Measurette", a regular catalog item from 1961 to mid-1962. The right was part of a 1977 gift set made to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Corning's first patent in 1877. It came matched with a similarly marked miniature Erlenmeyer flask. The beaker on the right is about 1mm narrower and 2mm taller than the left.

In 1967, a handful of new shapes were added to the Pyrex line in the form of the Hearth Group collection. Two patterns were introduced: Brittany Blue and Federal Eagle. Each included deep-footed 1-1/2 and 3 quart mixing bowls and coffee mugs in two versions of their patterns. Brittany Blue also featured two casseroles in a new shape whose lids doubled as tart pans. The Hearth Group pieces were discontinued after 1968.

A Woodland Cinderella round casserole 480 set. Or is it? Most Pyrex opalware pattern color schemes include two contrasting or complementary base colors that alternate from one size bowl to the next. Woodland's two colors are a chocolate brown and a medium tan. These dishes should not be all the same color. The answer is that the middle casserole, the 474 size, is not from a 480 set. It was sold singly as a special, numbered 484. Other patterns which featured an opposite-hued 474 sold as a 484 include the 1979 revisions of Butterfly Gold and Spring Blossom Green, and Autumn Harvest.