Steuben Glass

In 1903, an English glassmaker named Frederick Carder established a glass factory in Corning, New York. He named it Steuben Glass after the county where the city of Corning is located. In 1918, Corning Glass Works bought Carder’s factory and Steuben Glass became part of a larger company.

In the early 1930s, Corning’s research scientists developed a new type of crystal glass that was clear and brilliant, yet too soft to be used for optical glass. They realized the formula would work well for making decorative art. Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., the youngest member of Corning’s board, was very interested in the arts. He proposed that the Steuben division use this new crystal glass to design and make high-quality objects. This led to the founding of the new Steuben Glass in 1933.

Corning Incorporated sold Steuben in 2008 to Schottenstein Stores. When Schottenstein discontinued commercial production in 2011, Corning Incorporated reacquired the Steuben brand and licensed the Corning Museum of Glass to sell and produce Steuben glass, beginning in 2014.