Tiffin began as A. J. Beatty & Sons in Steubenville, Ohio. In 1889, they moved to Tiffin, Ohio, where the factory would remain open for nearly 100 years. A. J. Beatty & Sons merged with the United States Glass Company of Pittsburgh, PA, in 1892, and became one of the nineteen factories of U. S Glass. The Tiffin factory was referred to as Factory R. During the Depression years, U.S. Glass closed a number of their other factories, but Factory R continued operation.
In June 1938, the offices of U.S. Glass Company were moved from Pittsburgh to Tiffin, Ohio. Within a few years, all glassware made by the Company was marked with a Tiffin label, but the official name of the company remained the "United States Glass Company" until it was finally changed to Tiffin Glass Company in 1962.
Tiffin is best known for high quality stemware, being one of the largest producers of stemware during the Depression years. In the early 1940's, Tiffin introduced the "Swedish Modern" line, then changed the name to "Tiffin Modern" in 1946. This is a heavy glass, produced with bold optics and in off-hand shapes, mostly vases and decorative bowls. Tiffin purchased the Duncan & Miller Glass Company in 1955. A number of Duncan's popular patterns were produced by Tiffin until the final closing of the Tiffin facility in 1980.
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