L. G. Wright glassware is old glass reused by contemporary glass houses to produce new items. Usually, when a glass company ceased production, the molds then owned by the company were sold to other glass houses or individuals. The new owners then re-used them to produce items similar to (or exactly like) those of the original glass house’s production. L. G. Wright was one such glass maker. He purchased old US or French molds and had them reproduced by current glass houses. Most often, Mr. Wright frequently made changes to the items so that his products could be readily differentiated from the original production by those with a little information.

Many of the reproduced items in the L. G. Wright line are covered animal dishes. He produced a number of 13 different animals in the 5 1/2 inch size, and almost as many in the 7 inch size. These are on bases different from those used by other animal covered dishes, which is why it is important to keep bases and tops together as much as possible. Mr, Wright also produced include the Atterbury full-bodied duck, but without the patent information from the original mold, and the Atterbury bull’s head mustard jar, with the protruding tongue ladle, although this is often missing. The bull’s head also does not have the patent information on the original, distinguishing L. G. Wright’s from the original in that detail and by the colors in which it is available.

The Wright turkey covered dish can be found in both a 6 inch versions and a 9 inch version. These are reproductions of the US Glass or Cambridge glass turkey covered dishes, but the “ground” on which the turkey stands is smooth, as is the underside of the base, unlike the original ones by Cambridge and US Glass. Many of the Wright covered animals dishes come in slag colorings, white with a dark purple, blue, or red, or amber glass swirled together. Those in transparent or translucent colors will also be available in colors not originally found in the original production of the mold.

Another area where L. G. Wright resurrected old molds is in the font and shade of oil lamps, although his were modified for electricity rather than being true oil lamps. The electric lamps are made from light-colored translucent glass with various flowers or fruits molded into the glass parts. The glass was then painted appropriately to highlight the molded glass flowers (or fruit). The Glass Review issue for May, 1983 (vol. 13, no. 4), has several pages of these lamps. They are way too fussy and floral for my taste, I guess, but in the right decor could add just the right touch.

You can see the L. G. Wright animal covered dishes in the Glass Collector’s Digest, vol. 5, no. 3, October/November 1991. The turkey covered dishes are covered in some detail in Glass Review, vol. 16, no. 11, November 1986.

For covered animal dishes. L. G. Wright or not, the word is probably “caveat.” Only buy what you like for the price at hand until you learn for yourself the in and outs of reproductions, second owner production and originals. Or work with a glass or antiques dealer who will refund your money is something they sold you turns out to be something else. “Caveat.”

See L. G. Wright glass.

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