Mid-Century Barware Designers: Culver, Briard, Thorpe and Fred Press

The best-known mid-century American barware designers are Culver, Georges Briard, Dorothy Thorpe and Fred Press. Culver and Fred Press are known for 22-karat gold decoration, Briard for gold-accented designs signed within the pattern, and Thorpe for silver-banded and sandblasted glass. A genuine signature or mark, intact decoration and a complete set drive collector interest.

These makers shaped the look of the American home bar from the 1940s to the 1970s. This hub gives a short profile of each, how their work is marked, and what to check before buying. For the glass shapes themselves, see our hub on vintage cocktail glasses.

What to look for in mid-century designer barware

Most mid-century designer barware was decorated rather than made from scratch by the named designer. Dorothy Thorpe bought glass from other companies and decorated it, and Georges Briard worked primarily as a designer whose motifs were applied by established manufacturers. That makes the decoration, and the signature within it, the key to identification.

Four checks cover most pieces:

1. Find the signature or mark. Culver, Briard and Thorpe each marked their work in a recognizable way, described below. Paper labels were common and are often lost.
2. Inspect the gold or silver. Metallic decoration sits on the surface. Look for thinning at rims and uneven color across a set.
3. Count the set. If a listing includes a caddy, ice bucket or pitcher, check that it matches the glasses in pattern and gold color. A complete set is easier to use and display.
4. Be wary of generous attributions. Popular names attract guesswork, especially for silver-rim glasses.

Mid-century barware sets

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Culver: 22-karat gold cocktail glasses

According to Retro Solstice, a specialist dealer, Culver Ltd was founded in Brooklyn, New York, in 1939 by Irving Rothenberg. It became known for real 22-karat gold decoration from the late 1950s through the 1960s, applied with what the dealer describes as a super-heated, roll-on process that remains a secret.

The Joy of Cocktails notes that Culver’s earlier glassware used acid-etched, sandblasted, hand-painted or silk-screened designs, and that the company produced more than 75 designs. Its best-known pattern is Valencia, a Moroccan-style gold trellis with raised green “jewels.” Other named patterns include Seville, Antigua and Mardi Gras.

Marks help with dating. Retro Solstice says Culver glass from the 1940s through the 1950s is signed with a script “Culver,” which changed to block lettering from the late 1960s into the 1970s; later pieces relied on paper labels. The company moved to New Jersey in 1980 and was sold to Moderne Glass Company in 1996.

Our full guide to Culver barware covers patterns, marks and value in detail.

Georges Briard: the designer behind the name

Georges Briard was a trade name. Collectors Weekly explains that the designer was born Jakub Brojdo in Ukraine, was raised in Poland, and adopted the name Jascha Brojdo after moving to Chicago in 1937. His friend Max Wille hired him to design painted metal trays for the M. Wille Company, which created the “Georges Briard” brand for that work. Wikidata records his dates as 1917 to 2005.

The name went on to appear on glass, ceramics, metal and wood, from glasses and trays to coffee pots. Collectors Weekly says his work was sold at retailers such as Neiman Marcus and Bonwit Teller, and was most prominent from the 1950s to the 1970s. It names patterns including Firenza, a blue-green design with a gold cross motif; Butterflies, with gold butterflies on clear or white glass; and Europa, with green and blue geometric shapes and gold accents.

Art and Beautiful Things notes that most authentic pieces carry the Briard signature worked into the decoration, in gold, white or another contrasting color. Collectors Weekly adds that he received the Frank S. Child Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004 for his contributions to glass and ceramic decorating.

Georges Briard barware and glasses

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Dorothy Thorpe: silver bands and sandblasted glass

Dorothy Thorpe ran a decorating studio in the Los Angeles area. The Glass Encyclopedia says she bought glass from various companies, including Heisey and Cambridge, then decorated and sold it. Her methods included sandblasting, deep etching and silver overlay. According to 1stDibs, she began using the trade name Dorothy Thorpe Originals in the 1930s, and her silver-banded Roly Poly tumblers became a staple of the mid-century home bar.

Most of her pieces are signed, the Glass Encyclopedia says. Her mark is a large printed T with a smaller stylized D on one side and the same image reversed on the other, usually etched onto the side of the piece near the design. She also used paper labels. In the mid-1950s she designed tableware for Crown Lynn Potteries in New Zealand.

How to tell real Thorpe silver bands from look-alikes

Attribution is the main risk with Thorpe. The Hour Shop, a vintage barware dealer, says many silver-rim pieces found today carry no signature or label, and that the popularity of shows like Mad Men led many sellers to attribute any silver-rim glass to her. It notes that Libbey, Queens Lusterware and other companies made glasses in her style without her signature.

The distinction the dealer draws is the band itself. It attributes to Thorpe only her wide-band sterling overlay pieces, while narrower bands of silver or mercury, and faded mercury glass that “bleeds” into the glass, were likely made by other companies.

Dorothy Thorpe glassware

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Fred Press: gold fish and starbursts

Fred Press was born on October 14, 1919, according to the biography maintained on his artwork site. Early in the 1950s he moved to New York City and for the next three decades served as chief designer and executive vice president of Rubel and Company, working in giftware on Fifth Avenue. He died on August 3, 2012, at the age of 92.

Retro Solstice says his barware is known for 22 and 24-karat gold with intricate details. His most sought-after series are the Gold Fish and Gold Starburst designs, which the dealer describes as highly collectible and hard to find. His motifs also include atomic bursts, seahorses and florals.

When buying a set, check that every glass matches in pattern and that the gold is even across all of them.

Comparing the four at a glance

Designer or maker	Signature look	How it is marked (per sources above)
Culver	22-karat gold patterns such as Valencia	Script “Culver” (1940s to 1950s), block lettering (late 1960s on), later paper labels
Georges Briard	Gold-accented atomic, botanical and geometric designs	Signature worked into the decoration
Dorothy Thorpe	Wide sterling bands, sandblasted florals	Etched T with a stylized D on each side; paper labels
Fred Press	22 and 24-karat gold fish, starbursts, seahorses	Signed pieces, per dealers

Colored glass and gold care

Several of these designers worked on colored glass as well as clear. Our guide to vintage colored glassware explains what gives each color its tint and what glassware makers advise for cleaning gold-rim pieces.

Is mid-century designer barware valuable?

Signed pieces by these designers have active collector markets, but value depends on the pattern, completeness and condition of the decoration. We do not publish price ranges without a reliable source. Our guide on how to tell if vintage glassware is valuable explains the signs that matter, and how to buy vintage barware on eBay safely covers questions to ask sellers before you buy.

A note on Robert Lloyd

Robert Lloyd is sometimes searched alongside these names. The sources we found describe Robert Lloyd Vintage Barware as a shop in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, rather than a mid-century manufacturer or designer. We could not verify a Robert Lloyd barware line, so we have left it out of this guide.

Guides in this series

• Culver barware: 22k gold patterns, marks and value.
• Vintage cocktail glasses: coupes, Nick and Nora, martini, highball and rocks.
• Vintage colored glassware: cobalt, ruby, amber, uranium and gold rim.