Bryce Brothers
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Glass manufacturing |
| Founded | 1850 in Birmingham, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Founder | James Bryce |
| Fate | Ceased production in 1965 |
| Headquarters | Mount Pleasant , United States |
| Products | Blown crystal glassware |
Bryce Brothers, also identified as Bryce Brothers Company and Bryce Brothers Company Inc., was established in 1850 as a glass manufacturing enterprise in Birmingham, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. The business experienced multiple changes in its name and ownership structure before the Bryce family took full control and moved operations to Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, where it continued producing blown crystal glassware until ceasing production in 1965.
Origins
James Bryce entered the glass industry at the young age of ten. Due to his father's lead poisoning from working with glass, arrangements were made for James to serve as an apprentice at the Bakewell Glass factory located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. After progressing to the role of glassblower and spending eighteen years as a journeyman, Bryce resumed his career in glassmaking in 1845 following a closure triggered by the economic downturn of 1837.
The depicted glassware represents Bryce's Pattern Code BRY670DO: Stem #670 paired with a Diamond Optic Bowl. This design exemplifies Bryce's early 20th-century Art Deco influence, featuring a mix of blown glass bowls—available in both optic and smooth finishes—combined with molded deco stems that vary in length and width to suit particular uses. Occasionally, selective coloring was applied to either stems or bowls to create additional design diversity.
In 1850, James Bryce initiated his first enterprise under the name Bryce, McKee & Company. The company later transformed through different partnerships such as Bryce, Richards & Company and Bryce, Walker & Company. Eventually, William Walker sold his stake to James Bryce along with family members Robert D., Andrew H., David K., James M., Samuel A., Frank G., plus grandsons Marion G. and Edwin W. Bryce. On June 13, 1882, the firm was reorganized under the name Bryce Brothers.