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craftsmen of the period: name recognition. This came about
primarily due to their 1957-1964 association with Chicago
industrial manufacturer Dearborn Glass Company. Since the
name “Higgins” appeared on every item produced, there was no
doubt as to the creative force at work.
The Higgins saw themselves as designer\craftsmen, specializing
in “useful” things. Included in the Higgins smorgasbord of fused
glass housewares: bowls, plates, servers, smoking accessories,
candleholders, clocks, lamps, and even room dividers.
That diversity continues in the Higgins Glass Studio of
today, through the work of the Wimmer family,
longtime associates, and designated successors to
Michael and Frances Higgins.
Higgins Glass … Schneider … Carnival Glass, GQ
Chip-and-dip server, “Gold Scroll” motif, 1960. Spun Glass, and Briard: a design quintet that exists i
Large bowl, 10” d. “outside of time.” This is glassware right for any age, as
“at home” on a Heywood-Wakefield buffet as on a
At right: “Butterflies” martini mixer, 9-1/4” h. Victorian dresser. Each piece is a timeless treasure.
(Photo by Leslie Piña)

Briard’s earliest success came with the use of Photo Associate:
22-karat gold as screened decoration for “bent” Hank Kuhlmann
(molded) glassware. The products were marketed
through Glass Guild, a Briard/Wille venture. Their Donald-Brian Johnson is
popularity led to arrangements with other glass the co-author of numerous
manufacturers, including Libbey and Anchor Schiffer books on antiques
Hocking. Plain glass giftware ordinarily sold in dime stores and collectibles, including
was, with the addition of Briard’s decorations, marketed to such Higgins: Adventures in
upscale retailers as Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus. Glass, Higgins: Poetry in
During the 1950s and ‘60s, Briard licensed designs to a multitude Glass, and Deco Décor.
of manufacturers. His work graced enameled cookware by Columbian Please address inquiries to
Enamel; wooden cheeseboards with tile inserts by Woodland; bisque donaldbrian@msn.com
ashtrays by Hyalyn Porcelain; dinnerware by Pfaltzgraff Pottery; lamps
by Lightolier; Stetson China’s “Artisan” melamine dinnerware … and,
of course, all that glassware. Briard catalogs overflow with page after At left: Colorful examples of the
page of colorfully named glasses (“Forbidden Fruit,” “Eye Ball,” “Wet many production bowls designed
Your Whistle”), plus plenty of glass ice buckets, bar trays, snack by Higgins for Dearborn Glass
servers, and ashtrays. Company during the late 1950s
Briard had an uncanny knowledge of what the at-home entertainer and early 1960s. (Photo by Leslie Piña)
of the 1960s wanted: useful, non-threateningly attractive barware, at
affordable prices. His design hallmarks—repetitive arrangements,
Title Images (Left to Right)
often of geometric shapes, or nature-based images—retain their Schneider purple floral rosettes, on orange. 21” h. (Photo by Leslie Piña) • Briard white

hypnotic appeal, over a half-century after their creation. “suburban” glass, “Forbidden Fruit” motif. (Photo by Leslie Piña) • This Frances Higgins
“dropout” vase, with gold “veils” at the base, was featured in the Bard Graduate
“Higgins: Modern Miracles With Everyday Glass” Center exhibit Women Designers in the USA. 1967, 7-3/4” h. (Photo by Leslie Piña)
• Spun glass clown holding a balloon bouquet. (Photo by Hank Kuhlmann) • One of the
The duo behind Higgins fused glass, Michael and Frances Higgins, most popular Carnival Glass patterns: “Grape & Cable” by Northwood.
began their joint career in Chicago, in 1948. Although each had
Tumbler and 8-1/2” h. pitcher, in amethyst. (Photo by Donald-Brian Johnson)
significant prior artistic experience, the sole focus of their
new joint venture was glass fusing. This was a time-
honored, but labor-intensive technique. By the
mid-twentieth century, most glass artisans had
instead opted to work with blown glass. G
Glass fusing can best be described as the
creation of a “glass sandwich.” A design is m
drawn with color enamels, or pieced with
glass segments, on a sheet of enamel-coated
glass. Another sheet of enameled glass is
then laid on top. This “sandwich” is then
placed on a mold, and heated in a kiln, with G
the glass “slumping” (bending) to the
mold’s shape. Because the interior design is
fused between the outer glass sheets, the
colors cannot fade or wear with use. Vintage
Higgins items from the 1950s and ‘60s
remain as brilliantly colorful today as when they
first emerged from the kiln, boldly combining
geometric and curved lines and patterns with vibrant
color combinations.
In addition to the inventiveness of their technique, King Platter by Michael Higgins. 11” d., Frances Higgins plaque, Fall Frammie with Gold.
the Higgins had another major advantage over other $1500-1750. (Photo by Leslie Piña) The top glass layer is 24k gold. 12 w. x 14” h.
(Photo by Leslie Piña)
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