A History of Pyrex

Hi everyone! Today, I'm talking about the history of Pyrex, heat-resistant glassware that has been a permanent fixture in kitchens for more than 100 years.
Link to New York Times Wirecutter article about exploding Pyrex: www.nytimes.co...
Sources:
Imagining Consumers: Design and Innovation from Wedgwood to Corning, Regina Lee Blaszczyk, 2000
Corning: A Story of Discovery and Reinvention, Davis Dyer, 2001
Corning and the Craft of Innovation, Margaret B.W. Graham and Alec T. Shuldiner, 2001
The Generations of Corning: The Life and Times of a Global Corporation, Davis Dyer and Daniel Gross, 2001
“How Pyrex Reinvented Glass for a New Age,” Liz Logan, Smithsonian Magazine, June 5, 2015
“Does Your Family’s Century-Old Pyrex Still Rule the Kitchen,” Tove K. Danovich, The Salt, NPR, July 25, 2017
“Why We’re Not Worried About Pyrex Bakeware ‘Exploding,’” Michael Sullivan, August 13, 2020
“Railway Signals,” Lincoln Evening Call, September 10, 1887
“An Instructive Accident,” Boston Evening Transcript, October 27, 1898
“Broke All Rules of Block System,” Evening Star, January 6, 1907
“Loses Life but Saves Hundreds,” The Wasatch Wave, January 3, 1908
“Pyrex Ovenware Prices Cut,” The New York Times, August 15, 1938
“Rules ‘Pyrex’ Name is Public Property: Federal Court Says Usage Has Made It Part of the Language,” The New York Times, July 20, 1940
“‘Pyrex’s Still Corning’s: Court Says Decision Did Not Bar Use of Glass Trade-Mark,” The New York Times, September 10, 1940
“Versatile Pyrex is Useful for Many Kitchen Tasks,” The Austin American, April 13, 1956
“Scientists Honored by CGW,” Star-Gazette, October 29, 1958
“Sparkling Genius of Chemung Valley’s Crystal City,” Arch Merrill, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, August 21, 1960
“Perennial Pyrex,” Tom Byrne, Star-Gazette, May 16, 1965
“Corning Looks for Stories About Old Pyrex Dishes,” Hartford Courant, October 25, 1965
“This Dish was Invited to a Party,” Susan J. Tonery, The Hartford Courant, December 26, 1965
“Dr. Littleton Dead,” Star-Gazette, February 25, 1966
“Bessie Littleton, Mother of Packet Doctor, Dies,” The Evening Times, May 25, 1966
“Pioneering Businesswoman at CGW Dies,” Star-Gazette, December 11, 1984
“Pyrex Cookware is Becoming Hot Item Among Collectors,” Lita Solis-Cohen, The Baltimore Sun, November 14, 1993
“Kitchen Classic Now Coveted by Collectors,” Ann McCutchan, Lansing State Journal, March 27, 1994

[@rejoyce318]

I still have much of my mother's Pyrex, & have found it is more durable than my newer Pyrex items. Thanks for this video, it's very interesting.

[@chrystals.4376]

Interesting, I've noticed improvements over the past few decades, maybe some batches of them from the contract manufacturers vary in quality due to accidents in production?

[@ethelryan257]

It's pretty well established, now, that the soda-lime pyrex just isn't as durable and requires delicate care. It's worthless for my purposes. I have ordered new PYREX from France and it's just as durable as the vintage. @@chrystals.4376

[@CatOnACell]

my guess is that you have newer tempered glass dishes where the older pyrex was always borosilicate. as long as you have modern borosilicate glass, then you are getting a better product. but if you are getting modern tempered glass it is not borosilicate, and therefore worse for cooking.

[@squirlmy]

@@CatOnACell correct. The new glass is lower-case "pyrex", while the old borosillicate stuff, still available in Europe, is all capital letter "PYREX"

[@ethelryan257]

This was interesting! My vintage PYREX is great. The new pyrex just isn't durable and all that nonsense about why they switched doesn't hold up - they still make borosilicate baking-ware in Europe with no problem.

[@squirlmy]

I'm not sure you're aware, but the borosilicate glass is trademarked (or copyrighted?) as all capital-letter PYREX. The North American "tempered glass" is lower-case "pyrex", with it's own trademark (TM mark). This is really deceptive and an abuse of the system in my view. Spend more if you find one with all-capital-letters.

[@voxveritas333]

PYREX bakeware = good. But "pyrex" made in USA now is NOT borosilicate glass and will shatter more easily than the good old stuff. It's cheaper, but you get what you pay for. The better product is still made in France. Once again, the corporate world has screwed America.

[@quen8171]

I own 13 pieces! My favorite are my petite mugs.

[@coasterbrookie]

Very interesting to hear the Pyrex story. Thanks

[@Tatman1212]

Very interesting video. I watch many videos from folks who buy abandoned storage lockers at auctions and it is amazing how much vintage Pyrex dishes are found. Many of the old dishes look like new!

[@rcdoodles6214]

Fantastic presentation. Vintage PYREX (and Corning Ware) is still the absolute best for kitchen use. You are exactly right referring to it as ‘beloved’! Thanks for this superb history of a great American product line!

[@donnaclinton5578]

Just found the Verde Cinderella 1.5 quart bowl at the thrift store with just the smallest bit if wear under the slipper handle and I am so happy to have found it. I really enjoyed this video.

[@ajs11201]

Interesting video--thanks! I have a lot of Pyrex pieces, but mostly the older stuff that I say is "from the era when Pyrex was good." The new soda lime glass is a disappointment, and I do try to avoid it, but I love the older Pyrex pieces and use them regularly.

[@vancraven7688]

Loved the history. Puts it in perspective of the time.

[@JeanetteVanRooy]

Very interesting. My pyrex is so old!! Still in use!!

[@glenwoodfin]

Loved every minute of your mini-doc. I got curious about cooking glass when I just bought an electric hot water kettle made of borosilca. I didn't know what it was, so I looked it up. My search led to PYREX. I was fascinated about their history and how they've evolved over 100 years. Another reason why I'm drawn to the history is around 1993, I took a glass casserole dish out of the oven and set it on the coiled burner of my stove. It exploded. I think it was made of tempered glass because the pieces were all small little cubes like a car window shatters. If it was borosilica glass, it might have been alright. Live and learn. Oh, and thank you for your excellent video! I subscribed.

[@squirlmy]

I don't know if you are aware, but the newer glass is North America is branded lower-case "pyrex". It's a special font, so hard to tell at first glance. The old stuff is all capitol letters, just like you used in your comment.

[@SledDog5678]

Please check your colored Pyrex for lead. It HAS been dicovered in Vintage Pyrex.

[@wepntech]

wow glass frying pan sounds cool, never seen one that i know of.

[@ajs11201]

At 10:55, I think maybe it's "judicial fiat," not "judicial flat?"

[@waterbot]

I love the longer video format, I think this type of content does well with it!

[@thevintagecompany]

Thank you, Nate! 😊

[@jaredini]

JAJ Pyrex here in the UK. Still have plenty of vintage peices.

[@freddyplayschannel7120]

Loved the video. I found you while looking for why some Corelle cups are marked Pyrex and others are Corelle and what time frame they are from. Nice job… 15:05

[@hueylong2590]

Great video just what I wanted

[@thekongstocks]

EXCELLENT mini-doc! 👍👍

[@tataakalulu9450]

Hi!!! Oh how I love anything Pyrex!! I started collecting it without really knowing anything about it!! Lv it!! Thx you!!!

[@thevintagecompany]

Thank you for watching! 😊

[@rebeccalankford9810]

Question So, is the borosilicate glass cook ware toxic? Does it leach toxins into the food?

[@zyxw2000]

She didn't cover that. :-(

[@Mari-te4cc]

Very informative and well done video!

[@thevintagecompany]

Thank you so much, Mari! ❤️

[@charlottabrower7968]

To this day I use Pyrex all the time. I have multiples of the baking dishes, bread pans and pie plates, all the sizes of measuring cups and now love the snapware. I am a boomer and some of my Pyrex is mom’s. That is probably from late 50s early 60s.

[@dozerrrrr]

such a great video! scientists and companies have been tinkering with making as many colors of borosilicate as possible. subsequently, the "pyrex" art movement is exploding in popularity, because the heat resistance makes it much easier to make tiny details! the color palette is otherworldly beautiful, too. Suellen Fowler is an artist and chemist who's responsible for a lot of the original color innovations to borosilicate in the 70's. Her art is unbelievable, so is James Daschbach's.

[@paulyosef7550]

I just bought 4 Pyrex 3-cup storage containers, They are very nice and have no spaghetti stains.

[@herbertbell9438]

I have a lot of the " fridges" in my kitchen they made things a lot easier. They won't seal like plastic Tupperwear style dishes but the collect no odors either. If I want the lid to stay on I can put some shipping tape over it and it works pretty good.

[@soscilogical1904]

What fantastic info, i look forward to seeing your other episodes. I read somewhere that duralex invented that kind of glass in the 1930's and this provides more verification than wiki.

[@d.newland2167]

So interesting! Have you considered a piece on Cellophane or Colgate?

[@thevintagecompany]

Thank you! I'll put Cellophane and Colgate on my list of future video topics! 😊

[@mrtyreus0]

Pyrex Flameware! Still using it in 2023.

[@waterbot]

Thank you!

[@enricobenucci3579]

I love your videos and the way you explain things!

[@thevintagecompany]

Thank you! 😊

[@rcdoodles6214]

Excellent presentation. Thank you.

[@chrisjones3901]

Love my pyrex .often go shop at charity shops for my vintage gems

[@Johnmiller-gm9lm]

Thanks

[@rkjarm]

Best thing iv learned this week

[@junebug2195]

Enjoyed very much🌹

[@janelambert1653]

Question: lead content in the paint?

[@danieldale7320]

The first time you have a Pyrex baking dish wich you are making a pork roast . EXPLODES. All over your kitchen, you wonder who thought that was a good idea to cook W/Glass!!??AAAAHHHA

[@chrystals.4376]

Did you by any chance pour water into it while it's hot?

[@MartyMcflyLT-tf9dn]

Ya u did it wrong or not right pyrex

[@saishyamnilgiri1]

Excellent!!!

[@lorreprentiss3604]

Excellent

[@ProfessorEchoMedia]

Yet another excellent video from this channel. Refreshingly thorough in its research and comprehensively resourceful, all produced and presented in a very appealing way. I wish all historical videos on YT or anywhere online were as interesting and inspiring as the ones featured here. Thank you for your studious, yet always infectiously entertaining observations and deductions on subjects which are too often disregarded in favor of the same old same old crowns and crossbows that history studies bog themselves in. Keep the videos coming!

[@thevintagecompany]

This was so nice to read! Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment. 😊

[@ProfessorEchoMedia]

You have certainly earned such praise, Julie. Your channel and others like it help make YT such an invaluable resource. And not a wacky animal in any of them! 😆

[@WelcomeToTheMoon]

Love your channel!! I have been binge watching you videos since I discovered it about a week ago. Such interesting topics! Thanks for making these excellent videos. Superb quality 👌

[@thevintagecompany]

This was so nice to read! Thank you so much. 😊