In 1853 the Mckee glass company opened in 1853 in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. In 1888 it moved from an area of Pittsburgh known as Mckees rock to Jeannette, a town which had been named for the founder’s wife.

Although the name has changed several times since its inception Mekee is still producing glassware today under the name of the Jeannette Glass company, which moved its own operation into the McKee Factory, making Mckee glassware a subsidiary of the larger parent company.

Mckee was well known for its pressed glass patterns, including Barberry, Beaded Tulip and Fern.

In the 1920’s, when glass production moved from crystal to color, McKee was among the first company in the area to have placed their colored glassware on the market.

Still, although they were first in some ways, in others they were later than their compatriots. By the latter part of the 1920’s when other glass companies were fully automated, the Mckee Company was still using hand presses to provide its glassware.

McKee didn’t introduce automatic production methods until the 1940’s. With the advent of the depression era, it was the simple things about Mckee that kept them afloat when many other glass companies went under.

The hand pressing had kept prices lower and their glasbake and kitchenware keep the company alive.

In the early 1930’s, McKee introduced Laurel dinnerware in the same colors that they used for their kitchenware, hoping that the popularity of the colors and the means to coordinate would carry over and make it a market success.

If today’s market is any indication of past, McKee had hit the nail directly on the head.

Yellow, blue, and green were the color McKee gave to their opaque kitchenware. These colors underwent changes when they were used for Laurel dinnerware.

Skokie is the name for McKee’s jadeite colored kitchenware. It’s a beautiful opaque jade color that has opalescence when held to a light. When McKee used it to make Laurel dinnerware in 1931, the name was changed to Jade Green even though the color was unchanged.

Seville is the color name for McKee’s opaque yellow, which can vary from a rich, opal yellow to custard yellow. In 1933, McKee skimmed this creamy color off Seville and called it French Ivory.

Chalaine blue kitchen glass is the rarest of the three, seeing the color its so easy to understand why so many people want it so badly that they will pay far more than it might actually be worth to get it. It’s a pale, almost turquoise blue that seems to almost glow in the light.

In 1936, McKee made Chalaine a little more opaque and Poudre Blue Laurel was the resultant color. Not all pieces were made in Poudre Blue.

Laurel is available in many varying pieces; cups & saucers, sherbet, salad, dinner and grill plates, berry and cereal bowls, footed sherbet, and two types of creamer & sugar.

These pieces are what may be considered ‘common’. Serving pieces such as the oval platter, covered cheese dish and large serving bowls are harder to find. The soup bowl, tall sherbet, salt & pepper, and tumblers in either 9 oz or 12 oz are much sought after and difficult to find.