Corning produced three "Gourmet" casseroles with similar designs in the 1960s on the round 2 1/2 Qt. casserole (475). One version has been well-documented while the exact dates of production and distribution methods for the other two versions were vague and anecdotal until recently.

The most commonly found casserole was made in Bluebelle/Delphite Blue, rather than plain opal. The exterior was painted white with a gold stem and leaf design around the circumference (see photo above, left). The casserole included a four-legged cradle with candle-warmer and flat wooden handles. This version appears in Corning distributor catalogs and advertisements as a promotional item in late 1961 through early 1962. Officially, the casserole was named, "Gourmet Casserole 2 1/2 Qt. with Candle Warmer," Item No. 56.  ​

The third version of the Gourmet casserole was produced in opal with a gold stem and leaf design on yellow (see topmost photo, upper right). For many years, collectors have noticed that the majority of these casseroles were found in Canada, leading most to believe this item was produced exclusively for the Canadian market even though the back stamp reads "Made in USA."

Based on recent discussions with a collector, it turns out this casserole was, in fact, available exclusively in Canada since the box was marked Corning Glass Works of Canada, LTD, Toronto, Ontario. Most surprisingly, however, were two new pieces of information that came to light.

The first surprise was that the Canadian Gourmet came with an oblong walnut serving tray rather than a cradle with candle warmer. The official name was "80 oz. Gourmet Round Casserole with Walnut Serving Tray."

The second surprise was that the Canadian Gourmet casserole was offered as a promotional item many years after the U.S. versions. The box reveals the item number for the Canadian Gourmet was 6268. Assuming the same numbering conventions were used as in the U.S., the last two digits provide the year of release as 1968. 

The origins of opal Pyrex date from the early 1940s when Corning received contracts from the U.S. military to develop a replacement to china used in military mess halls. Corning scientists perfected a formula creating a white opal glass with extraordinary strength, durability, and thermal shock resistance.

A 1943 Corning advertisement in Time magazine states: 

Many early commercial dinnerware patterns were available for direct-order through contracts with the General Services Administration (GSA). A popular pattern for the Army was Emerald Band, referred to as Munsell Green on order forms. The U.S. Navy and Air Force preferred patterns in blue, such as Turquoise Bands and Bluegrass.

Often, military customers customized Corning’s standard commercial patterns by including their insignia on the crest of plates. Customized military patterns, such as those shown below, are a favorite for many collectors. PYREX Passion II: Vintage Opal Dinnerware, Beverage Items, and Storage Containers contains over 50 customized opal dinnerware patterns produced for restaurants, institutions, and the U.S. military.

This 2 1/2 Qt Oval Casserole (045) has received many nicknames throughout the years, including "Navajo" and "Aztec" based on the geometric lid design. The official name and date of production were previously unknown. The previous date estimate, included Pyrex Passion was late the 1960s based on other items that included a wicker basket produced in 1969-1970. 

However, an eBay seller recently found the casserole with its original box, solving the Pyrex mystery! The official name of the casserole is simply "2 1/2 Qt Oval Casserole with Serving Basket." The date of production can be gleaned from the item number as 1971. Another Pyrex Mystery Solved! 

Original boxes often reveal helpful information, especially for rare or hard-to-find PYREX patterns that do not appear in dealer catalogs or advertisements. Recently, a collector acquired numerous vintage PYREX items from the estate of a 50-year employee of Corning in Charleroi, PA - the hometown of opal PYREX production.

One of the items purchased was the 3 Pc. 480 Casserole Set in the original box. The box reveals the date of production as 1963. The box also shows that Blue Dianthus was a "Sales Test" pattern. 

Another PYREX mystery solved!

Throughout the years, Corning produced several holiday-themed items. The first items were offered in 1960. The Golden Leaf Casserole was a 404 mixing bowl with knob lid (626) and brass mounter, ideal for punch, salads, or hot dishes (far left in photo). The other item offered in 1960 was the Holiday Casserole, a 2 Qt round (024) casserole with knob lid (top right in photo). Two other 2 Qt round casseroles are ideal for the holidays: Bright Green and Bright Red. The exact production dates for these two casseroles is unknown, but likely in the 1970s.

The Deluxe Buffet, with a Golden Poinsettia design, was the only other holiday item specifically produced for the consumer market. The 2 1/2 Qt oval casserole (045) with dual candle warmer was available in late 1961. A matching carafe was sold separately. 

The Golden Pine (not shown) 2 Qt Square Space Saver Casserole (575) was also available in 1961. Although perfect for a holiday table, the Golden Pine design, which included  gold pine cones on a white background, had broader appeal throughout the year. 

If you were lucky enough to work for Corning Glass Works in the 1960s-1980s, you likely received some wonderful holiday gift items, only available to Corning employees. Currently, these items are in great demand with collectors. Dozens of employee holiday gifts were distributed through the years, including those above. 

Thanks to a recent discussion with a PYREX collector, the date of the Blue Tulip 043 1 1/2 Qt Oval Casserole is now known to be 1964. The collector recently 
acquired a new-in-box (NIB) casserole which included the original brochure showing Corning's consumer product line from the time: Golden Honeysuckle, Early American and Town and Country items. The model number, 5164, indicates the  casserole was produced in 1964.

The same design was also offered in gold on brown on a 043 1/2 Qt Oval Casserole and the larger 045 2 1/2 Qt Oval Casserole. The gold on brown casseroles are quite hard to find, leading some collectors to speculate that this version was produced as a test pattern and not available for purchase. The exact date of production for the gold on brown version is unknown, but presumed to be during the same time period.

The Cosmopolitan Promotional item is a favorite for collectors due to its innovative design and mysterious origins. The casserole is sometimes referred to as the "bulls eye" due to the design.

The casserole (475 2 1/2 Qt Round Casserole) is curious in that some versions have the familiar PYREX stamp on the bottom while others are marked "Salton." 

The Salton version of the casserole was manufactured by Corning Glass Works for Salton, Inc. as part of the Cosmopolitan Hot Casserole Set. The set included the casserole and a a square warmer (Model No. H-109C). Salton was a popular manufacturer of hot plates and food warmers during the 1960s and 1970s. When sold as part of the Salton set, the casserole is typically stamped "Salton" on the bottom. 

A recently acquired Salton set, which included the box, revealed the date of manufacture as 1973. The date was stamped on the bottom of the box as the production date. 

The casseroles marked "PYREX" may have been sold separately by Corning, rather than Salton during the same time period, although this is speculation.

Many PYREX collectors enjoy collecting commemorative PYREX manufactured at the plant
in Charleroi, PA. The plant not only created PYREX items for local community events, but also made commemorative pieces for employees, marketing events and trade shows. Employees also received unique PYREX gifts for Christmas and were able to purchase test designs and production mistakes in the company store. These unique and sometimes
one-of-a-kind items typically command top dollar in online auctions.

Commemorative employee pieces were often produced in coordination with the launch of a new product. For example, the small Individual Pixie Dish (model #700) was launched
in 1970 on Daisy, Verdé and Horizon Blue and employees received a complimentary
Pixie Dish at the Plant Service Dinner. Likewise, in 1964, when small restaurantware “cereal bowls” (model #1416) were launched, employees received a commemorative bowl with gold lettering stating “50 Years of Better Tasting Meals” on one side and “Corning, 11-5-64, Charleroi” on the other. 

The solid blue 473 round casserole was produced as an employee appreciation item recognizing "Excellence." The front contains the text, "Corning Glass Works, Blue Chip Week, April 21-27, 1963" while the back reads, "Charleroi Family Day April 27, 1963."

Employees also sometimes received PYREX as a holiday gift. These items are a favorite with collectors for the holidays. The white 475 round casserole dish was decorated with green holly and a red ribbon with the text, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year." The exact date of production is unknown but presumed to be in the early 1970s.

Another holiday item, also assumed to be produced in the early 1970s, is a green
443 cinderella bowl. The bowls reads, "Merry Christmas and Happy New Year" on one side while the other side (shown) has red ribbons and white holly leaves.

Recenly an ebay seller in Charleroi, PA, whose parents worked at the plant unearthed a case of another version of the bowl with orange ribbons, instead of white, which was likely a test design.

Believe it or not, March 14 is National Potato Chip Day! In honor of the holiday, here’s the history of how PYREX embraced North America’s favorite snack and what led to the creation of popular “Chip and Dip Sets” in the 1950s and 1960s. But first, a little chip and dip history.

According to many urban legends (some of which are hotly debated on the Internet), the potato chip was invented in 1853  by George Crum, a resort chef in Saratoga, NY. The son of an African-American father and a Native American mother, Crum invented the chip when a patron who ordered a plate of french-fried potatoes sent them back to Crum's kitchen because he felt they were too thick and soft. Crum decided to get back at the complainer by making really bad fries that were too thin and crisp to eat with a fork. But the plan backfired. The guest liked the brown, paper-thin potatoes and soon potato chips were a  specialty at the resort. Crum opened his own restaurant in 1860 with the profits he made selling his new chips. Every table had a complimentary basket of, you guessed it, potato chips. Potato chips remained a local Saratoga delicacy until the 1930s, when an enterprising salesman, Herman Lay, popularized the product throughout the United States.

By the late 1950s, potato chips had become North America’s #1 snack food. At the same time, entertaining had changed from a formal, sit-down affair to casual buffet dining or coffee-table service.

Chips were becoming more than picnic fare and were now served alongside cheeses and other “finger foods.” Embracing the casual dining trend, the Lipton Company began promoting new uses for its dried soup mix. The company experimentally launched a campaign that taught people to combine their undiluted dried soup mix with sour cream and “dip,” the perfect companion to salty chips, was born.

Not to be left behind, Corning Glass Works launched a wide variety of PYREX Chip and Dip Sets starting in the late 1950s. The two-bowl set was advertised as useful not only for chips and dip, but also for salads, floral centerpieces and seafood appetizers.

The first sets from Corning in the late 1950s included the Hot ‘N’ Cold Chip and Dip Set (known as Turquoise “Eyes”) which combined 401/403 mixing bowls, Balloons in 1958 and Golden Scroll in 1959, both of which combined 441/444 cinderella bowls and the Turquoise Chip ‘N’ Dip Hostess Set in 1959.

In the 1960s, PYREX sets included Golden Grapes in 1960, Early American and Town & Country in 1963, Ivy in 1964, Verdé in 1967 and Americana Fall Colors in 1968.

By the 1970s, fewer sets were available with only the Pineapple Party set released in 1972, which combined 401 and 404 mixing bowls.

The 1980s saw the release of the Speckled Lines Chip and Dip set which used a wooden disk rather than a metal bracket to hold the dip bowl. This set combined a 404 mixing bowl with a small 10 oz. "berry bowl" borrowed from the dinnerware product line.