Made Possible by the Woman Behind the Man...of course!

Looking at my collection of measuring cups, mixing bowls, and serving ware, I laughed at my collection of Pyrex measuring cups. I have 5 total; two 2-cup, one 1-cup, and two 4-cup glass measuring cups. I laughed because I remember growing up with maybe two total in the house; how spoiled I must seem...but I use them constantly and they are my reliable stand-by's for almost every meal, confection, baked good, or, well, anything!

This of course, got me curious about the history behind these irreplaceable kitchen go-to's. In my graphic design and commercial art training, I loved the history of brand logos, which are common today, such as Arm and Hammer baking soda, and Morton salt. I found a detailed history of Pyrex's handy glassware (casseroles, baking dishes, measuring cups, etc.) on their website: http://www.pyrexware.com/.

Interestingly, the glass composition was designed back in the early 1900's when Corning Glass Works was asked to make weather resistant lamp globes for the railroads. The globes were so resistant and well made that Corning realized a decline in sales due to long-lasting product.

No surprise to most of us women, who have been defending the kitchen for centuries, that the now standard kitchen glassware was inspired by the wife of one of Corning's latest scientists in 1913. The story is as told:

"In July 1913, a series of events involving Bessie Littleton, the wife of the company's newest scientist, forced Corning managers to focus their attention on the consumer venture. Apparently, Mrs. Littleton had used a Guernsey brand casserole only twice when it fractured in the oven. Knowing the strength of the glass her husband worked with on a daily basis, she implored him to bring home a substitute from the Corning Glass Works plant. He returned the next evening with the bottoms of two sawed-off battery jars made from low-expansion glasses. Mrs. Littleton cooked a sponge cake in one of the surrogate baking dishes. She noted several remarkable findings:

• The cooking time was shorter

• The cake did not stick to the glass; it was easy to remove with little adhesion

• The cake was unusually uniform

• The flavor of the cake did not remain in the dish after washing

• She could watch the cake bake and know it was done by looking at the underside.

Mr. Littleton brought his wife's creation to work the following day. Laboratory researchers inspected the cake, which was a "remarkable uniform shade of brown all over." The men deemed it delicious and very well baked. Thus began a two-year process to perfect this new invention. The notion of baking in glass was a whole new concept to the public. In 1915, a wondrous new line of "glass dishes for baking" appeared in the nation's hardware, department and china stores. On May 18, 1915, Boston department store Jordan Marsh placed the first PYREX bakeware order."

The rest, apparently, was history. What impressed me most was how they marketed the revolutionary glassware as "energy efficient," saving oven time, as well as clean up time. In addition, the sturdy glass was economical, not only because of it's durability, but because it proved to waste less food, a commodity in early century wartime: "Bread baked an inch higher and even cheap cuts of meat tasted better when cooked in glass."

And to think, it didn't take an act of congress to move an efficient, time, resource, and energy saving kitchen aid to market. It only took a woman who had the foresight to suggest a better product for the everyman, or perhaps, the everyWOman.

To read the full story visit The History of Pyrex (R).