Imperial Glass Company originated in 1901 but it was not until 1904 that they actually started to make glass. They introduced Carnival Glass five years later. Some of the first iridized pieces made were Peacock, Sapphire and Nuruby. These blown lead lustre pieces sold in the masses all across America as well as Europe for the next decade.

The quality of Imperial Glass is thought by some to be ranked second only to the Millersburg Glass Company and ranked equal to the Northwood Company. Fenton is the only other glass maker that produced more recognized patterns than Imperial did.

In 1929 Imperial began what they called the machine glass era and produced its fair share of what we know today as depression glass. During the 1960's Imperial revived some of their older molds and reproduced many of the old iridized patterns as well as a few new ones. Some loyal Carnival Glass collectors refer to this time as "Carnival Glass Fever"

Some of the best pieces ever made by Imperial were made during their earlier years. Here are some pictures of these prized pieces.