The glass manufacturing capitol of the United States, Dunkirk, Indiana, contributed to the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial with the production of patriotic memorabilia. Dunkirk’s Indiana Glass Company produced stylish and affordable carnival glass, which is highly collectible today. For the Bicentennial, patriotic images including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and bald eagles were imprinted into the pressed glass.
During the 1880s, a number of gas wells were established in East Central Indiana after the discovery of a large reserve of natural gas in the region. This Indiana gas boom had a major impact on industry, including growth in glass production. One of the companies to benefit was Indiana Glass, which produced pressed glass décor. Differing from cut glass with its sharp edges, pressed glass was known for having flattened and rounded features. Carnival glass, a type of pressed glass, has a finish that makes it look similar to prestigious companies like Tiffany’s. Indiana Glass was one of only a few manufacturers of these products.
Throughout the twentieth century, the company was one of the largest glass makers in the world. They were renowned for their glassware, especially Depression glass, which was known for being a low cost option for Americans between 1929 and 1939. During World War II, Indiana Glass switched to the production of “war materials, particularly lenses and specialized windshield glass for airplanes and ships.” After WWII, they reverted to the peacetime production of home products and added in home parties to compete with other manufacturers. Indiana Glass ceased operations in 2002 due to rising costs and overseas manufacturing. Although the company is now defunct, Indiana’s rich history of glass production continues to be celebrated with the Indiana Glass Trail and the Glass Museum of Dunkirk.
]]>In preparing for the United States’s Bicentennial, the federal government initially planned for a large-scale celebration held in Philadelphia, the country’s first capital city. The idea faced criticism from the public, who accused it of being elitist and ignoring the country’s diversity. The backlash influenced the federal government to step back and instead fund more localized commemorations. As a result of this new approach, many projects in Indiana focused on aspects of American history that resonated more with its residents.
The George Rogers Clark exhibit at the Indiana State Museum is one example. It ran from February 25, 1976 to the 200th anniversary of the Siege of Fort Sackville on February 25, 1979. Clark was an officer in the American militia who played a critical role in the siege. This major American victory during the American Revolution resulted in the United States acquiring Vincennes, Indiana’s oldest city. Vincennes was named the capital when the Indiana Territory was created in 1800.
The three-year exhibit was a major undertaking with more than two-hundred people trained as visitor guides. Prior to the exhibit’s dedication, a dinner was held with recipes from the 1700s and there was a city-sponsored parade. Taking up the entire second level of the museum, the exhibit examined the life of George Rogers Clark by detailing his upbringing, early military career, and his victories over the British during the American Revolution. The exhibit ended with a new technology called a “historic documentary environmental theater.” This theater was only the third of its kind in the country and the first to show a history-themed documentary. It consisted of images of Clark’s campaign being projected above a large topographical map that traced his progress by pinpointing it with light.
]]>