Before Pittsburgh was the Steel City, it was the Glass City. By 1902, the region had more than 100 glass factories. By 1920, the larger Ohio Valley was producing 80 percent of the national output. This richly illustrated volume offers new insights into the beauty, science, utility, and technology of Western Pennsylvania's 200-year-old glass industry. The story of glass on a local and national scale is told through numerous personal and business histories. Also featured are 33 short profiles of selected glass firms. Includes an introduction by Philip Scranton, Kranzberg Professor of History at Georgia Institute of Technology. Anne Madarasz is chief curator at the Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania. She curated an accompanying exhibit at the Pittsburgh Regional History Center.