1903

Articles of incorporation filed for a new glass firm called Steuben Glass Works by Thomas G. Hawkes, president of T.G. Hawkes and Company, a glass- engraving firm, and by Frederick Carder, an English glassmaker specializing in colorful, art nouveau art glass typical of the period.

1918

Corning Glass Works acquires Steuben. Frederick Carder is kept on as managing director of the new "Steuben Division" of Corning Glass.

1932

Steuben develops a glass with an exceptionally high refractive index that throws off an extraordinary rainbow of color. This proprietary formula makes Steuben crystal stronger than ordinary glass, yet delicate to the touch. Its brilliant finish becomes a hallmark of Steuben and remains unrivaled today.

1933

All color is gradually phased out, paving the way for exclusive use of the brilliant new clear crystal. Although new styles are introduced, some forms from Carder's designs are carried over in the new clear glass formula. In the first years after 1933, almost all of the objects produced by Steuben are stemware, bowls, drinking glasses, candlesticks, and urns. 

Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. (picture Houghton, Gates and Waugh) is brought in to run Steuben. Enlisting the support of architect John M. Gates and sculptor Sidney Waugh, Houghton phases out the colored glass that had been the mainstay of Frederick Carder's era and pours his energies into creating "the finest glass the world has ever seen." The new shapes brought forward under the design influence of Gates and Waugh take on a different character, reflecting not only the characteristics of the new glass, but the sculptural and architectural backgrounds of the two men.

1934

Steuben opens its first store in New York City. Reviews of the store in The New York Times describe its sense of "serene excellence."

1935

Gazelle Bowl by Sidney Waugh, Steuben's first major engraved design, is introduced. It reflects the influences of Swedish simplicity and the massive geometry of Art Deco, and is the first Steuben piece that utilizes all of Steuben's renowned glassmaking techniques: blowing, cutting, polishing, and copper-wheel engraving. For years to come, the hallmark of Steuben pieces would be weighty objects, volumetric in character, with elements added to embellish or decorate the basic form.

1938

Four Steuben pieces including Gazelle Bowl are added to the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

1939

Steuben is shown at The World of Tomorrow exhibition at the New York City World's Fair. The modernist pieces Steuben displays, including the Olive Dish, become icons of mid-century modern design and remain perennial best sellers more than seventy years later.

1940

Twenty-Seven Contemporary Artists exhibition opens in the New York store. Represented are Henri Matisse, Georgia O'Keeffe, Isamu Noguchi, Salvadore Dali, Giorgio de Chirico, Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton. It is Steuben's first major sculptural exhibition, and first major collaboration with prominent contemporary artists.

1947

The Merry-Go-Round Bowl and Audubon Plates are presented to Queen Elizabeth on the occasion of her wedding. The bowl and plates are presented by President and Mrs. Truman on behalf the United States. Since then Steuben has been presented as a gift of state by every U.S. President.

1951

Corning Museum of Glass opens in a building integrated into the Steuben factory, allowing visitors a glimpse of the craftsmanship and artistry behind Steuben.

1952

Arthur Houghton Jr., President of Steuben, is appointed to the board of directors of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He is elected President in 1964 and ultimately serves as Chairman of the museum from 1969 until 1972.

1953

Steuben is the only American glassworks to be included in L'Art Du Verre, an exhibition at the Louvre Museum in Paris and shows nearly 150 pieces, more than one fifth of the exhibit.

1955

Twelve designs in an ongoing series Studies in Crystal signify a change of design direction for Steuben. By 1970 the collection will eventually grow to include over two hundred works. Free from functional purpose, these pieces include both engravings on prismatic forms and free sculptural abstractions. While Steuben continues to produce a large and varied line of tableware, vases, bowls and other utilitarian objects, these new, purely decorative pieces allow the company to exploit glass' potential as a medium for sculpture.

1956

Asian Artists in Crystal opens at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, and then travels to the Metropolitan Museum in New York. After one month at the Metropolitan, the show embarks on a tour of the 16 participating nations.

1959

Steuben opens a new store on 56th Street and 5th Avenue in New York City, done in a striking modernist international style. It is hailed as an architectural revelation. 

Collector's Pieces, a collection of 31 new ornamental designs opens as the new store's inaugural display. The exhibition includes Moby Dick by Donald Pollard and Sidney Waugh, which marks a watershed in the history of Steuben glass with the use of engraving: no longer is the engraved decoration merely "an illustration on glass," but an integral component of the form.

1960

President Dwight D. Eisenhower presents Steuben's Genesis to His Excellency, Juscelino Kubitschek, President of Brazil, as part of his state visit.

1962

Steuben's The Performing Arts is given to John D. Rockefeller as part of the opening ceremonies of Lincoln Center.

1963

Poetry in Crystal exhibition opens in the New York store with a gala preview party to benefit the Poetry Society. Steuben commissions new poems from 31 poets selected by the Poetry Society of America for the exhibition. Included are, W.H. Auden, Robert Hillyer, Robinson Jeffers, Marianne Moore, and William Carlos Williams.

1964

The citizens of Atlanta present Martin Luther King, Jr. with an engraved Steuben bowl in honor of his winning the Nobel Peace prize.

1966

The Masterworks Series, one-of-a-kind objects in the tradition of Fabergé, is begun. The series encompasses nine major works between 1966 and 1980 including The Myth of Adonis by Donald Pollard and Jerry Pfohl; Four Seasons, Chinese Pavilion, and Sphere of the Zodiac by Donald Pollard and Alexander Seidel, and Innerland by Eric Hilton.

1967

The Great Ring of Canada, an example of consummate artistry in glassmaking, is presented to Prime Minister Lester Pearson by President Lyndon Johnson "For the People of Canada on the Centenary of Canada's Nationhood from the People of the United States of America." It is displayed at Expo '67, the Montreal World's Fair throughout the Centennial year.

1972

Tiered Prism is presented by President Richard Nixon to Premier Chou En-Lai on the occasion of the President's first visit to China.

1974

Steuben: Seventy Years of American Glassmaking, a major exhibition organized by The Toledo Museum of Art opens at the Museum. The exhibit tours eight American museums over a two-year period, including the Smithsonian Institution. The exhibition reaffirms Steuben's place as the foremost American crystal of the 20th century.

1978

The Steuben Heritage Series is introduced in celebration of Steuben's 75th anniversary, recognizing an unprecedented demand for classic crystal objects. The first Heritage design is a faithful reissue of the popular Thompson Rope Candlesticks offered in a limited edition to established Steuben customers.

1980

Steuben partners with the World Wildlife Fund.

1981

An engraved Steuben piece, Crusaders Bowl, is chosen as the gift of state from President and Mrs. Ronald Reagan for the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana.

1983

A Steuben crystal egg achieves notoriety as the central focus of Risky Business starring Tom Cruise.

1989

The Archaic Vessel Collection by famed architect Michael Graves is introduced to great critical acclaim, resurrecting the concept of having renowned architects design for Steuben.

1991

Star Spangled Banner is presented by NYC Mayor David Dinkins to the Gulf War Generals Colin Powell, Norman Schwartzkopf, and Secretary of State Dick Cheney, at the "Welcome Home" parade festivities. Mayor David Dinkins also presents it to Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Clinton on the final evening of the Democratic Convention in New York City.

1993

Steuben's Mobius Prism is presented by President Clinton as a royal wedding gift to Crown Prince and Princess Hirohito of Japan.

1994

Framed Vessel Collection by architect Richard Meier is introduced and wins the Chigago Athenaeum Good Design Award.

1996

Steuben opens stores in London with Asprey and in Zurich with Meister Juwelier.

1998

Renowned Venetian glassmaker Lino Tagliapietra spends two weeks on the Steuben factory floor in a landmark "artist-in-residence" program, producing his designs in Steuben crystal. More than 60 one-of-a-kind pieces are produced. The Lino Tagliapietra exhibition in the New York City store entitled Clearly Lino Tagliapietra: Masterworks in Steuben Crystal is hailed by the press both in the U.S. and abroad. 

ABC News commissions Steuben to create an iconic piece as the symbol for its groundbreaking series "The Century" With Peter Jennings.

2000

Steuben opens a new flagship store in Manhattan at 667 Madison Avenue (at 61st Street). The move provides an opportunity to completely redefine the history of Steuben glass with a retail experience in a state-of-the-art setting.

2001

Steuben creates a masterwork bowl in gold and crystal for the Merchant Ivory film The Golden Bowl starring Uma Thurman and Anjelica Huston.

2002

James Houston is honored for this forty-year career as a designer for Steuben. Five new Houston designs are introduced to mark the anniversary and The Arctic Fisherman, a poetic chronicle of Houston's years in the Arctic is published.

2003

2003 marks the 100th Anniversary of Steuben. The Museum of the City of New York mounts Glass and Glamour: Steuben's Modern Moment, an exhibition focusing on Steuben work from 1930 - 1960.

2004

Furthering a longstanding tradition of collaboration with renowned architects, artists, and designers, Steuben engages the internationally acclaimed jeweler and industrial designer Ted Muehling to create a 16-piece collection of vases, bowls, candlesticks and barware. The Muehling Collection takes its inspiration from natural forms including tortoise shells, bamboo stalks, and flowing water.

2005

To benefit the Noguchi Museum and Sculpture Garden in Long Island City, New York, Steuben reintroduces The Cat, a copper-wheel engraved plate originally created by sculptor and designer Isamu Noguchi in 1940 for Steuben's landmark 27 Contemporary Artists in Crystal exhibition.

2007

Steuben is currently a part of the collections of 47 major museums around the world including the Art Institute of Chicago, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Smithsonian and The Cooper Hewitt.

2008

Steuben sold to the Schottenstein Stores Corp. of Columbus, Ohio, as part of the newly formed Schottenstein Luxury Group. Corning Incorporated retains 19% ownership.

2009

Major League Baseball commissions Steuben to design the Ted William Award given to the Most Valuable Player of the All Star Game.

2010

Steuben creates 20 individually autographed crystal bottles for the launch of Mary J. Blige's perfume, My Life.

2011

Schottenstein announces they will end production of Steuben. The Steuben factory in Corning, NY and the Steuben store in New York City are closed.

Corning Incorporated re-purchases the Steuben Brand.

2013

Corning Incorporated licenses The Corning Museum of Glass to oversee sales and production of Steuben.

2014

The Santa Ornament is introduced. Hand-blown in Corning, NY, this is the first new Steuben item to be introduced since 2011.

2015

A special commission honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King is remade and placed on permanent display in Albany during a ceremony at the State Capitol.

2016

America's Cup Sailboat Racing returned to New York City for the first time since 1920. Steuben was commissioned to create the 1st place trophy for this prestigious, Louis Vuitton World Series Event.

2017

Watkins Glen International and IndyCar commission first place trophy for the 2017 Verizon IndyCar Series at The Glen.

2019

Premier Lacrosse League commissioned the 2019 championship trophy.

2021

A long-standing icon of the American West with sacred religious symbolism for many Native American tribes, Steuben's American Bison is a stately interpretation of one of our nation's most majestic mammals.