Libbey Glass Company’s Treasure Island Hi-Ball

Today’s Museum Monday treasure from the Museum of American Glass in WV is a 10 oz. hi-ball from Libbey Glass Company’s Treasure Island hostess glassware set. The hi-ball features Long John Silver, the ferocious pirate from Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic novel. We also have the pilsner from the set, with pirates climbing the mast. As you can see from the 1951 advertisement from our archives, eight different pieces were available in this colorful set: pilsner, wine, cocktail, cordial, cooler, hi-ball, old fashioned, and whiskey sour. There was even a companion decanter, which could be acquired from Kentucky Tavern in a special gift package. The line was designed by Libbey’s legendary Freda Diamond, one of the most significant forces in commercial design throughout her long career. The hi-ball is 4 ¾” high, while the pilsner is 8 ½” high. The set was offered from 1951 to 1953. The advertisement states that these were “Treasures” because their Safedge rims were decorated with 22K gold! How appropriate for us to feature a real “Treasure” as our Museum Monday treasure for this week.