Crystalvac Jars

Crystalvac was Hoffmann-Hayman’s vacuum-packed glass retail line for coffee, introduced in 1932 as tin prices rose. The jars were blown for H and H by Three Rivers Glass Company in Three Rivers, Texas—square in plan like fruit-packers’ jars so cases shipped with less breakage—while mouths and threads stayed compatible with standard Kerr and Mason–Ball closures. The plant sat where water, quartzose sand, and fuel came together for South Texas glassmaking; Michael David Smith’s Texas Glass (1989) remains the standard illustrated reference, including the page reproduced below. A longer narrative of the factory visit and dealer network appears in Three Rivers visit; Smith’s book is summarized on Texas Glass, and this site’s bottle index from his price list lives under Three Rivers glass bottles.

Ball Brothers purchased Three Rivers Glass in 1937; in 1947 Ball Brothers divested the plant after antitrust action—part of the corporate trail that explains why later Crystalvac blanks sometimes carry Owens-Illinois mold marks instead of the Three Rivers star.

Glass marks

The base of a Crystalvac jar usually tells you which glasshouse ran the mold.

Three Rivers Glass Company

Three Rivers produced one-pound Crystalvac jars in clear and amber from 1932 into the Ball ownership transition. The small clear jar here shows the “3 Rivers” star mark with 601-4 in the patent stack.

The amber example is similar, with a slightly rounded mold impression and 601-5 on the base.

Patent numbers track running changes to the mold. Examples represented in this collection include:

1. 601-1, one-pound, clear glass
2. 601-3, one-pound, clear glass
3. 601-4, one-pound, clear glass
4. 601-5, one-pound, amber glass
5. 601-7, one-pound, clear glass

Owens-Illinois Glass Company

Large three-pound clear jars in the collection often show the diamond–oval–I Owens-Illinois mark. The plant digit to the left of the mark is the factory code (7 = Alton, Illinois, in the example studied here). The date code to the right is a single digit for the 1930s decade—the illustrated base reads 1939. Both large and small clear Crystalvacs appear with Owens-Illinois markings; large jars are documented in clear glass. Some collector literature attributes the large-jar body design to Dr. J. H. Toulouse; this site has not pinned that down to a primary source—treat it as tradition, not fact, until a citation is added.

Reference photography

Crystalvac specimens outside Our Collection — labeled jars on dealers’ tables, book plates, and supplier-site documentation — are indexed in Reference. On-page collection photography appears above under Glass marks and in Collection posts.

Newspaper & period branding

1932 display copy for H and H Blend in square glass Crystalvac jars — period press showing vacuum-pack positioning as tin prices rose (gallery index).

• Newspaper ads · Branding in Newspapers

Collection posts

These entries walk individual specimens (handles, lids, labels, auction provenance):

• Large Crystalvac jar (Victoria, TX) — early large three-pound example; Owens-Illinois base marks and the 1939 date code are worked through in the text.
• Three-pound Crystalvac with wire handle and original red lid — red vacuum lid with embossed rim motto and Crystalvac script on lid and body.
• Second three-pound Owens-Illinois Crystalvac (clear) — companion large jar, different seller.
• H and H coffee three-pound jar — research note on square jars, mold marks, and the relationship between Three Rivers and Owens-Illinois production.
• 601-1 Crystalvac jar — second one-pound 601-1 mold acquisition.
• Crystalvac jars (Comfort, TX) — picking up small and large jars from an antique mall run tied to this research page.
• H and H Crystalvac jar (KimmysKicks) — Bowie, Texas; Etsy provenance.
• One-pound 601-1 Crystalvac (Chappell Hill) — Three Rivers base shot and 601-1 mold note.
• Large Victoria Crystalvac — wire handle, plain lid, H and H + Crystalvac body lettering.
• Embossed “We roast it” lid — period vacuum lid motto tied to other H and H slogans.

Collecting criteria

Glass color — Clear or amber. Amber is scarcer in the wild.

Size — One pound (small, about 8½ in. tall) or three pounds (large, about 10¼ in. tall).

Glass manufacturer — Three Rivers or Owens-Illinois. Many collectors favor Three Rivers–marked examples for factory provenance.

Jar condition — Chips, scratches, cracks, clarity vs. haziness.

Label — Paper labels rarely survive; a few pieces in the collection retain partial paper.

Lid — Original vs. replacement; jars were sold to accept standard mason lids.

Lid design — Plain metal vs. embossed logo and brand. At least one embossed Crystalvac / H and H lid is in the collection.

Disc — Large jars could be sold with a resealing disc for home canning—embossed with name and price, or plain.

Handle — Large jars may carry a wire bail; wooden grips and aftermarket wire wraps turn up—document what you have.

Collectibility — Glass breaks; wire and lids rust; paper tears. Even so, Crystalvacs often outlast tins and paper bags.

Price (anecdotal) — Large clear jars in this collection have ranged about $25–$125; small clear jars about $30–$60; small amber jars about $75–$150—auction and venue dependent.

Wanted

High-priority gaps also appear on the site-wide Wanted list:

1. Large clear Crystalvac with wire handle, embossed lid, and legible paper label (ideal “complete” retail look).
2. Small Three Rivers amber jar with paper label documentation.
3. 1934 five-ounce (pint) Crystalvac called out in the reference lists—any clear photos or a physical example.
4. Photographs of the replica Crystalvac installed on the factory roof in 1932 (period or modern survey shots).
5. Additional clear one-pound and clear three-pound variants for comparison where mold or base marks differ from pieces already on the site.