User:Musebrarian/H. P. Sinclaire & Company

H.P. Sinclaire Jr. founded H.P. Sinclaire & Company in 1904 after separating from the T.G. Hawkes & Co.. Sinclaire started his career at Hawkes, but often disagreed with the owners about both business and design matters. Rejecting the brilliant cut-glass style Hawkes was known for, he began developing engraved glass designs in the late 1880s. After changes in leadership at Hawkes, Sinclaire established his own firm with the financial support of Marvin Olcott.

History
Sinclaire established H.P. Sinclaire & Company in 1904 at the peak of Corning's cut glass industry. Before acquiring a factory in Corning, Sinclaire's staff worked out of the C._Dorflinger_%26_Sons and Sinclaire exclusively used blanks from Dorflinger because of their quality. H.P. Sinclaire & Company did not directly advertise their designs, but sold through major retailers, traveling salesmen, or through direct sales for highest-priced items. H.P. Sinclaire & Company established a reputation as Corning's engraved glass specialists, creating unique designs for the King of Bavaria, Warren G. Harding, and the White House.

In 1920, Sinclaire began a partnership with Ivan and Walter Larson, previously employed by Dorflingers. Together they established an expirmental glassworks in Bath, NY to produce blanks of sufficient quality for Sinclaire and other glass cutting/engraving firms.

H.P. Sinclaire died on June 21, 1927 and the dissolution of the company followed. The Dunkirk factory closed immediately, while the Corning plant stayed open through 1928 with a reduced staff to sell remaining inventory. The Dunkirk facory was purchased by Eastern Glass Company and the Corning plant was purchased by the Baking Company.