1922 Leaflet - There are now 100 Pyrex shapes and sizes 

This leaflet was issued in January 1922 to inform consumers of the newly expanded range of Pyrex ovenware.  It is the type of brochure that a retailer might hand out to shoppers at the sales counter.  It does not indicate which items are new, and it is possible that some had debuted in late 1921, and not on January 1 1922 exactly.  

A few were additional sizes of existing shapes, while others were entirely new products.  Previously, the variety of Pyrex shapes & sizes had amounted to more than 50, so the 100+ items listed here represent a substantial increase.

When Pyrex was first introduced, it experienced impressive sales results, but by the early 1920s demand had dropped off.  Endeavouring to boost interest in the product, the company showered consumers with more product choices and lowered retail prices.  Despite this effort, sales continued to diminish.

Eventually Corning would engage an advertising agency to advise on effective methods of marketing Pyrex.  The agency reasoned that too many choices increase manufacturing costs and often confuse the customer.  So shortly after the product line was doubled, it was streamlined by discontinuing almost as many.  Particular attention was paid to "competing" items that were only slightly different from others, like casseroles in the same general size & shape, and pie plates that were practically the same diameter.

1922 Pyrex leaflet: product illustrations on one side.

Price list and descriptions on the other side.

The following images are a modified version of the leaflet.  In its original form, it is a complicated document to interpret; the illustrations are not presented in the same order that the price list is, and in many cases different terminology is used to describe the same item.  So for clarity, the information below is organized into segments, with model numbers, sizes, shapes, and prices listed alongside the picture of the product.  The dimensions that are provided for certain items are outside measurements.

Covered Casseroles, Round & Oval, Shallow & Deep.

New sizes added recently were: 169, 170, 185, 190.  Casseroles numbered 167 to 170 and 190 to 197 were often called "standard", meaning that they are designed to fit "standard mountings", i.e.: a metal frame or stand.  They have a thick, sturdy ridge under the rim for supporting itself on the stand.

It seems that round casseroles numbered 100 to 104 and 112 & 113 were not ideal for this use, but metal ware manufacturers did make frames and cradles for these shapes, and for shallow ovals too.  By 1924, the 100 to 104 series was discontinued.

Both types of 2 Qt round casseroles, 101 & 169, use the same lid, which is marked 101-169.  A 167 casserole takes the same lid as a 506 bean pot, and this lid is marked 167-506.

Casseroles with Victor Covers, Round & Oval, plus Square, and Bean Pots.

Victor covers were a new item.  When a Victor cover is added to a casserole, the first digit of its model number changes from "1" to "2".  The casserole itself is stamped with both model numbers, since it is the same piece as before, just with a different lid.

Square casseroles (800) also were a new item, and came in only one size, and with one type of lid.  Two bean pot sizes, 502 & 504, had been offered since 1916.  A 502 was called a Petite Marmite and it is meant to be an individual soup pot.  The 506 bean pot appeared during 1921 or 1922.

Baking Pans.

Recently introduced, a round shallow cake pan (220) has a larger diameter than a round standard pan (221).  Biscuit pans (234 & 235) and square cake pans (809 & 810) were also new items.

Uncovered Casseroles or Open Baking Dishes.

Most pudding dishes are lidless casseroles.  The 120 to 124 pudding dishes correspond to 100 to 104 casseroles.  Those suffixed with "B" are identical to casseroles of the same number, but the actual item is not marked with a "B".  A 132 pudding dish could be the same item as a 112 casserole, but a 155 pudding dish and a 113 casserole might not be exactly alike.  

A 450 pudding dish (a new item) and those numbered 463 to 467 are single-purpose items and are not meant to have a lid.  Both 463 & 467 were also new additions.  The 450 was replaced in 1925 by 627 & 628 handled casseroles sold without their lids.  The 463 to 467 series was dropped around 1926.

Other Baking Dishes.

The 110 covered two-piece oval baker was a new product.  Its lid functions as an extra baking dish.  A 135 round shallow dish is not a cake pan, and similarly, the 145 oblong pudding dish is not a loaf pan.  Both of these were new items, but they were dropped sometime between 1925 & 1927.

Round dishes with handles (301 & 302) were sometimes called shirred egg dishes.  Although the 322 oval dish with handles had been called an au gratin dish in the past, by this time, a new shape had taken that name instead.

At this point, 302s have small flat handles that are level with the rim, which is also true of 301s & 322s.  The 301, 302 & 322 were dropped about 1925, but the 302 returned in the late 1920s.  Its shape was updated with larger upturned handles that resemble those of French au gratin dishes (330, 331, 332).

Individual Baking Dishes and Pie Plates.

French au gratin dishes have larger handles and are longer and narrower than an oval dish with handles. 

A series of six pie plates with a wide flat rim was among the new items at the time.  A 205 pie plate appeared in 1924, but 206s & 207s were dropped about 1926.  Prior to 1922 only one size (201) had been available in this shape and it is the same as a 209 in the new series.  Narrow-rimmed 202 & 203 pie plates were an older item and would be discontinued shortly.  Hexagonal pie plates are numbered 1203 here, but by 1924 their model number would be changed to 200.

Platters, Trays & Tiles, Custard Cups.

Platters in two sizes were a new product.  A 706 tile & 708 tray also had been recently introduced.  French custard cups were new items too.  A 425 (5 oz) arrived in the mid 1930s, but by that time they were called deep custard cups instead.  Oval custard cups were made in just one size.

Ramekins and Special Items.

Small 432 ramekins were soon dropped.  Mushroom dishes are comprised of a regular 301 or 302 round dish with handles and a bell cover. 

Percolator tops were a replacement part for coffee pots from other companies, as there were no Pyrex percolators at this time.  The design for the "Pyrex style" top was filed with the patent office in May 1914, one full year before the introduction of Pyrex ovenware.  It is the oldest Pyrex product destined for consumers, supplied to firms that manufactured percolators.  Casserole lids with the same hollow pointy-top knob were conceived afterwards, their design almost certainly based on this percolator top.

Boxed sets: 14 piece Household Set and 5 piece Gift Set.  Engraved decoration on the Gift Set was $3 extra.


Related Articles: 

1918 Pyrex Leaflet
1920 Leaflet: Pyrex ... For Gifts
1924-1925 Pyrex Booklets: Part One, Part Two 
1927 Pyrex Booklet
1931 Pyrex Booklet: Part One, Part Two 
1934 Pyrex Calendar: Part One, Part Two 
1937 Advertisement: Pyrex & Flameware
1938 Pyrex Leaflet
1943 Pyrex Order Form
1946 Advertisement: Clear Pyrex Ware
Clear Pyrex 1915 - 1950, handles, lids & knobs
Extra Photos: Clear Pyrex (Older than 1950)
Compare basic & Standard round casseroles
Compare shallow & deep oval casseroles
Compare Pyrex & Flameware Platters 
Which model numbers are duplicates?


Source: 

"J. Walter Thompson Company and its Clients: Marketing a Relationship", Jonathan Silva, Business and Economic History, Volume twenty-five, no. 1, Fall 1996