Federal Glass Company Refrigerator Dish

Q         I bought a rectangular glass dish with a lid at a garage sale. The owner said it came in a refrigerator she bought years ago. The sides are ribbed and there are pictures of corn and other vegetables embossed on the lid. The dish is about 8 inches long, 3 inches wide, and 3 inches deep. That can you tell me about it?

A         Refrigerator dishes are sometimes called “leftover” dishes and were made in glass and pottery by several companies beginning in the 1920s and ’30s. Some were given away with the purchase of a new refrigerator. Your glass dish was made by Federal Glass Company, which was in business in Columbus, Ohio, from 1900 to 1980. Federal made refrigerator dishes in rectangular and square shapes, in different sizes, and different colors, and with different embossed decorations. Not all Federal glass was marked, and marks on glass can be hard to find. Look for the letter “F” in a shield on the bottom of dishes.