Pittsburgh is recognized the world over as being the steel-making capital of the 20th century. But long before the city gained the nickname "The Steel City," it was recognized as a major center for glassmaking. One of the earliest industries in Pittsburgh, the first glassworks was established in 1797 by Gen. James O'Hara with the help of Major Isaac Craig. Known for making utilitarian wares such as windowpanes and whiskey bottles, the O'Hara-Craig glassworks was paramount to a fledgling Pittsburgh industry that was, at the time, a crude operation at best. But by 1813, the industry gained prominence with a total of five glass factories operating in the city. And as history would prove, one of them in particular, Bakewell, would excel above all the rest. Beginning in 1808 as Bakewell & Ensell, over the course of its 74-year existence, the Bakewell factory produced objects that reflected the highest quality of craftsmanship and decoration achieved in 19th-century American glass. "Bakewell was the first to make fully cut glass in America," says Arlene Palmer, an independent curator and author of some 50 scholarly articles and books dealing with early American glass. Palmer says that during its long history -- rivaled in length only by the New England Glass Co. and the Boston and Sandwich Glass Co. -- the Bakewell factory set new standards for highly decorated luxury glassware as well as for more ordinary tableware. "Those three -- Bakewell, Boston and Sandwich, and the New England Glass Co. -- are probably the three most important glass factories of the 19th century because they did all have fairly long lives and they made extremely high-quality glass," Palmer says. Opened Saturday at The Frick Art Museum in Point Breeze, the exhibition "Artistry and Innovation in Pittsburgh Glass, 1808-1882" explores the history, development and glassware produced by this landmark business -- from the initial Bakewell & Ensell partnership to the final limited partnership of Bakewell, Pears & Co. On display are more than 100 objects that represent the quality and wide range of Bakewell glassware. From free-blown and mold-blown examples to pressed-glass pieces, and, of course, numerous pieces of the highly decorated, hand-cut leaded glass, or "flint glass," that made Bakewell so famous. "It was really an important training ground for the American industry, and he introduced a lot of important styles and techniques here," Palmer says in regard to Bakewell. Although he is considered the "father of the flint-glass business," Benjamin Bakewell (1767-1844) wasn't an artisan, but a businessman. In 1808, along with the help of a few investors, Bakewell came to Pittsburgh from New York to purchase a foundering glassworks opened a year earlier by Edward Ensell (circa 1763-1828) and George Robinson (circa 1762-1818). By the 1820s, it was recognized as one of the nation's premier glass establishments; it continued operations until 1882. Harley Trice, a lawyer with the Downtown firm of Reed Smith, LLP, is an avid collector of 19th-century glass. He has an affinity for Bakewell glass, not only because of its beauty but because his great-great-grandfather was a glassblower with the factory. Trice says of Bakewell, "The important thing that set Bakewell apart from other glass factories in Pittsburgh, and also elsewhere in America, was that Benjamin Bakewell wanted to make extremely high-quality glass, not just utilitarian, everyday stuff." For example, Trice says, "If you take a piece of Bakewell glass and flick it with your finger, it will give a ring just like Steuben or Waterford does." The stuff of kings, the best ornamental glass was being produced in Europe at the time, Trice says. But Bakewell was a shrewd marketer. By the 1820s, he not only had established agents all over the east coast but was presenting his glass to the United States' own version of aristocracy -- U.S. presidents and wealthy patrons began collecting his glass. For example, the exhibit includes one of a pair of magnificent cut and engraved decanters Bakewell presented to President James Madison in 1816. In fact, not only did Dolly Madison serve dinner to guests on Bakewell glass, but Presidents James Monroe and Andrew Jackson ordered complete services in 1818 and 1829, respectively. "When they could've ordered glass from anywhere in Europe, which had the fanciest glass available at that time, instead Presidents Madison, Monroe and Jackson all ordered glass from Pittsburgh," Trice says. Aside from the cut glass that Andrew Jackson enjoyed at his Tennessee home, which is on display in one gallery, visitors will find two tumblers that Bakewell presented to the Marquis de Lafayette on his 13-month tour of the United States between August 1824 and September 1825. The tumblers, which have a delicate portrait of the French general on the underside, are an excellent example of the cameo-incrustation or "sulphide" technique that had been perfected in Europe in the early 19th century. "This was a very sophisticated technique that had been developed in France and England in the 1810s," Palmer says. "Bakewell was doing it by 1825 and really was the only American manufacturer that we know of for sure that was doing it in the 19th century." The Pittsburgh firm utilized the sulphide process to produce remarkable mantel ornaments, decanters, plaques, tumblers, and knobs featuring encapsulated cameos -- white clay portraits -- of leading political figures such as George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Many fine examples of those pieces are on display as well as a selection of glass made in England, in France and at other American glasshouses for comparative purposes. By 1857, there were 33 glasshouses in operation in Pittsburgh, nine of which produced flint glass. But only Bakewell achieved the level of excellence that came to define American flint glass in the 19th century. Says Frick Art and Historical director Bill Bodine: "Bringing Benjamin Bakewell's story to light was a particularly appropriate project for the Frick to undertake given our twin interests in art and history. The exhibition reflects the achievements of an individual who, like other Pittsburgh leaders of the 19th century, influenced the cultural and industrial landscape of Western Pennsylvania, as well as that of America at large." Additional Information:

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'Artistry and Innovation in Pittsburgh Glass, 1808-1882' When: Through March 26. Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays Where: The Frick Art Museum at The Frick Art & Historical Center, 7227 Reynolds St., Point Breeze Admission: Free Details: (412) 371-0600 or www.frickart.org Related programs Lecture: 'Neoclassical Expression in Bakewell Glass.' Arlene Palmer, guest curator for 'Artistry and Innovation in Pittsburgh Glass,' examines the luxury glass made at the Bakewell factory from 1810-1830 and demonstrates how Bakewell reflected European trends and developed a distinctive American statement. 1:30 p.m. today. $10; $8 for members and students Docent-led tours of 'Artistry and Innovation in Pittsburgh Glass.' 2 p.m. Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Free

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