Pittsburgh Glass Factory glass polishers, Ford City, PA, 1926.


Three men holding large panes of glass against a belt, stand in back of wheels that carry the sharpening belts.
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In the early 1900s, skyscrapers reached for the stars, and the demand for plate glass in America virtually ‘went through the roof!" By 1925, the United States was producing nearly 120 million square feet of plate glass each year, and PPG was the nation's largest producer. The booming auto industry was also fueling the demand for glass, as manufacturers shifted from open touring cars to sedans.