Decorated Glass "The Brainard" Period
(1938-1984)

Ira Brainard was the financial backer and partner in the Westmoreland Glass Company. Ira had a financial stake in various financial ventures including the Louisville Stockyards in Louisville, Kentucky. Ira never went to the factory but provided the funds necessary to keep the company operating in times of shut down. JJ Brainard was Ira's son and became Vice President of the Company in 1920 after co-founder, George R. West, left the company and his brother, Charles West became President. After Charles West retired in 1937, JJ Brainard became President during the war years. JJ Brainard's three sons, J. Heaton "Heator", Phil and Walter, joined the company. JJ retired and Heaton became the new President and remained in that position until he sold the company in 1980 to St. Louis businessman, David Grossman. Grossman had no prior experience running a glass company and the company closed its doors on January 1, 1984.

The Brainards streamlined the production of the company shifting from hand-painted and hand-engraved glass to a pressed glass model. The Paneled Grape line was developed in 1946 and milk glass became the dominant color used and marketed by the Brainards. A new mark, the "WG" intertwined was developed and added to the moulds. Plain lines which required hand decorating and cutting were removed thereby reducing labor costs. This made the company lean in the glassware it sold. The milk glass developed during this time period was far superior to any other glass company's milk glass. Today, collectors and dealers today still look at Westmoreland as a "milk glass" company without realizing this truly was the marketing focus only from the mid-1940s forward.