Incorporated in 1806, Meriden was once proposed as the state capital. Although the plan was not implemented, the rural village quickly burgeoned into a major manufacturing center with the advent of the industrial revolution. Meriden advanced to become renowned as the "Silver City." International Silver Company and other key businesses, such as Parker Gun, Manning Bowman, Wilcox and White, and Handel Lamp, made Meriden a familiar name. Home to Gov. Abiram Chamberlain, Arctic explorer Hugh Johnson Lee, opera diva Rosa Ponselle, and baseball's Connie Mack, the city has also long been enlivened by a diverse mixture of immigrants and newcomers. Bordered on the north by dramatic traprock ridges, Meriden has a larger percentage of parklands than any other town in Connecticut, with Hubbard Park its crowning jewel.

Located between the urban centers of New York City and Boston, the city of Meriden, Connecticut, has been an important hub for art and artisans for over a century. The city's rich tradition of innovative design has long been acknowledged as an outstanding contribution to the larger development of American art. Many of America's leading artists have come from or lived in Meriden, including 19th-century sculptor Chauncey B. Ives, early-20th-century painter Ethel Easton Paxson, and, in more recent years, children's book author/ illustrator Tomie dePaola. Meriden's art scene blossomed with an abundance of artistic talent at the beginning of the 20th century. This convergence of artists and designers ultimately led to the creation of an artist colony. In late 1907, the Arts and Crafts Association of Meriden was formed and, to its acclaim, remains the second-oldest continuously active arts organization in the state. Today, Meriden's tradition as a center for art, design, and aesthetics continues.

Founded in 1876, the Meriden Flint Glass Company produced internationally renowned glass that adorned ornate lanterns, jewelry boxes, vases and many other intricate pieces. Although it was only in operation for a brief time, the company remains an important landmark in Meriden, Connecticut, as well as in the history of the American glassmaking industry. Author Diane Tobin details the history of the company, drawing on extensive sources ranging from local Meriden papers to the personal diary of the company's intrepid leader, Joseph Bourne. Fascinating insights into how the famous glass was made, the role the company played in early labor movements and the growth of Meriden alongside it round out this exciting history of the Meriden Flint Glass Company.