Glass artists Frances and Michael Higgins met at the Chicago Institute for Design and married in 1948. Together, they founded The Higgins Studio in their Chicago apartment, using kilns positioned behind their sofa to create decorative and everyday items using their signature fused glass technique. They quickly attracted orders from major retailers such as Marshall Field’s and Georg Jensen.

In 1957, the Higgins Studio formed a partnership with the Dearborn Glass Company of Chicago, which began producing a line of mass produced “Higginsware” that was sold at high end home décor stores throughout the country. Every six months, the new season demanded new offerings to the line. In 1966, the Higginses decided to return to private studio work and established the Higgins Glass Studio in Riverside, Illinois. They continued creating individual studio pieces until their deaths: Michael in 1999 and Frances in 2004. The Higgins Glass Studio is still in operation under Louise and Jonathan Wimmer, who were hand-picked by the Higginses to continue their work.