Laser-etched glassware items at By the Glass

Who needs a souvenir glass when you can have an I-live-here glass? These crystal tumblers from By the Glass, a new Chicago-based company, are laser-etched with designs abstracted from architectural landmarks and other urban iconography. Attorney John Ehrlich and doctor Ulf Henricsson, who started the company, have created eight designs for each of 14 major cities, with more on the way. Our faves from the Chicago collection (shown here, from top): the Hancock Center, the city’s flag, the Marquette Building, and the el. “They’re not superobvious, so they have more appeal for people with a strong connection to the city,” Ehrlich says. $25 each, at bytheglass.com and the Art Institute’s Modern Wing gift shop

 

Photograph: Leonard Gertz