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EDITORtAL -ROUND AND ABOUT
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3. October l 77 I[ you arc thinklng of a trip to New York to see the Corning M 1J ,l’ri uf
Cl .s then hold it. Plans have just been announc-::!d for a brand new mu , 1
djaccnt to the Corning Glass Centre. Costiug 6 million dollars it will
provide three times the area currently available. This, ln the words of
Thomas
S. Buechner, president of the museum’s board of trustees, ,,ilJ. “ensure
the safety of the world-renowned library and collections ( above the flood
plain) while providing enough space to describe
the evolution of gla;:;smaking
in unparalleled depth”.
The inner core of the building will house the library
and around
it a circular “time tunnel” almost 200 feet long will display the
museum’s masterpieces in chronological order. Nine major technologic~l eras
are distinguished starting with the ancient world of Tut~nkamcn. Each
will be
introduced by a short film and then developed in detail in galle1:ies op ning
off the time tunnel bringing together th~ products of diff~rent ~cographical
areas appropriate to the period. Propping up the outer wall uill be
sp cialist
collections• German enam~lling, French paperweights, American historlcol flasks
and so on while a further area will be reserved for changing exhibitions.
A Glass Circle member, Antony Snow, i& Deputy Director of Communications.
Through him
we hope to keep you informed of this exciting new project that ls
out1tanding in our time. So abandon those thoughts of a restful weekend
excuraton.
A rigorous training schedule start~d now may just get you fit in
ti• for projected opening in early 1979.
On a more relaxed level the annual outing to the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery
in Bedford on a beautiful suamers day proved a delightful event for a good
turnout of members. The glass collection, newly displayed under ideal
conditions fully justifies the accolade of being one of the best in Britain.
Near perfect lighting made it possible to discuss fine details
of construction
or engravlna as much as is ever likely when the piece is behind glass and,
indMd, there
was much to discuss -quality in such quantity. As always the
time passed much too quickly and many will surely be stimulated to go again
under their
own steam. Our congratulations to Halina Grubert for an outstand
ina achi vement and our thanks for such delightful hospitality.
A bri
f dlverliou en route showed us the Ravenscroft family memorial in
High Barnet Church and -what a contrast -Barnet museum. The latter, in
traditional country museum style, wastes not a millimeter. If you’r prepared
to hunt you are likely to be rewarded by all sorts of unexpected discoveries
but,
u the curator sadly admitted, no pieces by George Ravenscroft. Bedford
h s three.
THE 7TH CONGRESS OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE HISTORY OF GLASS
This was held in East Berlin and Leipzig from the 14th -21st August,
with an optional excursion to Naumburg, Weimar, Erfurt, Lauscha, Arnstadt,
Molsdorf and Oreaden running from the 22nd -27th. Members of the Glass
Circle present included the President, Mr J.R.Blench, Mr Peter Dreiser, Mr
and Mrs G.Miller, Mrs B.J.Morris,
Mr R.Oddy, Mrs B.Schnitzer, Mr G.H.Tait,
and Mr H.Wakefield from the U.K.; Professor J.Philippe from Liege; Mr M.
Schluter from Naestved; Dr F .A.Dreier and Mr M.Franke from Berlin and Dr A.
von Saldern from Hamburg;
Mr T .s. Buechner and Mr D .Lanmon from Corning and
Mr P.Hollister from New York. Papers were read by
Mr Charleston (Some aspects
of 17th C glass found in England), Mr Wakefield (Glass at the Great Exhibition
of 1851) and by
Mr Tait on behalf of Mrs A.Polak (The domestic glass window,
c.1500-1800). Mr Tait was elected President of the Association to succeed
our Hon. Vice-President,
Dr D.B.Harden. Apart from the study sessions held
in East Berlin and Leipzig, outings were made to Schloss Kopenick, near East
Berlins to Sans Souci and the Neues Palais at Potsdam; and to the Moritzburg,
Halle. Several glass exhibitions were specially mounted for the Congress.
–
REPORTS OF CL SS Cl Cl E MEF.T INCS
ALE AND BEER CL\~ Sf I Gl ~
l’llII.J’ ,BRJ Gl• t,, ,..,, Iii tnlk by •t’ • r111,~ lo th(
11 rs p:d c: 1·~t of 1667 ,md Jol•n Gr~ •n’s d \L11., 1 orrrwny.:.r-‘-‘ li
glass from Alc•,f:.:..o M:->r lli (‘1ur, .. n) i.om th t rl,t. f!I.! t:1·
that l t tle ce a1:ch i hi:.; [ii: l ct h.,cl ti ~Pn dor1e sin1.:c l JO,
• lthough w do have the design books of Bicl.ardcon~ and ‘fboma W bb as 1
th l ter pattern books of John Ford ard Lhos~ of Sowerly Ellison and
dward Moore
& Co of 1860-1870.
arious factors determined the shape and size of th~ b er la
5: fo~ a
12 l/2l (strong) alcoholic content a small size of glass would be adequate,
whereas possible frcthi.1g -perhcips with porter -would ncc,::s::;itate a .. ore
capacious vessel.. Both of these may not uncoumonly given a mid 19th C date.
Certainly rurraners made to hold 1/2 pint, l pint and more, and engraved ith
hops and barley, indicate their use for beer drinking. 19th C Tumbl~rs up
to 1 pt. size were also most probably used for ale. By about 1860 i,crcasing
drinking habits necessitated increased and faster production of beer glasses,
and blown glasses gave way to the cheaper and rapid technique~ of p LsseJ w3rc.
Decoration by engraving was also too slow a process and consequently d orati,~
patterns were achieved by pressing into moulds. In 1839 the c1·amond r “ist
ration mark was introduced ~nd continued until 1884, when numbering bcs~n
starting with “l”. U –
shaped bowls were popular c. 1800-1820, knopped 1;,Lr>m:,
with U-bowls and capstan stems and funnel bowls were prevalent during lSJO~l …. 40.
The repeal of the Glass Excise Act in 1845 resulted in heavier and thicker
glasses with wrythen patterns and heavy thumb-print cutLing appearing in 1845-
1848, the latter remaining popular to this day. Tumblers with U-bowls on
capstan stems, and decorated with pressed geometrical designs are among
t some
of the most attractive ale glasses during the 1880’s. Apart from the tumbler
and the capstan-stemmed U-bowl, the most popular shape to -have endured to this
day is the beer tankard or “can”, to use the original term. This as rr:osl
probably already in use during the 1860’s, since decorative deign in glass
makers pattern books are found on existing spe:cimt.ns. Early pressed d cor
ation incorporated barley and floral designs, also granulated and , by the end
of the century, attractive geometric patterns were favoured. Mr Trubridgc
illustrated his talk with slides and fine glasses from his own collection.
ENGLISH ROCK CRYSTAL GLASS ( 19th May, Norfolk Hotel)
IAN
WOLFENDEN opened his lectut·e by describing how
most Victorian styles were ornamental and historical showing a progressive
development of forms of the past based on the principl s which all good art
displays. From 1850 engraving ~ccame incr. asingly fashionable and
cy 1870
this became major industry in Stourbridge. In the early 1870’s copper wheel
engraving produci.ng flat an