Shimmer and Shine
ONLINE EXHIBIT
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Pressed Glass
Pressed
glass machines were invented in the late 1820’s. The molds
were made from brass and iron, and had to contain the correct
amount of those metals. If there was too much metal in the mold,
the glass could not be clearly impressed. However, if there were
too little, the glass would be too thick.
Early pressed glass pieces such as platters
and vases were very heavy and had many bubbles and imperfections.
The later pressed glass was almost perfect because the glass
was pressed with weights and not put in a mold. More elaborate
pieces of pressed glass appeared in the 1860’s with stylish
geometric shapes.
In the 1870’s, glass companies made
patterns of glass to resemble things in nature such as Daisy,
Thistle, and Rose in Snow. More familiar patterns such as Daisy
and Button and Hobnail came out around 1880. Colored pressed
glass patterns became popular after the Civil War. Press glass
novelties such as glass shoes, hats, and animals were among the
variety of styles made from 1850-1900.
Famous Glass Companies
As you know, they are several varieties of glassware.
They are companies that have became famous for their manufacture
of glass. Most companies are know for their rarity and uniqueness
of glass, while others are famous only for the color or style.
In business from 1892-1902,
one of the most well known glass companies was the Tiffany Glass
and Decorating Company. Louis Comfort Tiffany, a glassmaker an
artist with great skill, was known for his iridescent glass.
Tiffany glass was hand blown and made from 1894-1935. Iridescent
glass was made in various shades of blue, green, pink, white
and orange.
Another famous company which
still exist today is the Fenton Art Glass Company of Williamstown,
West Virginia. In 1906, Frank Fenton established the company
for the manufacture of colored, blown, pressed and cut glass
pieces. Through the use of metallic salts, the Fenton Company
was able to produce colors not previously known and gave them
unique names such as clam broth, which is a shade of brown.
The Imperial Glass Company
of Bellaire, Ohio has been making pressed and cut glass pieces
since the late 1880s. Some of the best cut glass was made in
the early 1900s. The Imperial Glass company was well known for
their reproductions of the expensive Tiffany glass and is still
manufacturing glass today.
Collecting and Caring
With centuries of glassmaking came centuries of
collecting glass. Whether it has been handed down from generation
to generation or bought at an auction, every piece of glass is
unique. A well known type of glass being collected today is carnival
glass, which originated nearly a hundred years ago. Milk glass
is found in many American households and is said to have been
named this because it resembled the color of milk. Depression
glass originated during the depression of the 1920s and 1930s
and is unique to many collectors. These are just a few of the
very many types of glass being collected today.
It is important to remember
to treat your glass special and care for it properly. Glass should
be washed in warm water in clear ivory detergent and wiped with
lint free towels. When using cut glass serving pieces do no serve
anything very hot, because the cut glass is very sensitive to
heat.
SPECIAL THANKS
The Southwest Virginia
Museum would like to thank Ms. Kay Key for sharing her knowledge
of
Early American Glassware and helping to make this exhibit possible.
