Author Archives: Kate Round

Author Title Date Publisher Allen G C The Ind Development of B’ham & The Black Country 1860-1927 1966 Frank Cass & Co Ltd Arwas V. Glass: Art Nouveau to Art Deco 1987 Academy Editions Barry Bridgit Glass: Art Nouveau to Art Deco 1985 BBC Benson Nigel Millers: Glass of the 50’s & 60’s 2002 MillersContinue reading “Bibliography”

Many industries used hazardous materials that caused illness and disease. Before regulations introduced by The Factories Acts and current Health and Safety regulations, these noxious substances were not controlled and there was no protective clothing issued to workers. In the glass industry the most toxic materials used were red lead, putty powder, and acid. DiseasesContinue reading “Hazards and Diseases”

Also known as whimseys in the United States, are glass oddities or ornaments, made by glassworkers in their downtime, and using the poorer quality metal in the bottom of the glass pot, known as tail-glass, or end-of-day glass. This practice of making novelties or friggers, was actively encouraged by the factory owners for two reasons.Continue reading “Friggers”

The clay pots or crucibles used by glass-makers in Stourbridge were made from clay sourced locally. It is the reason that the Huguenot glass-makers settled in the area. The clay was particularly fine, without impurities that would otherwise cause the pots to fracture in the heat of the furnace. The shape of the pot suitedContinue reading “In The Melting Pot”

A gather of glass is the volume of molten glass needed to be drawn from the pot in the furnace by the glassblower, to work into the preliminary shape. Often more glass is needed to add handles, stems or embellishments. We have imperial and metric units to measure solids and liquids, weights and volumes canContinue reading “Gathers, Gobs and Bits.”