Perhaps the earliest type of glass used by humanity was obsidian, a naturally occurring type of glass which was used for tools and weapons by Stone Age peoples. This material was only available in certain areas, making it a highly traded commodity. Trading glass led to a lot of lore surrounding the material. It has been said that a ship laden with nitrum was moored on the Belus River, and the sailors used the nitrium to support their cooking pots. The nitrium melted into the sand on the riverbanks, forming glass. While this story has a lot of appeal, the historical record shows us that the first manufacture of glass was in ancient Egypt. Beads were the first glass pieces commercially produced; the evidence suggests that glass may have been an accidental byproduct of metalworking. Once discovered, the use of glass quickly spread.
The technique of glass blowing revolutionized the process of glassmaking. It was in Babylon that the first glassblowers plied their trade; this is a technique which has been more or less unchanged for millennia. Although blown glass has been found which dates back to 50 BC, it did not become common practice until long afterwards.
Venice became the center of glassmaking in the 1200s. It is likely that Venetians learned the techniques of glassmaking from travelers from the east, since Venice was an important stop on trade routes. Interest in glassmaking grew quickly, as did glassmaking technology. Venetians kept their processes a closely guarded secret, even to the extent of prohibiting their craftsmen from leaving lest they give away trade secrets. Eventually, a glassmaker did leave, bringing his knowledge to England.
Jacopo Verzelini went to England around 1575 to improve the English form of glass making. During his stay, he was granted a patent for the Murano style by Queen Elizabeth I. The first settlers of the United States brought these types of skills with them to the New World and in 1608; the first American glass is made in Jamestown.
The processes used in glass making were refined over the years, with lacing and crown glass being commonly used in the U.S. The industrial revolution brought great improvements in glassmaking, with new machinery which made mass production possible. We often take glass for granted now, as well as the protection it offers us from heat and cold, rain and snow. And of course, without glass windows, we wouldn't have the options of different window coverings to enliven our homes like vertical blinds. - 15252
The technique of glass blowing revolutionized the process of glassmaking. It was in Babylon that the first glassblowers plied their trade; this is a technique which has been more or less unchanged for millennia. Although blown glass has been found which dates back to 50 BC, it did not become common practice until long afterwards.
Venice became the center of glassmaking in the 1200s. It is likely that Venetians learned the techniques of glassmaking from travelers from the east, since Venice was an important stop on trade routes. Interest in glassmaking grew quickly, as did glassmaking technology. Venetians kept their processes a closely guarded secret, even to the extent of prohibiting their craftsmen from leaving lest they give away trade secrets. Eventually, a glassmaker did leave, bringing his knowledge to England.
Jacopo Verzelini went to England around 1575 to improve the English form of glass making. During his stay, he was granted a patent for the Murano style by Queen Elizabeth I. The first settlers of the United States brought these types of skills with them to the New World and in 1608; the first American glass is made in Jamestown.
The processes used in glass making were refined over the years, with lacing and crown glass being commonly used in the U.S. The industrial revolution brought great improvements in glassmaking, with new machinery which made mass production possible. We often take glass for granted now, as well as the protection it offers us from heat and cold, rain and snow. And of course, without glass windows, we wouldn't have the options of different window coverings to enliven our homes like vertical blinds. - 15252
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