Glassblowing

Contributors: Atlas Wegman

Abstract:

There were many different types of craftsman in Colonial America such as, the blacksmith, the silversmith, the gunsmith, etc. While glassblowing didn’t have the same kind of economic value that other trades like gunsmithing or blacksmithing, its value lay in its beauty. Glassblowing was a very difficult but important trade at the time. It gave windows and other useful glass objects to America and the colonists living there. The goal of this paper is to show how glass was made in early America and the many different uses of glass.

• Famous Glassblowers

o Casper Wister from Bavaria got glassblowing started in America

o Edward Hazen helped spread glassblowing in America

o Mr. Robinson made a machine to help shape the glass

o Jan Smedes made first glasshouse in America

• Attempts in America

o 1608 in Jamestown needed more materials so they failed

o 1622 attempted again because they thought they were more stable. They failed for many reasons, Powhatan uprising, a tempest that blew down the glasshouse, sickness, and a furnace explosion.

o 1739 in NJ was the first successful glasshouse

• Materials

o Sand form shore

o Lime imported from England

o Potash

o Soda Ash

• Tools

o Pottery Pot took 1 year to dry and 3 weeks to make a pot that could hold 1300 pounds of melted glass. To hard for potters wheel so they had to hammer slabs.

o Shovel used to shovel ashes and coals

o Spoon/Skimmer used to stir the melted glass

o Blowing iron/Punty was used to blow the glass into the basic shape

o Pucellas was another tool that was used to shape the glass

o Shears were used to shape the neck of the bottle

• Process

o Make pottery pot

o Put materials in pot in furnace to melt

o Blow into shape using Blowing Iron

o Have other people shape it and make it more detailed

o Make sure its perfect

o Put in other furnace to cool slowly and not become brittle

• Colors of glass

o Natural color = Green because sand contains iron, oxide, or rust

o To change the color you would have to add metal

• Silver + Aluminum = Yellow

• Copper + Gold = Red

• Cobalt = Blue

• Manganese = Clear

• Carbon = Brown

• Tin = White

Interviews:

None,

Images and Resources:

None,

Bibliography:

Earle, Alice Morse. Child life in colonial days. Stockbridge, MA: Berkshire house publishers, 1993.

Glassblowing on wiki. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glassblowing

Glassblower at Williamsburg. Personal. October 2007

German Town academy Third Grade. http://www.ga.k12.pa.us/academics/ls/3/colonial/colonialday/market/glassblower.htm

Harrington, J.C. A Tryal of glasse. USA: Eastern national park and monument association, 1994.

Life In Colonial America. http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_1741502192_2/colonial_american.html#pls

Old and sold antiques auction marketplace. http://www.oldandsold.com/article504/craftsman22.shmtl. October 2007

The Jamestown Historical Society, “the history of glass,” sign near original Jamestown glasshouse.

Tunis, Edwin. Colonial Craftsman. Cleveland, NY: world publishing company, 1965.

Watts, Franklin. Colonial America home life. New York, 1993.

Old and sold antiques auction marketplace. http://www.oldandsold.com/article504/craftsman22.shmtl. October 2007