Glass research encompasses a wide range of subjects. The history of glass and the decorative arts eras, the regional aspects of glass making, the creation of glass, types of glass and decor, glass artists and craftsmen, and the glass companies of the past are all subjects of interest to the glass collector.
Glass collecting is a fascinating hobby with ample opportunities to research. Antique, vintage and most retro glass is authentic silicate glass (made until approximately 1980). Collectible glass was made before the days of modern polymer based glass.
Old glass is organic and was energy intensive to produce. New glass, made with polymers replacing costly metals, melts at a much lower temperature. Most modern glass not true glass, it is a man made glass-like material. This fact is one of the major reasons why it’s so important to collect, document and preserve glass from the past. The days of producing authentic glass made of metals, natural pigments, sand and minerals are over.
Below are a few of our favorite glass research articles and websites. Researching old glass on the internet is a great way to get started.
About Italian Glass: Italy, Venice and the Isle of Murano First thing to understand about Italian glass is it is usually called Murano or Venetian glass. Murano…
The New Martinsville Glass Manufacturing Company operated between 1901 and 1940 in the city of New Martinsville, West Virginia, USA. It was the predecessor of Viking…
