Glass Information and Education

The technology of glass making in America during the early nineteenth century was fairly crude. Imperfections in glassware were common, and the glass itself was relatively dull. The advent of cut glass was immediately popular, because the cutting design could be arranged to incorporate deep geometric cuts to eliminate the imperfections in the glass. The resulting facets reflected the light internally and imparted more brightness to the whole piece. The popularity continued well after the turn of the century. About then, however, the industry was becoming saturated with new producers. In addition, the metallurgical and other technical advances in mold making and the development of high lead content glass promoted the mass production of molded, imitation cut glass. The decline of hand cut glass is noted by the fact that in 1905 there were 490 glass cutters in Corning, N.Y. Today there are only a couple of small shops and several individuals who work at home.