The first glass used by humans was naturally occurring. Obsidian was employed by Stone Age peoples to craft tools and weapons. Since this material could not be found everywhere, a trade in obsidian naturally flourished. There is a lot of lore surrounding the origins of glass, largely due to the relative scarcity of naturally occurring glass. One such story is that a merchant ship with a cargo of nitrium was moored on the Belus River, where the sailors used chunks of nitrium to prop up their cooking pots. The heat of their cooking fires caused the nitrium to melt into the sand of the riverbank, causing glass to be formed. However, historical evidence shows us that glass was probably first made commercially in ancient Egypt. Egyptian glassmakers produced beads at first and it seems that glassmaking may have been an accidental discovery made by metalworkers. Once glassmaking was developed, glass became widely used for a variety of purposes.
Glass blowing is one of the techniques discovered in this time that would advance the process of glass making. The first pipe for blowing glass came from the Babylonian region and the process developed there has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. This form of glass making was a revolutionary step that changed the concepts and beliefs about glass forever. Despite discoveries of blown glass from as far back as 50 BC, glass making did not catch on worldwide until much later.
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. - 15359
Glass blowing is one of the techniques discovered in this time that would advance the process of glass making. The first pipe for blowing glass came from the Babylonian region and the process developed there has remained virtually unchanged for thousands of years. This form of glass making was a revolutionary step that changed the concepts and beliefs about glass forever. Despite discoveries of blown glass from as far back as 50 BC, glass making did not catch on worldwide until much later.
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. - 15359
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