A couple of videos I found of people making glass right here in West Virginia.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Glass in West Virginia, Cultural Center Displays
The Cultural Center on the Capital Complex in Charleston has a gread display of glass and glass making throughout the history of West Virginia. It also has exhibits pertaining to the coal and timber industries that would tie in to the last two years of our projects in cabell county. I've compiled a short video to share.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Blenko Glass, Milton
Post all information you learn from this post on your own blog.
The Blenko Project . . . thankfully there is someone out there interested in keeping Blenko Glass Company in the public eye. They have created a lot of information about Blenko from the start to emplyees that have worked there. Great historic information. Click on the link below to check it out.
The Blenko Project
We are lucky to have a glass company still in production in our area, Blenko Glass. It is located in Milton, and has been in operation since around 1925 when William Blenko arrived in Milton and started building his furnace in an old barn.
Glass Inquiry Video from Kellie Wood on Vimeo.
Now, click on this link to Mrs. Hill's blog to find out how glass gets its color.
On your blog, write an essay explaining the process of coloring glass and be sure to include what is added to make each color!! Title this post "Coloring Glass"
On a second post, write an essay explaining the use of cullet, the broken or discarded glass. Be sure to include why it is used and how using it is helpful to the company, the consumer and the environment. Title this post "Use of Cullet"
So how did Blenko come to be in Milton?
Go to the History of Blenko Web page below to find the answers to the following questions.
History of Blenko page Title the answers on your blog, "History of Blenko"
1. Where was William J. Blenko born?
2. What brought him to West Virgina particularly Milton?
3. What product did William J. Blenko start out making?
4. In 1929, he secured the services of two Swedish glass craftsmen. Why?
5. How many generations of the Blenko family have run the company?
For your next assignment, we will look at the process behind making glass. Use the links provided below to come up with the general process of glass production. In otherwords, look at all the links and find the most common way that glass is produced. Write an essay with your explanation and provide links for your readers to go to for more detailed information. (You can also find more information on other posts in my blog) On your blog, title this post, "How Glass Is Made"
Making Glass at Blenko Glass Company
Glass Making Online
eHow description of making glass
Or research your own site. Be sure to post a link on your blog!!
A few more informative sites about Blenko and the glass it has made over the years.
Blenko Archives informs you on how you can tell Blenko glass from other glass.
Blenko Museum has a selection of pictures of the glass designs made through the decades.
eWV website has information about Blenko and its history.
Collectors Website for Blenko glass. Lots of pictures of different glass produced over the years.
And here are a few videos to watch about the process of making glass.
Video from Owens-Illinois on making bottles and JarsThe Blenko Project . . . thankfully there is someone out there interested in keeping Blenko Glass Company in the public eye. They have created a lot of information about Blenko from the start to emplyees that have worked there. Great historic information. Click on the link below to check it out.
The Blenko Project
We are lucky to have a glass company still in production in our area, Blenko Glass. It is located in Milton, and has been in operation since around 1925 when William Blenko arrived in Milton and started building his furnace in an old barn.
Glass Inquiry Video from Kellie Wood on Vimeo.
Now, click on this link to Mrs. Hill's blog to find out how glass gets its color.
On your blog, write an essay explaining the process of coloring glass and be sure to include what is added to make each color!! Title this post "Coloring Glass"
On a second post, write an essay explaining the use of cullet, the broken or discarded glass. Be sure to include why it is used and how using it is helpful to the company, the consumer and the environment. Title this post "Use of Cullet"
So how did Blenko come to be in Milton?
Go to the History of Blenko Web page below to find the answers to the following questions.
History of Blenko page Title the answers on your blog, "History of Blenko"
1. Where was William J. Blenko born?
2. What brought him to West Virgina particularly Milton?
3. What product did William J. Blenko start out making?
4. In 1929, he secured the services of two Swedish glass craftsmen. Why?
5. How many generations of the Blenko family have run the company?
For your next assignment, we will look at the process behind making glass. Use the links provided below to come up with the general process of glass production. In otherwords, look at all the links and find the most common way that glass is produced. Write an essay with your explanation and provide links for your readers to go to for more detailed information. (You can also find more information on other posts in my blog) On your blog, title this post, "How Glass Is Made"
Making Glass at Blenko Glass Company
Glass Making Online
eHow description of making glass
Or research your own site. Be sure to post a link on your blog!!
A few more informative sites about Blenko and the glass it has made over the years.
Blenko Archives informs you on how you can tell Blenko glass from other glass.
Blenko Museum has a selection of pictures of the glass designs made through the decades.
eWV website has information about Blenko and its history.
Collectors Website for Blenko glass. Lots of pictures of different glass produced over the years.
And here are a few videos to watch about the process of making glass.
This is a neat video to watch how they roll glass for sheet glass.
and just for fun, how to make sugar glass. You know, the kind they use in movies to break over someones head! Check it out!!
History of Glass
In watching the video below, answer the following questions.
1. What is the most likely way that humans first developed a sense of using glass?
2. Give an example of how glass is produced naturally.
3. Where did West Virginia most likely get the artisians to produce glass?
4. What brought glass making companies to West Virginia? Explain each reason with background information.
1. What is the most likely way that humans first developed a sense of using glass?
2. Give an example of how glass is produced naturally.
3. Where did West Virginia most likely get the artisians to produce glass?
4. What brought glass making companies to West Virginia? Explain each reason with background information.
Watch the following video. It states that glass is a supercooled liquid. Do some research yourself to answer this last question.
5. Prove or dispute the old wives tale that glass is a liquid and it "settles"(gets thicker) at the bottom after years of placed vertically.
Here is a good little video that shows the early days of factory glass production and how it moved from large factories to small studios.
"Harvey Littleton had a dream about blowing glass without a factory to support the work, when his father, a Corning researcher, created a formula for glass, LIttleton took this and his dream and introduced his concepts at two workshops in Toledo in 1962. That began the studio art glass movement, and it continues to this day to thrive with collectors, educators, gallerists and artists working in glass around the world."
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
WV Glass Towns -- Moundsville
In Marshall County West Virginia, along the
Ohio River, is a town called Moundsville. The city
was named for an Indian mound (the Grave Creek Mound) and was settled in
1771. Moundsville became incorporated in
1930 and there were three known glass
companies in production in the town. The first company I will talk about is the
Fostoria Glass Company.
Fostoria Glass Company was headquartered in Moundsville from 1891 to 1986 and moved there from Fostoria Ohio because of more dependable gas deposits. Fostoria Glass works specialized in hand blown glass such as tableware, stemware, vases, lamps, cut glass and novelties. Fostoria advertised that it manufactured "tableware, colognes, stationers' glassware and candelabra", as well as inkwells, sponge cups, vases, fingerbowls and fruit jars. Many of the stemware designs were needle etched or wheel cut. This was popular styles during the early 20th century.
Fostoria Glass Company was headquartered in Moundsville from 1891 to 1986 and moved there from Fostoria Ohio because of more dependable gas deposits. Fostoria Glass works specialized in hand blown glass such as tableware, stemware, vases, lamps, cut glass and novelties. Fostoria advertised that it manufactured "tableware, colognes, stationers' glassware and candelabra", as well as inkwells, sponge cups, vases, fingerbowls and fruit jars. Many of the stemware designs were needle etched or wheel cut. This was popular styles during the early 20th century.
In 1986, Fostoria closed up the factory.
This is a picture of the Glass blowers in the plant.
This is a picture of the Glass blowers in the plant.
Here is a picture of the furnaces as the factory was in the process of demolition.
On old postcard with a picture of the factory.
A few pictures of the factory in the process of demolition or just before.
Hypothesize reasons that would cause the company to close the factory after so many years in service.
What kind of products were they selling at the time of closing? Had it changed much from their early years? Why?
To learn more about the history behind the Fostoria Glass Company, I have added links to other web sites.http://www.fostoriaglass.org/fgsamus.htm#HISTORY
Wilkerson Handmade Glass
In 1975, Wilkerson Handmade Glass
began operation. Making paperweights,
novelties, and gift ware.
I wasn't able to find much on the Internet about them but I did happen to find them on Facebook. I have put a link below if you would like to check it out.
Their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wilkerson-Glass/158288050892917
You can also find contact information here:
http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/travelplanner/destination/Wilkerson-Glass-Company/4910/default.aspx
Murphy Glass
Murphy Glass was still in operation in 2005 making paperweights and lamps. Other than what was listed in Dean Six's book, I was not able to find anything on the internet.
You can also find contact information here:
http://www.wvcommerce.org/travel/travelplanner/destination/Wilkerson-Glass-Company/4910/default.aspx
Murphy Glass
Murphy Glass was still in operation in 2005 making paperweights and lamps. Other than what was listed in Dean Six's book, I was not able to find anything on the internet.
Monday, April 15, 2013
First Class Session - Guest Speaker - Dean Six
In our first class session, we had a guest speaker who was very knowledgeable about glass in West Virginia. I knew that glass was a part of the heritage of our state but was really unaware of how much glass was actually produced in the area.
Dean gave us insight on the reasons glass came to our state. He also gave us some insight on the history behind glass and the types of glass that were produced. I had not really thought about the different types of glass in our lives. Something that we use every day seems oblivious to our observations of it. I've found myself looking at things in my home made of glass and trying to follow the history of it back to it's first production and WHY it came into production.
How many glass objects do you have in your household? Do you know where it originated? How about whether it was hand made or machine made?
I was really surprised at the number of items of old that were made by hand and the processes that came about to produce it. I think the most intriguing thing I found out was the art of creating cameo glass and the process (scientifically) it takes to accomplish it. I've listed a few web sites below to check out about cameo glass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_glass
http://www.david-issitt.1hwy.com/custom4.html
What are the steps to creating a cameo glass piece?
There were so many things to talk about from the making of marbles, to paper weights and flasks. I can't wait to have the opportunity to see more in first hand experiences.
At the end of our class session, we received books about Glass Towns in West Virginia and West Virginia Glass Between the Wars, three glass marbles and a new perspective about something I walk past every single day but have never stopped to think about how it was made or how it came to be... glass.
Dean gave us insight on the reasons glass came to our state. He also gave us some insight on the history behind glass and the types of glass that were produced. I had not really thought about the different types of glass in our lives. Something that we use every day seems oblivious to our observations of it. I've found myself looking at things in my home made of glass and trying to follow the history of it back to it's first production and WHY it came into production.
How many glass objects do you have in your household? Do you know where it originated? How about whether it was hand made or machine made?
I was really surprised at the number of items of old that were made by hand and the processes that came about to produce it. I think the most intriguing thing I found out was the art of creating cameo glass and the process (scientifically) it takes to accomplish it. I've listed a few web sites below to check out about cameo glass.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cameo_glass
http://www.david-issitt.1hwy.com/custom4.html
What are the steps to creating a cameo glass piece?
There were so many things to talk about from the making of marbles, to paper weights and flasks. I can't wait to have the opportunity to see more in first hand experiences.
At the end of our class session, we received books about Glass Towns in West Virginia and West Virginia Glass Between the Wars, three glass marbles and a new perspective about something I walk past every single day but have never stopped to think about how it was made or how it came to be... glass.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Thursday April 4, 2013
Tonight we start our first class on studying the realm of glass and ceramics in West Virginia. I am excited about this project because it is an extention of two previous projects we have done. I have learned from those projects that there really is a lot about West Virginia and the industries that make up our economic background. You would think that I would have a depth of knowledge about the glass making industry being that I have lived in Milton my entire life and it is the home to Blenko Glass Company that makes hand blown treasures. But, alas, I am very ignorant and have only been to the Blenko visitor center less than 10 times my entire life. And some of those times I only went out around the pond to watch the ducks!
Anyway, I'm hoping to gain a new insight to another part of the history of my state so that I will be able to teach the future residents of West Virginia how truly wild and WONDERFUL our state really is.
Anyway, I'm hoping to gain a new insight to another part of the history of my state so that I will be able to teach the future residents of West Virginia how truly wild and WONDERFUL our state really is.
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