pressed glass

The term pressed glass is what we use to describe glass which has been pressed in a mould using mechanical means. These methods were developed in America sometime in the early 1820s it is not known however who actually invented this technique mainly as a fire at the patent office in 1836 destroyed all records. The process of pressing glass has been around for sometime though in fact to as early as the fifteenth century BC and various manual methods have been used on and off ever since.

 
American tumbler circa 1840

The technique consists of a measured piece of molten glass being placed into a heated two part metal mould and then the two parts closed together so as to press the molten glass into the design formed on the mould. The piece is dropped out of the mould and any finishing required is done by hand the item is then placed in an oven so that it may cool gradually. Using this method up to one hundred pieces were made in an hour and whilst there was a comparatively high degree of wastage the speed of manufacture made up for it many times with any spoiled pieces being added back into the melt. As time went on methods were improved and new moulds designed many of which produced some very decorative finishes.

 
2 engraved tumblers circa 1840

In America various factories were producing pressed glass in the 1820s many of the early pieces produced had an utilitarian purpose such as doorknobs and tableware but soon the process was developed so that some attractive and intricate design were being made known as lacy glass.The use of the technique quickly spread to other parts of America and to Europe so that by the 1830s it was being produced in Britain France Belgium and Bohemia.

American lacy glass salt circa 1840 

In Britain the main areas of production were in the major cities of the country which were flourishing at the time and expanding rapidly with growing wealth and an increase in demand for decorative items for the houses of those profiting from the industrial revolution The lifting of tax on glass by weight in 1845 allowing the industry to flourish and for us to directly compete with imports from America. At one time the production was so great in Britain that the American industry became under threat from British imports. In Birmingham and the Black Country area the industry quickly became established with much of the production being quite similar to the output from the American factories. By the mid nineteenth century there were a number of firms operating in the area such as Joseph Webb and Richardson names which were later to become synonymous with high quality luxury glassware.

Lacy type dish marked on back Arthur Robottom Birmingham 1849 

The technique lent itself well to the production of commemorative wares and often items can be found celebrating Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and other royal occasions. Most of the early pieces were of the lacy variety often these would to some extent mimic cut glass but owing to the nature of manufacture much more intricate and fine designs could be produced hence the term. Similar pieces were also being made on the continent sometimes they would contain a sulphide, this being a piece of ceramic inserted in to the molten glass, which would generally be in portrait  form of famous people such as Napoleon or Dona Maria the queen of Portugal. Suits of glassware were designed which appeared, from a distance, like cut glass with the brilliant cutting technique of the latter part of the nineteenth century being much copied.

dish circa 1870 

As the century progressed so did the methods of production and the designs which were possible and by the 1870s the British industry was at its height Manchester and the North East were producing some of the best designs with firms such as Sowerby, Davidson, Greener and John Derbyshire being well known for the range and quality of their wares. Due to the registration marking system introduced in 1849 it is easy to trace the date a design was first introduced and by whom it was manufactured and this can be an interesting feature when found on wares particularly in conjunction with a makers’ mark. Sowerby used a peacock’s head crest, George Davidson a lion rampant on a turret, John Derbyshire an anchor and initials and Henry Greener a lion rampant holding a star and later, after the firm had been taken over by Jobling, holding an axe. Frequently though pieces are unmarked and the only way of tracing the manufacturer is to compare them to known marked pieces a collector soon starts to recognize designs and the differences in similar designs of different manufacturers.

North Eastern glass cup circa 1870

A variety of colours were used including mixtures of colours in a marbled effect known as Malachite ware. Designs of animals were made swans dogs lions etc as well as groups such as Punch and Judy which are now highly collectable. Some of the most collectable pieces however are those which were made by Sowerby after designs from Walter Crane’s scenes from nursery rhymes as children’s book illustrations which are now hard to come by. In fact Sowerby were probably the best manufacturers of pressed glass with John George Sowerby showing a particular interest in the arts and applying this to the wares made. Most pieces of pressed glass though are relatively inexpensive and can be bought from specialist dealers from just a few pounds each.

Sowerby Swan vase circa 1880 

In the early twentieth century the firm of Jobling was producing some first class pieces of glass often these would have an opalescent effect. Some of these were comparable in quality to the wares Lalique and can be bought at much lower prices as the name does not have the same ambience of the French company though it is beginning to get the recognition it deserves.

Burtles Tate & Co. swan dish circa 1875 

Of course some of the most famous and best pressed glass is that which was produced by Rene Lalique. After a career making jewellery he became interested in glass manufacture and in around 1910 he purchased a factory in Combs-la-ville where he produced art nouveaux and later art deco designs of a high standard many of which were made using a mechanical press process. Scent bottles, car mascots, vases and bowls are among the creations of the factory and are now highly sought after by collectors and those with a love of the aesthetics.

shell dish circa 1880 

The production of artistic pressed glass continued into the early twentieth century but like most decorative industries the two world wars played a large part in its downfall never to recover. We now produce very little of great quality other than by individual craftspeople struggling to compete with the relatively uninteresting but cheap wares often made in third world countries using the kind of labour force and practices that the Victorians worked hard to outcast and which we are so proud not to accept.

Jobling rose bowl circa 1920