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specialized trade that dates back to early Greece or Mesopotamia
(Iraq). Glassblowing is the technique of forming an object by
inflating a glob of heated glass gathered on the end of a hollow iron tube
or blowpipe.
The first glass house was built in Jamestown near the
banks of the James River. Glass is mostly made of sand and other
ingredients which are poured into a fireproof clay pot called a
crucible. The mixture is heated for several hours in the furnace
until it is ready to use.
Here are the steps in blowing glass. |
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The reconstructed Glass House in
Jamestown, Virginia (1619) where glass makers work their trade.
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The furnace
is heated to about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The glassblower keeps the
glass in a working hole until he is ready to move a gather
of glass onto his blowpipe.
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- The glassblower or gaffer blows
a small amount of air into the gather to expand it. Blowpipes found
in Jamestown are about 53" long and 1 inch in diameter.
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The glassblower rolls the hot glass across
the Marvering Table to shape it into an object.
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- If the glass becomes too cool, the
glassblower can reheat it in the glory hole.
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The glassblower forms the rim of the object with forceps.
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- After the object is finished, the
glass is annealed in the Lehr, a long oven heated to
about 800 degrees Fahrenheit. Annealing prevents the glass from
cracking.
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Here is the final object after it is removed from
the Lehr.
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More Resources About
the Glassmaking Trade |
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Early Colonial Glass Photos |
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Glassblower |
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Glassblowing |
Old
Recipes for Making Glass |
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The Glass Shop at Greenfield Village |
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Wheaton Village |
