What a fantastic day out, Ann and I had today… we got up quite early, with a quick breakfast, and set out for St.Helens Glass, in the centre of St.Helens/Lancashire. Although St.Helens, which got its main industry in the 1800’s from Coal, and the manufacturing process of producing Window Glass, founded in 1826, from a partnership of the Pilkington & Greenall Families. In 1845, the company became Pilkington Brothers, and the rest is indeed local ‘Glass History‘.
During part of our tour of the glass facilities, it was fascinating to see the process, which made Pilkington’s a world class maker of window glass, from the drawing up of glass cylinders, to be cut and flattened… to the modern day process, invented by the Pilkington’s, where the glass is poured from the furnace, onto a molten tank of tin… to make it smooth, and uniformly flat.. this process survives to this day…
Before attending a superb display of artisan glass blowing, at the centre, we had a chance to walk around the Museum, and to see everyday items of St.Helens life around the era of 1800’s… the museum ended with exemplar pieces of Artisan Glass examples…
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A superb example of Cameo Glass
Ice Glass, a rare technique and even harder to produce…
(another of my favourite styles)
Drawing close to 12:00.pm, we made our way to the glass furnace’s to see a demonstration of a couple art glass techniques. As many of our longer standing readers know, I have been visiting Venice and the Furnaces on Murano since the 1970’s… and have many fine examples, from differing eras, and styles from an array of furnaces all over Europe. some signed, by artists like Archimede Seguso, to examples of my all-time favourite styles… ‘Tutti-Frutti’ from the AVeM furnance circa 1950/60’s, on the Island of Murano/Venice, is just one of these styles.
A great example of a large, ‘Tutti-Frutti‘ pinched bowl, from the AVeM Furnace
(from my own collection of Art Glass)
Artisan Glass Shaping/Blowing Demonstration
Marcin… a European Guest Artisan
Marcin introduced himself, and began the demonstration with, a really fast rendition of a glass swan, I was totally amazed at how quick the process was, starting with just one ‘blob’ of molten glass… I have seen swans performed in lamp-work, so it was great to see them produced in molten form…
Forming the glass Swan
Marcin’s next demonstration piece, was a vase… once again it was so good, to connect the process of production, to the finished example… Marcin once again started, the process with a blob of molten glass, from a ceramic bowl, in one of the furnaces… which he then rolled to make the core shape… it was then rolled and worked in various inclusions, before being shaped, and blow to set the internal core size, before being re-dipped in molten glass, to be rolled and worked into the outcome, Marcin had in his mind…
Marcin works the vase into shape before cutting and adding the ‘pontil’
Reheated in the furnace many times after the ‘pontil’ is added
Marcin puts the finishing touches to the vase
The vase…
I was absolutely amazed, to find out from Marcin (a fact I didn’t know), that it takes a minimum of 15 hours for the glass to cool down, and as such, after the pontil, has been removed and smoothed, the piece is moved to another kiln, which takes the temperature down very slowly, as if this is not done, the glass would explode…
As I tutor in a local Vocational College, after the demonstration, I was so pleased to ask Marcin, about how he got started in Artisan Glass Making… he joined the glass making industry in his home country of Poland, where he was employed in the KHS KROSNO S.A. Furnaces, making a huge array of everyday glass items and sets, where he honed his superb skills, working alongside 600, other glass makers, of repute…
Now I only have to wait until tomorrow to buy the example Marcin worked on…
UPDATE* – Ann and I, made the return trip the very next day (late on) to pick up the piece of glass, which Martin had made, as described above… Marcin had finished it off, ground the base, and inscribed his initials + World of Glass St.Helens. Ann & I are so pleased to have a piece, we actually saw being produced… and marvel at the skill.
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Marcin’s Vase, now in our own Collection
The Furnace where Marcin honed his superb skills
After Martin’s demonstration, Ann and I watched a short video, in a purpose built presentation gallery, on the history of St.Helens glass, the workers of the day, and the area around the furnaces.
This got us ready for, a short walk over the glass bridge, to a part of the old Furnaces (No.9) which have been preserved, to show how window glass was produced, back in the day… All-n-all a fantastic day out, and one I would recommend to all my blog readers and friends. We ended the day, walking around the centre discovering new items everywhere… and a cup of tea in the really well appointed centre cafe, by the St.Helens canal.
The covered glass bridge from the Glass Centre to Furnace Number 9
The making of window glass, from drawn tubes (1800’s)