Historical Glass Fun Facts : Invention of Pyrex & the Studio Glass Movement

From this. . . . . . .. . . . . . . .to this.

"It was all her idea"

The History of Pyrex
Back in the early 1900's, Corning Glass Works was working on a request from the railroads to produce lantern glass that would not break when the hot glass was struck by rain or snow. In response to this request, Corning developed globes made from low-expansion glass that could withstand the abuses of weathering and handling which readily broke the flint glass globes. Ironically, the shatterproof lantern globes generated were so good that Corning's managers witnessed a decline in sales of replacement globes. This super-tough "fire glass", as it was called, was resistant to temperature fluctuations, chemical corrosion and even breakage. Eugene Sullivan, Director of Research at Corning Glass Works, developed Nonex, a borosilicate low-expansion glass, to reduce breakage in shock-resistant lantern globes and battery jars. (Borosilicate glass was originally developed at the Jena Glass works by Otto Schott, which Sullivan had learned about as a doctoral student in Leipzig, Germany.)

In July 1913, a series of events involving Bessie Littleton, the wife of the company's newest scientist - Dr Jessie Littleton, forced Corning managers to focus their attention on the consumer venture. Apparently, Mrs. Littleton had used a Guernsey brand casserole only twice when it fractured in the oven. Knowing the strength of the glass her husband worked with on a daily basis, she implored him to bring home a substitute from the Corning Glass Works plant. He returned the next evening with the bottoms of two sawed-off battery jars made from low-expansion glasses. Mrs. Littleton cooked a sponge cake in one of the surrogate baking dishes. She noted several remarkable findings:
• The cooking time was shorter
• The cake did not stick to the glass; it was easy to remove with little adhesion
• The cake was unusually uniform
• The flavor of the cake did not remain in the dish after washing
• She could watch the cake bake and know it was done by looking at the underside.

Mr. Littleton brought his wife's creation to work the following day. Laboratory researchers inspected the cake, which was a "remarkable uniform shade of brown all over." The men deemed it delicious and very well baked. (A favorite of any lab conclusion, Ed.) Thus began a two-year process to perfect this new invention. The notion of baking in glass was a whole new concept to the public. In 1915, a wondrous new line of "glass dishes for baking" appeared in the nation's hardware, department and china stores. On May 18, 1915, Boston department store Jordan Marsh placed the first PYREX bakeware order.

The Littleton’s had a son – Harvey K Littleton. Harvey was born in 1922 and was briefly employed by the Corning Glass Works in the 1940s, where he developed his glassmaking skills and began to pursue the idea of glass as a medium for artistic expression. The earliest objects in the exhibition are two experimental cast female torsos, dating to 1942 and 1946, which are the first works in glass made by Littleton while working at Corning Glass Works. Also featured are glass vessels from the early 1960s, dating to the years just after the seminal Toledo Workshops, as well as a bottle made at the 1962 Workshops.

Click HERE to jump to the story of Harvey Littleton and his historic workshops that brought glass from the factory to the artists.

Other Glass Fun Facts to know and tell:

Glass Fun Facts: Gaffer/Composer

More Glass Fun Facts: Bullseye Glass

Float Glass Fun Facts

Glass Fun Facts - Shattered Glass Predicts Weather

Why is Glass Transparent?

Washington Glass School Winter Exhibition 2011

The Washington Glass School 10th Anniversary Winter Sculpture Exhibition and Open House was held on December 10, 2011. Here are some shots from the day:

Mount Rainier City Councilman Jimmy Tarlau checks out the Open House - loving the artwork by Dave Cook.

The Washington Post had featured Erwin Timmers cast recycled glass in the Weekend Section - and his work had drawn many visitors.

Erwin Timmers chats about art with Stephan Thurman and Laurie Brown.

The Glass School's newest elf - Mick Coughlan - updates and advises Santa on the current "Naughty or Nice" status.

From the looks of the conversation between Robert Kincheloe and M.L.Duffy - I'm guessing "Naughty" list material.

Sean Hennessey chats with one of the art patrons about his mixed media works.

Takoma Park's Exhibits Director, Alison Carr with her family - checking out Sean Hennessey's concrete-and-glass sculpture.

Syl Mathis' cast glass sculpture always draws a crowd.

Everyone wants to know more about the artwork on exhibit.

Debra Ruzinsky exhibits her beautiful cast glass - Sweet!

Nancy Donnelly's copper, glass and steel sculpture were some of the most popular works in the show. Nancy nearly sold out of all her work. I understand that she had another art opening after the school's show, and sold many of her painting works! This is Nancy's year!

Speaking of years - this is also a big one for metalworker Chris Shea. Chris' artwork was recently acquired by the Smithsonian Museum as part of the permanent collection at the Renwick Gallery. Congratulations, Chris!

Michael Janis explains his "sgraffito" technique of drawing with crushed glass powder.

Relaxing in the lounge - Robert Kincheloe, ceramic artist Novie Trump, and Sean Hennessey.

It was a great time to check out the new class schedule, meet the artists, visit with friends. Looking forward to what 2012 will bring!

Glass Meets Art @ the Ratner Museum

INTERSECT: Glass Meets Art
In-ter-sect: (in-ter-sekt) To cut across or overlap each other, to have one or more points in common.

A glass exhibition with a number of Washington, DC area glass artists is opening this weekend at the Ratner Museum in Bethesda , MD.

The eight artists in this exhibit have each been on an artistic journey and perhaps, still are. Their travels have taken them to different places and each unique journey distinguishes each artist from the other. Most of them have crossed paths at some point. In this exhibit, the artists, all independently chosen, converge for INTERSECT: Glass Meets Art. Glass and art are the points they have in common.

Some of the artists exhibiting are Washington Glass School favorites, including works by:

Sean Hennessey, a sculptor and painter, currently working in glass and concrete, creating narrative works inspired by artifacts, mythology, and common everyday objects.
Robert Weiner’s Colorbar Murrine Series, affords him the opportunity to experiment with color, fusing temperatures, and to express a personal style that reflects simplicity with a close attention to detail.
In her dynamic glass and mixed media creations, in which depth and contrast are dominant, Anne Elise Pemberton explores the relationship between plant, human, and atomic structures.
Nancy Weisser is an award winning multimedia artist with a focus on glass since 1980. As owner of Weisser Glass Studio, Nancy has made a substantial contribution to the dynamic growth of the Washington glass community.

Other artists in the diverse show include, Jill Tanenbaum, Judith Busby, Kari Minnick and Benjamin Bornstein.

Dennis and Phillip Ratner Museum

10001 Old Georgetown Road

Bethesda, Maryland 20814

Phone: 301.897.1518
Artist Reception, Sunday, September 12, 2010
1:30 - 3:30 pm

www.ratnermuseum.com

Digital Technologies & Contemporary Craft

An interesting article was put out by Craft Australia, Australia's craft advocacy organization: US based artist and design professor Donald Fortescue comments on recent work by craftspeople in the US which embraces digital technology. He defines the notions of sensuality, narrative and anachronism in this work and argues that digital technology is congruent with the core values of the crafts. He concludes that the challenge for artists and designers is to understand and become fluent not only with the technologies themselves but the meanings they carry with them.

"There has been an interesting trend in the last 10 years or so for many contemporary craft artists in the US to incorporate what has been called 'new' or more strictly 'digital' technology in their work. This might seem at odds with the very definition of craft practice with its emphasis on 'hand work', the primacy of the sensual and the honoring of traditions and historical precedents..."

"The crafts are often seen as outmoded and behind the times, clinging to technologies somehow inappropriate or rendered quaint by the proliferating 'new' technologies. However, clay and glass drinking vessels have been part of human culture for thousands of years. How long will the PET bottle be around for?

Similarly digital technologies while having the glamor of new and cool are arguably more distinctly artifacts of a moment in time. Technologically attuned craft artists are re-contextualizing old and new technologies and in doing so questioning the values we attribute to each."

Many of Donald's points are made using images from the recent exhibition The New Materiality - Digital Dialogues at the Boundaries of Contemporary Craft at the Fuller Museum of Craft (Brockton, Massachusetts), including the work Virtual Novelist by Tim Tate.

Tim Tate, Virtual Novelist, 2008, Blown and Cast Glass, Electronic Components, Original Video,

Photographer: Anything Photographic

Click HERE to jump to Donald's full review.