ENGLISH GLASS HISTORY TRAIL HIGHLIGHTING GLASSES FROM THE FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM

Front view of the Fitzwilliam Museum.: The Glass Circle is grateful to the Syndics of the Fitzwilliam Museum for the illustrations used in this site unless otherwise specified. These illustrations are their copyright and may not be used in any form without their permission. Fitzwilliam pictures of glasses are identified by their accession codes.This trail is dedicated to the late Hugh Tait, Hon President of The Glass Circle, who first worked at the Fitzwilliam Museum before moving to the The British Museum.

Hugh became inspired by the generosity of four early Glass Circle members, Donald Beves (1896-1961), the Rev. Alfred Valentine Valentine-Richards (1866-1933), Ivan Napier and Mrs W.D. Dickson. Along with donations by C.B. Marlay, the Museum's Friends and others they created what is probably the finest assembly of early English glass in the country outside London.

Where possible, illustrations of their glasses illuminate our text outlining how glassmaking came to England and distinctly English glass styles developed from the Restoration in 1660 to the early 19th century.

To some extent this is a story of how the English glass tableware and lighting industries kept one step ahead of continental competition. They did so by innovations in design particularly aimed at the affluent customer rather than just the nobility. Glass export, although small compared with the woollen industry, was significant in sustaining the success of English glassmaking at a time when taxation and national income placed a heavy burden on the country.

Click on the listed "TOPIC" to go to the required section.

N.B.
"Estimated Ranges of Production" are determined from estimates by several authors as summarised by D.C. Watts, Glass Circle News No.82, 2000, p. 14.

The "Mean Date of Production" approximates that commonly ascribed to glass types with no other distinguishing attributes.

POSTSCRIPT

Glassmaking is a romantic but hot, dirty and financially volatile industry. None of the English factories responsible for the wonderful heritage outlined in this trail have survived while, in Ireland, only Waterford (albeit with a century's closure from 1845) has fought off the vicissitudes of world economic problems through the merits of its cut glass and even that is currently silent.