Overview
Although glassmaking was America's first industry, little glassblowing took place in the American colonies in the 1600s. Wealthy American colonists imported glassware, while most settlers used drinking vessels made of other materials like wood and pewter. Window glass was scarce.
Nearly 20 factories were started between 1732 and 1780 in North America, and there was a large market for window and bottle glass.
There are some names that you should know when studying early American glassmaking.
Significant Figures in Early American Glassmaking
You can find additional resources on 17th- and 18th-century glassmakers in the Library catalog.
Books for Young People on Glassmaking in Colonial America
Three books written specifically for young people might be helpful for your project:
- Branse, J. L. A Day in the Life of a Colonial Glassblower. New York: PowerKids Press, 2002. Find in the Rakow Library | Find in a Library Near You
- Fisher, Leonard Everett. The Glassmakers. Colonial American Craftsmen. New York: Franklin Watts, 1964. Find in the Rakow Library | Find in a Library Near You
- Petersen, Christine. The Glassblower. Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2012. Find in the Rakow Library | Find in a Library Near You
Museum Objects from This Period
View Museum objects from this period to uncover the names of other manufacturers, makers, and engravers.
Additional Online Resources from The Corning Museum of Glass
Please don't hesitate to contact us with your glass-related questions in the future!
Links & Files
- What are good resources for glassblowing in the colonial days of NYS?
- Glass made by William Henry Stiegel at Manheim and Elizabeth Furnace, Pa in 1763 through 1784
- I'm doing a research paper on tableware in 17th-18th century America; do you have any collections of tableware from wealthy settlers of that time period.
- Glassmaking at Jamestown
- Early Glassmaking in the United States
- Historical American Glass
- Henry William Stiegel
- Caspar Wistar
Media
