Relatively few names of workers in glass factories, as well as cutters and engravers, are easily traced through our general sources. If you know the firm(s) for which the glassmakers worked, the Rakow library may be able to provide information about the company, and occasionally information about specific individuals, if the individual made significant contributions to the firm and its product lines.
Most glass company archives have disappeared over time; our library has records for very few. If you are interested in your ancestor, then your public library can begin to guide you in how to do genealogical research. There are various online searching tools, including forums which discuss genealogy of glass workers.
We also recommend contacting the The Museum of American Glass in West Virginia, as they have an extensive collection of glass industry records, such as The American Flint Glass Workers Archives and MAGWV Database.
