The story of Pittsburgh: Glass

Bibliographic data

Multivolume work

Identifikator:: 1831622599

Document type:: Multivolume work

Title:: The story of Pittsburgh

Place of publication:: Pittsburgh

Publisher:: First National Bank

Year of publication:: 1919-1930

Collection:: Economics Books

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Volume

Identifikator:: 1831623056

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-239768

Document type:: Volume

Title:: Glass

Volume count:: Vol. 1, nr. 5

Place of publication:: Pittsburgh

Publisher:: First National Bank

Year of publication:: 1920

Scope:: [ca. 16] Seiten

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Multivolume work

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Glass

Collection:: Economics Books

The celebrated Dr. Johnson tells what glass really is, in one of his delightful papers in The Rambler, saying: “Who, when he first saw the sand and ashes by casual intenseness of heat melted into a metalline form, rugged with excrescences and clouded with impurities, would have imagined that in this shapeless lump lay concealed so many conveniences of life as would in time constitute a great part of the happiness of the world? Yet by some such for- tuitous liquifaction was mankind taught to procure a body at once in a high degree solid and transparent, which might admit the light of the sun and exclude the violence of the wind, which might extend the sight of the philosopher to new ranges of existence, and charm him at one time with the unbounded extent of the material creation, and at another with the endless subordination of animal life, and what is yet of more importance, might supply the decay of nature and succor old age with subsidiary sight. Thus was the first artificer of glass employed, though without his own knowledge or expectation. He was facilitating and prolonging the enjoyment of light, enlarging the ave- nues of science, and conferring the highest and most lasting pleasure. He was enabling the student to contemplate nature and the beauty to behold herself.” The Egyptians practiced glass blowing more than 4000 years ago, while the invention of glass is sometimes ascribed to the Phoenicians. Glass found in the ruins of Mycenae show that the Greeks were familiar with the art of making glass at least 600 years before Christ. Pliny mentions Gaul (France) as one of the western countries practicing the art. Venice early became a famous glass producing center. There is documentary evidence of glass-making in that city in 1090, and for 500 years the city held a fore- most place in its manufacture. In comparatively modern times glass-making extended to other countries. It be- came established as an industry in the United States early in the 17th century. Pennsylvania has been a producer of glass from the early history of the colony, for William Penn wrote a letter in 1688, in which he alluded to glass works in his domain. A flint glass factory was established near Lancaster in

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