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Whitefriars Glass – History of the 17th Century

The Whitefriars Glass Company is one of the oldest companies in the UK glass from the 17th Century to the present day and is famous for its unique form of glass. As a long established British glass designer and maker I thought readers to interest his story.

The company James Powell and Sons, known also as Whitefriars glass were, English glassmaker, lead lighters and glass window manufacturers. Whitefriars glass, the company was as the 17th Century, but also as a result of the 19 Century in the Gothic Revival style and the demand for glass window known.

In 1834, James Powell (1774-1840), a London wine merchant and entrepreneur bought the Whitefriars Glass Company, a small glass factory of Fleet Street in London, were probably erected in 1680. Powell and his sons were new in the manufacture of glass, but soon acquired the necessary expertise. They experimented developed and new techniques, a large part of their production is dedicated to the creation of church stained glass windows. The company acquired a large number of patents for their new Ideas and was the world leader in their field, industry increased by building hundreds of new churches during the Victorian era. While manufactured stained Powell's glass windows, they also provided to other glass stained glass company.

A major product of the factory was ornamental stone was broken glass, through mass production methods and constraint, rather than cutting by hand and painting. This product could be used in church windows of stained glass as a cheaper substitute. It was often in newly installed churches, which are later replaced by pictorial window. Most of these quarries was clear glass, printed in black and detail in bright yellow silver staining. Occasionally, the Quarries produced in red, blue or pink glass, but these are rare. Surprisingly few entire window by Powell quarries can be seen in English churches, although they survive in a few locations seen as vestries, ringing chambers behind and organs. St Philip's Church, Sydney, maintains a complete set of Powell quarry Window. Powell also produced many windows are set in the picturesque mandorlas or roundels against the background of quarries. See right

While the second half of the 1800s, the company formed a close collaboration with leading architects and designers such as Edward Burne Jones TG Jackson, William De Morgan and James Doyle. Whitefriars produced the glass, which uses Philip Webb for William Morris in his designs. The company has diversified production in the 1850s, also home to table Glass after the application of the glassware for William Morris' Red House.

In 1875 Harry James Powell, the grandson of the founder and an Oxford graduate in chemistry, in the business. His training, production and more scientific innovations such unprecedented colors and heat-resistant glass for applications in science and Industry performed as X-ray tubes and light bulbs.

New production lines such as milk glass proved to be extremely successful. The company has participated at key exhibitions around the world. Designs have been copied from historical find, Venetian and Roman glass in European museums and galleries. Harry Powell, a fan Ruskin delivered numerous lectures to make glass.

The company name was changed to Powell & Sons (Whitefriars) Ltd. in 1919 and growth in the Economy called for new premises. In 1923, the new factory in Wealdstone open despite a thriving economy, the large sunk costs of the new factory plans, a village to the workers in a style fashionable to construct house during the Arts and Crafts Movement. The ovens were lit in the new factory with a flame from a Furnace in the old works, which had carefully carried out in London in a coal basin. The company also had showrooms on Wigmore Street, and this attracted customers for domestic and Window glass.

In the years between 1 World War I and World War 11 business and financial position has improved significantly. Glassware tended to the colorful and heavy, and optical Forms and wheel engraving played an important role in bringing the Art Deco style in middle and upper classes.

In the 1930s the company began production of Milefiori Paperweight, by flat domes and broad bases from. This period of prosperity ended with the start of World War II 11th Glass production was limited, that the aid the war effort. Cessation of hostilities, the company in a desperate struggle for survival, was exacerbated by the loss of key employees and attract and not returned.

The Festival of Britain of 1951 to a much-needed financial infusion led to the economy. Whitefriars was an outstanding Example of modern British industrial chosen. The following years saw stringent and functional Scandinavian design sweeping Europe and dominant stock purchases of large outlets such as Selfridges and Fortran's & Mason.

The arrival of the glass blocks that were cheap, thick sheets of colored glass set in concrete brick abandoned, the Need for expensive stained glass in the new churches.

One of the many well-known designers, glass was carried out at Whitefriars Geoffrey Baxter. He joined the factory in 1954 after graduating from the Royal College of Art Baxter had a great influence on Whitefriars table and domestic glass designs. In the 1960s he began to experiment with a new molded glass. This resulted led to the introduction of the structured region in 1967. The pieces were in forms using tree bark, nails, wire and other materials to produce alternative textures to the glass.

In 1962 its name was changed back to Whitefriars Glass Ltd., specializing free-form surfaces domestic glassware until his purchase in 1981 by Caithness Glass.

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About the Author

I have recently decided to write articles on my favourite subjects: English Sports, English History, English Icons, English Discoveries and English Inventions. At present I have written over 100 articles which I call “An Englishman’s Favourite Bits Of England” in various Volumes. Please visit my Blogs page http://Bloggs.Resourcez.Com where I have listed all my articles to date.

Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved.

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