Street Views of Glassworks

[Jay]

Dear all,

I would really like to see a map with dates on it, showing where the (main) factories were, and the dates of their main production. (In an ideal world some examples of the 'stlye' would be even better as a 'first stop' on the trail to identification.

Has somebody already made such a map? (where, etc.) and if not then would honorable readers like to assist ME in making one.

(In the first instance I would start with Italy Bohemia, France, UK-> Northern Europe)

Once this is available it would mean that, given a guess about date and general area of origin it would be easy to see which factories are most likely, and therefore can be checked first when trying to identify.

[Frank]

Such maps are readily available from tourist spots, but generally do not cover older glassworks.

I have one from the 1920s/30s covering Der Bayerische Regierungsbezirk Oberpfalz. But it does not identify factories just has a symbol by those towns with glass-works. Obviously, you cannot tell if they are glassworks or refineries. That is an area rich in glassworks.

You can also get such maps from glass museums and they tend to be a little bit more useful.

Ideally, you should work form the large scale maps as these show the glasswork buildings with 'probably' great accuracy. But then even if you know  where the glassworks were it can still cause confusion.

Here are maps of Perth, Scotland showing some of the glass works that have existed there.

1859 marked in Orange and also showing the location of one built in 1891 http://www.ysartglass.com/Photo/Perth1859.htm

This 1860 large scale map shows another 'Bottle works' just South of the first map http://www.ysartglass.com/Photo/JMbottleworks.htm

Fron the same 1860 map I show the Inkworks where glass was made too.  http://www.ysartglass.com/Photo/JMinkworks.htm

Same map same company but just a glassworks to cope with expansion http://www.ysartglass.com/Photo/JMglassworks.htm

Then a 1913 map with all the glasworks marked http://www.ysartglass.com/Photo/Perth1913.htm note the different position of the southern works. The 1891 works are correctly placed on this map, so the first one needs correcting.

I have yet to ascertain exactly how many glass works existed in Perth at any time.

Now, that points out some of the difficulties. I have maps, somewhere, of other areas - mostly Europe that show locations of glassworks and there is probably a wealth of material that can add to this from all the books published so far on glass.

A practical approach would be start with Ivo's book, probably the most extensive published list of glassworks in the world and against each company determine a map co-ordinate. Using this data, create an overlay  for Google Earth and you then have a good starting point. Ivo book does not include refineries or decorators but they would be of interest too. The other problem will be coping with name changes and glassworks that move from one location to another.

Hopefully, this has not deterred you and you will make a start

 

[ChrisStewart]

Hi,

    You can view the site of Davidson's glassworks with Google Street View.

On Google maps search for Ropery Road and select the one in Gateshead. Switch to Street view and move down to the end of Ropery Road. There you will see a set of green gates and a red brick two storey building. This marks the entrance to the Davidson Teams Glassworks. The red brick building was the main offices for the glassworks built in 1939. In the background is a building with a Ford Parts sign on it. Part of this building belonged to the glassworks. The rest of the buildings have been demolished. The Teams river runs just behind the red brick office building and around the back of the site.

Along side Ropery road was a Rope works (on the left if you are facing the entrance to the Davidson works). When Davidson had their fire in 1860, the workers at the rope works were concerned that the fire would spread to them and destroy the works. Fortunately that did not happen.


Now, wouldn't it be nice to win the lottery and start a Gateshead glass museum here...

Regards

Chris

[Anne]

A nice art deco / 1930s style building which if done up would look good as a museum for sure. Is it totally unoccupied now Chris?

[ChrisStewart]

Hi Anne,

I believe so, although I haven't been up to Gateshead for a couple of years. The last time we visited the site they were trying to lease the building.

Sadly it is in a poor state of repair, although the doors are still the 1939 originals.

Regards

Chris

[Adam]

Well, well!  Thanks for that, Chris.  I was visiting the steel works next door about twenty years ago and looked down on the old office block.  I thought it was being demolished at the time so have never made any attempt to see it since.  My office window is just not visible, ground floor front, left hand end.

It was very much Art Deco, although I had never heard the term when I was there (when was the name coined?).  I had invented the term "Late Odeon Period" for my own use!

I was always a little sad at the money which had been spent on the office when the factory was in desperate need of maintenance.  However, Sowerbys offices were very basic and they were the first to fail!!

I've just Googled East Street (Sowerbys).  I think just off camera to the left is (or was a few years ago) Mecca Bingo.  Sadly, that building and its car park are all that is left of Sowerbys.

Adam D.

[Adam]

I'd forgotten the pan facility.  Pan left anf there is Mecca, nee Sowerbys!!

Adam D.

[Angela B]

Wow, that is so amazing. Presumably there are other glassworks whose factories and offices we could learn a bit about by using Google if the buildings are still there and people can identify them. We'll keep this thread in the archive when it ends.

[KevinH]

Adam D said:

It was very much Art Deco, although I had never heard the term when I was there (when was the name coined?).

Wikipedia (always right!) gives:

... the 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes ... ... The terms Style Moderne and Art Deco both derive from the exposition's title, ... though Art Deco was not widely used until popularized by art historian Bevis Hillier's 1968 book Art Deco of the 20s and 30s.

[David E]

Further to Chris Stewart's earlier posting about viewing the old Davidson building in Google Maps Street View, using the 'Send' feature of Google maps I have retrieved the full URL:

Ropery Rd, Dunston, Wickham and Dunston, Gateshead NE8 2, UK
Link: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ropery+road,+gateshead&sll=52.432,-1.950904&sspn=0.010231,0.015235&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Ropery+Rd,+Wickham+and+Dunston,+Gateshead+NE8+2,+United+Kingdom&ll=54.952373,-1.632618&spn=0.002409,0.004361&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=54.952317,-1.632494&panoid=rYAUhzZZ0eLsLHIM7UyLiQ&cbp=12,310.88,,0,4.83

Perhaps this thread can be expanded to include a few more? There is an earlier topic where various glassworks are identified on Google Maps, but not using direct links to Street View. Note that after copying and pasting the URL, you will need to remove the '<' and '>' marks to make the link work on GMB.

Another is the iconic Chance Brothers 7-storey building (currently being converted), as viewed from the M5:

Search results for "spon lane"
Link: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=spon+lane&sll=54.952318,-1.632494&sspn=0.002421,0.004361&ie=UTF8&hq=spon+lane&hnear=&radius=15000&ll=52.506554,-1.993691&spn=0,359.995639&t=h&z=18&layer=c&cbll=52.506549,-1.993492&panoid=I1FmMVoz2wILL7xAenNOqg&cbp=12,180.24,,0,16.4

A strange one, dating back c.1662! Leith Citadel, the home of Pape's first glassworks in Leith, near Edinburgh (as mentioned in a certain book). Nope, not the large building on the right, but the rather forelorn, cut-down building behind the tree and yellow container! Such care taken for an ancient monument 

Search results for "leith citadel"
Link: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=leith+citadel&sll=55.976773,-3.175108&sspn=0.001174,0.002181&ie=UTF8&radius=0.04&filter=0&rq=1&ev=p&hq=leith+citadel&hnear=&ll=55.976936,-3.174389&spn=0,359.997819&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=55.976849,-3.174349&panoid=wbBCWTu2rixa6yEDY1pSAQ&cbp=12,290.31,,0,4.67

Any more?

[Anne]

Good idea David, thanks.  I've rescued Chris' original topic from Archives and merged it with yours above to keep all the info together. Perhaps we should either sticky this along with the Location of... topic we already have pinned up the top of the forum or merge them together as well?

[Adam]

Thanks for that, David.  Nostalgia!!  I can now see (just) my (shared) office window.  Claude Frazer's (Governing Director) is the top floor right hand end behind the lamp post.  On a sadder note, I think the works itself is more or less centred on the scrap yard visible by panning left.  As I suggested in an earlier post the Art Deco offices were right at the entrance gates and well separated from where the real work happened!

Adam D.

[David E]

Good idea Anne.
Glad to help Adam.

I meant to post a link to show what Leith Citadel did look like c.1920, before it was decapitated:
http://canmore.rcahms.gov.uk/en/site/51917/digital_images/edinburgh+leith+dock+street+johnston+street+citadel+arch/

On SC610475 you can just make out the building as seen on the right in the Google street view.

[David E]

Thought I'd run this past Adam:

Sowerby Ellison?
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?hl=en&gl=uk&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=107252480432088031064.000436774851e1015c810&ll=54.963068,-1.60984&spn=0,359.984486&z=16&layer=c&cbll=54.964956,-1.606179&panoid=86L2_w_zL-3jt4crO8A3rQ&cbp=12,240.89,,0,13.46

Sadly, there don't seem to be many more available.

[Pinkspoons]

Not British, I know, but it does tie in - honest.

Holmegaard's 'F5' bottleworks, built in 1972 and owned by Ardagh Glass since Holmegaard went bust:

'F5' Plant

I do recommend taking a 'virtual tour' around the building surrounding the works - they're the old cottages built for factory workers to live in, built from the late 1820s onwards. The glassworks, in its heyday, was literally a self-contained village with its own school, bakery, shops and pub.

The system was modelled closely on British industrial villages of the 1800s, and so is a fair reflection of the types of communities we would once have had on our shores (but have since been torn down or lost to the anonymity of the suburban sprawl).