Milos B. Volf, "Sklo, podstata, Krasa, Uziti".

[Sklounion]

Have managed to buy this weighty tome to-day. @ 350pages, on Czech glass, dating to 1947. Does anyone have a view as to its accuracy/reliability, given that Volf was a CP stooge, and Dr Ctyroky spent most of his life in internal exile? For me, Ctyroky,  the leading glass technologist of his era, was badly treated by the Communists, and certainly was handed the dungty end of the stick.
Is this pre-communist era treatise on glass valuable for its information, or to be treated as a suspect device?

TIA,

Marcus

[Ivo]

this sounds like a Bond move I missed.... In any case, I would think that anything published in 1947 when half the glass industry was in ruins and the other half in shambles will give you a good idea of the actual production before the regrouping, whatever the political incorrectness of the author. I think it will require a careful reader such as yourself to navigate around the jargon ("tractor production is up 38 %"), and you should be able to see the transformation in progress especially if you open up Vavra book from 1954 next to it.

[Sklounion]

Perhaps I may have been a little unfair to Volf.
He was the Czechoslovak member of the IGC, and the ISO, (hence seriously trusted by the Communists) and was responsible for the development of "Simax"  and "Sial" glass etc.
He had worked at Valasske Mezirici, and  Kavalier.
regards,
Marcus

[Sklounion]

Is this pre-communist era treatise on glass valuable for its information?

Well, I have the answer here in my hands.
Extremely detailed glass formulae, images of (then) state of the art, Skoda Amco bottle making machinery, mechanised Lehr ovens etc. A wide range of glass, including pressed, and images of table glass from Kavalier, including Sutmar's modernist set. Much glass from Druzstevni Prace, and interestingly new designs from Borske Sklo in 1946. Discussion of glass for architecture and so on.

Will work on translating the more important aspects, and disseminate that info here asap.

Regards,

Marcus

[Jindra8526]

I have found this old discussion. I have a little comment to situation in Czechoslovakia after WWII.

It is not true that glass industry was in 1947 in ruins, in fact the war actions did not affect the Czechoslovakia strongly. In 1945 was Czechoslovakian glass industry "nationalised", only 2 factories remained - Rudihut Polevsko and Emanuel Beranek - Skrdlovice. The glass production continued and rapidly growed up. According to decision of belligerent powers the most of German spoken pre-war Czechoslovakian citisens had to leave their homes and were shiffted to Germany. In Czechoslovakia could remain only these Germans that were demonstrably anti-nazzi and also Germans that din not undertake German citizenship after the German occupation of Czechoslovakia in spring 1939 and remained citizens of Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia - it means that remained Czechoslovakians. Becouse about 40 percent of empoyees in glass industry were Germans this had lead to lack of workers.  This lack of workers was however rapidly compensated with people from inland. Worse it was with technicians. It is not known but some skilled Germans were not allowed to leave post war Czechoslovakia but they were forced to stay here and help to build industry. It was case of Rudolf Schrötter or Max Kannegiesser for example. So no ruins but lack of skilled workers was the problem.

Back to Dr. Milos Bohuslav Volf (*1915).
His book mentioned above was not "hot cooked" one, but was prepared during war and after the war it was published. In 1947 Czechoslovakia was still democratic country, the communistic putch came in Februaŕy 1948. Dr. Volf was glass expert, he wrote several technological books, the last one was published in 1987. He was not a Bond or communist, just glass specialist. Together with Jaroslav Brychta he also published this book:

http://picasaweb.google.cz/Jindra8526/JBrychtaMBVolfZiveSklo?authkey=Gv1sRgCLDExe7vh4rhwAE#
Wolf wrote part about technology.

Jindrich
www.webareal.cz/ceskoslovenskesklo

[chopin-liszt]

Sounds like a fascinating and important book, and it's wonderful to have your corrections on the misleading western perspective, Jindrich. Thank you so much.