Topic: Wonders of glass-making Alexandre Sauzay written in 1870

[flying free]

Came across this interesting book on searching
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=t0sNAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=bohemian+glass&hl=en&sa=X&ei=5JEmUa_aPMaS0QXfs4CQBg&ved=0CFoQ6AEwCTgU#v=onepage&q=bohemian%20glass&f=false

written in 1870, I've not read it all, but skim read bits and pieces.

Some of the things amongst many, that jumped out were:
1) page 52 -  it says that the wages of a glassmaker in France were 5-6Francs per day whereas in Bohemia the wages were about 1-2Francs.  It says the wages in Bohemia were considered deplorable and goes on to say that since then the wages in France had gone up again.

2) It talks about the making of overshot glass and calls it 'frosted glass' in Chapter X11.  It says that in Bohemia they used the method of picking up ground glass pieces from the marver but also that they ground coloured glass into piles and then sprinkled it on by hand so they could have coloured overshot glass where they wanted to have it on the body of the glass rather than it being uniform on the piece.  I've never seen a piece of coloured overshot that appeared to be done this way - love to see some.

It also says this overshot or what it calls 'frosted glass' was' invented in Bohemia and formerly used much in Italy'

3) Talks about iridescent and opalescent glass only in relation to ancient buried glass - Chapter XI.  It's funny to read something that has no mention of the iridescent glass I think of i.e. Loetz for example.

4) page 56 - 'Baccarat was originally a colony of a Belgian glass manufactury,which at the time of separation of that county, in 1815, established a branch establishment in France, in order to preserve it's French patronage.'

5) Most interestingly for me, it says under Coloured glass page 212
that Bohemia held the monopoly on the manufacture of coloured glass until 1837 ?
I thought France introduced opaline glass in 1825 ish and rapidly introduced colours ? Am I confused? This was written by a French person (not that that fact validates information but just that the author seems very informed of French Glass history)

6) Interesting section on millefiori and sulphide paperweights Chapter XX

Enjoy
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[flying free]

Forgot to add that on page 173 and 173 there is a description of cameo glass making.
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