Glass Message Board
Glass Identification - Post here for all ID requests => Glass => Topic started by: flying free on October 11, 2011, 09:29:13 PM
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I've been meaning to put these on here for some time now but never got round to it. Partly just to share and partly for some queries. They are some internal doors from our hallway.
I'm interested to know whether these would be classed as art nouveau in design? (the red panels) as part of our house was built in 1885 ish and they were original to the house. They sit alongside an Art Nouveau large cast iron fire grill.
We had two of the panels replaced (after the removal company managed to put two legs from a table through two different panels of the doors simultaneously :grrr:) and the bottom right hand non coloured panel is a replacement with a Pilkington design (I think... could be wrong there).
I've put two sets on - one is the original panel in close up (acid etched?) and the other is the replacement panel -has this been sandblasted or also acid etched please? The flashing doesn't look as deep on the photos as it is in reality, but it's pretty substantially thick especially on the old panels.
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First is acid, second is sandblasted. You would be hard pressed to find someone to acid etch a panel today. Third image also looks sandblasted (?) but is a little out of focus too. Nice doors.
While sand-blasting was feasible in 1885 it was probably not capable of such work, but I may be wrong on that.
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ooh good, my searching for information is getting better ;D thanks Frank.
Yes the third photo is slightly blurred - it was a nightmare trying to get the focus and some light to really show off the glass properly (probably why I gave up putting them on before now) - however all the original panels are see through and have that lovely acid etched finish. The two new panels look identical on casual inspection but when you look very close up you can see they are not as see through as the originals. We had them replaced 12 years ago,and I thought they did a great job on them and also making a blue star cut identical to the others (good job the insurance was paying though).
m
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You could hand polish the replacements. Might take a while but it will give you some very Zen evenings ;)
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Oooh I do like a challenge :24: so how do I do that?
m
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Wow, those are awesome! I've never seen anything like that in a residence. It must have been heartbreaking to see the damage. I'm glad you got good replacements.
The last photo looks like etched work to me, judging by the crisp outline with just a bit eaten away outside the outline. That could happen with etched work, while the directional spray of abrasives would be less likely to stray beyond the edges of the resist.
I'm not sure I'd call them Nouveau, though there's certainly overlap between Victorian and Nouveau styles. If they were Nouveau I would expect more naturalistic intertwining vines and asymmetry. That's just my take on it, though.
...(edit, after seeing Frank's latest post) Polishing those babies uniformly without going outside the lines would be a challenge! Maybe with tape over the colored parts you could do it, but then there's the added challenge of cutting the tape to match exactly the areas to be polished. I don't know if it's worth the time and effort involved, unless you're ready for a LOT of Zen evenings!
...(and another edit, after seeing your post) Maybe with a Dremel, using emory-impregnated tips?
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No machines, will get to hot! I think a flat pointed stick, water and abrasive, but ask an engraver. No need to mask, just rub with care.
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I've used a Dremel to engrave glass, even to drill holes in it. You can always use it with water (I did for that sort of thing), or use a felt/cloth tip with polishing compound if worried about heat, but as long as you move an emory tip around, which you'd want to do anyway to get an even polish, it shouldn't be a problem. Doing it by hand would take forever. That's why engravers use machines!
...I just tried an emory tip with one of my own silly pieces and it worked quite well, with almost no noticeable heating of the glass (it's thick glass, but still...).
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ok Frank thank you - so that may be a job for when the I have LOTS of time then ;D I once did a very large intricate stencil on the ceiling that I had made myself, to go around a light fitting. It took days to get it on the ceiling (and nearly broke my back hanging off the top of a tall ladder) so it was absolutely accurate. Then I never got round to painting it in. In the end 4 years later hubby painted over it ::)
Kristi thanks :sun: they are my favourite piece of glass in the house despite all my vases. I think you're right about them being classed as Victorian.
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:angel: :angel:
Lovely doors, fab colour. :thup:
angel2
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Such panels appear in builders and glaziers catalogue from 1800s to at least 1930s and worldwide. So many have disappeared as once broken few can afford replacing - so all power to you for doing so.
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At that time is was very difficult to do so, and I only found one maker prepared to do them. The insurance company rang round to try and reduce the quote and couldn't find anyone else country wide either, so them it was.
I've added a hopefully slightly better picture and one of what was used as the firescreen (also I don't think Art Nouveau actually but Victorian), which was in front of a huge Heath-Robinson type contraption fire (removed before we moved in unfortunately).
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Gorgeous firescreen!
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Here I was just saying I've never seen anything like your windows in the US, and whaddaya know, I saw one today.
Any idea who made etched stained plate glass?
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thanks all for your lovely comments :sun:
Kristi I absolutely love that etched stained glass even better than etch on clear...I'm jealous :mrgreen: |'ll have hunt around and see if I can find any more info on that sort of thing.
Once I get a minute I shall upload some pics to this thread of some gorgeous window glass I saw in a Gaudi building in Barcelona recently - that was true envy inducing stuff.
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These are commom in US and Europe. Probably mostly produced by sheet glass makers and largely sold through builders Merchants. However there were also specialist manufacturers I have catalogues from both British and American makers. Wether these makers made the sheet is unclear, probably bought in but decorated by the companies. On top of that there would be makers producing by the cylinder method too, at least in 19th and earlier part of 20th century... with one or two probably still doing it today.