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Glass Discussion & Research. NO IDENTIFICATION REQUESTS here please. => Malta Glass => Topic started by: WhatHo! on October 24, 2014, 05:22:48 PM
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Here is a Precis of the Malta Times article about Mdina Glass.
Précis of ‘Men in Business and Industry’
By Victor Aquilina
From ‘The Times of Malta’ May 12th. 1970.
Mdina lends its name to new design concept in glass.
New Concept.
A hangar in Ta’ Qali has become a Glass factory where tourists are visiting in their hundreds to watch a small team of glass artists making decorative glassware, which has, appropriately, been named after the capital, Mdina.
This glass incorporates a completely new design concept and therefore is quite different to anything they would have seen before. The designs and colours make a complete departure from traditional concepts and bridge a gap between traditional Crystal and Scandinavian Glass. Consequently ‘Mdina Glass’ now ranks amongst the best handicrafts produced in Malta today. This concept is the brainchild of Michael Harris age 36 and his partners Eric Dobson, age 37 and Ettore Boffo, age 28, who together launched this project.
Although Eric and Michael met some 15 years ago, during their college days, it was but 3 years ago they decided on the feasibility of manufacturing and marketing their glass. They agreed there was a demand for this type of glass, so why did they decide to come to Malta to manufacture it? Their decision was not made on purely economic factors, Malta had no glass tradition, and they wanted the glass to be identified with the country rather than the artistic individual, and Malta fitted that bill.
Trade name.
‘Mdina’ was chosen as the trade name as they felt it was appropriate, had appeal, and also because it was not Anglicised.
Tourists were flocking to see the Mdina Glass, with Michael and Ettore stealing the show with their great skill in turning out their decorative glass. Michael was the Design Director and Technical Advisor, and Ettore, from Naples, the Production Manager.
Smooth Workers.
They worked together smoothly and consistently, Ettore having worked in Britain in the glass industry. Together with twelve Maltese men, some learning the glass blowing skill, some packing products for export to UK and USA as well as locally in Valetta, the company thrived.
Workshop.
Although tourists are allowed to roam freely throughout the workshop, this is not a show-window, but a busy production area much as a rustic Artisan’s workshop would look. The majority of visitors leave having purchased a piece of glassware, a vase, bowl or paperweight, or a signed Collectors Piece, personally signed by the blower. The production includes over thirty different items in blue, green, yellow and amber.
Raw material for the glass includes soda lime cullet, a broken glass, imported from Britain by Malta Glass Industries. This is melted in four tanks, in furnaces. The blower dips the pipe into this molten glass to take out a lump, which he works whilst it is red-hot. This is then re-dipped and chemicals added to colour the glass, blows the glass to inflate it and moulds it using his skill and imagination to produce the finished product.
Distribution.
These artists have to work very fast whilst the glass is molten, and the finished product is cooled gradually in a cooling chamber.
Mr Dobson, previously with an American International advertising and marketing agency remarked that the rate of expansion “must go hand in hand with the skill of its glass blowers. There is a world shortage of these fine craftsmen who only reach a high degree of skill after many years of training and work in the industry.” He went on to say that he hoped they would be able to employ a further expatriate craftsman so that the expansion would not be impaired.
Dobson had great experience in marketing; whilst Harris, his partner, had been Head of the Industrial Glass Department at the Royal College of Art in London and it was there he developed the design concept that is today ‘Mdina Glass’.
Exports.
Having said that sales of Mdina Glass had increased steadily in the USA, Dobson went on to say they had appointed Dexam International Ltd. as their appointed distributor in the UK. He is quoted as saying, “We consider this a big step forward as Dexam are one of the leading distributors of fine glassware, porcelain and stainless steel ware in the UK. With Dexam, ‘Mdina Glass’ will be in the company of Lalique Crystal, Daum Crystal, and Royal Leerdam Crystal, all leading names in their particular type of glass.” 80% of the glass is exported to the UK. He went on to remark that both the USA and UK were asking for more and more Mdina Glass and they were proud that their glass had been accepted in the most competitive world markets.
There have also been requests from Germany, Belgium, Italy, Canada, Australia, Japan and Greece.
The three men are married and each has two sons.
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I didn't manage to read the word "green" in the article, when describing the colours used - and green wasn't used at Mdina until the mid-'70s, after Said took over.
Maybe this is where Mark got the idea of green being used from, rather than the finding of bits of MDG and assuming they were Mdina?
It's good to have this precis. Many thanks to the writer!
BUT; we should always add the caveat that the "information" found in newspaper articles is not neccessarily true nor accurate. They are hastily written, with a view to telling a story that will sell, rather than to impart knowledge.
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Thank you.
m
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I didn't manage to read the word "green" in the article, when describing the colours used - and green wasn't used at Mdina until the mid-'70s, after Said took over.
Maybe this is where Mark got the idea of green being used from, rather than the finding of bits of MDG and assuming they were Mdina?
It's good to have this precis. Many thanks to the writer!
Hi Sue,
I agree it is hard to read the original but Green is mentioned........ See below.
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Thenks, Patrick - it was very difficult to read.
(I need my eyes tested, they're 3 years out of date. Not one of my 4 pairs of glasses were good enough for me to cope.).
Green still wasn't used in the early period, so that is one thing we can happily say is complete twaddle.
(Unless it's the few folk who think that the teal colour is green, but that might be because they're a bit colour blind.)
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Hey Sue what about these early blocks discussed here, they have certainly got green in them?
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=44892.0;attach=90092;image
http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=44892.0;attach=90090;image
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I believe that is the colour effect perceived by the eye but achieved with their ochre swirls (chlorides) over turquoise blue :)
Pretty gorgeous effect - I had (broke it a little while back sadly) a carafe shape that was this wonderful bright green to the eye, but not a speck of green glass in it.
m
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Ah, really, quite possible indeed. That centre one does look rather green!!
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yes, this is a jug well lit where it appears when lit from behind to be bright green - but not a hint of green in it
m
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I don't need to comment, do I? It's sorted.
Yes, green can appear, but it wasn't a colour used "raw".
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Having read the article through, it has occurred to me that as it was not written by a Decorative Glass Expert with knowledge of glass technology, it seems to me to be more than forgivable to say that the glass colours that were produced included green.
Taking into account the pictures that have been used here by WhatHo! and flying free to illustrate Mdina colours, to the uninitiated, they DO appear very green, so, perhaps 'complete Twaddle' and 'colour blind' might seem somewhat harsh terms to use.
We might do well to remember that were it not for this sort of journalistic promotion of the Mdina Glass Studio, it may not have gone on to thrive and become the production centre that it did, and those of you who are collectors of Mdina Glass would not have the collections you have today.
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It may be more than forgivable in your eyes, however it is incorrect information that needed to be corrected.
It's a bit like for example, saying something looks like a Whitefriars vase therefore it is more than forgivable to list it to sell as such by an unsuspecting person who is selling their glass vase left to them by their granny. In my experience Whitefriars collectors have been very vociferous in correcting incorrect listings even though they might have been forgivable in the sense that the pieces look like Whitefriars but are in fact fakes for example.
I think you have taken the terms 'complete twaddle' and 'colour blind' out of their context and imbued them with feelings that were not there in the original comments.
And finally I don't believe it was because of this 'sort of journalistic promotion of the Mdina Glass Studio' that it may have gone onto thrive. It went on to thrive for a number of reasons promotion included, but mostly because it was desirable glass, because the glass was groundbreaking, different, and quite special, therefore people wanted to buy it, and people still want to buy it.
m
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Thankfully we are all entitled to our opinions and I stand by my ability to forgive a journalist for saying that the colour green was used, especially as in Mark Hill's book on pages 21 and 22 he also says green was used, so maybe it is not incorrect information after all.
It did seem to me to be rather picky to say 'we can happily say is complete twaddle' or ' but that might be because they're a bit colour blind'.
However, I am neither a Whitefriars nor a Mdina glass collector and my comments were based purely on the newspaper article and the words used by the reporter.
I am certain there was no intention on his part to defraud and like you m, I too abhor sellers who intentionally set out to miss-sell an item because it looks like a particular make, whether it be Whitefriars or any other manufacturer. I am sure in this case this was not the intention.
Any form of 'advertising' and promotion of a business will inevitably increase the success of any enterprise, and bearing in mind that only two years before this article was written Harris was almost penniless, I feel certain that this article and many newspaper adverts at the time would have gone a long way to helping to promote the business. Of course people bought the glass because they liked it, that goes without saying, but if you don't know it is there then you won't see and buy it.
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Green glass being used was an error, no book on glass is ever complete and without the odd mistake. Just the nature of the beast - there is never enough time before publication to include every detail and exhaustively check every fact. As time passes more information tends to come to light.
Likewise there are few if any hard and fast rules when it comes to glass, as much as we might like them to exist.
Where did you get the 'penniless' idea from?
John
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'like you m, I too abhor sellers who intentionally set out to miss-sell an item because it looks like a particular make, whether it be Whitefriars or any other manufacturer.'
This was not the point I made in my post above.
The point I made was that if someone innocently and mistakenly lists something their Granny left them as Whitefriars, because it looks like Whitefriars, the Whitefriars community is very quick to 'correct' them of their innocent misconceptions. One of the reasons they may correct them is that the item in question is incorrectly described. And likewise, quite reasonably and understandably...
... in this instance the only reason for correcting this item in the newspaper article is to avoid misconceptions and misinformation of something being incorrectly described.
I believe it was established that as John says, green was not used at Mdina as a raw colour.
Perhaps someone would like to contact Mark Hill and ask whether there is a formal correction on this information though since you have raised this again here.
'...especially as in Mark Hill's book on pages 21 and 22 he also says green was used, so maybe it is not incorrect information after all.'
m
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My information comes from Mark's book where Michael is struggling financially when the Tower and Cinema premises fall through and before the Hangar was discovered. He says he was struggling financially to keep a family of four and the storage cost of the glass waiting to be used.
If there are errors in Mark's book about green being used, then I can only say that I can but quote from written work and until I see a list of errors, then like everyone, I have the agony of knowing who to believe, the authors, the collectors or the glass blowers themselves. Pictures of the glass in Marks book in the early days do show glass with a green hue and so I can quite see why a reporter would say there was green glass and to dismiss it as 'twaddle' still seems picky.
I am bowing out of this discussion as it seems to be getting personal, and so I will leave all you knowledgeable collectors to continue, as my only real connection with Mdina glass are the few animals and birds I have and my extensive collection of IOWSG Maximals and Minimals.
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Since Mr Hill researched and wrote the book more information and many more examples of the glass made at Mdina have surfaced. A very fair assumption at the time was that the green glass mentioned was made at Mdina. Especially as it bore significant similarities to wares actually made at the Mdina glassworks. With (a big dollop of) hindsight it may well be that Mr Hill was referring to green items from Malta Decorative Glass. In Sues' recently amassed collection of it here, those similarities are apparent, common shapes, big ball stoppers etc, even a Tricorn bottle: http://www.glassmessages.com/index.php/topic,58267.msg330198.html#msg330198
With that hindsight it is obvious to us now why there are those similarities with MDG, given the involvement of Vincente Boffo and the desire of the company owners to reproduce the success of Mdina Glass.
As so much more glass from Mdina has been seen since the publication of the book and not a single example actually made with green glass has been found amongst it all we are confident that pots of green glass were not melted at Mdina. This is not to be confused with glass that takes on a green appearance with the addition of silver chloride or clear glass with a green hue (both of which are found in Mdina production).
My information comes from Mark's book where Michael is struggling financially when the Tower and Cinema premises fall through and before the Hangar was discovered. He says he was struggling financially to keep a family of four and the storage cost of the glass waiting to be used.
I had forgotten about that Rosie.