Obscured & Textured Window Glass: 'Figured Rolled Glass' Pattern Guide [1888-2020]
As the name implies, Figured Rolled Glass is an architectural glass having a figured or patterned surface impressed by rollers during the process of manufacture. The various patterns in which this glass has been manufactured are documented in this article and they range from simple finishes to elaborate designs, giving a variety of effects. Today this glass is almost universally used where both daylight and privacy are required but in the past, these glasses added texture and colour to leaded light windows. The textured surface obscures the vision without impairing the transmission of daylight.
“The term ” rolled glass ‘ refers commercially to glass whose surface or surfaces , by means of a rolling process , are ribbed , fluted , or otherwise impressed with patterns or designs . The various designs on figured rolled glass are mainly intended to diffuse and distribute light.”
Over 200 rolled window glass designs are documented below, with the focus being on the first 50 years (1890 -1940), although more recent glasses are also well documented.
This article has grown to become more ‘book’ than ‘article’ and so we have provided a quick reference ‘Spotters Guide’ version of this page which can be found here: Patterned Glass Id Gallery – (the glass galleries only. No blurb)
The USA section of this article got its own page…
Textured Window Glass: USA Rolled Glass Pattern Guide [1890-2020]
This section of the article got its own page…
Victorian Sheet Glass : Etched, Enamelled and Brilliant Cut Designs
This page is a supplement to our main article: History Of Architectural Glass For Windows. That main article looks at all of the other decorative window glasses as well as the evolution of clear flat window glass.
Australian Patterned Glass was all imported before 1931.
Following are a lot of images galleries that will ‘lazy load’ as you scroll down. Click them for larger images presented as a slideshow.
Hit ‘Control+F’ on your keyboard to search for keywords.
We do not sell old glass, we undertook this research for the public record’ and to ensure the history of these interesting glasses was open to anybody with an interest.
Feel free to use or share what you find here, but do the right thing..
Please include a link to this article if sharing it or posting elsewhere, either in part or full; This article has taken hundreds of hours to compile and is still regularly being updated as new information is unearthed. We have done the right thing by not restricting your right-clicking or watermarking everything… be nice and link back. 🙂
Any further information or glass samples you might have, that help to complete the collection, are most welcome; please email Simon.
Table of Contents
Introduction
How to identify old obscured window glass patterns and textures: British, American and Australian decorative, frosted & fancy rolled glass gallery.
Victorian glass makers introduced figured rolled window glass, also known as ‘patent rolled figured’ glass, frosted glass, fancy glass, textured glass, art glass or obscured glass. It is made by embossing textures into the surface of the hot glass sheets.
Many heritage buildings across the globe still contain some fine examples of these interesting, durable and varied glass patterns. Using old archives, along with our team’s experience and trade contacts, this page is our attempt to record all of those early textured glass designs. The original scope of this article was to document Victorian and Edwardian glass textures but has since grown to also include glass patterns right up to modern times.
These patterned glass designs can useful as an aid for dating heritage properties.
Obscured Glass “has one side covered with an opaque film formed either by grinding the surface or by melting powdered glass upon it. The names for this glass seem to be used indiscriminately without reference.” 1879
The Development of Textured Window Glass
Hartleys Patent: Table Rolled Plate Glass
James Hartley was granted a patent in 1838 for producing glass made by casting the hot glass ‘metal’ onto an engraved surface and then rolling it from above.
Hartley’s glassworks later became famous for ‘Hartley’s Patent Plate’, a rolled and textured roofing glass but Hartley’s were also producing a coloured rolled glass know as cathedral glass, used for creating stained glass windows. Cathedral Glass was originally a coloured, smooth rolled glass before ‘Rough’, ‘Ribbed’ and ‘Diamond’ embossed patterns were introduced.
The cost of cutting a large elaborate pattern over the surface of the casting bed would involve considerable expense, especially as the large table would stand idle whilst other designs were being cast. Consequently engraved casting tables for figured surfaces were smaller than those used to produce polished plate window glass. To roll the hot glass from above using embossing rollers was the next logical step forward.
Glasgow Plate Glass Company
Pattern rollers used to imprint the design from above the casting table.
Whilst information about this firm is sparse, there is a strong case to argue that G.P.G.C produced the first-ever figured rolled glass sheets, with a distinct and repeating ornate pattern. Glasgow P.G.C. also designed most of the earliest figured glass patterns such as ‘Diaper, ‘Lustre’, ‘Ovate’ & ‘Muranese’. We do not know when production started or how much glass was produced using Glasgow’s patent but it faced strong compettion as in the same year Chance Brothers had patented a similar machine for making ‘Rippled’ glass; 3 years later Chance Brothers patented their more efficient double rolled glass machinery.
Dec 14 1886 A. Brogan & A. Malloch, Firhill Glasgow (Glasgow Plate Glass Company) patent (No.16,366) their machine for producing figured rolled glass. A US patent was applied for in March 1887. Later patents for improved figured rolled glass machinery were applied for in 1889 and 1894.
Apparatus For Rolling Glass To Produce Designs Thereon
UK application Registered No 16,366 14 December 1886. US application filed March 14, 1887. Serial No. 230,879.
“Our invention relates to the manufacture of IS glass in plates or sheets having upon one surface vermicular, wave-like, or other patterns or designs produced by the action of a roller; and it consists in an improved apparatus for rolling the molten glass, whereby uniform 2o thickness of sheet is obtained and the design or pattern is produced by a comparatively small roller, involving small outlay for engraving or impressing the pattern upon it. …. The larger and heavier 4o roller serves to roll out and determine the thickness of the glass sheet, and the follower or followers need only be of such weight as to impress the pattern upon the surface of the soft and plastic glass.” 1887 US Patent Office No. 370,178
“Figured glass (developed by the Glasgow Plate Glass Co) was produced by the table method about 1890”
1887 patent ‘ Apparatus for rolling glass’ 1889 patent ‘Apparatus for rolling glass plate’ 1894 patent ‘Apparatus for rolling glass’ 1897 Patent application Leer or kiln for annealing glass. 1892 Patent applications 8554 & 8555 – “A D Brogan and The Glasgow Plate Glass Co. Improvements in apparatus for rolling glass”
The Mason and Conqueror Patent for rolled plate glass
In 1885 Frederick Mason and John Conqueror patented a new method of rolling glass that reduced wastage during production and that did not dull the surface of the finished glass.
“This method of manufacture, as improved by the proprietors of the patent, is conducted in the following manner”, “The molten glass is poured on an inclined iron plate, and passes between two iron rolls, which revolve uniformly in opposite directions. The sheet of glass thus formed passes down a second inclined plate, and is then transferred to the kiln and piled in the usual way. Or the sheet may be transferred to the annealing kiln by means of a travelling carriage or table, which consists of an iron frame aid with stones, or other non-conducting material, so as to present an even upper surface. The size of this table is regulated by the width and length of the sheets of glass which it is desired to make. The table travels on wheels or rollers under the lower roll of the rolling machine, and by means of suitable gearing is carried forward by the motion of the machine at the same pace, or slightly faster than, the sheet of glass passing down the second inclined plate”. 1885 US Patent Office No.326764A
Chance’s Double-Rolled Figured Plate Glass
The famous Chance Brothers glassworks in Smethwick, entered the rolled glass market in 1852 when they took a license to use James Hartley’s table rolled glass patent.
In 1886 William Edward Chance was granted Patent.No. 3972 – New or Improved Machinery for the Manufacture of Sheets of Rippled Glass, 20 March 1886.
In 1885 Chance Bros. had taken out a further license for the new ‘Mason and Conqueror’ glass rolling machine, a machine that by January 1890 they had developed into their own patented (No.789) process with the addition of a second pair of rollers to imprint a pattern on the glass.
This double rolling process became the standard method for producing glass sheets with a textured surface, leaving the opposite face smooth enough for cutting. Glass designs ranged from simple obscured surfaces to elaborate, deeply imprinted, three-dimensional patterns. These ‘fancy figured rolled’ or ‘patent rolled’ glass sheets as they became known were sold in white (clear), blue, amber, green and pink (wine) cathedral tints.
US Patent No. 488,114, dated December 13, 1892. Serial No. 436,712. model.) 15, 1890,
Be
it known that I, EDWARD FERGUSON CHANCE, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at West Smethwick, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Rolling Glass, (for which I have obtained Letters Patent of Great Britain, No. 785, dated January 15, 1890;) and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. 
My invention consists of improvements in or additions to machinery for rolling glass, for which Letters Patent were granted in the United States to Frederick Mason and John Conqueror, dated September 22, 1885, No. 326,764. The invention patented by Messrs. Mason and Conqueror consists, essentially, of a pair of rolls between which molten glass running down an inclined plate passes and is thereby rolled into a sheet, which sheet is received on another inclined. plate, from which it passes to the annealing-kiln. My invention consists of the combination, with the said patented invention, of an additional pair of rolls by which the sheet of glass formed by the first pair of rolls is further operated upon and improved, and, where desirable, impressed with a pattern on one or both sides by one or both of the said additional pair of rolls. 1892 US Patent Office No.488114
ModernTextured Float Glass
The Chance Brothers basic principle of embossing hot glass with a patterned roller continues to this day.
The pattern is now imprinted by the lower roller leaving the smooth face upwards for cutting. The lehr (not drawn to scale) is an insulated cooling tunnel in which the glass is carried by motorised rollers until it reaches room temperature and the cutting line. The annealing process is ensured by controlled cooling, allowing the stabilisation of the glass ribbon’s residual strains.
Hot Glass
Today the supply of the hot glass (metal) to the rollers is non-stop. 24/7, a continuously flowing ribbon of hot patterned glass is printed.
Snapshots Taken from a YouTube video by Pilkinton TV showing patterned glass being made at their Watson Street factory – can be viewed here.
Seamless Pattern Rollers
The circumference of the roller dictates the length of design that is possible before it must repeat, leaving a continuous and seamless pattern. Even the indistinct ‘non-formal” wavy patterns must be precisely designed and engineered to appear random. Whilst the early rollers were handmade by expert engravers, most of today’s embossing rollers are designed on a computer and cut using lasers.
In the art of manufacturing embossing rolls, it is common to use what is referred to as the die and mill method. This generally refers to making a relatively soft small steel cylinder into a die by placing a design around its periphery in intaglio, generally using hand tooling to obtain the depth and rounded edges desired. Then a mill is made from the die, by hardening the die and rolling it in contact under great pressure against the surface of another soft steel cylinder of the same size as the die cylinder. This puts the design in relief on, the mill is then hardened and used to put the becomes the final female embossing roll. 1964 Method of making embossing rolls by engraving
Pilkington Texture Glass Video
But handmade rollers are still being produced, as shown in this excellent 3.5-minute video released by Pilkington NSG, documenting the creation of their new patterns, ‘Tribal‘ and ‘Cassini‘.
IMB Services (Lancashire) Ltd. , Darwen, Blackburn, UK. Norman Walsh (engraver), Jeffery Youd (engraver), Ian Bateson (engraver) and Nick Hunsley (design).
David Fulton & Co
18-24 Ark Lane, Duke Street Engraving Works, Glasgow, Scotland.
Designers and producers of engraved rolls for embossing all types of materials inc. glass, wallpaper, calico, leather etc.
“This firm has occupied its present premises in Ark Lane, Glasgow since 1868 and began embossing rollers for the glass trade quite early in its history, mostly to small manufacturers in the locality.”
It would seem probable that Fulton’s supplied their first rollers for embossing glass to the Glasgow Plate Glass Co in the late 1880s. We shall likely never know how many of the figured rolled designs, registered by varied glassworks, actually originated on the drawing boards at Fulton & Company. Originally designs were first sketched on paper before being transferred to the surface of the roller using a hammer, chisel and a punch, later developments utilised lathes, welding techniques and acid etching.
“Hammering would take many weeks and the 20 or so indents per square inch had to be done with the correct weight behind the hammer” Ben Coates, David Fulton & Co
A later process for producing the embossing rollers at David Fulton & Co is described by 1961 Canadian trade journal “Engineering Digest”
“The engraver studies the chosen patterns and the size of the ‘repeat’ of each pattern is measured and the circumference of the embossing roller decided. The pattern is reflected through mirrors in an enlarging camera on to a white-painted Zinc plate and the design is traced on it in pencil. The pattern is enlarged from 2.5 to 5 times its original size so as to magnify details (which are sometimes extremely complicated) and to obtain the optimum accuracy in reproduction when the pattern is transferred to the die.
The Master tool or die which is made of ‘Edgar Allen & Co No5 hot die steel’ is then turned on centres to the exact repeat of the pattern, painted with an acid-resisting varnish and prepared for engraving. By means of a pantograph machine the enlarged design on the zinc plate is engraved in its original size on the varnish coated die – a diamond pointed lever cutting through the varnish in automatic response to the operator tracing with a sharp point along the pattern lines on the zinc plate. The die is then etched with acid to give a permanent outline to the design.
The die cutter now takes over and with his delicate engraving tools, cuts and scrapes on the cylinder surface of the die until he produces an exact copy of the pattern. The production of this master or female tool calls for an extremely high degree of skill and accuracy, and a die can take many weeks of patient and painstaking work to prepare. It is significant that in David Fulton’s workshops there is an atmosphere of peace and almost cathedral quiet, which illustrates vividly the exacting nature of the work in hand and the concentration required to do it.
When completed, the die is tempered to a high degree of hardness. The mill, or male tool, is now turned in the same manner as the die so that it contains the desired number of design repeats. The hardened steel die and the still untreated steel mill are placed together in a “clamming” machine” which consists of two jaws, the die being placed in bearings in one jaw and the mill in the other, so that each of their surfaces bears against the other. They are then rotated mechanically under increasing pressure. The mill is waxed constantly with acid resisting wax and as the die continues to imprint the pattern on the mill through the wax, the mill is etched to remove surplus metal. This process continues until the die and the mill are perfect “lock”.
The completed mill, which is the engraving tool, is then placed in a pot filled with bone meal, hardened to a temperature of 900C in a gas furnace and cooled in oil. It is then ready for use.
The engraving of the mild steel embossing roller is the reverse of the process already described with the mill imprinting its pattern on steel is used for the mill.
The engraved roller must be handled and stored with great care as its manufacture (including the die and mill) has been measured in months while its service life is measured in years. If damage occurs to the delicate embossed surface – usually taking the form of scratches – the flaws can be erased and the design reset. The whole body of the roller has to be machined however, so that the depth of design remains uniform.
Emil Offenbacher of Markt Redwitz, Germany
Offenbacher supplied embossing rolls to Saint-Gobain.
Improvements in the Manufacture of Pattern Rollers or Plates.
The new method is as follows: The desired *pattern is engraved on the small Supplementary steel roller a, Fig. 1, said roller being then tempered or hardened and secured on the support of an ordinary lathe or planing machine, so that the same is in close contact with the surface of the steel plate or roller b to be engraved. The latter is coated with an acid-proof paste-like mass c, and as the steel roller b is revolved,(or as the steel plate b is reciprocated) the supplementary roller a is also revolved and presses the pattern into the coating c,-so that the steel of the roller or* plate is uncovered at certain points d, While the remaining surface is still coated with the said paste-like mass. The roller or plate to r be engraved is then treated with nitric acid or other suitable etching liquid, which thus acts on the uncovered points of the steel to remove the excess; of material and produce chemical alterations whereby the steel is converted at these points into a soft spongy mass. Then after removing the acid the pressing of the pattern into the etched parts is repeated by means of the supplemental roller a, Fig. 2, Whereby the projecting parts on the latter penetrate still deeper into the parts softened by the etching liquid. Then by repeating this as many times as required the desired depth or recesses and projections may be obtained on the steel roller or plate, as illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. US PATENT 681727A
Special Patterned Glasses
Included within our galleries of patterned glass are these special purpose glasses.
Wired Glass
Wired glass has metal netting embedded within it for safety, fire protection & security.
The industrial revolution during the Victorian era transformed sheet glass manufacture allowing architects to utilise glass in new ways. Sheet glass became a roofing material for the first time and was used extensively in the construction of railway stations and the like. But using glass overhead in this new way obviously created a potential hazard and indeed there are several reports of roofing glass falling to the ground. Wire netting had to be installed under the glass in order to catch any future glazing breakages. Experiments soon followed in Europe and America to embed a wire mesh within the body of the glass sheet.
Experiments started as early as the 1850’s but the results of these early experiments were of poor quality, often with wire protruding from one or both surfaces. The iron ‘chicken-wire’ would distort when contacted with the hot glass and so new metals, coatings and weaves had to be developed. Although various patent applications were lodged there would appear to be no successful commercial production until the 1890s.
1855 – Newton’s British patent for a moulded sandwich method. 1871 – Hyatt’s English patent for sandwich method using glass moulds. 1887 – Armstrong’s English patent for a single pour method. 1889 – Tenner’s German patent. 1892 – Shuman’s single pour method. 1893 – Appert’s double pour method.
“A new invention under the name of wire-glass has just been put upon the market in Dresden.
The process consists in imbedding in the glass while in a hot and plastic condition some
flexible metallic layer, as a wire netting. The metal being entirely enclosed in the glass is
effectively protected against the weather, and gives the glass a much greater resisting power
than the ordinary material, and is it is claimed, indifferent to the most abrupt changes of
temperature, and will even withstand open fire. The glass is specially adapted for skylights,
and the powerful resisting qualities of the material enabling the usual wire protectors to be
dispensed with. As wire-glass cannot be cut by the diamond, except under the application of
great force, and cannot be broken without creating considerable noise, the substance is
claimed to be, in a measure, burglar proof.” 1892 The Irish American Weekly,
In 1898, Pilkington Brothers patented rolled wired cast glass that was successfully adopted by builders and architects. Wired Cast glass incorporates a strong steel-wire mesh for safety and security.
Figured wired glass soon became popular as the textured glass patterns act to obscure the view of the wire netting. Many of the glass patterns documented in this article were offered in wired glass versions.
Pilkington TV – ‘The Polished Wired Story’ can be viewed here. 1980s video about clear smooth polished wire glass production. 30 mins.
Prismatic Glass
Prism Glass is an architectural glass which bends and projects light to illuminate areas far from windows, this is known as anidolic lighting.
Prism glass was mostly used in commercial and public buildings in the first quarter of the 20th century. Pavement lights also used prism glass to light rooms set below ground level. The basic principle still lives on to this day with scientifically designed patterns that focus light into our rooms. Following the adoption of electric lighting, prism glass was no longer a key marketing tool and was dropped from common usage although it remained on the market for use in commercial buildings.
Pressed glass quarries and slates as well as embossed glass tiles and pavement lights also featured textured prismatic designs, but this article relates only to obscured glass that was produced in sheet sizes.
Cathedral Glass
Cathedral Glass was originally a smooth rolled plate glass before ‘Quarry’, ‘Ribbed’ and ‘Diamond’ embossed patterns were introduced.
Whilst the difference between cathedral glass and figured rolled glass is rather blurred, “Cathedral Glass” is usually table rolled and has a surface with a specific texture and made in many tints, whilst ‘Figured Rolled Glasses’ have a deeper, more formal repeating pattern, produced in a limited range of colours. Even Pilkington’s having once described several of their own designs as ‘cathedral’ have later termed them ‘figured rolled’, eg. Amazon. Nowadays all of these glasses would simply be classed as ‘Patterned Glass” and both cathedral and figured rolled glasses are the subject of this article.
- Cathedral Glass is generally rolled sheet glass of a neutral tint used extensively in stained glass work.
- Patent Rolled Cathedral is a type of thin rolled plate, wavy on both sides and tinted and rolled.
- White Cathedral is of the same colour as ordinary glass without the lines.
- Sheet Cathedral is also tinted and used for the same purposes
- Sanded Sheet Cathedral has sand thrown upon its surface when hot so that it fuses in giving an appearance which is useful for artistic purposes.
- Hammered Cathedral Glass has a dimpled surface and is the most common form of American Cathedral Glass
Coloured Glass Tints
Coloured Glass can be made in every variety of tint by adding metallic oxides and other substances to the mix before fusion.
Smooth rolled cathedral glass was made in every tint possible and primarily used to create stained glass windows. The colour is relative to thickness; If the same batch of coloured glass were to be cast into different thickness then each sheet would display a slightly different tinting.
‘Cathedral Tints’ when referencing figured sheet-glass were generally light tints of no positive colour. Greens and Amber were the most popular cathedral tints. Pilkington Brothers also released a tint of yellow marketed as ‘anti-fly’, a colour allegedly repellent to flys.
By the 1920s, textured glass was hitting its peak production levels but coloured glass versions were in decline. Small splashes of vividly coloured glass were still fashionable but used only sparingly and then set amongst mostly ‘white'(clear) textured glass in leaded light glazing panels.
Today, coloured figured glass is seldom produced but it may be approximated by laminating textured glass to a thin tinted glass pane.
Thee following Pilkington glass samples are a small selection from the range of rolled cathedral glass tints. To see a fuller collection visit Glass Message Board Gallery. Thanks to Glassmessages.com for sharing these.
British Figured Rolled Glass: Patterns & Textures
The Earliest Figured rolled patterns
Technically the handblown, inadvertently wavy, ‘Venetian’ glasses predates all of the other textured glasses by about a century followed by the table cast cathedral glasses. ‘Seedy’ or ‘Reamy’ glasses were obscuring as a result of their flaws.
The first intentionally figured rolled ‘fancy glass’ patterns that were imprinted by an engraved roller, were most probably ‘Chequered Plate’ and ‘Wavy’ as shown in this 1897 US patent application from Glasgow Plate Glass. Chance Brothers were also producing table rolled ‘Ripple’ glass by 1886/87.
“Fig 2 and 3 illustrate varieties of the patterns created on the glass surface” US Patents Office 1897
Decorative Ribbed Plate Glass
1890. The design of ‘ribbed glass’ on the left is the earliest advertised glass we have found to be described as ‘Figured Rolled’. Copied from a glass merchants catalogue, where it was the only figured sheet on offer, set amongst a large selection of enamelled sheet designs. The ribbed finish is transferred from an engraved pattern on the casting table. Alternative designs of ribbed glass included lozenge, diamond and the fleur-de-leys pattern.
1894 Ornamental Rolled Glass Patterns
- ‘Lustex’ is named as patterned glass, but this name changed to become ‘Lustre’ in all future brochures.
- ‘Shely’ is named as patterned glass, but this name changed to become ‘Shell’ in all future brochures.
1892 advert “Patent Lustre, Diaper, Muranese, Venetian Rippled, Cathedral and all other kinds of fancy glass”
Victorian Glass Shop Display Samples c.1893
Old leaded glass display panel, with hand-written glass identification names, showing examples of the coloured Figured Rolled Glasses ; sadly no date or location but the inclusion of ‘Moorish’ dates it to circa 1893. All of the patterns included are by the Chance Brothers or the Glasgow Plate Glass Co.
Chance Brothers: Chance’s Figured Rolled Glass Patterns
Chance’s figured rolled glass was famous for its deep and sharply defined patterns, easy cutting qualities, brilliant finish and attractive tints.
Chance Brothers produced over 30 Figured Rolled glass patterns with “Flemish being the most popular design“. Supplied in white (clear) and four standard colours Pink; Yellow; Blue; and Green. 1/8 inch was the standard thickness but it was also available in 3/16 and 1/4 for deeply imprinted patterns. Flemish was their most popular design.
Chance’s rolled plate figured and cathedral glass was not only for the home market as they exported to South America, Canada, Egypt, Australia, Africa, United States of America, New Zealand and Spain.
“Figured Rolled Glass is manufactured by us in a large variety of designs, some being of a delicate nature, whilst others are of a bolder type, affording ample scope for all varieties of tastes.” Chance Bros
CHANCE’S FLEMISH GLASS was made only in the glassworks of Chance Bros. & Co., near Birmingham, ” a new and most attractive ornamental Window Glass, unsurpassed for character and brilliancy.” Flemish was available in both small and large patterns.
CHANCE’S MUFFLED GLASS was mostly used for fancy leaded light work. Its “peculiar and varying waviness of its design assuring a graceful and pleasing effect wherever it is employed”. It was also frequently used for windowpanes of modest sizes but it was a thinner 18 oz glass and so large windowpanes were not viable.
“Chance’s also undertook the manufacture of ‘Muffled Glass’, impressed with patterns by blowing into moulds.”
CHANCE’S CATHEDRAL GLASS (glass with an indefinite pattern) was produced in three distinct kinds all about 1/16 in. thickness.
- Double Rolled Cathedral was their ‘standard cathedral glass’ and produced in hundreds of tints.
- Stippled Cathedral is more opaque. Restricted range of tints.
- Hammered Cathedral has slight indentations on one face. It is very translucent and widely used for both leaded lights and window glazing.
CHANCE’S CROWN GLASS, “For natural evenness of surface and brilliancy (characteristics entirely its own and which cannot fail to impress the most ordinary observer), it is without a rival”. “There is no need to expatiate upon the excellence of this article, and we can safely recommend it as a speciality by means of which, at a comparatively small cost, the most gratifying results can be obtained”. Sheets up to 15′ x 12′, 13 to 15 oz.
CHANCE’S GENUINE CROWN GLASS BULLIONS as the last British firm to produce spun crown glass Chance’s supplied genuine ‘bull’s eyes’ bullions. “We have supplied large numbers of them for fixing in panels and windows of various kinds where an old fashioned or grotesque appearance is desired.”
Chance Bros. Company History:
Chance Brothers were once the biggest name in Victorian sheet glass but by the start of the twentieth Century Chance Bros. and Pilkington Bros. shared a virtual duopoly in Britain.
The manufacture of rolled plate glass became of primary importance to Chance Brothers, along with the licensing royalties paid by other companies for use of their patented machine. Chance Brothers acquired the Glasgow Plate Glass Company in 1907 to increase figured rolled glass production.
In 1912 Chance had sold some shares to Saint-Gobain. In 1936, an agreement was reached whereby Pilkington Brothers would buy its old rival, Chance Brothers, over a number of years. The two companies had for some time co-operated in the field of rolled glass, which was then Chance’s only flat glass product. By 1945, Pilkington had acquired a 50 percent shareholding in Chance Brothers, and by 1951, Chance had become a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pilkington’s. The Smethwick factory continued to produced rolled glass until 1976 but the factory was not closed until 1981.
Some of Chance’s patterns have since appeared under the Pilkington brand name.
Chance’s Designers:
Thomas John Woodward designed many of Chance Bros early decorative glass patterns. Paul Nash (1889-1946) produced “Coptic” design for Chances. “Cryptic” glass pattern was designed by John M Holmes A.R.C.A. . “Cascade” glass pattern was designed by A. Duncan A.R.I.B.A, “Reeded” and “Cross-Reeded” and so probably the whole reeded series were designed by M. L. Anderson [1933]. Festival was designed by Dr John Beresford-Evans. Spotlyte designed by Sadie Speight. Robert Yorke Goodden produced designs for Chance Bros. in 1934 (possibly only tableware and not FRG).
“Other patterns are cut onto rollers by Chance’s own fitters in Ray Drury’s engineering department. Between the old and the new, Chance has lost count of the patterns produced. ” It must be hundreds, ” said Ray Drury. “In fact we have 53 rollers with different patterns in stock at the moment.”
Ray Drury started as an apprentice and worked up to becoming Chance’s chief engineer, he describes his working life at Chance Brothers (1950 to 1976) in this 20min podcast interview. Ray also designed the “bullion” or fake ‘bulls-eye’ rolled plate glass that was popular in the 60s and 70s.
Chance’s Old Glass Patterns
1905 – FRG Figured Rolled Glass Advert
In the following section Chance’s and Glasgow’s patterns have been grouped together.
The following designs are listed within the Chance Brothers pattern register as St Gobain Designs.
Chances Glass Series:
c1933 “REEDED glass has recently been introduced to cater for the growing demand for an obscure glass having a character in accordance with present-day needs. It’s general appearance will be seen from the photographs below and it is only necessary to add that the ribs are half an inch wide and are approximately one-sixteenth of an inch in relief. CROSS-REEDED is an elaboration of REEDED glass, having not only ribs running longitudinally on one side of the glass, but across the glass on the other side.” The glass itself is exceptionally white and clear and its surface bright and lustrous. Also in this range ‘CHEVERON REEDED” and the later additions of “REEDLYTE” diffusing glasses.
Cross-Reeded pattern was rolled on both sides and resulted in a weakness where the lines crossed. The problem was later eliminated by rolling on one side only.
1932 8 designs all beginning with the letter “C”. Chance’s introduced the “BLAZONED” series of Art Deco window glass designs in the early 1930’s. Art Deco is a design movement from the 1920s that marked a break from the fluid and flowing Art Nouveau designs of the 1890s. The term ‘Art Deco’ is derived from the Exposition Internationale des Arts Décoratifs et Industriels Modernes, an exhibition of artists that showed their work in Paris in 1925. Arts Décoratifs was eventually truncated to Art Deco.
“BLAZONED’ “The three new patterns illustrated [CRYPTIC, COPTIC & CASCADE] are Chances latest additions to the architect’s choice of decorating designs. The deisigners have all worked to produce a character that will be in keeping with contemporary requirements whilst still bearing in mind the three main practical issues – High light transmission ; Diffusion and obscurity value ; and Cleanliness. These glasses are eminantly suitable for decorative glazing purposes, as well as for artificial lighting “.
%27%20fill-opacity%3D%27.5%27%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23545454%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-13.5074%2044.88185%20-42.15942%20-12.68807%20164.2%20107.3)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23727272%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-9.99238%20-53.91405%2044.57199%20-8.26093%20136.2%20211.3)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(193.28492%20-5.3655%20.7516%2027.07521%20110.5%2016)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-.64882%2015.48049%20-193.1898%20-8.09705%2077.3%20289.1)%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "1930s Chance's Glass Blazoned Series. Cirrus and Crevasse Glass Patterns.")
” CRYPTIC ” : designed by John M. Holmes , A.R.C.A. [ Registered Number 771236 ]- ” CASCADE ” : designed by R. A. Duncan , A.R.I.B.A. [ Registered Number 771237]
- “ COPTIC “: Designed by Paul Nash. [ Registered Number 775678 ]
- ” CREVASSE ” 1929 design from Verreries de Fauquez [Registered Number 742824]
- ” CIRRUS “
- ” CENTRIC “: Art glass sheet.
Thank you to David Encill at Cortex Design for sharing his samples of these BLAZONED glasses. David is an expert on all things ‘Chance’ and the author of several books relating to the Chance Brothers. Visit Davids websites for more information relating to the Chance Brothers.
David also provided registration numbers for 2 more glasses in the BLAZONED series but so far we have not managed to attach them to an image. The two Verre Artistique designs by Jeumont And Recquignies, who were a firm connected with Saint-Gobain, are strong contenders. Saint-Gobain’s design No 101 is another possibility. (See the French glass section).
Where light is essential, but also obscurity to the gaze of neighbours, you will find both ” Cirrus ” and ” Centric ” effective. If need be, these rolled and patterned glasses can be made in colour – ruby ; pot blue, pot amber , pot green
“Centric” glasses by Chance Bros were rolled glass sheets that could be cut into shapes by the glazier, allowing various artistic effects to be created. The size of the sheets is currently unknown but using the Centric glass sample above as a reference and considering the diameter of the roll required to print the pattern, it is reasonable to assume that Centric only came in smaller sheets.
Photo Samples of Chance’s Coloured Rolled Plate Glass
These are presented as ‘leaded light panels’ for effect only, unlike the genuine Victorian Glass Shop Display Panels above, these ‘panels’ were assembled in Photoshop from photographs taken at different times and places so the relative scale, angle and lighting between the samples is not accurate.
Chance Brothers: US Patent Rolled Glass Designs
Designs registered with the US Patent Office may be slightly later dated than the UK pattern registration.
Chance Bros Company Archive
Recent documents unearthed from the Chance archives have shed new light on the origins of the Chance patterns. Many of the patterns advertised as Chances also included “Glasgow designs” and “St. Gobain designs”.
The archives also confirm that Chance Patterns I & J were never produced.
A big thank you to Sandwell Community History and Archives Service for their help with the Chance Brothers archives, there will be more detailed updates to follow in 2021.
For more information on the Chance Brothers archive see Laura Brett’s blog , Black Country History, West Midlands History and Chance Heritage Trust Facebook page. The Glasgow Plate Glass, Saint-Gobain and MAXimum Daylight sections lower in this page, also contains more information relating to the Chance Brothers firm. Chances earlier ornamental glass designs are featured in a separate article: Victorian Glass Designs
The Glasgow Plate Glass Company
Information about Glasgow Plate Glass Company has been hard to track down, but the evidence has continued to grow, and now suggests that this small Scottish glass firm were possibly the first producers of fancy figured rolled glass sheets for window glazing.
Whilst we can find no advertising published by G.P.G.C. it would seem probable that Chance Bros or ‘C. & J. Malloch who were glass merchants in Glasgow with family ties to Andrew Malloch promoted and distributed their products. Once Chance had acquired the Scottish firm all the designs came under the Chance brand name.
Glasgow Plate Glass Company Information
The Glasgow Glass Works was established in 1871 by John Malloch in Garscube Road, Firhill, Glasgow to concentrate on ‘rolled and rough glass’ production, his son Andrew Murray Malloch (1863–1914) joined the family firm.
In 1884 Anthony Dixon Brogan & Andrew Murray Malloch filed a patent for “Improvements in the manufacture of chequered glass’. In 1887 they patented a new machine for rolling ‘rippled and dappled’ sheet-glass – soon followed by some of the most popular glass patterns of all time including ‘Diaper’ and ‘Muranese’ which are still in (limited) production today.
Circa 1874 Glasgow Plate Glass Co built a glassworks at 99 Murano Street, Firhill on the banks of the Forth and Clyde Canal. Additions were made at the site in 1891. Close by at, 109 Murano Street was another large-scale glassworks, The Caledonia Glass Bottle Works.
14 December 1886 Anthony Dixon Brogan & Andrew Murray Malloch patented a table rolling machine “APPARATUS FOR ROLLING GLASS TO PRODUCE DESIGNS THEREON”, No. 16,366. A US patent application was filed March 14, 1887. Serial No. 230,879. An earlier patent for a table rolling machine was registered in England April 28, 1893, No. 8,555, and September 16, 1893.
Glasgow Plate Glass & Chance Brothers
Brogan & Malloch took up a license to use the more efficient Chance Brothers patent machinery (circa 1890-1892) for the manufacturing of their own registered designs for ornamental figured glass sheets. It would seem most likely that David Fulton & Co. (also in Glasgow) produced the embossing rollers.
The first negotiations in 1895 between Chance Bros and The Glasgow Plate Glass Company, to form a joint Limited Liability Company fell through, but Chance Bros purchased the works in 1907 and transformed them into a Limited Liability Company. Brogan and Malloch were retained as managers but in 1911 Glasgow Plate Glass Ltd was renamed Chance Brothers & Co.
In the 1930’s the factory was redeveloped by Chance for fibre-glass production and in 1938 the Firhill company was renamed Glass Fibres Limited. The Glasgow glassworks passed to Pilkington when they acquired Chance, who closed the works in 1964.
Trade Journal August 1911 “Resolved June 13, confirmed June 30:- ‘That the firm would be wound up voluntarily’ C. M. Bayne 99 Murano St Glasgow.”
Trade Journal
Glasgow Plate Glass Patterns
See Chance Bros. archives above for a detailed list of the Glasgow patterns. All patents were registered to Anthony Dixon Brogan & Andrew Murray Malloch.
“‘ART’: Trade name of former Glasgow plate Glass Co (UK) for patterned glass Obsolete.”
“Scintilla Cathedral” (triple hammered) Registered design# 575643 – March 1911 – The last design credited to Glasgow P.G.C.
Glasgow Plate Glass: US Patent Rolled Glass Designs
Designs registered with the US Patent Office may be dated slightly later than the UK pattern registration.
MAXimum light Window Glass Company
“Special forms of Rolled Colourless Glass such as “Maximum Light” and “Cat’s Eye” are made to give a very brilliant lighting effect for dark rooms, such as those in basements or in other bad positions in the building”
Maximum Light Window Glass Company published adverts circa 1910. Their advertised address was 28 Victoria St London England. The glass was made by Chance Bros. but advertised as ‘British Production Prismatic Glass’.
Chances registered “Maximum daylight glass” -registered trademark no. 310554 (1897).
“Cat’s Eye Glass” was followed by “Modified Cat’s Eye” and “New Cat’s Eye” but after 1915 we find no further mention of Cat’s Eye glass being advertised.
“MAX Silk Glass” (SGG No.30) “A new glass for office partitions, having the appearance of watered silk. Can be used in any position where an artistic effect is desired” Max Silk Glass
‘MAXine‘ was another product, but we have no details yet.
Pilkington Brothers: Patent Rolled Textured Glass
Pilkington’s of St Helens have been the biggest name in sheet glass for over one hundred years. in 1898 Pilkington’s patented the process for producing rolled wire glass whereby the mesh is sandwiched between 2 layers of glass that fuse together. But Pilkington’s most important invention was a commercially viable float glass line, most architectural glasses produced today use the float tank process.
“Pilkington Texture Glass is translucent, transmitting diffused light while maintaining privacy. It offers a wide selection of alternatives, meeting both functional and aesthetic requirements and may be used for privacy in commercial, industrial and residential buildings. It may also be used for decorative purposes in applications such as doors, partitions and balustrades. A rolled patterned glass, one surface of which has a specific pattern or design impressed into the surface, Pilkington Texture Glass provides obscuration and decoration.”
Following earlier patents registered in 1891 and 1894 by Windle Pilkington in 1899 William Pilkington patented a new machine for producing figured rolled glass, using moveable tables. The design was imprinted on the lower surface. It is unclear if Pilkington adopted this process, but they did continue to produce table rolled figured glass until the 1930’s. The more economical tank furnaces and continuous rolling process that were introduced in 1903-4 for producing cathedral glass at Pilkington’s Ravenhead plant were a success. “By the early 1930’s only special colours, patterns and thicknesses of figured rolled and rolled plate glass were still being made by the old table method”.
“The object of this invention is to provide machinery whereby sheets of glass can be more easily and economically rolled with a pattern or figure and whereby the pattern or figure is formed more clear and distinct and is less liable to be distorted, and also whereby the sheets of glass when rolled can be readily inserted into the annealing-kiln without risk of being crumpled or distorted or fractured.”
In 1910 Pilkington Bros patented a new rolled patterned glass process whereby two sheets of hot glass, at least one of which carried an imprinted design, were fused together. The figured surfaces, carrying the design, were sandwiched inside leaving two smooth surfaces; one or both layers of glass could be coloured.
Hitherto figured glass plate has been made by rolling the metal in a more or less plastic condition either between a smooth roller and a figured roller or between a smooth table and figured roller, whereby the’ sheet of glass was produced smooth on one side and figured on the other, that is to say’ with a pattern in relief or in intaglio. Glass so formed, as will be obvious, is somewhat difficult to keep clean owing to dust and the like tending to lodge in the recesses caused by the figuring, into which recesses it is difficult to get a cloth or the like for cleaning purposes. By the present invention a figured glass plate is formed which is smooth on both its surfaces, so that the above-mentioned drawbacks are obviated.
We have found no advertising from this time to suggest that this patent process was used to make residential glazing although for hospitals and the like where easy cleaning was a priority.
…”special glass made by Messrs. Pilkington Brothers, Ltd., St. Helens, was utilised largely for the lower windows. This is the morocco pattern figured rolled glass ; while showing an obscure pattern, it is smooth on both sides, thus fulfilling the sanitary requirements of the Infirmary Committee. The same firm supplied a large quantity of their prismatic glass, ordinary sheet and rolled plate glass for use in the building.” 1908 ref Manchester Royal Infirmary.
‘Crystallined” was the trade name used by Pilkingtons for ‘Glue Chipped’ glass.
1976: . “New Chameleon glass from Pilkington. Chameleon, a new type of coloured, patterned glass is now being produced by Pilkington.”. It is made with colour and pattern within the body of the glass, leaving the surface smooth.
Designers for Pilkington Glass
David Fulton & Co of Glasgow supplied engraved rollers and designs (1924 to at least 1961). 1957: “Seven new patterns of cathedral and figured rolled glasses designed by Lady Margaret Casson” (1913-1999), wife of Architect Sir Hugh Casson; Industrial designer Dr Beresford Evans; Brian Yale designed ‘Cotswold’; Nikki Blustin at Oliver Heath ‘Designs took inspiration from the natural world‘
“A variety of methods have been adapted over the years to discover new patterns for glass which are suitable for manufacture and aesthetic or practical in their appeal to the trade and to the public. For example, the Pilkington Group, in addition to maintaining a close liaison since 1924 with David Fulton & Co Ltd, encouraged their own employees to put forward suggestions”
“Trial rollers are cut , reducing the designs to about ten different strips on a roller, short lengths of glass are made. Theses accurate samples are studided from both manufacturing and artistic points of view and to determine wether on not a design is as attractive on glass as it looks on paper. A final selection of perhaps six designs is then marketed by the Pilkington Group sales department and distributed to trade and professional people all over the world, whose later demands will decide which will find a permanent place in their design range. On average up to three designs out of fifteen originally selected survive these stringent tests and go forward into mass production.”
%27%20fill-opacity%3D%27.5%27%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23ffffbf%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(86.98037%207.86344%20-5.79122%2064.05873%20233.5%20231.7)%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23a25d2a%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20d%3D%22M105.7%20230.7l-93.5-90.3L120.4%2028.3l93.6%2090.3z%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23f2d3c5%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22rotate(-178.7%20109.7%20-1)%20scale(95.84704%2041.53762)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23739795%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(46.85094%201.30867%20-5.73393%20205.278%2033.1%20125.9)%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Pilkington Brothers Brazil")
Pilkington Brothers International Operations
Pilkington Brothers International Operations including; New Zealand, India, Mexico, Brazil, Singapore, Zimbabwe, China & Hong Kong
“..think in terms of the export to the market they are aiming to serve, to study on the spot the customers’ needs, rather than to try and pick the competitors’ brains; to go, if need be, to the Argentine, or to Ghana or to India, or maybe it is to Canada or to Australia or to France, where the particular product is to be sold, and try to see what kind of things are likely to be wanted there, what suits that climate, that quality of light, that tradition, those conditions generally; and design in accordance with that, not in accordance either with what is being used here or what is being designed in some quite different place. We must try to link our own native genius and habits with the need of the market which we are trying to serve” Sir Harry Pilkington, Chairman 1957
Hindusthan, India – Pilkington Glass Works Ltd., a subsidiary of Pilkington Brothers Ltd. – Established in 1954 with its registered office in Calcutta.
The Indian rolled glass plant was erected in October 1963 and was soon producing Wired Glass , both Georgian and Hexagonal and Figured Glass of various patterns viz . Mauresque Morocco Pinhead , Reeded, Hammered, Pinstripe, Spotlyte, Reedrop, Twinkel etc. Various colours and tints were in production as well as Calorex heat-absorbing glass.
Pilkington Brothers patterned Glass & Cathedral Glass Designs
A circa date only represents the earliest date we currently have for a patterns existence. The ‘collection’ is presented on a generic Pilkington background.
Mostly current designs are not included but they can be found at the end of this article.
“Pilkington Brothers, Limited, manufacturers of plate, bevelled plate, corrugated rolled, chequered rolled, and cathedral rolled, patent rolled and rough cast plate, patent wired rolled glass, patent rolled prismatic glass, figured rolled, enamelled, obscured, coloured and ornamental window glass of brilliant cut glass, bent glass and embossed glass; shades and miscellaneous articles for horticultural and dairy purposes, glass for photographic purposes”
Photo Samples of Pilkingtons’s Coloured Rolled Plate Glass
These are presented as ‘leaded light panels’ for effect only, unlike the genuine Victorian Glass Shop Display Panels above, these ‘panels’ were assembled in Photoshop from photographs taken at different times and places so the relative scale, angle and lighting between the samples is not accurate.
Pilkington Bros: US Patent Rolled Glass Designs
Designs registered with the US Patent Office may be dated later than the UK pattern registration.
1923 Pilkington Figured Rolled & Cathedral Glass
“Pilkington’s Figured Rolled and Cathedral Glass is made in a great variety of artistic tints. Nineteen Figured Patterns are made in about one dozen of the most popular tints, including shades of Blue, Amber and Pink. The figured glass patterns are :- Arctic Large; Arctic Small; Muranese Small, Muranese Medium; Muranese Large; Pinhead Morocco; Cretan; Oceanic; Rose; Maltese; Japanese; Kaleidoscope; Rippled; Quilted; Persian; Shell; Arabesque
Small Hammered and Double Rolled Cathedral are made in about 100 different sades, including Green, Blue, Amber and Pink. Clear Cathedral, Waterwite, Rimpled, Plain Cathedral and Large Hammered Cathedral are made in the same tints as the patterns above, and can also be had in a number of other standard tints. Bullions are made to order in white and in many of the Cathedral tints for glazing in doors and leaded lights.”
1938 Pilkington Glass: Trade catalogue
1938 cathedral glass & figured rolled glass range by Pilkington Bros. The images are a composite created in photoshop combining two pages of the book into one image.
Flat glass pattern names: Amazon, Arctic, Arctic (small), Clear cathedral, Clouded cathedral, Double rolled cathedral, Hammered cathedral no. 1 (large), Hammered cathedral no. 2 (small), Hammered cathedral no. 3, Japanese, Kaleidoscope (large), Kaleidoscope, Majestic, Morocco (large), Morocco (small), Morocco (pinhead), Muranese no. 1 (large), Muranese no. 2 (medium), Muranese no. 3 (small), Plain cathedral, Rimpled cathedral, Rippled cathedral, Waterwrite cathedral.
1950s Pilkington Glass Designs & Textures
1949: “Pilkington Bros Ltd have introduced three new patterns , named Argent , Borealis and Cross Flexon .“
Clouded Cathedral, Cross Flexon, Harlequin, Majestic & Radiant were discontinued in 1951.
Pilkington Glass Patterns 1954
FIGURED ROLLED: AMAZON, ARCTIC LARGE, ARCTIC SMALL, ARGENT, BOREALIS, HAMMERED NO1, NO2, & NO3, HAMMERSTRIPE, JAPANESE, KALEIDOSCOPE, FESTIVAL, FLEMISH LARGE, FLEMISH SMALL, GLASGOW HAMMERED, GLISTRE SMALL, MURANESE NO1, PINSTRIPE, SPARKEL, MERSEY, MOROCCO LARGE, MOROCCO SMALL, MOROCCO PINHEAD, LUSTRE, SPOTLYTE, STIPPOLYTE,
REEDED: BROAD REEDED, NARROW REEDED, MAJOR REEDED, CROSS REEDED, LUMINATING, BROAD REEDLYTE, NARROW REEDLYTE,
CATHEDRAL: CLOUDED, DOUBLE ROLLED, PLAIN, WATERWITE,
Pilkington / Chance circa 1955
Extracted from the catalogue of Baxendale & Co. Ltd., Miller Street, Manchester. Baxendales were a large builders merchant in the North West of England, with their headquarters in Manchester and branches in Liverpool, Edinburgh and Dublin.
Most of the glass patterns are by Pilkington Brothers, who by then owned Chance’s. The original source for this trade catalogue claimed it to be from 1938 but 1958 would be more accurate.
1960’s Pattern Range by Pilkington
1960: New patterns by Pilkingtons in figured rolled glass : Coralyte , Atlantic , Frostlyte , Pacific .
Withdrawn in 1960: Argent, Japanese, Kaleidoscope. Withdrawn in 1963: Major Reeded Hammerstripe, Coralyte, Mersey. Withdrawn in 1969: ‘Pinstripe’, ‘Feathered’, ‘Luminating’ & ‘Glasgow Hammered’
Discontinued by 1962: Lustre, , Muranese – all sizes, Morocco – all sizes, Double Rolled, Rimpled, Hammered No.1 & No.3, Glistre – all sizes,
1962 Pilkington Glass range
A new selection of 26 patterns in decorative rolled and wire glass
Group 1 : Flemish Large, Flemish Small, Glasgow Hammered, Kaleidoscope, Festival, Hammered No2, Arctic Large, Arctic Small, Stippolyte,
Group 2: Plain Cathedral, Reedrop, Rimpled, Frostlyte, Pacific, Shiplyte, Atlantic, Coralyte, Sparkel, Borealis, Fluted Rolled No 1
Group 3: Spotlyte, Hammerstripe, Pinstripe, Luminating, Broad Reeded, Cross Reeded, Narrow Reeded, Broad Reedlyte, Narrow Reedlyte
Eight standard tints: three green, two blue and three amber.
1964 Pilkington’s Glass Designs
Twenty-nine types of glass, including three just introduced by the company : Siesta , Cotswold , and Rattan .
Glasgow Hammered Plain Cathedral . Reedrop . Rimpled . ( c ) Festival Hammered No . 2 Frostlyte . Pacific . Shiplyte . … ( d ) Arctic . Atlantic . Hammerstripe . Pinstripe Cross Reeded . Broad Reedlyte . Narrow Reedlyte
1968: “Pilkington Deep Flemish for a bold design on light. Bold , brilliant Deep Flemish “
“Pilkington does not accept the criticism that the range of its figured glasses has been unduly narrowed. Since 1963 six patterns have been withdrawn and four new patterns introduced; of the 27 patterns at present offered, 14 represent 86% of the total demand, indicating that there is no strong case for a wider range of designs” 1967
%27%20fill-opacity%3D%27.5%27%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23b72500%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(40.36087%20.21258%20-.33694%2063.97211%20170.4%20216)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23e5f2f4%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(65.80037%2028.3695%20-42.51542%2098.61047%2035.7%20271)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23eaf7f9%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(100.9467%20.73863%20-.2826%2038.62103%20180.6%2087)%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%2332ae8a%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20d%3D%22M29.9%2088.5h27v63.3h-27z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "1956 Pilkington Muroglass advert")
Curtain Wall Cladding
Muroglass provided both ‘protective’ and ‘decorative’ cladding to buildings and came in a range of colours: Advertised in July 1956 as “the new coloured glass cladding material. Colours now available are: green, red, grey, yellow, pale blue, deep blue and white. Additional colours are to be added to the range.”
1970’s Pilkington Patterned & Textured Glass Designs
30 glass patterns including new designs: Discus [1970], Autumn [1970], Patchwork [c1972], Everglade [c1974], Orbit [1973], Linkon [1974]
Established designs: Cross Reeded, Spotlyte, Driftwood, Flemish, Deep Flemish, Pacific, Reedrop,
In 1974 Pilkington started to offer ‘multi packs’ of their patterned glass sheets to merchants, in order to encourage a greater uptake of the full pattern range. Previously patterned glass sheets were only supplied in ‘full end cans’.
Chameleon glass
COLOUR PATTERNED GLASS BY THE PULSED ELECTROFLOAT PROCESS
the Merseyside based glass manufacturer , announced the launching of a new type of flat glass with transparent colour patterns imprinted in the surface of the glass , leaving it smooth with none of the uneven textures of traditional rolled patterned glasses
“achieved by using an electric current to pulse the colour pattern into the surface of the float before it cools. The equipment is preset to the desired pattern beforehand.”
1976: “New Chameleon glass from Pilkington. Chameleon, a new type of coloured, patterned glass is now being produced by Pilkington.”. It is made with colour and pattern within the body of the glass, leaving the surface smooth. Chameleon differs from the traditional pattern glasses in that its colours vary with the angle of view and the lighting conditions. It is transparent making it suitable where clear vision through glass is important.”
1980s Textured Glass by Pilkington
Spotlyte was withdrawn 1981 – 1984; Hammered No2 was withdrawn 1987; Festival was withdrawn from 1973 – 1976
Cameo is a 5mm decorative glass which is produced in Australia, with a ‘ wrought iron ‘ screen printed surface pattern.
Oct 1986 Prisma “the first new pattern in four years”, “Strong geometric design”
1994 Pilkington Textured Flat Glass Patterns:
“Arctic“, Cotswold“, “Autumn“, “Deep Flemish“, “Chantilly“, “Driftwood“, “Everglade“, “Linkon“, “Flemish“, “Matrix“, “Florielle“, “Mayflower“, “Minster“, “Rough Cast“, “Pelerine“, “Stippolyte“, “Reeded“, “Sycamore“, “Taffeta“, “Warwick“. Etched designs: “Brocade”, “Canterbury”, “Laurel”, and “Ravenna”.
2008 Pilkington’s Textured Flat Glass Designs:
“Arctic“, “Stippolyte“, “Flemish“, “Cotswold“, “Autumn” , “Sycamore“, “Mayflower“, “Minster“, “Warwick“, “Everglade“, “Taffeta“, “Pelerine“, “Chantilly“, “Charcoal Sticks“, “Digital“, “Florielle“, “Contora“and “Oak“.
The differences between the 1994 and 2008 product range are:
Discontinued glass designs: Deep Flemish, Driftwood, Linkon, Reeded, Matrix, Rough Cast
New glass designs introduced: Charcoal Sticks, Contora, Digital and Oak. All these new patterns are still in production and detailed in the “Current Glass” section near the end of the article.
%27%20fill-opacity%3D%27.5%27%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23888%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-75.71467%2032.29504%20-19.3741%20-45.42196%20236.7%20209)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%238f8f8f%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(1.16307%2019.84443%20-37.15189%202.17745%20270.7%2070)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23c5c5c5%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(88.2967%2077.02612%20-114.45773%20131.20536%2098.2%20111.2)%22%2F%3E%3Cpath%20fill%3D%22%23f8f8f8%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20d%3D%22M237%202.5l-17.3%2014L207%201l17.4-14z%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "T. and W. Farmiloe")
T. and W. Farmiloe
“window glass and lead merchants”
T. & W. Farmiloe Ltd. was a glass, lead, paint and sanitary-ware manufacturing company in Westminster, London.
In the 1840s, two brothers named Thomas and William Farmiloe, set up a business as window glass cutters at Rochester Row, Westminster. They were early distributors of British figured rolled glasses from the factories of Pilkington, Chance and Glasgow and in 1903 registered their own sheet-glass design. This design was named “Oceanic’ and adopted by many producers including Pilkington Bros, Saint-Gobain and Mississippi Glass Co. Their second design was ‘Baltic’in 1915 which was produced by Pilkington, Chance and Saint-Gobain.
James Hartley and Co. / Hartley Wood
Although Hartley’s introduced the first rolled glass to have a textured pattern, we have found no evidence that they ever produced a fancy figured rolled glass sheet. Hartley’s did produce Cathedral Glass and contributed to the development of coloured glass, used for stained glass work.
In the UK, Hartley licensed his patent to Pilkington Bros and Chance Bros, for 500 pounds per furnace per year, and these three companies worked together to defended the patent.
Hartley’s glassworks primarily became world famous for producing ‘Hartleys Patent Plate’, a rough rolled roofing glass.
“The rough rolled plate (often called Hartley’s rolled plate) is also somewhat obscured and having flutes on one side, either in fine lines near together, or with 4 or 11 flutes to the inch run ; it is only made in one quality, in 1’8 in., 3/16 in., 1/4 in., and 3/8 in. thickness, and is mostly used for top lights of lanterns, greenhouses and in roofs where too much light is not required… Diamond or quarry rough plate is similar to rough rolled plate, but having the flutes rolled in diamond or lozenge shaped patterns.”
In 1892 Hartley Wood and Co were producing ‘Antique glass’, the favoured sheet of the stained glass window artists, at the Portobello Glassworks after foreign competition forced the closure of their Wear Glassworks in that same year. The Continental firms could produce their sheet-glass much cheaper by using tank furnaces. Hartley Wood’s production of machine-made rolled sheet glass ceased in 1892.
European Glass: Klarglas / Verres imprimés / Ornamentglass / Vidrios Impresos
French Glass:
Saint-Gobain, Chauny & Cirey Printed Glass
Verres coulés, imprimés ou texturés clairs & colorés
In 1890 Saint-Gobain took up a Chance Brothers license for the production of double rolled figured glass, supplying mainland Europe, which became the start of a close working relationship between the two firms. Saint-Gobain started their production using Chance’s and Glasgow’s patterns before starting to introduce their own patent designs in 1899, which they shared with Chance Brothers.
They adopted a numerical system instead of naming the designs which can be useful to date the patterns in general terms, but the numbers represent when the pattern was incorporated into the St-Gobain range rather than when it was first designed.
Old Glass Patterns Printed by Saint-Gobain, Chauny & Cirey: 1890 – 1940
‘Verre imprimé , a relief de St-Gobain, Chauny & Cirey”
‘
Jeumont, Recquignies and Boussois (Nord)
COMPAGNIES REUNIES DES GLACES ET VERRES SPECIAUX DU NORD DE LA FRANCE
Large glassworks in the North of France that produced at least 32 registered designs of Verre diamanté, “large pattern diamond glass”, as well as coloured cathedral glasses including Lozenge textured surfaces.
In 1889 Jeumont, Recquignies & Boussois introduced 10 patent designs of rolled window glass. By 1903 the glassmakers of northern France, including Jeumont, le Boussois and Aniche, entered into a commercial agreement with Saint-Gobain Chauny and Cirey. Jeumont and Recquignies diamond glasses were subsequently included in Saint-Gobain’s catalogues, resulting in two separate numbering systems. allowing a pattern to be duplicated with differing numbers. Diamante No9 and ‘Dewdrop’ Imprime 59; Diamante No32 and Imprime 73;
For more information on this company visit verrerie-mousseline.org
Verre Diamanté & Verre Artistique Designs
Double Printed Textures / Verre imprimé des deux faces
One of the primary uses for figured rolled glass was in creating glazed partition walling, allowing light through but obscuring the view. Glass with 2 textured surfaces was preferable and so Flemish was very popular and later Saint Gobain and Jeumont and Recquignies introduced ‘Verre imprimé des deux faces’.
Saint-Gobain, Chauny & Cirey: Verres spéciaux
The Saint Gobain Collection – An ordered gallery of the pattern numbers, taken from multiple sources, set on a generic background.
|
St Gobain Missing Designs:
52, 53, 55, 58, 59, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 75, 78, 81, 83, 85, 87, 90, 92, 93, 95, 96, 97, 99, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 114+. Up to Verrie Imprime No 98 appears in the 1924 catalogue and up to No 130 in the 1930 catalogue.
Diamante 32 is currently the last known in this range. Up to Diamante No 28 appears in the 1924 catalogue and up to Diamante 32 in the 1933 edition.
St Gobain Verre Filigrané & Verre Decoré
Filigree painting on the surface of figured rolled glass appears to be unique to Saint Gobain.
A selection of glass samples taken from the gallery: Album – BOITE n° 2 d’echantifllons trés anciens de verre
For more information relating to French decorative glass, written in French, please visit: verrerie-mousseline.org & la-retro-d-aniche.com
Hector Guimard – Le Verre (PDF)
This PDF article (2009 French language) relates to restoring a station entrance of the Paris Métropolitain (Métro de Paris) designed by Hector Guimard (1867 – 1942), a prominent figure of the Art Nouveau style. Starting with a small shard of figured glass the article researchers identify the sample as Saint Gobain’s glass design no 18 and then look at the pattern in depth. Google translate has been used to provide these English translations for some of the key points discussed by the author, Frederic Descouturelle. Visit Le Cercle Guimard website.
“To find out more about this glass, it was therefore necessary to access the Saint-Gobain archives kept in Blois. Thanks to the exemplary organization of these archives, several documents have made it possible to trace more precisely the history of printed glass n ° 18.”
This model was delivered to Saint-Gobain on October 4, 1900. The company registered it with the ‘Conseil des Prud’hommes’ in Paris on August 20 1901 as number 11.183 and renewed it for 50 years on May 10 1910 (until January 19, 1960). This same model was also registered by Saint-Gobain for their factory in Brussels, February 20, 1902 under number 1240, renewed on April 4, 1912 and May 27, 1924. It is also registered in Germany, for the Saint-Gobain plant in Stolberg, September 6, 1909, renewed November 25, 1911 for 5 years, expired September 6, 1916. It is also deposited in Italy.
The collection of “printed glass rollers” (April 1902) gives the detail and the origin of the engraved rollers which print the patterns on the glass sheet. Many have been purchased (with their model) in England. For No. 18 printed glass, the roller is manufactured by Offenbacher, in Germany, under number 109, in
price of 600 Marks or 765 F-gold plus 50 F-gold for transport. These
engraved rollers that print the pattern are part of the device of the Chance machine, perfected from 1885 to 1890 by William Edward Chance, director of the English Chance glassworks in Birmingham.
This machine constitutes a significant technical advance in grouping and mechanizing several operations, even if the casting is still discontinuous. The glass is brought into fusion by a ladle, discharged upstream. Two rollers roll the glass which then flows onto a plane tilted, while the engraved roll prints the required pattern. The sheet of glass then advances on the small rollers before being cut and then gradually cooled.
Through its commercial agreements with Chance, until 1914 SaintGobain was the only continental company to be able to use this technology, which gave it a clear advantage over its competitors.
In one rotation, the roller prints two copies of the pattern.
The manufacturing method of this type of glass by printing roller involves regular repetition of the pattern. We know the diameters of some of these rollers: that of glass n ° 15 is 16.6 cm, that of n ° 16 of 14.4 cm, that of n ° 17 of 14 cm, and that of n ° 18 of 12.9 cm. It suffices to multiply these diameters by π to obtain the maximum development of the pattern in one revolution of the roller. For glass n ° 18, its pattern of 20.5 cm high is therefore
printed twice (i.e. 41 cm) in one turn of the roll.
The slight difference with the length of 40.5 cm obtained with a roll of 12.9 cm is found on shard n ° 2, and is slightly shorter than later production of this design, suggesting that a new roller model could have been engraved after the metro work to correct the error.
Saint-Gobain Glass Patterns & Designs: After 1940
American Saint-Gobain Corporation – “Pre 1964”
2013 – “Saint-Gobain Glass has launched SGG DECORGLASS, a range of clear patterned glass. Providing an alternative to what is currently available on the market, this exclusive range offers six new designs creatively named WATERDROP, ENTRELAZADO, PIXARENA, LISTRAL M, MARIS and THELA.”
2017 Saint-Gobain
Current patterns are listed at the end of this article.
Saint-Gobain Archives & Glass Samples
%27%20fill-opacity%3D%27.5%27%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%236b6b6b%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(7.65741%20-82.54442%2040.63923%203.76999%2082.1%20124)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-60.00576%2088.99648%20-54.27834%20-36.5971%20165.5%20274.2)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-76.63217%20-178.15692%2036.39686%20-15.6557%2043.6%20299.4)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23b0b0b0%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(42.5036%204.09263%20-5.61605%2058.32487%20140.1%20132.3)%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "1968 Glaverbel - Twist Pattern")
Belgium Flat Glass Patterns
In June 1905 an agreement was made between the three British plate-glass manufacturers Pilkington Limted, Chance Brothers and the Glasgow Plate Glass Company and the Belgian glass makers. The Belgium makers agree not to export to Great Britain and its colonies rolled plate glass, rolled cathedral glass, Muranese tinted and embossed glass unless requested by the three companies.
S.A. DES VERRERIES DE FAUQUEZ
Decorative Art Glass
The following designs are credited to Verreries de Fauquez in the Pilkington Glass publication “Dictonary of glass names”, circa 1970.
Antarctic, Arabesque, Australian, Brilliant, Bucki, Buttoned, Comet, Confetti, Crackle(Craquele), Deep Atlantic, Diamond, Diamond-Australian Diamond-Japan, Diamond-Raindrops, Draughtboard, Etoile de Mer (withdrawn 1956), Fleur-de-Leys, Flinty, Florentine, Hawthorn Flower, Heraldic, Hexagonal, Japanese, Labyrinthe, Limace (withdrawn 1956), Mauresque, Mayflower,Maze, Mikado, Milliped (Millepattes) aka centipede, Modern Art, Moire, Moresk, Mosaic, Moss, Muffled, Muranese, Oriental, Pacific, Papillons (discontinued in ’56), Peausserie (withdrawn ’56), Petite Mosaic, Raindrops, Reflector, Rippling, Sea Card, Sea Pearl, Seafish, Scutchon, Spring Bouqet, Starry, Transatlantic, Transnserflex, Watered Silk, Y
Circa 1975: Rolled Patterned Glass
Some of these designs were sold by Pilkington, Glaverbel & Saint-Gobain.
Glacerie de Franiere S.A. – ‘Goutte deau (resembles Sparkle)
Glaverbel
Belgium: S.A. Glace et Verre (Glaver), was founded in 1931 Glaver and Univerbel merged in 1961 to form Glaverbel. In 1981 Asahi Glass Company, acquires Glaverbel S.A. and MassGlas B.V. In 2007 Glaverbel announced that it has changed its name to AGC Flat Glass Europe.
Glaverbel Textured Glass Patterns
Bottle, Cosmos, Chincilla, Cratere, Crepi, Drop, Flemish Large, Flemish Small, Flutes, Galette, Granit, Grill, LP – Long Playing, Manhattan, Niagra, Twist
Glavex was the trade name for Glaverbel’s etched glasses.
Glaverbel’s exciting new line of figured rolled glass that says NOW in every elegant line. TWIST a weave as fresh as today’s fabrics. MANHATTAN a pattern of contrasting light and shade BOTTLE fluid full relief for complete privacy. 1968
Two new patterns of figured rolled glass have been introduced by Glaverbel . They are NIAGARA, an overall sandblasted finish , deeply rolled , and MAYA , heavily contoured design motif of the ancient Indian culture. 1970
The newest pattern in figured rolled glass introduced recently by Glaverbel is “ Chinchilla”. 1970
For more information about these Belgium Glass adverts visit PostWarBuildingMaterials
German Textured Sheet-Glass
Between 1895 and 1910 Emil Offenbacher of Marktredwitz, Bavaria, Germany, registered patents for improvements in ornamental glass rolling, new methods of producing the embossing rollers as well as sheet-glass designs.
Offenbacher also supplied embossing rolls to Saint-Gobain (see the section above: Hector Guimard – Le Verre PDF).
Altdeutsch is a tradename of Vereinigte Glaswerke.-patterns include Lozenged, Panneled, Rechteck
European Glass Designs Registered as US Patents
Australian Glass: Old Obscured Glass Patterns
” Cut from the first sheet of figured rolled glass manufactured in Australia 28th April , 1931 ”
FIGURED ROLLED GLASS. Patterns; KOSCIUSKO (similar to Arctic). SMALL KOSCIUSKO (similar to Small Arctic). WAVERLEY (similar to Flemish). SMALL WAVERLEY (similar to Small Flemish). COOGEE (similar to G). ARROWHEAD (similar to Morocco). PYRAMID (similar to Glistre). SMALL PYRAMID (similar to Small Glistre). SPOTS WOOD (similar to Stippolyte). GLACIER (similar to Dewdrop). EUSTON (similar to No. 2 Hammered Cathedral). SMALL EUSTON (similar to No. 1 Hammered Cathedral). DAPPLED CATHEDRAL. DOUBLE ROLLED CATHEDRAL. MODERNS FLUTED PINHEAD MOROCCO. DOUBLE ROLLED ROUGH CAST, ROUGH CAST, MILL ROLLED. WASHBOARD. WIRED GLASS.WIRED ROUGH CAST, WIRED MILL ROLLED. WIRED “KOSCIUSKO.”
“COLOURED FIGURED ROLLED GLASS is supplied in the ever-popular tints of Amber, Green, Blue and Wine in a wide range of patterns, tones and is generally used for adding a touch of colour to windows or leadlights to relieve what would otherwise be a bare expanse of White, to harmonise with furnishings, and for the purpose of breaking the glare which is ofttimes times noticeable where the sun shines strongly on the glass. Particularly does this apply to Queensland and tropical or sub-tropical climates.”
“Amber tinted Figured Rolled Glass is most suitable for the glazing of churches and halls, and gives a particularly pleasing and restful light and appearance. Green Figured Rolled, when used in conjunction junction with White, is most suitable for sunrooms rooms and verandahs.”
For photo galleries of the patterned glass types that have been sold in Australia visit Greg’s Glass.
Rolled Glass From Other Regions
%27%20fill-opacity%3D%27.5%27%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23797979%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-23.60843%20103.91291%20-43.971%20-9.98997%20255.4%2027.8)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23f9f9f9%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-31.08161%20-268.70117%20122.37844%20-14.15595%2052%2073.2)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23aaa%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(65.77048%20-22.18325%2036.53416%20108.31908%20252.2%2099.7)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22rotate(21.1%20-257.5%20111.3)%20scale(85.94933%2025.37662)%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "1969 Asahi Glass Company Japan - patterned glass patent")
Japan – Asahi Glass Company
Ginga, Gingoshi, Ginmoru, Highway,Hishi Cross, Hishikool, Hishimoru,, Hishiwire, Honami, Imperial, Ishime, Japanese Blossom, Lovelight,
Central Glass Co (japan): Ishigaki, Kiku, Kozue,
Nippon Sheet Glass: Ishime, Iwamo, Kagero, Kirara, Kodachi, Koto,
USA Glass: Old American Privacy Glass Patterns
The USA section of this article moved to its own dedicated page…
Textured Window Glass: USA Rolled Glass Pattern Guide [1890-2020]
USA Old Glass Patterns
Information Regarding The Glass Patterns & Designs
During the Victorian and Edwardian eras, the biggest consumers for many of these decorative glasses were the leadlight studios who were mass-producing leadlight panels. Indeed many of the glass textures were designed with the lead lighters in mind rather than for sheet glazing. Other patterns were developed for skylights or glazed partitions but realistically any of these figured rolled designs could have been used as a windowpane.
“Figured Rolled Glass, because of the effective and tasteful patterns, is used for beautification and to obtain pleasing and contrasting effects, particularly in the case of leadlight work. The variety of these effects can be further added to by Acid Obscuring (Satin Finish) or Sand blasting of the surface of the Figured Glass.”
In a speech given to design students in 1957 Sir Harry Pilkington, the chairman of Pilkington’s Glass, had this to say about figured rolled glass design:
“In many an industry, including my own, where we do have designs, as a rule we want them to be lasting. When I joined my firm, the most popular of the many Figured Rolled patterns of glass, as we call them, used in very large quantities, were Muranese, Arctic and Flemish glasses. Muranese was an early Victorian pattern – even now we sell quite a lot, but when I came to the firm it was still third or fourth on the list of patterns sold ; Arctic was one created in about the early part of this century, Flemish a little bit later – to-day those three are still among the top sellers.
In the last thirty years we have employed many people, at a bigger fee than £150 too, to design for us fresh patterns of Figured Rolled glass. Very seldom indeed have any of these designs caught on, superior though they may obviously appear to the intellectually and aesthetically trained mind. This isn’t only because the public knows what it wants (and what it wants is not often what it ought to want), it is partly because in my industry, and I believe in many others, permanence and replacement is of great importance. We all know how the willow pattern design, for one, has been of such lasting value and of such importance in the china trade – we can think of many others, I am sure, in the house, where some designs have lasted for ever and where we have wanted to be able to replace and to repeat them. The production of an outstanding and permanent design, if it is both good and happens to catch on (and these are not always the same things), may be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds of export trade to this country.
And that brings me once more to the question of who are the public for whom you are designing. Not those for whom you would think you would like to design, not in order to fashion other people’s minds in the likeness of your own, not to show yourselves as good designers of something fancy, but to design what is wanted – to be perhaps in line with, or a little bit ahead of, the contemporary view of what is good taste; but not to be far out in front, nor behind, nor to one side – in fact, to be in touch.” Sir Harry Pilkington 195
Diaper Glass
‘Diaper’ would now seem an unusual name to give to a decorative product. The Oxford dictionary gives the definition as “Greek dia for “cross” as in “diamond” or “diagonal”; and aspros, Greek for “white”. A white diamond or white cloth is used on the diagonal, hence the diagonal lattice or reticulation in patterning”.
Diaper glass is mentioned in old records dating before the Chance Bros had invented their rolled glass machinery, presumably describing enamelled or etched glass created with a diaper pattern. Pattern No.1 in the Chance Bros archive is Diaper, a Glasgow design by Malloch & Brogan. The Diaper rolled glass design is known as “Figured No.1” in the USA.
c. 1855: “They are all glazed with diaper glass of a beautiful pattern, and surrounded with a pink tinted border, which obviates the necessity and saves the trouble and expense of blinds, rollers, and brackets.”
Muranese Pattern Glass
The Muranese ‘daisy’ type of floral pattern was the most popular of all the Victorian patterned glasses and the term ‘muranese glass’ was often used generically to include all of the fancy glass designs.
Muranese rolled figured glass was first produced by the Glasgow Plate Glass Company who registered the design in 1888. Later Pilkington’s, Chance’s and many others printed muraese in many varied colours with a choice of small, medium and large patterns. Pilkington Brothers finally retired the Muranese patterned glasses in 1960, although it is still printed in smaller quantities by others, primarily for the art glass trade.
Murano St is located in an area of Scotland often referred to as “The Venice Of The North” due to the number of canals in the area and so Murano St most likely took its name from Murano, the famous glass producing Venetian island. Did the Glasgow Plate Glass Co name their Muranese pattern after the Scottish street where is was made or the Venetian Island?
A similar pattern is ‘Florentine’ glass, also known as ‘Radiant’, from the USA that can be recognised by areas of banding within a less dense floral cluster. Yet another variation has a defined circle at the centre of each flower. Whilst this pattern was found in an old Mississippi Glass catalogue it dates from a time when British designs were commonly sold by Mississippi.
Muranese pattern is also known as; Moranez in Spanish; ‘Amilux’ in Czechoslovakia; Fiorito in Italy;
“Intermediate between the rough “rolled” and the “polished” plate-glass we have a variety of glasses in which the appearance of the rolled surface is hidden or disguised to a greater or lesser extent by the application of a pattern that is impressed upon the glass during the rolling process; thus we have rolled plate having a ribbed or lozenge-patterned surface, or the well-known variety of “figured rolled” plate, sometimes known as “Muranese,” whose elaborate and deeply-imprinted patterns give a very brilliant effect.”
‘Mallocene’ by Glasgow Plate Glass Co.
Mallocene was named after its designer Andrew Malloch, whose family had been involved in the sheet glass industry since at least 1839. Pilkingtons ‘Dictionary of Glass Names’ from the 1970s mentions “English version of Malocene is Royal“, referencing the single ‘L’ spelling.
1899: “Mallocene” rolled plate glass was registered with the US Patent Office (33165) by The Glasgow Plate Glass Company. “The word “MALLOCENE.” Used since November 30th 1898.”
By 1908 Mallocene was a popular design available in several colours and being listed for sale in Australia, alongside Muranese Large and Small, Pilkington’s Japanese, Chance’s patterns B & G
Identical with former ‘Mallocene’ by Saint-Gobain (France) and ‘Malocene” (one L) by S.A. des Verreires de Farquez (Belgium).
Dewdrop – Sparkel Glass Patterns
Verre Diamanté No 9 (1899) by the Nords (Jeumont, Recquignies & Boussois) would appear to be the origin of this popular design. Variants include Saint-Gobain No 54, Chance Bros ‘Dewdrop’, Pilkington ‘Sparkel’ and ‘Waterdrop’.
St-Gobain, Chance and Glasgow : Pyramidical Glass Design
It appears that Glasgow Plate Glass never registered their original ‘Pyramidical’ pattern, possibly expecting an application for a simple geometric pattern to be rejected, but in 1890 Saint-Gobain registered it in France along with several other Chance & Glasgow designs. It was added to the Saint-Gobain catalogue as ‘Verre imprimé No5 – Pyramidical’.
A New Pyramidical Pattern
Saint-Gobain revised the original Pyramidical design following correspondence with Chance Bros. in 1902. ‘Chequred’ was considered as a name for the new design but on 22nd December 1910 Saint-Gobain obtained a 25-year French design patent No. 429 and named it ‘Verre imprimé No 42 – Pyramidical’.
The new design was registered in Britain 11 March 1911 No. 580119 to ‘C.B and Co Ltd‘ (possibly C. Bayne who was also involved in the winding up of Glasgow Plate Glass Co and a family relative of Andrew Murray Malloch) and renewed twice; Expired in Britain 11 March 1926.
Similar or identical designs include: ‘Pyramide’ by Glaverbel, Belgium; ‘Pyramidial Fein’ by A.G. der Gerresheimer Glashuttenwerks, West Germany; ‘Pyramidal’ by S.A. des Verreries de Fauqez, Belgium and by Window Glass Ltd, India.
1951 Chance Brothers: Festival Pattern
Chance Brothers produced this commemorative figured glass pattern for The Festival of Britain in 1951.
Helen Megaw was a scientific consultant to the ‘Festival Pattern Group‘ who promoted crystallographic patterns as a basis for household textiles, window glass and china as part of the ‘Festival of Britain’.
“It had a small repeat with atoms shown as small blobs so that sunshine does not burn any curtains behind the glass.” Designed by Dr J. Beresford-Evans at Chance Brothers.
“We may claim that our Festival pattern met with greater success than we had a right to anticipate, but whether it is a pattern that will maintain general favour remains to be seen” Chanc Bros – October 1951
The Festival pattern was continued by Pilkington Brothers following their acquisition of Chance and remained in production until the mid-1970s.
‘Glasgow Hammered’ Pattern
Years ago at David Fulton & Co workshops in Glasgow, the patterns were hand-hammered into the metal roller surface, hence the pattern name ‘Glasgow Hammered’. Ulsterman Ben Coates recalls that the big sledgehammer clangs could be heard all over the works and everyone knew when the fitters had taken a break by the silence when they stopped.
“Hammering would take many weeks and the 20 or so indents per square inch had to be done with the correct weight behind the hammer. Today I only use the hammer if there is damage to mend on the double rolled pattern.” Ben Coates.
Design Durability
Design patents had to be taken for each country where they were to be protected. British design patents for figured rolled glass were typically taken in 5-year blocks, occasionally 3 or 7 years, with a successful pattern typically renewed twice to provide 15 years of protection. 15 years would seem to be a reflection of the changing fashions of our society, the time frame for once-popular designs to become out-dated. Of course, some designs proved unpopular and so had no renewals whilst ‘Arctic’ has been repeatedly renewed since 1907. Saint-Gobain boldly registered their ‘No. 13 Fleur-de-Leys’ design for 60 years in one registration, although production does not appear to have lasted much over a decade.
Whilst patentees did license their designs to other producers it is apparent from the images contained on this page that many popular designs were simply copied by other firms, albeit with small modifications. The originators of the design have occasionally acted to protect their intellectual property, although legal actions appear to be uncommon. Once a registration period lapsed then the design could be produced legally by anybody.
Pattern Names
The names allocated to the patterns by manufacturers are not unique unless the name has been trade-marked in each territory. Several quite different designs have been named ‘Oceanic’ for example.
British Design & Pattern Registrations
Class 4 [Glass, Earthenware, Bricks etc.]
Dating these designs is only possible with the registered design numbers, but unfortunately we do not have many of these reg numbers. British pattern registration is all stored at the British Archives in Kew London. By using this table we can narrow the dates down for the reg numbers that we do know, other designs can only be approximated by making comparisons between various catalogues and marked with as circa or ‘c’ on this page.
Can you help to identify these Glass Patterns?
We have had no luck, so far, in confirming the following textured glasses. Any glass samples, adverts or catalogue copies you might have that can help to confirm the identification of these samples would be very much appreciated.
Pilkington Brothers: Overseas design names may be the rebranding of existing designs. “Orient”[1923 ref], (Possibly Morisco?) Fluted Washboard “Grained”[1904 ref] wood-grain pattern Pilkingtons India branch: ‘Mauresque’ (Possibly Morisco?) pattern and ‘Twinkel ‘ pattern – ref 1963 1951 ref “HARLEQUIN ” Of the formal group”. ” HARLEQUIN ” is the registered trade mark of Pilkington Brothers Limited ‘Feathered‘ was withdrawn in 1969 Cameo is a 5mm decorative glass which is produced in Australia, with a ‘ wrought iron ‘ screen printed surface pattern. “Caracol” [1909 registered in Argentina – Agosto 21 de 1909 – Pilkington Brothers Limited – Articulos de la clase 40]
| “Montene” & “Original Montene” Chance Bros “Egyptian” Chance Bros Reflecalyte Photographic decoration applied to figured rolled glass; Reflectalyte ”1944 Swan Reflective Centric– alternative designs of patterned sheets.. |
St. Gobain Designs Delta, Luminen, Grenada, |
UPDATE: “Pattern I” & “Pattern J”. The original Chance Bros pattern ledgers show that they skipped these letters.
Unidentified Designs & Patterns
Any further information or glass samples you might have, that help to complete the collection, are most welcome; please email Simon.
Glazing For Heritage Restoration
Cleaning Old Patterned Glass
Figured rolled glass found in heritage properties was fitted in a world long gone by. It has endured through generations of kids fingers, smog from solid fuel heating systems, paraffin burners, tobacco fumes, vehicle emissions and the like.
The old figured glass will probably be overdue a good clean to restore its former brilliance. Domestic cleaning products are helpful but for the best results, a mildly abrasive paste may be required. Jewellers rouge or even traditional white toothpaste, without the minty blue gel, can be applied to scrubbing or toothbrushes. The mild abrasive action polishes the surface of the glass and removes the grime, don’t press too hard but instead let the tips of the bristles and the ‘grit’ of the paste do their work. Sometimes a remarkable amount of light penetration can be restored to rooms and the sparkle of the polished surfaces (remember glass has 2 sides to be cleaned) is a rewarding result.
Replacement Heritage Glazing
Reclaimed glass, sourced from salvage yards, builders skip-bins or similar, is the best option for replacing damaged glazing. Textured glass from shower screens is of no use because the glass has been toughened to become a ‘safety glass’, which can no longer be cut without shattering.
Whilst reclaiming old glass is the best option, especially for a single pane of glass, a certain amount of luck is required to source the appropriate design. If reclaimed glass is not a viable option then we must look into the current production of textured glasses- galleries of glass from leading current producers follow in the next chapter.
- Pre 1850 was the ornamental era of art glass. Traditional designs etched into the glass surface can provide attractive period-correct glazing for properties of any age.
- 1850 onwards saw the rise of rolled Cathedral glass. A glass resembling ‘cathedral glass’ such as Pilkington’s ‘Minster’ ( ‘Cath-lite’ by other manufacturers), ‘Flemish’ or ‘Contura’ are readily available and provide a historically appropriate obscured glass at an affordable price. These modern ‘cathedral glasses’ follow the timeless lightly hammered, dimpled design format that is easy to clean as well as being suitable for safety glass processing.
- A fluted glass pattern is often the best choice for obscured glazing on commercial restoration projects. Some commercial heritage properties may require replica designs to be reproduced with bespoke sand-blasting or etching of replica designs onto a thick float glass sheet.
Glazing Heritage Buildings post-1890:
Whilst etched designs, lead-lights, brilliant cut patterns and figured rolled glasses are all appropriate for this era, the ‘status’ of the property must also be taken into consideration.
During the first quarter of the 19th Century, whilst coloured and figured rolled glass window panes would have been considered appropriate for use in a workman’s cottage, for middle and upper-class properties a sizeable part of any construction budget would have been allocated toward the most fashionable decorative glazing of the age. Leaded lights were the most popular option but etched and enamelled glass was still selling in reasonable quantities. Due to the expense of recreating lead lights today an etched-glass pattern glass may provide the most affordable decorative period-correct glazing option.
Selecting Figured Rolled Glass Today
Looking at today’s range of decorative glasses we see that some are more sympathetic to the character of heritage buildings than others.
‘Arctic‘[1907], ‘Stippolyte‘ [1915], Fluted and ‘Flemish‘ these vintage figured rolled designs are still sold by Pilkington. Neutral patterned ‘cathedral glass’ textures that never go out of date.
‘Chantilly‘ is an attractive modern glass pattern that would not be out of place in any 1890-1910 Art Nouveau property. Its flowing floral pattern is similar in design to the Pilkington Brothers long discontinued ‘Japanese’ and ‘Persian’ patterns. Pilkington’s continued to produce ‘Japanese’ until circa 1962, making ‘Chantilly’ a worthy consideration for many heritage buildings.
Chantilly is only lightly imprinted, unlike the deeply embossed glasses of old, allowing for easy cleaning or for use in obscured double glazing but on account of the shallow embossing it must be disqualified for those with a purist approach to restoration.
Art Glass suppliers offer a wider range of replica patterns that may be used for restoration work and usually will be the only option when coloured rolled glass is required. Whilst most art glass suppliers do sell larger sheets they will seldom advertise anything larger than ‘hobby sheets’ on their websites, so be sure to call them. These modern reproduction patterns are similar to the originals but are less deeply embossed, making them less detailed but much easier to clean.
Today’s building regulations apply safety standards for glass that is to be fitted into bathrooms, doors or used at a low level – check with your local authority. Flemish glass can still be found in 4mm thickness and can be toughened to become a safety glass, but many other art glass patterns are only 3mm thick. In order to make these thinner glasses comply with building standards, custom laminating, or a window safety film, may be required. Custom laminating is where a thin float glass is bonded to the smooth side of the textured glass. Unsurprisingly this is an expensive option but worth considering in some circumstances.
Perth Art Glass were helpful in supplying information about the modern replica glazing, the above image is a collection of images taken from their website. The link directs to their webpage that has brochures by all the leading art glass suppliers in the world today.
NOTE: Today’s art glasses do not match the superior quality of the traditional rolled glasses. Patterns are less defined and do not sparkle in quite the same manner; A sample of today’s best ‘ruby muffled’ will appear drab when compared to an original piece of Chance’ muffled. The artisans of old are gone and many of the elements they used to create colour in the old glass, arsenic and Uranium for example, are controlled substances today. If you have old glass then please cherish it, the elements used to create it pose no risk in the finished glazing.
Decorative Glazing in Double-Hung Sash Windows
Often the best solution for glazing traditional sliding sash windows, where privacy is required, is to use an obscured glass for the lower pane whilst leaving the upper pane glazed with clear window glass.
“Let it be said at once that sash windows are no place for stained glass or leaded glazing. Large sheets of glass, liable to smash in a swinging casement, have no doubt had much to do with the evolution of the sliding window sash, and with such glass it should be glazed. If colour is wanted in such windows hang small medallions of good stained glass against them. Sometimes an inoffensive treatment can be devised by an additional internal sash-bar or frame near the centre. The essential thing is to leave most of the window in plain white glass. Anything more hideously unsuitable than leaded glazing in such windows can scarcely be imagined. Clear lead glazing is bad enough, but when it comes to modern “domestic stained glass” birds in circles, figured rolled glass, “muranese,” “rolled cathedral,” ” roundels ” is it any wonder sane people with instincts for what is good are getting tired of it ?
Casement windows are another matter, and little lights above transoms invite painted glass. Ornament and clear glass are not incompatible, and delicate ornament may spread over a large proportion of the glass without impairing its transparency, as the Dutch proved in the seventeenth century.
But the essential merit of modern glass is that it can be seen through, and much bad work would be avoided if architects and glass-painters would only bear the fact in mind.” The Architectural review vol 4
Other Printed Designs On Glass
Seraphic Glass: screen %22%20transform%3D%22translate(.6%20.6)%20scale(1.17188)%22%20fill-opacity%3D%22.5%22%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%237b7b7b%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(2.55808%20-56.8371%20113.40721%205.10415%2094.3%20144.8)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22matrix(-71.1395%20-11.69522%209.72638%20-59.16348%2025.7%2017)%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23fff%22%20cx%3D%22242%22%20cy%3D%2215%22%20rx%3D%2266%22%20ry%3D%2254%22%2F%3E%3Cellipse%20fill%3D%22%23f8f8f8%22%20rx%3D%221%22%20ry%3D%221%22%20transform%3D%22rotate(77.1%20-29.2%20284.9)%20scale(48.55008%20253.53733)%22%2F%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E "Old Window Glass: History of Textured and Patterned Sheet Glass 39")
printed ceramic coatings
printed ceramic coatings“NEW DECORATIVE GLASS A new type of ceramic – decorated flat glass is now being produced in Adelaide by Seraphic ( Australia ) Pty Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Pilkington ACI Ltd”
Printed interlay
Laminated glass with a design printed on the plastic interlay that is sandwiched between the sheets.
Current Glass Patterns
For the most up to date range check these supplier’s website:
UK : Pilkington Decorative Glass – Barron Glass – Saint Gobain
Pilkington Decorative Glass 2020
“Whether it’s for privacy, pure style or to allow more light into internal rooms, Pilkington Texture Glass gives you a stylish range of attractive options. If you need replacement glass to match an existing design, don’t worry, we have a number of well-established designs that are still available.”
Visit Pilkington Glass – Online Pattern Visualiser
Benefits
Pilkington Texture (Patterned) Glass offers privacy and style throughout the home:
- Provide different degrees of obscuration for privacy or decoration purposes.
- Extensive range of designs and finishes.
- Available with wired glass, and therefore suitable for glazing resistant to fire.
- Available in toughened and laminated forms (depending on design) for safety and security performance.
- Can be single glazed or incorporated in an Insulating Glass Unit for additional properties.
- Available in a wide range of sizes and thicknesses (4, 6, 8 and 10 mm) depending on design.
None of the Pilkington patterns are designed to have an orientation (an upside) but care needs to be taken with adjacent panes that the pattern direction is maintained. There is a linear nature to Pilkington Texture Glass Warwick™ and so householders should be aware that there could be aesthetic implications when choosing this design. Also, for the glass supplier, the result may be that this pattern is less accommodating when cutting and may result in a greater proportion of waste from the original glass plate.
2020 Pilkington Oriel Collection – Etched Glazing.
“This exciting range of stunning, high-end decorative etched glass designs offer excellent light transmission with various levels of privacy. The range is available in a variety of contemporary and traditional designs, each with a modern opaque appearance.”
Please Note: Etched glass can become almost clear when wet.
2020 Saint Gobain Glass
AGC (Formerly Glaverbel)
Barron Glass : Traditional Etched Glass Designs.
These glass designs are suitable for heritage properties of any age, but especially suited for heritage properties pre-1888, before figured rolled glass was developed. The disadvantage of etched glass is that when it becomes wet it can become transparent, which is an inconvenience in steamy bathrooms.
Available as cut to size or in sheets of 1120 x 2140 mm. Thicknesses: standard 4mm and safety glass (5 mm or 7mm laminate – we do not recommend that our glass be toughened). All patterns also available in a fully opaque version suitable for locations where complete privacy is required (laminate only). This glass can be supplied as double glazed units. Visit Barron Glass here
Glass Australia
Spain: Ornamentacion de Vidrios
‘Sevasa’ Range Of Etched Glasses
India:
Gopal – Unique flat glass patterns from India.
Art Glass
Wissmach Glass is produced in many tints and textures. From the USA but it is sold worldwide.
Wissmach Stained Glass Catalog
China: Pattern Glass
Figured Rolled Glass is now being produced in China with some very familiar patterns and tints on offer. These sheets are produced in 3, 4 and 6mm thickness but unfortunately the art-glass suppliers who stock them often only have 3mm in stock. Their primary market is supplying hobby art-glass and a 3mm thickness glass is easier for their customers to cut into curved shapes. Unless fancy and tinted glass has a resurgence in popularity the supply of the thicker sheets is likely to remain limited.
Conclusion
In compiling this article the research has taken us in many different directions that we had never anticipated. We have documented the ‘Mason And Conqueror’ process for making rolled glass; We scratched the surface of the hidden histories relating to both “The Glasgow Plate Glass Company” and “Maximum Daylight Company”; We brought to light and provided names for hundreds of old discontinued glass patterns from all around the world as well as displaying old advertisements that had not been reproduced for over a hundred years; We have been in touch with the current ‘Chance brothers’, descendants of the family that brought decorative glass to the masses and are active in preserving their family’s heritage …We also ran out of working PHP memory to edit the page and so had to create a separate page for the Victorian etched and USA designs… Ultimately what we have compiled is likely the largest knowledge base relating to figured rolled window glass, that has ever existed in one place.
“I have enjoyed the journey of research and discovery into these old patented window glass designs and the story of their manufacture, using techniques dating back over 130 years. It is rewarding to help shed some light onto this little documented part of our architectural heritage, a part of history that we literally see the world through everyday. I only hope that I have managed to convey the subject to you, the reader, in an accurate, interesting and useful format.
Thanks to the contributors, listed and linked below, but also to the libraries and private collectors that have digitised and shared their old books with the world, this article would have been much shorter and far less informative without their contributions.” Simon Free, 2020. simon@sashwindows.com.au
Our Related Articles
History Of Architectural Glass For Windows
Textured Window Glass: USA Rolled Glass Patterns
Old Window Glass ID Guide | Victorian Window Glass Patterns
Reference Books & Sites
British Glass, 1800-1914 – Charles R. Hajdamach
Windows: History, Repair and Conservation – Michael Tutton
Twentieth-Century Building Materials: History and Conservation
Contributors External Links
Greg’s Glass – Queensland Sandra contributed beautifully by allowing us to share images from her glass galleries. Her pictures are consistent well shot and most importantly clean glass samples that are superior to our own ‘in-situ’ camera phone images.
David Encill not only provided data and pictures relating to Chance’s Glass but also gifted a vintage Pilkington’s book. Thank you David you are very kind.
Sandwell Libraries and Archives with a special thank you to Rory Powell for his research work.
Apollo Stained Glass – Provided some glass images.
verrerie-mousseline.org – For providing a rich source of information about vintage French glass.
House Histories – made our journey a little easier as they had already identified some early designs when this project started.
Source of some material used in this article or suggested further reading:
1923 – Pilkington British Glass
1939 – Pilkington Cathedral & Figured Glass
2008 – Pilkington Textured Glass Brochure
2009 Pilkington Textured Glass Brochure
2013 Pilkington Textured Glass Brochure
2015 Pilkington Textured Glass Brochure
2017 – Pilkington Textured Glass Brochure
2020 Pilkington Decorative Glass Brochure
2020 Saint Gobain Decorative Glass
James Hartley & Co., crown, sheet, and patent rolled, British polished plate
Sorry comments had to be closed due to high amounts of spamming. If you would like to comment please email Simon pref with subject as ‘old glass’. All relevant comments will then be added here periodically.
![Pilkington Dimpled [1892]- Flowered [1890] - Morocco [1890]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pilkington_Glass_1901_dimpled-flowered.jpg){kind=link}
![Pilkington Shell [1892] - Quilted [1889]- Dappled [1895]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pilkington_Decorative_Glass_1901_shell-quilted.jpg){kind=link}
![Muranese [1888]- Chequred Plate Glass](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pilkington_Decorative_Glass_1901_muranese.jpg){kind=link}
![Indian [1893]- Arabesque [1897] - Kaleidoscope [1893]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Pilkington_Decorative_Glass_1901_indian-arabesque--e1591057992132.jpg){kind=link}
![Pilkington Lozenge [1898]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/pilkington-brothers-1901-lozenge-1.jpg){kind=link}
![Verres Imprimes no22 & no25 [Oceanic]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/st-gobain-1924-verre-texture-22-and-25.jpg){kind=link}
![lozenge [Quarry]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/st-gobain-1924-verre-texture-lozenge-1.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 9 Yellow - [Chances B]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no09_yellow.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 6 Yellow - [Chances C]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no06_green.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 7 Blue - [Chances D]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no07_blue.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 7 Green - [Chances D]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no07_green.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 7 Yellow - [Chances D]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no07_yellow.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 10 Green - [Chances F]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no10_green.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 10 Yellow - [Chances F]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no10_yellow.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 11 Yellow - [Chances H]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no11_yellow.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 14 Green - [Muranese]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no14_green.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 14 Red - [Muranese]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no14_red.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 19 Green - [Chances K]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no19_green.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 19 Red - [Chances K]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no19_red.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 19 Yellow - [Chances K]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no19_yellow.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 20 Red - [Chances Florelle]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no20_red.jpg){kind=link}
![St Gobain Verre Filigrane No 21 Blue - [Chances Kristelle]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/figured_filigree_no21_blue.jpg){kind=link}
![Seyenite - Florentine - Beadx Matte [1959]](https://sashwindowspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/st-gobain-america-1960-figured-4.jpg){kind=link}
7 thoughts on “Old Window Glass: History of Textured and Patterned Sheet Glass”
This is THE best website EVER!!!! You have made my day!
Wow, you have done a lot of homework here! Thanks for sharing.
I have really enjoyed looking through these old patterns. It has made me a little sad though that we are unable to get some of these lovely designs! Thanks for sharing – really informative and interesting page.
Hi there,
my name is Rosemary, I’m from a company called Knowsley Art Glass, and we are based in Liverpool.
I’ve recently come across your Old Window Glass ID Guide, and I’ve got to say I’m floored with the detail! I’ve been looking at perhaps doing something like this in previous years but have never had the time! But I’m just happy theres a refrence out there, and I often share it with my customers to help them out.
As I mentioned we are a Glass company who manufacturers various designs and supply them up and down the UK, and are even involved in the bespoke restoration of glass. I though I would pop an email over with some of our information and various glass designs as we have some that are not on your glass ID guide. And this may be of intreasted to yourselves or customers in the future (if trying to match something orginal to the property).
Here are a few of the repeat patterns we offer-https://www.artglass.org.uk/Glass%20Brochure.pdf
Kindest Regards
Rosemary Kett
Knowsley Art Glass Ltd
Dear Simon,
Today I visited your internet page online. Excellent page, made with love and dedication. A source of information. Pitty that many of the patterns are not on the Dutch market anymore. Still looking for a company who wants to export pattern glass and bring it back on the Dutch market. Real craftsmanship is still very needed but underrated.
Many thanks ! Many compliments.
Kind regards,
Willy Swinkels
Glasmeester
Vintage Chicken Wire Glass
Olde Good Glass OGT has discovered a unique niche in the architectural salvage of industrial and antique window glass. These elements have become increasingly popular as our world has evolved into a society appreciating sustainable resources for the medium of design. We have stores in New York City, Scranton Pennsylvania and Los Angeles. USA. We ship worldwide. Please contact us for samples and more information.
http://www.oldegoodglass.com
I must join the other non-spammers who commented appreciatively on your blog. It’s fascinating to know that there was such determination to create beauty for something so practical. I know that despite the advent of television, there are still artisans of all kinds in the world, but my guess is that there is a smaller pool of craftspersons. Thank you for your wonderful narrative!
Comments are closed.