Now all but forgotten, in nineteenth century America, women glassworkers figured promenently in the sub-culture of itinerant entertainers. Live events often consisted of traveling exhibitions, carnival sideshows, and circuses. These were loosely associated groups of performers who roamed from town to town throughout the country in search of audiences willing to pay a nickel or dime for a few minutes entertainment. In larger cities, these groups would sometimes find a permanent home in so-called "museums" like the famous American Museum in New York, run by P. T. Barnum. These were a mixture of natural curiosities that ranged from taxidermied exotic animals to live acts, bearded ladies, dwarfs, even "authentic" mermaids.
A steady fixture of these groups were the "glass blowers." In today's parlance these were "flame workers" who sat at an oil or alcohol lamp, skillfully melting and bending thin rods of glass to produce little animal figures, model ships, even tiny working steam engines. The common term for these objects today is "spun glass" These were produced live, in front of an audience and often sold or given away as souvenirs to patrons. It is a tradition that actually extends as far back as 16th century Venice.
A long overlooked aspect of this work is the contributions made by women. Female glass workers provided a special attraction to these shows, as attested to by the numerous newspaper stories and adverts of the period. Often, these itinerants are difficult to document, and can be traced only through ephemera; newspapers, handbills and admission tickets. I have started to collect this material here, so it can be viewed more easily by a wider audience.
In addition to entertainment, there is evidence that female glass workers were sought specifically in the new and growing electric light industry, making the enclosures for bulbs.
I have amassed a good deal of material, and will post it here as I have time. I hope to add more specific detail of individual artists as it becomes available. If you have a family connection, or other information about female glass workers of the 19th century, please contact me, all communications are confidential. I hope you enjoy the sampling below.
A steady fixture of these groups were the "glass blowers." In today's parlance these were "flame workers" who sat at an oil or alcohol lamp, skillfully melting and bending thin rods of glass to produce little animal figures, model ships, even tiny working steam engines. The common term for these objects today is "spun glass" These were produced live, in front of an audience and often sold or given away as souvenirs to patrons. It is a tradition that actually extends as far back as 16th century Venice.
A long overlooked aspect of this work is the contributions made by women. Female glass workers provided a special attraction to these shows, as attested to by the numerous newspaper stories and adverts of the period. Often, these itinerants are difficult to document, and can be traced only through ephemera; newspapers, handbills and admission tickets. I have started to collect this material here, so it can be viewed more easily by a wider audience.
In addition to entertainment, there is evidence that female glass workers were sought specifically in the new and growing electric light industry, making the enclosures for bulbs.
I have amassed a good deal of material, and will post it here as I have time. I hope to add more specific detail of individual artists as it becomes available. If you have a family connection, or other information about female glass workers of the 19th century, please contact me, all communications are confidential. I hope you enjoy the sampling below.
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