The Owens Bottle-Machine Company merged with the Illinois Glass Company in 1929.  The result was called the Owens-Illinois Glass Company.  The legal corporate name was changed to Owens-Illinois  Inc., when the company began doing more than just glass, such as manufacturing plastics.

Owens-Illinois changed its trade name in 2005 to O-I.  This was done to make the company more of a global company since O-I can easily be understood by anyone in any country.

The year 2005 was also important to O-I because that is when it opened the world’s most modern facility to manufacture glass in Windsor, Colorado.  Before then, there had been no new glass container manufacturers in North America for 25 years.

The trademark of O-I is the letter “I” inside the letter “O” superimposed on a drawn out diamond.  This is sometimes referred to as the diamond IO mark.  To the left of the mark you can find a one- or two-digit number which identifies the plant that manufactured the bottle.  You can find the date the glass item was produced by looking to the left of the mark, where you can find a one- or two-digit date code.  When you see a bottle marked like that, it most likely dates to the 1930s.

In the 1940s, the marking changes so the date was to the right of the diamond with a period after it.  The period is apparently meant to represent the 40s.

Today O-I produces glass containers in a variety of shapes in sizes for food, beer, wine, spirits, and other non-alcoholic beverages.  Their North American publication LookingGlass includes news about glass manufacturing, industry trends, and other information.  Like its founder Michael J. Owens, O-I is a visionary company constantly seeking new and better ways of improving its products.

Tim studied ceramics and glass at New Yorks Alfred university and went on to major in glass at Temple University.

He found himself in Wimberly Texas and having fallen in love, as it were with the Texas area, opened his glasswords in Texas. Wimberly to be exact, in the Texas Hilll Country.

Tim owns Wimberly alone, and has just three other full time glass blowers working with him. A few years ago, he moved himself to a newer and larger location and what had begun as a small company with just a few chairs, has grown into a shop that houses seating for about ninety visitors.

Wimberly glass has grown.  It is now one of the premier art glass studios in the Southwest and has collections and lighting on display all over the world.
Wimberly glass offers free glass blowing demonstrations, and show the entire process of turning melted glass into amazing works of art. The artists at Wimberly use such enhancements as pure silve and gold to get the amazing colors and designs that you will see at Wimberly.
If you get the chance to pay a visit to Wimberly Glass works, make sure you take it. Wimberly is up and coming in the art glass arena and you’re going to hear a lot more about them, rest assured.

A single brief paragraph or so in the newspapers of West Virginia in 1998 told of the closing of an entire era of manufacturing, but opened the door for a multitude of collectors to become dazzled with, and seek out the items that had, until now, been too easily found it seems and not so very collectible.

Dalzell-Viking’s end in 1998 saw the close of an entire century of glass making. It had begun in the   New Martinsville Glass Co.  which then went bankrupt in the depression years, but was purchased by a new owner, GR Cummings, who hoped the the popular Scandinaviaon moder designs he was producing would literally sweep the collectors off their feet and find its way into the hearts of the American public. To that end, he completely abandoned the conservative crystals that had sent New Martinsville to their grave and began making the long sweeping curves, the perfect jewel tones and the wonderful crackleware type things that made him a success.

 Viking and it’s brainchild, the Rainbow Glass subsidiary (1954-1972)  were on their way upward to some very great success in the post-war time period, and the work of both companies was featured at Corning Glass Museum’s oh so prestigious exhibition of glass in 1959.

Elmer Miller, who was in fact still an original..a holdover who jointed the firm in 1923, began taking the new styles and became the most popular new modern designer. The lines of Viking put their emphasis on shaping the soft molten glassware, tapering elegant looks and lines, long twisted handles and lengthy spouts, which gave the illusion that the finished glass was still in its molten form and people absolutely loved it.

According to all reports, by the mid sixties, the Viking Epic line was the most distinctive and was made in a wide array of designs, from long tailed birds to vases that were rivaled only by Fostoria Heirloom according to the experts.
This same Epic line continued til 1975, with colors such as purple, teal and ruby, smoke and amber, featuring such favorites as glass mushrooms, animal paperweights, fruits from glass and ashtrays.

Eventually what ended the reign of this unrivaled king for their place in history was little more than foreign competition, in combination with high wages that were necessary for workers and a recession in the 1980′s. Fostoria president Kenneth Dalzell attempted to restart the firm as Dalzell Viking,with more traditional patterns in popular colors but the new lines he produced couldn’t in any way compare or compete with cheap imports and the effort was a failure.

According to the experts in glass collection:(notably George A Higby)

"Viking and Rainbow are relative bargains for today’s art glass collectors. Pieces bore sticker labels which are often gone, so knowledgeable buyers can often find undiscovered Viking pieces fairly easily. Pina’s Popular 50s and 60s Glass offers photos and catalogue reprints can help. Dalzell pieces also bore paper labels; wise collectors are amassing pieces now, while their origins can still be identified.

Best of all, the sheer variety of colors and designs makes Viking  fun for glass collectors- whether pressed patterns, animal figures, or fab ’50s style piques your interest."

Below are some examples of what makes Viking Glass so popular

I love Fenton, but not just any kind of Fenton. Don’t we all, by virtue of things that give us good memories, or make us smile, or make us curious, tend to collect things for more than one reason?

Absolutely we base it quite often on aesthetics,  or what may rise in value, but just as often we base it on something that gives us great memories or may not rise in value, but just makes us curious about how it was made and the time period in which it was developed

Being from Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and spending a great dea of time outdoors there til just about ten years ago, Fentons Winterbrry items, for me, evoke the snows of West Virginia, the beautiful hills and the bright crimson of the winterberries which cling to the branches long after the first snows have settled on the ground.

A Native American father spent a great deal of time walking with me, explaining what was and wasn’t good to eat, what could be used for tea and make you feel better in some way. Winterberries, which he called Fever bush, brings back memories of those times as well and I grab up those pieces wherever I find them.

Winterberry design is available on a wide array of Fenton glssware, from a white fawn, to a bird, to a fairy light, and I cant’ seem to pass one up.

Check out these offerings and see if you don’t agree tht the stunning splash of red and green makes for a striking display that brings up a few happy memories of your own.

June of 2007 brought that to me, in the guise of a display of Picasso’s ceramics that was taking place at the Bellagio Gallery in Las Vegas.

I had up until that point, never really considered Picasso as anything more than a painter, whose works were admirable, but in reality, not exactly my cup of tea.

As an artist, and quite often as a man if his love life was anything to go on, Picasso was somewhat easily distracted by the next thing to come along, but that can’t be true of his love of ceramic work, which was a hobby that filled his life from the time he discovered it until his death in 1973.

In 1947 Picasso went to Vallauris, with a companion, and there discovered the ceramic work that would remain with him until his death. Georges Ramie owned a pottery workshop that he gave up an entire second floor of to Picasso, who pursued the creating of his ceramics, making zoomorphic creations, figures of animals and other things that although they don’t garner the enthusiasm of his paintings, are nothing short of spectacular.

He appears to investigate new methods of using color, new ways to use the ceramic medium to achieve somewhat the same dramatic effects that we see in his paintings.

His pieces are far less practical than many that we see, but are testament to his great talent in all aspects of art.
According to those in the know, the exhibit I was fortunate enough to luck into, was only the second of its kind in the United States, with the other being at the Metropolitan Museum of Art about 8 years earlier.

Although Picasso’s paintings and sculptures garner international attention, his ceramics .. not so much.. yet it was one of his great loves and accordingly, he was quite prolific in the production of ceramics. As one expert says, "whenever you see historical photos of Picasso, you will find plates stacked up or a ceramic figurine in a corner.

As lovers of glass and ceramic wares, I strongly encourage you to visit any display you may find of Picasso’s ceramics, which will give you a wonderful glimpse of the art of Picasso and the hobby that stayed with him for decades.

Even the stem of an ordinary wine glass can create an interesting visual effect. Photo by j-coop.

Glass artists and photographers can leverage these properties to produce some very imaginative works of art. Prisms separate white light into the colors of the rainbow. Concave and convex glass distorts images, giving them an otherwordly appearance. And colored glass can produce multiple colors when layered.

Too much wine perhaps? As simple but effective optical illusion. Photo by .

The art of glassmaking has long made use of the unique light-altering properties of glass, but photograpers can also transform even a common wine glass into a unique composition with the right lighting and a little creativity. Art and illusion come together to dazzle the viewer in a fusion of light and color.

Additive colors created by layers of glass make a great composition. Photo by spanish moss.

Glass spheres have long been a source of mystical beliefs. Photo by JKönig.

Refraction is the change in direction of a wave due to a change in its speed. This is most commonly seen when a wave passes from one medium to another. By experimenting with the effects of different incident and refractive angles, you can create myriad visual illusions and effects.

I wanted to share my newfound passion with you, and see what you think of it.

My daughter in law was a foreign exchange student in Mexico and drew my attention only recently to the amazing art glass that is produced there.

Galeria Azul is one of her favorite sites to visit and check out the new trends, the amazing artwork of several gifted artists and its rapidly becoming a favorite site of mine as well.

Galería Azul is an art gallery thats found in Cozumel, Mexico. Galeria Azul features the work of a glass artist named Greg Dietrich, who works with engraved glass, blown engraved glass, and uses it to make lamps, night lights, cup racks, key racks and engraved glass vessels that will absolutely leave you wanting more.

Take a walk through the art glass, the wall lamps, the candle lamps and the wide array of things you can purchase for your home or office and see if you don’t agree that the artwork, and the crafting of these folks is just breath taking.

Galeria Azul online is certainly a site worth seeing and may just lead you  into ANOTHER glass collecting passion.

http://www.cozumelglassart.com/

Bohemian glass it a kind of art glass that has its origins in the Czech Republic, in a region known as Bohemia, although a neighbor in the area, Silesia also makes glass that is done in that same distinctive Bohemian style.

The Bohemian glass was world famous for its quality and appearance and today many glass factories and glass works in the Czech republic produce Bohemian glass, making what are replicas if older glass patterns, and capitalizing on the reputation of the Bohemian glass quality, although it may or may not be of that same quality.

Bohemia was famed for its glass making since about the 14th century and in the 17th and 18th century’s it was amazingly popular, with artists famed the world over who produced decorative glassware, and developing techniques that are still in use to this very day.

One of the most famed glasswares of this region is lead crystal,which the Bohemian area was uniquely suited to produce, given the natural resources of the area.

Lead crystal continues to be one of the most prolifically made products for this region, along with enameled glass and reverse painted glass.

Traditionally Bohemian glassware is very rich in color and decoration, is often multi-faceted and engraved, etched or painted. The glass itself has a remarkable patina, and whle it may be thin and delicate, is surprisingly strong.

Purchase of Bohemian glassware is an art, and sometimes it will be difficult to authenticate, so having someone with you when you head out to purchse this type glass is a good idea.

You will find it in multiple venues, dependent upon what youw ant, including upscale department stores, shops and antiques stores, which type of glass will be a great deal more costly.

Bohemian glass should be purchased with care, as the copies, as with any other type of glass, are going to be far less valuable.
 

Murano glass vase details reveal subtle color and intricate features designed in the glassmaking process.

Reflecting and refracting light and color, glass in its many forms has been used for functional purposes such as vessels and stemware, but also for decoration, celebration and religious ceremonies.

Believed to have originated in ancient Egypt, glassmaking was further developed during the Roman Empire, and began to take hold in the Republic of Venice nearly a thousand years ago.

Legendary for its long tradition of glassmaking, Murano, Italy may be one of the most well recognized glassmaking centers in the world.

Glass art created with the Murano glassmaking techniques often looks like something only the imagination could believe and how these pieces are made is something amazing to watch.

Glassmaking began in the city of Venice as early as the 5th century AD, when a Benedict Monk named Dominic wrote of glass phials (shallow vessels) being produced. The small group of islands known as Murano, just off the coast of Venice, was primarily used as a commercial port from as early as the 7th century.

In 1291, purportedly fearing fires caused by the glass furnaces, the Republic of Venice banned them from the city. Thus, the glassmaking foundries were relocated to the Island of Murano, where the artisans, though given special social and legal privileges, became virtually prisoners.

In 1295 an edict was declared, essentially dictating that glassmakers could not leave Murano on threat of bodily harm, since the Venetian government desired to keep the trade secrets of this vital industry from spreading to other glassmakers in Europe. This enabled the craft and glassmaking knowledge to be passed down from one generation to the next in Murano for centuries.

Murano’s Prominence in Glassmaking

Known for its exquisite beauty, craftsmanship and utilitarian design, Murano quickly gained almost a monopoly on the production of fine glass in Europe and provided a major source of trade income and profits for the Republic of Venice.

Mirrors produced in Murano were intricately detailed and ornately decorated. Glass blowing techniques flourished. In time, glass jewelry making also became part of the Murano glassmaking tradition and many new glassmaking techniques were developed.

Developed and passed down over hundreds of years, the Murano glassmaking tradition and techniques continue to be refined and perfected.

However, since the glassmakers were prevented from leaving the Republic, many of the artisans became disenchanted and began leaving the island, taking great risk to establish foundries in other Italian cities and even in places as far flung as England, the Netherlands and Scandinavia.

By the 17th century, Murano’s prominence as a glassmaking center had begun to decline and the craft nearly vanished, due to political changes, an exodus of glassmakers from the Republic of Venice and the development of new glassmaking techniques elsewhere.

During the mid 19th century, glassmaking in Murano underwent a renaissance, in part due to the efforts of businessman Antonio Salviati, who sold glass tiles used to refurbish the many mosaics in Venice. In the 20th century, tourism helped further revitalize the industry.

Today, the glassmakers of Murano are famed for producing exquisite handcrafted art glass and jewelry that sells for amazing prices, along with mirrors, lenses and other more conventional glassware products.

Murano Glassmaking Techniques

Meaning A Thousand Flowers, the Millifiori glassmaking technique encases the glass object in a layer of tinted or clear glass, producing a dazzling visual effect.

Traditionally, most of the Murano glass was functional rather than decorative, but as the craft evolved pieces became more and more decorative with new innovations in the production of ornate mirrors, glass blowing and colored glass.

Murano glassmaking is a complex process, often involving the Lampworking technique, in which extremely high temperatures convert silica to a molten liquid state and allowed to cool slowly. Melting agents called flux, are added to the glass to help slow the solidification process. During this cooling process the glass is soft enough to be worked and shaped by the artisan.

Other raw materials are added to the glass to produce various effects; sodium to make glass surfaces opaque, nitrate and arsenic to eliminate bubbles, along with a variety of coloring and texturing materials, depending upon the desired effect.

Over the centuries, many glassmaking techniques were developed and refined in Murano, including:

• Avventuria – meaning “adventure”, which refers to the difficulty of this process, metal flecks embedded in clear glass to reflect light, using copper or other metal oxides to create a shimmery, metallic look.
• Battuto – meaning "beaten", the process is similar to inciso with deeper and broader cuts, sometimes used to create the appearance of fish scales.
• Corroso – meaning "corrosive", a glass etching surface treatment in which a finished glass piece is etched by dipping it in a vat of hydroflouric acid, with sawdust or paraffin masks used to cover desired areas from the etching process.
• Cristallo – produced a clear and malleable glass without color, which can be blown into very thin-walled vessels.
• Filigrana – technique developed in the 1500s to create pieces with an opaque white or colored glass core, using glass rods fused together, then blown and shaped by the artist. Three patterns include Mezza Filigrana (single filament rods), Reticello (diamond pattern created by twisting two halves of a glass piece in opposite directions during heating), Retortoli (two filaments twisted into a spiral shape).
• Ghiaccio Ice – hot glass submerged in cold water to finely crackle a glass surface.
• Incamiciato – multilayered colored or pasta Vitrea glass encased in an outer Cristallo transparent, colored layer.
• Inciso – meaning "incision", a grinding wheel is used to score a thin line scored into glass.
• Inclamo – many different colored glass pieces fused together, forming a single piece while the glass is pliable.
• Iridato – exposing glass to gaseous vapors of a metal such as tin or titanium to produce a thin iridescent coating.
• Lattimo – opaque white or colored glass, also called milk glass.
• Massiccio – large or heavy glass objects created without blowing because the molten glass is too heavy and dense. The glass is shaped, molded or formed while hot.
• Millefiori – meaning "a thousand flowers", one of the oldest techniques still in use, a glass object is encased in a layer of clear or tinted glass and decorated with Murrine.
• Murrine – technique developed by the Romans and revived in the late 1800s, using thin sections of glass rods, which are fused together, blown, and then formed or molded to create shapes as the artist desires desired shape, oftentimes a floral or geometric design.
• Pasta Vitrea – difficult technique to master, a colored, opaque glass is created by adding clear or colored crystals to molten glass.
• Pennelate – fusing colored pieces of glass to the surface of a hot glass object while being blown.
• Pulegoso – clear glass with lots of bubbles, or puleghe, created by adding kerosene to hot glass, which forms bubbles upon combustion.
• Smalto – enameled glass used to create tile mosaics.
• Soffiati – a mouth blown glass piece which has classic lines and subtle colors.
• Sommerso – meaning “submerged”, the sunken glass technique uses layers of glass formed by dipping the piece repeatedly in molten glass, often producing a clear outer glass surface, with multi-layered colors and hues underneath.
• Tessere – fusing various, almost random shapes and sizes of glass pieces together, then hand blowing and working the resulting piece into a final form.
• Tessuto – multicolored and often striped glass piece made by fusing together colored rods in an alternating pattern and then blowing.
• Trasparente Colorato – similar to Cristallo, but with tint or color added to the glass.
• Velato – treating the surface of a glass piece with the grinding wheel to produce a satin finish.